Marilyn, so often these days when you see fish on the menu, it is "fish", not always with a breed name, although I did have some cod recently.  I order it anyway.

We are having rain now and I just heard some thunder.  I'm not in a position to see the lightning unless it is nearby.  Tom likes driving in this type of weather, partly because other drivers do not like to drive in this weather.  I'm glad I don't have any appointments for this week.

I just received a message that my e-file for my Federal tax was accepted.  Now all I have to do is figure out how to print it because every time I try to print the forms, I get a message that I don't have PDF (I did, but downloaded it again) and I still get the message.  I have to print the State to send it in; I am not going to pay the State and also pay $25 for the privilege of e-filing.  That one gets mailed.

Mary Ann

Hi Everyone.  I woke up and decided to get up early, at least 5:30 is early for me.  About 6 am it started to rain but only did that for about 30 minutes.  We have a 50% chance of rain the rest of the morning and then the afternoon will be partly cloudy so the activities at the Master's shouldn't be impacted too much today.  The Golf Channel is doing a lot of programming from there all day.  I watched some of that yesterday and enjoyed listening to a couple of the interviews with the best golfers that they had.  The azaleas are truly beautiful here now as they are in full bloom.  The only thing on the schedule today is that the kids will be out this evening.  Scott is going to make his taco pie for our dinner.  We have some salad to go along with it.  It is a very filling meal.  I am hopeful he will be willing to install a couple more of the pull out shelves we got several weeks ago.  Yesterday afternoon Pat and I went to the new Dollar Tree store we have nearby where she got cards for the card ministry of our Sunday School class. We then stopped over at the Dairy Queen for our main meal of the day.  I had a delicious hamburger sandwich that was a full meal followed by a free Dilly Bar that I got because I filled out an on line survey.  She had their $6 meal of a small hamburger sandwich with French fries, a drink and a small Sunday.  It was not busy in the restaurant and we enjoyed a very leisurely meal.  It was warm yesterday afternoon as it got up to 85 degrees. 

ShirleyN, I hope you have a most enjoyable cruise and then visit on Key West.  One year when we were in Florida on a timeshare week we decided to drive to Key West for the day.  However, when we got to Marathon Island we decided we had seen enough water and turned around and went back to Punta Gorda, where we were staying.  For some reason I got a booklet from the Viking Cruise Line company yesterday about river cruises indicating they were having a 2 for 1 price sale.  Unfortunately, cruises and even a trip of more than a couple of hours is probably out for us since neither Pat nor I can really walk very far.  The comforts of our own home are just more appealing. 

Mary Ann, I was about ready to throw up my hands yesterday when Pat was trying to do something on her new phone and became frustrated and commented perhaps she should have gotten a smart phone after all.  That is not going to happen, at least for a while as to return this phone they charge a $45 restocking fee, which is almost as much as I paid for the clam shell small phone.  I noticed that our strawberry stand has now reopened so Pat can have some fresh, rather than frozen, strawberries for a few weeks.  I have already gotten our Federal refund but now have to pay the State Income and City Property taxes in the next few days.  I will be glad to have that done for another year.  I think it was white fish we had when I was growing up along with cat fish.  Now our fish of choice is Tilapia.

Marilyne, having grown up and lived a lot of our lives in the Midwest neither Pat nor I are really found of the beaches and being near water.  That sounds like a great place to eat and a big Happy Birthday to your daughter. 

Jean, it does seem to our web family continues to grow smaller as we lose more and more of the folks we have come to know and love in a special way over the years.  Joan certainly made very large contributions to these discussions and spent untold hours in finding interesting material as well as making the many personal replies to postings.   

JeanneP, I hope today is better weather wise for you and that you can get the driving test completed for another year. 

