Dear Kids,
I’m looking forward to the potluck at our house this afternoon, and to celebrating Allen’s promotion. I’m especially glad Vanessa’s family is coming. Hooray for long, boring Sunday afternoons! That’s what’s bringing them here. They’re planning to come once a month for a family potluck, and I’m delighted. Here’s another idea: what if we rotated among houses, at least among Nora’s and John’s and Tom’s and ours–the bigger places. (Obviously not Allen’s condo.) Or would that make things too complicated, and make the whole thing crash? I don’t want that to happen at all. You can all let me know what you think when you come.
My brother Charley called me a couple of days ago, and we had a great talk. His health is a lot better now, in spite of all those blood clots he had a couple of years ago. It’s miraculous that all my brothers and sisters are still alive, and I hope that continues for a long time. I especially don’t want to be the one to bail first, and I hope the Lord spares my life for many more years. Charley mentioned that his grandson Sam and his wife are expecting a baby, so that will make him a great grandfather. I can hardly believe it–my little brother!
Dad and I still don’t have any idea when we might be vaccinated for Covid, and we haven’t heard anything from the Summit County health department. Wasatch County is vaccinating from the top down, oldest people first. One of my piano ladies is in her 80's, and she was vaccinated last week. After she gets her second vaccination next month, she’s going to start coming to my house for piano lessons, since who knows when the Senior Center will open again. One of my other ladies will start coming in April. I’ll be glad to have more students again, since it gives shape to my life. I have lots of other interesting things to do, but nothing is more satisfying for me than teaching piano. I don’t charge anybody anymore. The time they spend practicing is my payment.
Dad’s been working on my smaller Clavinova, since five of the black keys were drooping. We thought it needed new keys, and they’re impossible to find, but luckily it was just a matter of new springs, which I have, and cleaning out the crud that’s fallen down in between. Dad talked to one technician who said I should just buy a new Clavinova, but none of the new ones have that stereo feature that makes them sound so good. If I could find one whose sound I liked, I’d buy it in a minute. It’s hard to imagine both my Clavinovas are going on 33 years old. (Like the song says, “I don’t remember growing older; when did they?) That smaller one traveled a lot with you different kids–it even went to Ohio. It’s in the hall closet on our top floor so I can practice in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. The bigger one’s in the basement, and I use it for Anna’s lessons when she comes.
Life is good. I love you all. Mom
