Bon voyage to an old friend

So it happened, the piano is gone. I took this photograph last night just before bed. I'd gotten all the junk off the piano, dusted it a bit, played a few pieces, chosen the sheet music to put in the bench. But I still just couldn't believe that today I was going to say goodbye.

This piano was built in 1911 and my grandfather purchased it (for my father) in 1939, when my father was 17. It had just been entirely refurbished and my father was in love. Years later, maybe 1953 or 54, my grandparents sent it from Nebraska to Palo Alto, California, so that my father could have it in his own home.

The piano was an enormous part of my sisters' and my childhoods. It was especially important at Christmas, because my father played carols on it every night.

That's me pointing at the tree, and the boos' aunt Nonnie in her baby seat on the piano. We weren't allowed to put just anything on the piano, but I guess babies were OK.

My father died in 1989. In 2000, my mother (who didn't play) sent the piano to me in Boulder, Colorado, and a few years after that, when I got married, we moved it across town to Rocket Boy's house. In 2009, the piano moved with us to the Mojave Desert, and a few months ago it again moved across town when we did. Now today it moved once again, off to my nephew's new house in Torrance. My nephew is the best pianist in the family (vastly better than me) and I know my father would have wanted him to have it. My father would want the piano to be PLAYED, not have stuff heaped on it. And anyway, we have another piano (Rocket Boy's mother's old upright) waiting for us back in Boulder. So this is a good thing. But it's so hard to say goodbye!

The piano movers called around 8:30 this morning and said they'd be at our house in the 4-6 pm time frame. So I spent the entire day stressing about the move and cleaning the house. I also played the piano a little more. Both last night and today I found myself playing much better than I have the last few times I've tried -- I almost wondered whether "someone" was "helping" me. But each time I started thinking that, I'd make a mistake. So I tried to just enjoy the feeling of playing effortlessly and not worry about why.

Finally at 6:15 they arrived. And whoopsy daisy, here goes the piano on its side.

Here's what the underneath looks like. Mason & Hamlin baby grands have this characteristic steel spider web underneath -- it makes them terribly heavy.

Now it's being loaded onto the truck.

They had a little trouble getting it on, so Rocket Boy helped them.

Boos watched it all, with great interest.

And now there's a big empty space in our house. And yeah, in our hearts.

Take good care of it! We will miss it, but we know it's going to a wonderful new home.