Organ vs Piano but there's progress

My organ is lovely and has a history: R bought it for his lovely wife, E. However, sadly, E died and R doesn't play so he let it go for a song to me (who also doesn't play). But I'm determined to play, hence my signing up for piano lessons even though the instructor had reservations about my playing on an organ, not a piano.

At first it didn't matter. The notes were simple and I simply stayed in "piano" mode on my organ taking care not to touch any of the 80+ other buttons available to me. But as I progress I realize playing the organ in preparation for my session on the instructor's piano is akin to practising on an electric typewriter then taking an exam on a manual. Somehow the fingers get lazy: they are used to the ease of the organ keys whereas the piano demands of the fingers some stamina, some muscle, some pressure! More speed. Aghhhhh!

I've checked out Lionel Pauzé's piano store in Almonte where there are some very lovely new and refurbished (my price range) pianos of a size suitable to my small digs. Dilemma: stick with the organ or switch to a piano? When one doesn't know what to do the best thing is to do nothing which is my choice of the moment. There is definitely starting to be a large gap where such things as crescendo and diminuendo (dynamic signs) cannot be done on the organ (or maybe I just haven't figured out how). The pedals (3) on the piano can't compare to the multiple pedals on the organ (all of which scare me).

And so the disparities in my two musical vehicles are starting slowly to pose little problems.

But what's wonderful is my reportoire is expanding. Incredibly, I can now play:

• Ode to Joy
• Aura Lee (aka Love me Tender)
• Rock along and Mexican Hat Dance
• Au claire de la lune and a Tisket, a Tasket (what are those things anyway?)
• Good King Wencelas & Jingle Bells (getting ready for Christmas!)
• Brother John and Here's a Happy Song and Merrily we Roll Along
• Largo, Mary Ann (a toughie), Rockets (easy) and What Can I Share?
• My favourite - When the Saints (the only one I have actually memorized)
• Love Somebody, A Friend like You
• The animal songs: Donkey and the Cuckoo. Note: animal songs are HARD!
• My lifestyle song: Money Can't Buy Everthing
• The lovely and serene Harp Song
• The almost impossible Beautiful Beautiful Brown Eyes (Dear Lord, why does this song give me such grief?)
• Good morning to You and...wait for it...
• Happy Birthday to You which arrived just in time for me to torment my poor husband to death as it was my personal challenge the very week of his 60th birthday!! Quelle coincidence!
• Now I'm "Standing in the Need of Prayer" trying to master eighth notes. But there's a trick to it and I think (hope and pray) I've figured it out. Tomorrow night's lesson review will tell the tale.

Amazing progress don't you think? Next we explore the Metronome!

Never too Old to Learn

I have started taking baby steps toward fulfilling a personal goal: to play the piano. Yes, I'm in week 5 of my lessons and am starting to sweat.

At first it was a piece of cake. But now the chording and coding is getting more challenging. My teacher is excellent. Only 18, she's at the Grade 10 level in the Toronto Conservatory of Music. She's very patient and kind. The only problem is: seeing her only once per week means I have an entire week to practise, oftimes in error as there is no one about to tell me I'm getting it wrong. Of course, it all sounds good to me!

Humility, they say, is good for one's soul and I'm becoming more and more humble every week. But: I have mastered When the Saints Come Marching In and even had a few singers join in when I played it for a friend in a seniors' residence last week. So what if it's the only song in my repertoire? My challenge this week is "Beautiful Brown Eyes"...tricky little piece...but who knew?

Next, my organ vs piano dilemma.

Name that Harley!

This story is for all my motorcycling friends. Enjoy.

While walking with L and Spencer around the park, we came across W who, wanting to stop raking leaves for a few minutes, shared this story.

Having lost his way to a new golf course, W stopped in at a ladies' gym to ask directions. The lady at the desk knew exactly what course he was looking for and told him this:

"You're on the right road. Keep going straight until you come to the Suck-Bang-and-Blow, then make a right, it's right past there."

Not sure he heard her right, W repeated the instructions, then asked (trying to keep a straight face, and thinking the worst), "What exactly IS the Suck-Bang-and Blow?"

"Oh," she said, "I guess you're not from around these parts?"

"No," he admitted, "we're Canadian."

"Well," she told him, "the Suck-Bang-and-Blow is the motto of our local Harley Davidson shop."

And sure enough, as W followed her directions, he drove right past a Harley dealership with this huge sign that read "Suck, Bang and Blow."

Fall Reflections

Fall is upon us. She's showing herself in so many ways...it makes me wistful. The geese have started their long journey and not a day goes by that I don't look up and wish them safe journey. Pumpkins and mums are popping up by everyone's doorsteps. Yet there's still the odd vibrant rose and shasta daisy competing for attention here and there. The "dollyhocks" are in full bloom and I am enjoying every single one as they're not perenniels thus won't be seen until the summer after next, same as my foxgloves.

The lake reflects all the hues of the golds, oranges and reds of the soon-to-fall leaves. I've filled two pumpkin-faced bags with those already fallen and moved four other bags already to the compost area. Yes, to Hell with yoga for the moment - I'm into raking big time!

I've cleaned out the garden except for the carrots and swiss chard which are still bravely growing. My tomatoes, red, green and my favourite - yellow, are gifts from my garden which we're greatly enjoying.

I've yet to take down the hummingbird feeder, but it is time. Maybe today. Chickadees and finches are begging at the feeders already and the jays have done their work on the nuts from nearby oak trees. Spencer and I still find the odd frog who hasn't yet gone underground for the winter. The snake he was so interested in is no longer; unfortunately, someone ran over it and now it's a leather S on the pavement (poor thing). But that one aside, this had to be a good year for snakes. I've never seen so many snake babies as this year (most of them on golf courses).

The sail boat is still in the lake and I must go down today and bail as we've had rain. I can't bring myself to take her out just yet and hope tomorrow will bring wind so we can have one last run across the bay. Speaking of rain, I am rain-ready having bought a brand new pair of rubber boots - red plaid! They make me feel jaunty just writing about them.

Next to store are all my garden goblins and junk. I stash all kinds of things here and there in my garden but there comes a time when it must be re-stashed in the shed. One poor item, a blue trumpet-playing frog - a gift from my friend P - has barely had time to adjust to his new digs and now he'll be mummified for another 7 or 8 months. Just saying that arouses the spectre of Winter!!!!

The days seem grimmer somehow. The sun shines here and there when the clouds manage to spare the space. The north wind prompts hat and coat attire. Yes, it's autumn, that season of winding down. It's election time here in Canada which is also rather depressing. But, it's all part of the cycle. The beauty of the trees all around certainly do arouse the spirits, particularly when spotlit with sunshine. The golf courses are at their peak as is my golf game. Pity, as that'll soon end. It's hard to believe it's October already. Truly a time to give thanks despite headlines full of doom and gloom.