Happy Feet

I have looked at and walked on commercial-grade ugly carpet in my house for over twenty years. I paid $2.99 a yard for it at the time I managed to squeak out enough money to buy it. I have tried to camoflauge it with area rugs, but that carpet seemed to smirk at me from around the edges.

For over eight years, once a month I have played the old piano at the Apple Shed Restaurant in Tehachapi town.  A glass jar rested on the top of that old piano with a big ol' sign that announced TIP JAR. Some nights were dollar nights  Some nights there were some 5's, 10's or even occasionarlly a twenty dollar bill. I have squirreled away every bit of that money all these years. Finally, a month ago I took it all to the local carpet people and dumped it all over the secretary's desk. She broke out laughing and began to count.  We ordered creme-colored carpet and I left that store, singing! On Monday four men and a boy showed up and began to rip out the $2.99 a yard carpet and install the new. I felt like the Rapture had come! The new carpet has given my home and my heart a cushy spring-time lift!  Every square foot represents a person made happy for a few minutes by a song that brought them joy. Making them happy made me happy!

...and now it's over. The Apple Shed has been bought by an Indian that worships gods I don't care to know about. He has turned it into a bar and re-named it "The Shed".  There won't be any more families who come on Saturday night to listen to music they can sing to. There won't be any more little children who shyly come up to me at the piano and ask if I know how to play "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".  Yes, I feel sad about that. ....but here is what happened last week. I was having lunch at the Mulligan Room, our golf shop restaurant. The manager who has come to the Apple Shed many times came up to my booth and asked me if I would be willing to play under the patio roof on a Saturday night throughout the summer. Would I?  My Yamaha Grand Piano Keyboard has come out of the closet and is ready to make music!  I also plan on having several out-of-door singalongs on my big deck or up under the family tree above my house.  The view from up there is absolutely spectacular, ...so come and visit!  Let your feet be happy feet. We will dance and sing together!

                                      WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE

Sing them over again to me.  Wonderful words of life
Let me more of their beauty see.  Wonderful words of life
Words of life and beauty; teach me faith and duty!
Beautiful words, wonderful words; Wonderful words of life. 
Beautiful words, wonderful words, WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE!  

Love, Jo