Larry, I didn't think to watch the Golf Channel for any pre-game stuff.  I did work on my income taxes and send in the Federal and it was accepted.  I'll send in the State by snail mail as I have to pay and it costs $25 to e-file for State.  It will only cost a couple of stamps to snail mail it.  I went to print out the taxes and I kept getting the box to save it to PDF.  I realized this morning that I had not had the printer cable attached and I wonder if that contributed to my getting that response.  I also wonder if I had not checked the PDF box if I would have been able to print.  I'll try again today and if that doesn't work, Tom will have to get into the act.  While I don't have to print the Federal (and I should), I must print the State.  Onward and upward!!!

There was snow on the ground this morning and our temperature is 29 degrees.  I'm tired of snow and it can leave anytime.  It does look pretty, however.

The only thing on my agenda is to see if I can get my taxes printed.

I just looked at Grand Haven and you can barely see the lighthouses.  There are whitecaps on the lake and I see the water temperature has dropped a degree.

Mary Ann

Candy's trip had to be cancelled due to health reasons.  She sees the Dr. tomorrow  and may have to have surgery.  We will see.

Dan brought over Chinese food last night.  Was good for a change and enjoy his company, always have.

Joan, I'm sorry to hear about Candy's health problem.  I wish her well.

Mary Ann

joan - I hope that Candy's problem can be resolved without surgery.  Keep us posted on how she is doing. I'm sure she is anxious to get her things out of storage, but now will have to wait a while longer, until she is feeling better. 

Mary Ann - I'm sure you're ready to say 'goodbye' to winter?  I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but looks like Spring has finally arrived here. It's been warm 70's so far this week, but is supposed to rain by Friday.  The expected storm is a Pineapple Express from Hawaii, so will not be cold, and is expected to bring us some much needed rain for our continuing drought. 

Larry - Taco pie sounds delicious!  I plan to look it up on Google, and see what it's all about!   

Mary Ann & Marilyne, thanks to both of you.  She is not new at this surgery thing.  She and her sister have problems with cysts, and they get quite large and must be removed.  Dr. tomorrow will let her know how it looks.

WJoan, prays for your daughter.

Lindancer, thanks. 

Hi Everyone.  This morning starts out as a chilly  but sunny 47 degrees and we should go to about 70 degrees.  It looks like it is going to be a beautiful day for the first day of the Master's Tournament. I have a few things to do this morning.  I don't have to pick up my friend to go to coffee as he has a medical appointment but will still go down for coffee.  While I am downtown I will got to the City Hall and pay our City Property Taxes.  Yesterday I paid the State  Income Tax on line using our credit card. I also plan on making a quick stop at the Church office to pick up a parking placard.  Our Church and the Baptist Church are allowing the baseball team that will be playing in the new stadium to use the parking lots during games and other events at the ballpark.  There will be a five dollar charge to park except for Church members displaying the placard and needing to do something at the Church.  After expenses the revenue from the parking will be shared half and half with the Churches.  The team is supplying all of the labor and covering the liability issues and are to leave the parking lots clean.  I will be watching the Master's Golf Tournament this afternoon. 

We had a nice evening with Scott and Elizabeth but Jennifer wasn't here.  She had physical therapy yesterday and was too tired to come out.  The Taco Pie was very good and after dinner Scott put in the remaining slide out shelves in the kitchen.  That leaves only two to install in the master bathroom.

Mary Ann, I don't think not having your printer cable hooked up would have anything to do with why the PDF document didn't open. Here is a link where you can download the free Adobe PDF reader: https://adobe-reader.en.softonic.com/download in case you haven't already solved that problem.  Hope the snow melted up your way yesterday. 

Joan, sorry to hear that Candy is ailing and had to cancel her planned trip.  Your mentioning of Chinese food brought to mind that we haven't had Chinese food for sometime. 

