Music Soothes the Savage Beast

I love piano music. Who doesn't? It can be light and fun, jazzy and upbeat, peaceful and calming. I've spent lots of time this past year at the hospital when my mother was critically ill. The last 2 days I was there again, my younger brother had surgery. It was the first time I had been back to the hospital since Mom passed. The beautiful piano music being played in the hospital's lobby made me wonder how many piano lessons this woman had taken. It was comforting to listen and watch her play and helped me through the day. Playing piano is a skill I don't have, and one my SIL wishes to have.

If you already play and want to jazz up your style, please take a look at these options for piano lessons. For your ease, there's a toll free number to help you with any questions you might have. You can take lessons on line! I love the idea of taking piano lessons, at a time convenient to me; and it's private! You improve your current skills, learn tricks of the trade with lessons on DVD too. Sheet music is available and printable in a wide variety of music styles. If you want to make your left hand come alive, improve your skills with cords, or jump from an intermediate player to an advance player this is for you. And, I've saved the best to last...there's a free trial. If playing more, improving your skills, or getting back to something you love was a New Years Resolution here's your chance. Music improves our lives in so many ways.

Day 1 of the year 2009

Hop back to my previous post to see the family picture. My great-great grandfather, Wilhelm Heinrich Mader, unlike many of todays immigrants embraced his new country. Embrased it's language and traditions. He immigrated to Chillicothe as a single man at the age of 20. The year 1850. He married Anna Marquerite Heinlein in 1853 and in 1856 became a proud US Citizen. His orginal citizenship papers were kept and passed down through the family. He became a citizen as soon as he was permitted to. He Americanized his name right after immigrating to this country, and was known thereafter as William Henry.

He and his wife Anna, had 8 children; though one died in infancy. He performed many jobs in order to raise his family. He was a builder of roads, and bridges, a construction worker, a drayman and a business man. He owned and operated a merchantile store. His family lived upstairs and the business was downstairs. Through my genealogy research, I was able to learn several addresses where the family lived and the buildings remain to this day.

Hubby, daughter and I went out to our favorite resturant last night and had a wonderful meal and good time. Home in good time to see the ball drop and drink our champaigne to toast the new year. I finished her hat (pictures later), and plan to make her a scarf to match, though it will need to be mailed to her; as she's heading back to Baltimore tomorrow.

I'll start focusing on 3 things for this month, charity wise. One naturally my bridge project, rectangles for Warm Up America (as thats the Homespun focus of the month), and items appropiate for Caring House a womens shelter in Michigan (the focus for the month for The Attic). I want to finish candy corn ghan because it's been in the works for far tooooooooooooo long, and I have a yarn to make a co-worker a ghan she ask me to do about a month ago...yikes, haven't even started it. And...my plan is to work several days each month on the Christmas Ghan I started this year when I realized how foolish I was being. If I work on it a little hear and there, it can be for next year.

I bought my first set of double pointed knitted needles and want to try my hand using them, and I want to get back to walking at least 3-4 days a week. Guess I sorta have goals/resolutions. I'll keep you posted how I do.

Happy New Year, stayed tuned for the continuation of The Mader story.