Saturday, July 12, 2008

midnight run


I'm back! My husband has been home and off work for a week and we've been busy with projects around here. Blogging has been on the back burner. With that said, let me tell you about one thing we did...





I was in my pajamas, shelling peas, at 10:30 the other night when I noticed that I had a message on my phone. It was my good friend, Linda K., telling me about an old piano that her church had set out by the Dumpster (she knew I might want it for my artwork.) I told my husband and the next thing I knew, he was putting on his boots, getting ready to go get it! I got dressed and we were in the pick-up headed to town by 10:50. Now, remember, we live 30 miles out. So, I am calculating what time we will be back home, how much the gas will cost and how much I think I might can make from the salvaged piano-parts-turned-into-art. (I would have never thought about that before gas prices got so high.) I decided pretty quickly that it would be a good investment. That's what I always decide. There was also the tiny concern about the police being called on us by neighboring residents. There would be a little noise from the diesel pick-up and dump trailer. Oh, well, small details, easily dismissed. (In case I haven't mentioned it before, let me say now, that my husband is extremely supportive of all my crazy ideas and ventures. No matter how many of them fail or how many times I lose interest, he is on the band-wagon every time. It's amazing! And fun!!!) Because of the way the piano was placed (thanks, Scotty, Linda's husband) we were able to, fairly easily, get the piano onto the trailer. Just the two of us. I don't know if you've ever tried to move a piano, but normally two people can't manage it. It was on it's back and the strings were "playing" all the way home. David said it would probably break into "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder" at any moment. Don't you know that's been played on it hundreds of times over the years? We were back by midnight, the piano is in the barn and I'm thinking and dreaming...




The inside of an old piano is beautiful.





Ivory keys. "Middle C" is almost always marked with tape.



I think I'd better hang on to him!!!

8 comments:

Flower said...

O dear!! We are so much alike...Heidi has used a piano in her art..and my dear husband stops on a dime when I say "stop"...there's a cool tree root, weed, pine cones, rock etc.
This gas things really puts a crimp in my thinking and behavior!! We only have large cars and I have my flower bus for deliveries. $$$$
ps..I really like the scrolling on the inside of the piano. Do let me know what you decide to do with it all!!
Have a good weekend!!

molly said...

Hang on to him for sure!! I never knew the insides of a piano were so pretty!!!I can't wait to see what you do to it!

Willow said...

The old piano must be amazing inside. I love the little personal touch of the number plate.

My dh The Professor 'dragged' me to the street fair in front of our church today (yeah, it's interesting to get to church on the street fair Sunday), bought me a funnel cake and an old kind of lavender plant that I can't find anywhere. We definitely have keepers, don't we?

bunnytrails said...

OK, Davey gets the prize for #1 Husband of the Week, but Mark will run a close 2nd place when you see the "Bubble gum Pink Wheels" he bought for me on Saturday!! The best part of it is that he will be riding around the neighborhood with me proudly peddling its cute wheels!....I will get it on my blog ASAP.

Dr. Garrett Starr said...

I was forwarded your blog post by Scott Kemp. Who knew a discarded piano could come to such great use? Now I am really glad I asked our deacons to put that piano out by the dumpster. And if we have any more headed out to pature, I'll know who to call. I enjoyed reading your blog. Thanks for posting.

Mary said...

WOW! What a find! Seems like you have "the gift of scrounge" like I do. Your husband is definitely a keeper. Are you from Abilene, Texas? I went to college there in the '70's to Abilene Christian University and graduated in 1977. We used to live in the hill country, too, and also in Tyler. See my Xanga site: mrsgrovine. p.s. my name is mary, too. Grovine is my middle name.

mary said...

to mrsgrovine: I can't figure out how to get to your site or write you back. Can you give me a more exact address?

Mary said...

Sorry, my computer has been refusing to take by comment. My son says it was because I wasn't properly logged in. My Xanga site is http://profile.xanga.com/mrsgrovine. Or just type in mrsgrovine's Xanga site and click on weblog. Sorry it took so long to get back to you.