Marilyne, we have had several days in the 80's and the AC was needed.  However, I had to switch it over to heat this morning as the house was very chilly.  Hope you get the needed rain without it causing more flooding and mudslides in your vicinity.    Our son take a sound dish and layers the bottom with tortilla shells, fixes about a pound of hamburger that he fries up with taco seasoning and last night added some salsa and puts that in the dish.  He then put on another layer of the tortilla shells and covered it all in cheese.  I think he may put a layer of shredded cheese on the meat.  It is served with more salsa and sour cream.  He doesn't really use a recipe.  It is a very filling dish.   

Larry, it was the first time I ha had  it in 2 years.  Time seems to fly by when we get older for some reason.

Larry, did you hear about golfer, Tony Finau, who had a hole-in-one in a contest yesterday and hippity hopped to the hole, somehow dislocated his left ankle, sat down and put the ankle in place.  He's walking around today but the announcer thinks before this round is over that he will have a sore ankle.  In fact, it sounded as if the announcer wondered if Tony would be able to finish the round.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - I read your message in Soda Shoppe, that the grandson of Jack Nicklaus, got a hole in one!  Was he playing in a tournament, or just a round of golf somewhere?  Amazing how the children of sports stars, seem to inherit the talent.  Many of the sons of baseball, hockey and football greats, are now playing in the professional leagues.

I wish one of my three kids had inherited my husband's musical talent.  Also my dad's two sisters were both fabulous piano players and one of them played the violin well enough to fill in occasionally as a substitute in the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  Neither my brother nor I, or any of our kids inherited any musical ability at all!  Also, none in my grandkids.  

Marilyn, there were several contests for youngsters and the players themselves yesterday.  I'm not sure which the young Nicklaus was in, nor if he even won.  But Jack Nicklaus was overjoyed. 

Our family was musical but only for family enjoyment.  Both Norm and I took piano lessons and I did so well, the teacher skipped me from beginner to second grade level.  There I played scales and hated them and pleaded with my mother to quit - and she let me quit.  I could play for my own enjoyment but my 127-year-old Steinway upright is in the family room and I do not go downstairs.  I feel bad because it is badly out of tune.  In grade school I took violin until I went to high school and it was a school instrument.  My folks could not afford to buy it and that was the end of that!  Piano and violin are my two favorite instruments.

Norm played the trombone and baritone and was in the high school band, also in a group with friends and played for gatherings.  I have a small 6-inch record of him playing with the band and having a baritone solo - only who has 78 rpms any more.  Norm also bought an organ and played that for his own amusement until they moved to our condo complex where the organ went in the lower level so he didn't play it so much.  Besides, the computer took over.

My mother was an accomplished pianist but not professional.  One thing Norm and I loved to do was have Mother play the piano and he, Dad and I would stand behind her and sing.  A drawback was that my voice became alto range and so was Mother's.  Someone has to sing the melody and it was hard with no soprano!!!

Dad played the piano and pump organ when he was small and always enjoyed music.  He took his first lessons at age 32.  Both Norm and I were brought up on more or less classical music.  My family today likes music but not classical. 

My dad was brought up in a Spartan atmosphere where they had next to nothing and Mother was rather indulged because her father died when she was a month old so never knew him.  I think music was what drew them together.

More than anyone wants to know, but that is our musical background.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - Back when we were growing up, the majority of households had a piano.  Whenever you would visit friends or relatives, there was always a piano in the living room or somewhere in the house. Most family members could play reasonably well, and there was a lot of congregating around the piano and singing.  Now, you can’t give pianos away!  Nobody wants them, because nobody plays anymore.  Children don’t take lessons like we used to. There were no after school team sports back then, such as soccer, Little League, etc.  No such thing as gymnastics, or swim teams.  So after school, we went to our piano lesson, or other instruments. Most of us stuck with it long enough to become passably good, and we can still read music.

