In other news, Spouse had to take a trip this week and he brought me back an early birthday present --- a roll-up piano keyboard!! I LOVE IT. I always thought it would be cool to have one. It doesn't have the same feel as a real piano of course, but you can't roll up a real piano into a 6" square and stuff it into a little carrying case. :)

Actually, I own an upright piano. I asked for it for Christmas when I was 15. I never thought I'd get it, but it's the only thing I really wanted. Santa came through and it sat in the foyer of my parents' home even after I moved out into my own place. Since I was renting and knew I'd likely move a lot, I didn't take it with me.

I never did take lessons, but I played by ear and picked out a lot of stuff, incl "If I Were A Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof, the love theme from Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet and Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" aka The Exorcist theme. (Damn, there's another favorite album I had in vinyl that I haven't replaced with CD. *note to self...*) I can read music but only my right hand can execute it. My left is only good for minimal notes or simple chords.

Fast forward about 10 years to when my Grandmother (96 this year and still going!) was suddenly without a piano. Hers was just too ancient to even remotely hold tune anymore and several of the keys were completely dead. It was an upright antique with all kinds of decorative wood trim on the high face of it, looking a lot like a player piano.

Grandma has been playing the piano all her life. She was the accompianist in her little country church for decades and still subs now and then. She regularly plays the piano at home for her own enjoyment, usually hymns.

Anyway, Grandma needed a piano and I was still single and moving around from rental to rental, SO I offered to get my piano out of Mom and Dad's foyer (in Lex Ky) and into Grandma's house (in So OH). Mom and Dad paid to have it moved and tuned. Thus, Grandma has had custody of my piano ever since.

I made it clear that it is hers for as long as she lives. She has made it clear to everyone that it must come back to me when she no longer needs it. I further stipulated that I am in no hurry to get my piano back ;) I hope she lives to 120 and wears the ivory off the keys.

When I do eventually 'inherit' it back, I will cherish it more than ever because it will have Grandma's love of music stored in it. Much to Mom and Dad's chagrin, it may end up back in their house until some miracle or retirement gets me and Spouse back to Ky. Damned if I can justify moving a piano from OH to NM then on to wherever else we end up before I can get back homeward again (always a goal).

In the meantime, I can roll out my new toy and play at will! WooHoo!