Pianos, Cats, and Dr. Seuss

My good friend Joe (can I call him a good friend?  I mean I don't really know him, but I do think he's wonderful and very talented and funny and comes up with some wonderful ideas and things to say) wrote a blog post the other day that inspired me to walk down memory lane to my wee years.

 

"Fiddler on the Piano" photo by Melisdramatic

My piano teacher when I was four lived around the corner from us. About two or three houses down? Her name was Mrs. Grueber.  She was an older lady, probably in her forties, but maybe younger (at four years old it's hard to really tell how old people really are.)  Mrs. Grueber wore glasses with a sparkly chain.  Her house was cozy, made even cozier by the many cats that she owned.  Back then there weren't limits like there are now.  Yes, she was a cat person.  And so was I.

Her many cats would pop in and out, most of them quite shy.  If I was lucky, she'd find one after our lesson so that I could pet it.  Soft, long fur.  Mesmerizing eyes.  Mysterious.  Independent.

Mrs. Grueber let me sing while I played. "Snug as a bug in a rug".  C-D-E-F-E-D-C.  Was that it?  And poor Mrs. Grueber when I learned "I've got, a date to-night... I've got-ta look just right... So boys, that's where my money goes... My... mo-ney... goooooes."  I still remember it.  I will probably always remember it.

Mrs. Grueber had lots of books.  Her children (son and daughter) were all grown up and in College), so they (those precious, elementary books, sat around as memories of simpler days.  She introduced me to Dr. Seuss.   She had found me eyeing them at her house and knew that I loved to read.  She also knew that my library was limited to a small handful of books, namely Jack and the Bean Stalk and The Pied Piper of Hamilton and a special book of nursery rhymes (that one I still have).   So she came over one day to drop off some Dr. Seuss books, and one of the books she gave me was One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.  I read and read and read till I got it right. I remember being fascinated. It's still my favourite book, and yes, I have passed it on to my little ones.

It's the little things in life that make it oh so sweet.  Thanks Joe, for that reminder.

 Toy Piano

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Search Amazon.com for dr. seuss one fish two fish red fish

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