My grandkids spent their childhood years on swim teams - winter and summer.  One gr-daughter took gymnastics, and was pretty good, and grandsons were on various sports teams.  I know it was good for them to get the exercise and all, but I think it’s a shame that none of them ever took any music lessons.   Our two daughters took piano lessons, but neither one was interested enough or good enough for us to insist that they continue.  The piano still sits, forlorn and neglected, in our basement family room.    I used to sit down once in a while and take out some sheet music or old books, and stumble along through a couple of pieces.  Couldn't manage it now, because of my arthritic (twisted) fingers.

Marilyn, when we were growing up, there also was no TV, computers, Ipads etc.  Tom's son does want my piano and as Tom will inherit my condo, the piano will be here for him.  Norm had a piano and his oldest son, Tim, took it when Norm moved from one place to another (he still had the organ and Dot had a hard time getting rid of it). 

When Tom was six, the family moved to a subdivision where they had a pool and all three boys learned to swim, which was not bad.  They also had a lot of friends from the subdivision and school.  Tom's mother was not interested in music and their interest in music was what they heard on the radio and TV.  I think guitars have taken over as an instrument.  Tom's son does play guitar.  Tom is left-handed and tried, but never mastered the guitar (he also wanted to know how to knit and that was a disaster).  Tim played the guitar but I don't recall Terry ever being interested in any form of music.  All three boys mastered the computer, however, both inside and out. 

I have my Light Classical music on TV right now.

Mary Ann

Good Weds Afternoon...
I am watching "Augusta"  this afternoon....
How I do enjoy golf !!!   Especially these big
tournaments. 

I was watching Speith and I believe that
he is in the  lead right now (with  a long way to go)
but I couldn't  help but notice that he
has a very,  very cute  caddie that I am going
to be watching very carefully!!!!   

I do appreciate  a  good looking guy!



Sandy

Candy went to the Dr. today and it seems she has a bladder infection which in turn has caused a few other problems.  At least it wasn't a cyst like she thought.

Mary Ann,  No, you are not the only one who still has 78 RPM records.  My DIL is a collector of old 78's.  My son bought her a really nice record player several years ago.  She scours antique shops and flea markets for the records.  There is a kind of a "hippy" store down in a section of Baltimore that is "still safe" to go to and once in a while they will go down there to look for old recordings. There are several music venues in the area that have groups come in that play the kind of music that they like. Not any groups that I am familiar with and they are mostly very well attended and not unusual for people to be dancing in the aisles.   She lived in N.C. for a good while when she was younger and got involved with a dance group.  Similar to the Riverdance group.  Similar to  clogging.  Sometimes it is known as Zydeco dancing, also.   Old time bluegrass, also.  She still goes to several Fiddler's Conventions in N.C. and still loves to dance. There is a restored theater near where they live that brings in all different kinds of groups.  Irish, Scottish and blue grass and similar groups. 

She has quite a large collection of all kinds of old 78's.

So, you are not alone.,  LOL

Joy

joan - Good that Candy doesn't have to have surgery, but always miserable to have a bladder infection.  So painful . . . but fortunately it is treatable and she should be feeling better in a couple of days.

Joy - I wish your DIL could come out here and pick through our 78 albums and stacks of records.  We have a huge selection, going back to the 1940's. I enjoy watching the style of dancing that your DIL likes to do.  Group dancing and clogging is such fun to see.  I've just recently become interested in Zydeco, and would like to hear and see more.  There is something about the plaintive voice of the singer, and the fiddles, that makes for good listening.

Mary Ann - We've offered our piano to any friends or relatives who would like to have it, but no takers.  It's a nice Baldwin, with a light wood finish and contemporary style, that would blend in well with most styles of furniture. Eventually I'll likely put it on the for sale and free section, on Next Door.

Marilyne, 

Here is a link to one of the Fiddler's Conventions that my DIL danced at.  I think this was about 10 years ago, and she still tries to get to one or two every summer.  She is an Physical Therapist and getting ready to retire in about 9 months.    She is the one in the red dress with the long brown hair.  Just thought you might enjoy this as you mentioned that you enjoy this type of dancing. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2sKyLAgmJo

I can imagine she would be in her glory if she could browse your stacks of 78's.

