Sunday 12 May 2013

Here, there and everywhere.

I can play that on the piano!

I dont think I have ever mentioned that I can play the piano.  Have I?



Well, perhaps I should be honest and say I can read music.  Like anything else in life practise is required and I do not do enough of it.  

I learned to play the piano when I was about eight.  I remember going on the bus from our village to the nearest town, Barnsley.  In the evening after school, must have been a good half hour on the bus, then a fair walk to the piano teacher.  All on my own.  Horrible man, who breathed bad breath all over me, and then the trip in reverse.  Any wonder I was put off the piano?  But like learning Latin, which I did for one year at High School, some of it stayed with my brain.  So I can read music.

I had an upright, brown wood effort first.  In later life after leaving home I managed to get hold of another upright, which was promptly painted purple, so that must have been the 70s.  

When I began to produce children, the younger two went for piano lessons and by then we had another upright piano.  Which I do not remember painting....  And then, oh boy, we came into some money and I was able to purchase this electronic effort.  Press a button and you get the full choir joining in, another, in come the string section of the orchestra.  It is wonderful! 

I should say here that my four daughters continued their musical education through the schools they attended.  All four = recorders.  (I HATE recorders) then Eldest, clarinet, Second, trombone, (I am not too sure about this one, but remember it being difficult), Third, Saxophone, which I love, and Fourth flute. 

None of them have continued.  

Anyway, back to the present.  The last week I have indeed been Here, There, and Everywhere.  Which has tired me out.  Brain unable to blog anything I felt that would be of the least bit interesting to you.


The Dawn Patroller was silenced.  Tuesday evening we went to the Fraserburgh Photographic Society's annual knees up.  This consists of a HIGH TEA, at the Leisure Centre.  I will do another post on what consists of a High Tea. For now, suffice it to say that the first course is toast.  
As with anything I attend there were copious amounts of red wine, so that's alright then.
  
Cups and awards are presented.  The DP knew nothing of the fact he had accumulated top points in the Society's two photographic  challenges of the year, Natural History and Weather.  So he shut up for a while, and won the above two cups, one is to keep, on the left, t'other has been put back in its box - and we hope we can remember where we put it for next years winner.

Thursday the DP left me for Edinburgh, a daughter to move flats, the ex flautist, and the RSPB Bird Fair, Saturday and Sunday, along with which he would be seeing the ex clarinet player and her tribe.

Most of my week has been spent at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, sorting out problems, a board meeting, having lunch so I dont have to cook while the DP is away.  And once all that was done, some painting.


We did pen and ink at art group.


A couple of baby seals.  Not pen and ink, watercolour.  May need a bit of tweaking having seen and thought.....




and work in progress.

And finally, chilling out down the shed a man arrived and set about removing the DP's attempt at a wildflower meadow, which didnt work, 



So - the wasteland, like hay, you can see, which is indeed, now hay, has to be raked after cutting, then the man will return and do a second cut, following which we may have a half decent garden.  Which when the big four by fours drive past will have a better view from their car windows.  But!  the top pic, see that corner?  Well I want a wildlife pond.  Anyone have a jcb?


5 comments:

rusty duck said...

Love the hen! A chicken with attitude methinks.

I've heard about many attempts at a wildflower meadow which didn't work - they are very hard to establish successfully. Pity really. The thought of chucking some seeds about and then going away and forgetting about it is mighty appealing.

Anonymous said...

So good to read a post from you! What a dark horse...piano playing and music reading to add to your other talents, wow! :)

You could have a right good band playing in your house at Christmas with all that musical talent in your family!

And a big well done to the DP! Yay!

Looking forward to catching up with you next weekend, it's been too long! xxx

Anonymous said...

Many congratulations to the DP on his prizes, and to you for doing all that you do - including that amazing art.

BadPenny said...

Congrats on the cups & commiserations on the wild flower meadow.

My two started on recorders at school ( I think every child does ! ) Jess went onto the violin ( and gave up ) Joe the trumpet ( and gave up ) Jess then bought an electric guitar ( and gave up )

I just sing - much to the annoyance of Jess & Joe. Yesterday the man at the garden centre till asked Jess if I was with her as I started singing I like a nice cup of tea... ( well I was buying new mugs ! )

Mum said...

Well done DP on winning your cups.
I, too, learned to play the piano. I was 7 and the teacher came to our house. My mum always made him a cup of tea and left 2/6 on the piano for him. I've got that Snowman music book somewhere. My DS played some pieces from it in a school play. We have an all singing, all dancing electronic piano now as well. Snap.
Love from Mum
xx