My Journal #2

March 29th

Tell us about a talent you'd love to have but don't.

I will make this brief. I would love to have a voice like Sandy Patty or Susan Boyle. To be able to hold a note and not go flat or sharp. To sing with clarity.
I would love to be asked to sing solos, with the choir.  I do sing in the choir, and when I go to branch churches I'm asked to sing sometimes.

The one other ability that I would love to have is to play the piano. I know the notes, I can learn a new song if need be, but that's it. There is practicing that kept me from playing. Also the fact, like typing I can't not look at my hands. That means I get lost.
At one time we bought a piano. A baby grand. I went to pick it out and had the salesmen play the different ones to hear their tone. I didn't know what to call it but I knew I wanted deep tones. I've hear a Steinway, we have one at church.
As the man played and I listened I finally picked one. He smiled, "You have an excellent ear. This one is very close to  what a Stienway sounds like. The Japanese, pianos have a brighter sound and lighter. I could hear that.
It came with a digital player. we had disks that we could put in it and it would play all kinds of music. There must have been twenty-five or thirty of them.  A year or so later we were told we could add a recording strip to the keyboard. This allowed us to record our own playing on 3.5 disks.  arranged to have that installed.
Right away we had our favorite piano player come over to record his spring and winter selections. He played at the hotel where we ate for Mother's Day and Easter.
He came over and began to play and record. At a break he handed me a spiral bound book he had made of his family tree. "My family all came from Sweden and settled in Aitken, MN."
"My brother-in-law's family is from there too."
"Oh who are they?" he asked
"The Yunkers."
His eyes got big, "Mary Yunker the judge?"
"Well, I knew her when she first started as a lawyer, but yes, Scotts, sister is Mary."
"They are my cousins!" He hugged me, "We're family!"
From that time on we were invited to his parents house and to many family functions. Randy Wall is an amazing pianist.
When we moved we had to sell it. It was a sad day for all of us.