Joy

Hi Everyone. It is another beautiful day and we are to get up to around 80 this afternoon.  This is the day for the housekeeper and she will be here soon.  We plan on staying home today and not going out to eat.  We have chili in the freezer that needs to be eaten so that will be our main item for our dinner this evening.  Yesterday I went to the City Hall to pay our taxes only to find the window was closed for the day as the lady was not there.  So I will have to try again. 

Yesterday I found that I could watch the Masters on the computer and there were no commercials.  If you are interested just use www.masters.com.  At the moment I am listening to an interesting interview done with Jack Nickalus  and Gary Players.  I plan on watching a lot more this way the next three days.

Joan, it hasn't been that long since we ate some Chinese food.  However, I think we sort of burned out on it as ate it pretty often where we did live as the Sunday after Church group often wanted to go to a particular Chinese restaurant.  Glad that Candy saw the doctor and it wasn't the problem she thought it might be.  Hope she is feeling better soon.

Mary Ann, Tony Finau didn't seem to be slowed by the accident as he is tied for 2nd after the first round of the tourney.  I have always loved music but only wanted to play for my own enjoyment or play for the small Churches like the one I attended while growing up or playing while in High School.

Marilyne, Jack Nichalus was playing in the Par Three tournament on Wednesday and his grandson was his caddy.  On the last hole he asked his grandson if he wanted to take the first shot, which he did and shot the hole in one.  I didn't see it but hope before the weekend is over they will replay it.  Both of my kids took piano lessons and my son was a much better pianist that I ever way.  One of the highlights was when he played in a concert where there were 8 pianos played at the same time in the RLDS Auditorium in Independence, Missouri.  I don't think he plays much anymore although I gave him the Electric Piano I had.

Sandy, Spieth put on quite an exhibition of golf on the last nine holes and ended the day with a two stroke lead, as I am sure you are aware as you were watching it.

Joy, I am reading that the vinyl records are making a comeback.  What was old is new again. 

Joy, it made me tired watching your DIL and group dancing.  I like to watch clogging but the only place I find it is on the computer.  There certainly are a lot of turns and twists they must remember.

Today I have to sign my tax form and write checks for estimates and put everything in the mail box.  Then I'll be done with that and can turn to something else. 

We had Dot come for ham supper tonight.  Tom does a good job of cooking, nothing fancy, but it always tastes good.  The cat doesn't recognize Dot as family so he disappears when she or anyone other than Annie comes in.  He goes downstairs where he can look out the slider and watch for birds. 

Other than my tax stuff I don't have any agenda for today but I'll find something either to do or not to do.  I'm retired!!!

Larry, I saw both Finau's and the young Nicklaus' holes-in-one on replay.  I wonder if you hunt online if you can find the shots while they're still fresh.  I may try to watch the Masters online, but I have a laptop that I use on my lap so it might not go too well.  I do like to get up once in a while.  I don't have any place to put the laptop when I'm not using it other than the floor.

Radar shows no precip in our area and I hope it stays that way.

Mary Ann

Joy, I enjoyed watching the video.  It looks like so much fun.  Larry and I were in a square dancing club when the kids were little.  I really enjoyed it but Larry not so much as he is missing the rhythm.  It was hard for him to keep up.  Reminds me of our oldest daughter.  She came home in the 3rd grade all upset because she couldn’t jump rope with her friends at recess.  We bought some rope and literally taught her how to jump rope.  It didn’t come naturally to her, but she caught on and was happy to be able to join her friends in the jump roping.  Does anyone remember jumping “double Dutch” where you used two ropes and the person had to jump both alternately.  That was fun.

Joy - I really enjoyed looking at the video of your dil, and the Green Grass Cloggers.  I would have LOVED to learn to do that when I was a young woman.  Any kind of dancing was my passion, and that looks like so much fun!  I don't think there are groups like that out here in California?  Lots of square dancing, but I've never heard of any cloggers?  I'll send the video to my younger daughter, and see if she knows of anything like this?  She's still out there in the "mainstream", so is aware of anything of interest happening around the Bay Area.

Mary Ann - Your ham dinner with Dot and Tom, sounds nice for a change.  Like Kendrick, Winnie always disappeared when anyone came to visit. He had his hidey holes, where he would go and stay until he was sure they were gone.  One place was in the far back of a closet in the basement bedroom.  When the guests were gone, I would go downstairs and stand in the bedroom and call him, and out he would come!  I haven't looked in there since he's been gone.

joan - I hope Candy is feeling better this morning, and on the road to recovery.  Those UTI infections can linger for a while, so the doctors always stress that you should not stop taking the antibiotics until they're all gone. 

People in those Dance clubs seem to have so much fun. Now I loved country Dancing when growing up in U.K. The University here does have a English Dancing club . Never been to it.
I also have hundreds of the big records. But I still have the player I bought in about 1960. Beautiful wood cabinet and plays great still. I collected Folk singers. Country. Classical and have most of the Theatre shows. There are people buying those records here.  Also bought a Cord organ same time. It is one that can change to other instruments. Small size Cord organ. Same beautiful wood. Would like to get rid of it. Pianos and Organs don't sell anymore. I don't know anyone whose children take piano lessons. My 2 girls did but quit, wanted to switch to Guitar . didn't stick with that also. Same with Dance classes. I gave up. We have lots of shows around with children playing a instrument but 90% are the Chinese children in them. Have lots of Chinese here with the university. Their Children such Talent. Art shows and Schools they win most of the awards also.
I have not seen kids doing Jump rope Since I left the UK. Seems like Hop Scotch has come back a little with the young ones. Looks a mess though with them Chalking them all over the place. Never see any over 9 even outside now.

I paid for piano lessons for both James and Annie.  Jamie admitted to me later that he memorized the lessons and really didn't know how to read music.  He did learn something from the lessons, however, maybe the technical parts of it.  He still plays guitar, especially at his church.  Annie plays at the piano when she's here but I am sure her SO does not have any musical instrument.  When you look on TV at the various groups that perform, you will always see several guitars and a drum set.  Oh, there might be a banjo, but seldom anything else.  We did not have TV to keep us amused so it was necessary to play an instrument to have music.  I don't know if things are in a progressive mode or not. 

Our neighbors had a player piano and several of us would gather there, get out the rolls and we'd alternate playing, but all of us would be singing along.  Also our neighbor would pop corn and make fudge.  Or someone else would bring a treat.  That was our group entertainment. 

Speaking of dancing, as many of you know, it isn't "cheek to cheek" anymore.  I was greatly amused a year ago when I attended a wedding and many of the people got on this square of floor and "danced" by gyrating.  I took a video of it and it makes me laugh.

I know it's easy to criticize the younger generation's amusements, but wait until it's their turn!

Mary Ann

Hi Everyone.  It looks like it is going to be a rainy day here in our area. It sounds like the golfers at the Masters will have a long day and perhaps not get to play much golf.  It is only to get up around 60 today.  I feel for those who paid big money for the tickets to the Masters for today being out in the cold and rain.  I guess as long as we aren't having lightning and not raining too hard they will continue to play.

I really accomplished nothing yesterday as it was one of those days that I just had to rest.  I think today is going to be pretty much the same although may make a quick trip to Walmart to pick up a prescription and get some bread.  I am not going to attend my meeting this morning.  I do have things in the kitchen squared away and am ready to prepare Pat's breakfast when she arises.  We did not go out to eat yesterday as we often do on the day the housekeeper is here as neither one of us felt up to it.  Fortunately we had a meal of beef stew in the freezer that made a good evening meal.

Mary Ann, there is a dance around here called the Shag.  I haven't heard anything about a square dance club in this area.  My best friend and his wife did that many years ago.  Pat and I took a few lessons but she didn't care for it saying she had two left feet so we didn't pursue it.  Always a good feeling when you know the taxes have been completed for the year.  When I first retired I did quarterly estimates but then decided to just have deductions taken out of the pay and from the investments so I didn't have to fool with the estimates.  I just looked up and watched both of the clips from Finau and young Nicklaus. 

Jean, it sounds like Larry is much like Pat in terms of not enjoying the dancing.  I loved the rhythm of the square dance music and then seeing the people dancing the same thing on the floor.  The other day someone sent me a short video of a little girl trying to learn to use the hulu hoop.  It really made me laugh.  I just looked it up and here is the link:  https://www.ellentube.com/video/learning-to-hula-hoop.html.  I wonder if they even still sell jump ropes.  It has been a long time since I have seen a child jumping.  I do remember the "double Dutch".

Marilyne and Mary Ann, I guess it is just the cat's nature to hide in any unfamiliar situation.  Our cat would do the same thing. 

JeanneP, I had probably three feet of old vinyl records but converted them all to digital so never played them.  My wife kept after me to dispose of them and I did so one day.  As soon as I had them in the garbage can she decided I probably should have kept them--it wasn't going to happen.  Years ago I had two electric organs.  The first was a Hammond organ and then I traded it in for a newer Conn organ.  I enjoyed playing them.  However, when we moved back to Georgia the only place I had to put the Con organ was upstairs in a bonus type room so seldom would go up there and play it and when we moved I sold it. I still have my piano but seldom play it.  I tried guitar but the strings hurt my fingers and never played it. 

Larry, cute video of the girl trying to learn the hula hoop.  I would have the same lack of success at that age - and now.

I was glad  you mentioned Masters.com because there you see the actual play and it isn't interrupted for 4.5 hours by Feherty.  TV resumed at 7:30 and I had other things to watch.  I will say the computer was harder to watch because of the size difference in the screens. 

I enjoy watching square dancing for a while but not forever.  One thing I do not like is interpretive dancing, such as in a lot of ballet.  I used to like tap dancing, especially pairs.  I had heard of the Shag, but not recently, nor of my time.  I was not a dancer, took lessons but as a kid with neighbor friends.  Nothing came of it for any of us.

In a weak moment, I bought a Wurlitzer organ and traded in the Steinway piano.  I almost immediately had buyer's remorse and the company did return the piano.  My dad took to the organ but eventually traded it for a Conn and that is what we had when he died.  He liked the sound better than a Hammond, not so tinny (he said).  But when Dad died, Norm got the Conn and soon traded it for a Hammond that he had when he died.  Dot had a hard time getting rid of it and I think she did, but I don't remember how or where.  No one in her family plays a musical instrument.  I would play the piano if it were on the same level as I am but there is no room in the living area for a piano; I have a small condo, not nearly as large as either of my previous two residences.

Sunny and 29 degrees now.  Radar looks nice except for the UP and northern lower Michigan.  Tom is at a funeral in Harbor Springs today and that is in northern lower Michigan!

Mary Ann

The infamous Pineapple Express arrived, and then left again very quickly.  Dropped a couple of inches of rain in San Francisco, the North Bay, and East Bay, but those of us in the South Bay were left with under an inch.  Still, it's better than nothing, so I'm not complaining.  Right now it's 58 degrees at 9:00AM, and supposed to dry out completely and be in the mid 60's today. 

Mary Ann - I've been spending a lot of time on Ancestry, recently.  Our older daughter is very interested, and has built a remarkable tree, with all sorts of interesting relatives and newspaper articles from the past.  She's very good at digging up information, and doesn't hesitate to contact cousins on the match list.  I don't have the patience to stick with it for long periods of time, like she does.  I've sent messages to about four cousins over the past six months, but only heard back from one.