Sparklegirl in Minneapolis: November 2008

Friday, November 28, 2008

T-Day Highlight

The best part of yesterday's Thanksgiving gathering at Aunt Loretta's? Hanging out with Maddie, pictured below.

Monday, November 24, 2008

M worked the semi-annual Midwest Mountaineering Expo over the weekend, which included the usual allotment of adorable huskies for rescue, as well as other dogs brought by their owners to be fitted for boots or skijoring equipment. Thanks to M's iPhone, I got a great look at these puppies even though I was at home.

This is Akira.

Here are some dogs from the Adopt-A-Husky group.

Check out the size of this dog -- his head is taller than these two humans' waists!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Out of the Blue, A Piano (Chapter 3)

Here's the foyer before.

Hauling are Paul (who is remarkably strong!), Mason, next-door Tim, Midwest Mountaineering Peter, and Mason's dad, hidden behind Peter.

Here are Phyllis and Paul (Phyllis is Grandma Sue's niece).

Check out the awesome piano stool!

It's a perfect fit.

Bonus history lesson: As the piano was being moved in, out fell this tiny button from the 1927 Hoover-Curtis presidential campaign.

And taped to the back of the piano was a small piece of yellowing paper, on which was typed:

An item from the Dec. 28, 1902, paper: Miss Kate Plummer [M's paternal great-grandmother] surely got on the right side of Santa Claus. A brand new piano is a gift that Santa doesn't bring to everybody.

Out of the Blue, A Piano (Chapter 2)

Now, how to get the piano here from Iowa? Paul was hoping to have it out of his house before snow. Mason start talking about a road trip with some guys to help him bring it back when the e-mail below arrived.

__________________________________

From: Paul
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 3:06:04 PM

Mason,

I have another option, that is if you like it. I am willing to look into the cost of renting a U-haul trailer, and to get help locally to load the piano and drive my pickup and trailer to your place, for I also have a roto tiller that needs to go to my daughter's house in Cottage Grove. I will get back to you soon. Paul

____________________________________

From: Mason

Sent: November 20, 2008 3:42 PM

Paul,

You are amazing! That would be great. Let me know how I can help coordinate. Thanks,

Mason

Soon, everything was arranged. The piano was to arrive less than fifteen days from the original conversation with Mike.

____________________________________

From: Laura

Sent: November 22, 2008 05:56 PM

Hi Paul -- this is Mason's wife, Laura. First, let me thank you for the piano and let you know how really excited I am about this! ... Glad to hear this process has gone well on your end. Again, I'm so excited about this and really honored to be taking care of such an important piece of Lewis family history. Thank you very much. Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow!

Laura Sorenson

____________________________________

From: Paul
Sent: Sat November 22, 2008 7:03 PM

Laura,

Great to meet you. I am so looking forward to seeing you in person tomorrow. I know only a little about Mason and everything is fantastic. Honors received, academic record, travels around the world, etc. So, since you are the person he chose to marry, (oops, it could have been the other way around - rather mutual, whatever), you will be the perfect person to continue to enjoy what was given to Kate by her parents when she was a girl of 18! ... See you tomorrow! Paul and Phyllis

Out of the Blue, A Piano (Chapter 1)

While we were playing in the music room in Seattle, Michael asked me whether I still had a piano. (We’d had a small upright in the house growing up that I used to play, and I brought it to college with me my sophomore year. But it was prohibitively expensive to move -- I ended up switching apartments quite a bit in college -- and I eventually sold it one year to help with tuition. )

I told Mike that I didn’t have it anymore and he said that was a shame, that he thought I’d really enjoy just noodling on it if I still had it around. I hadn’t thought about it in ages, but it felt like he was right.

“Maybe you want to keep an eye on Craig’s List,” he suggested. Sure, why not, I thought. I mentioned it to Mason on the flight home and then sort of forgot about the whole thing.

Lo and behold, a mere three days later, this e-mail string with the Lewises (Mason’s paternal grandmother’s family) kicks off.

____________________________________

From: Paul

Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 8:13 AM

Calling all Lewis'

I do not have any use for Grandma Lewis' upright piano anymore and hope someone will want it. ... I'd like to hear from you ASAP if you want it, for I will be moving it soon ...

Paul, the one who married well....that is when I picked Phyllis from the Lewis clan

____________________________________

From: Grandma Sue

Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 11:38 AM

It will be wonderful if someone in the family would want the piano. It was given to Grandma Kate Lewis when she was 18 years old - from her parents. ... I took piano lessons when I was in 9th grade - so I played it a bit. Every once in a while Mother would sit down and play hymns.

Sue

____________________________________

From: M

Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 4:13 PM

Hi Paul,

Laura and I might be interested. Laura grew up with a piano in the house. We would need to find a place in our house - could you send the measurements? ... If one of the real pianists in the family is excited to have it, go for it.

Thanks,
Mason

Another cousin named Ilo expressed interest, so everyone exchanged some more e-mails, including this one:

____________________________________

From: Paul
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 7:52:43 PM

Mason,

Thanks for the note. I will trust Ilo to let you know her decision, but if not, I will certainly be in touch with you. Paul P. S. I now see even more evidence of why your Gandma is so proud of you.

Ilo later responded that although she’d be interested at first, her son and yellow lab both expressed concern, so the piano was ours if we wanted it. Woo hoo!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Newly Updated Neighbors

Monday, November 17, 2008

Welcome, Franklin!

Our newest Awesome NeighborTM, Franklin -- heretofore glimpsed only in hiding (or as part of a Juno costume)-- arrived around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. Seza was in labor for about 30 hours (!!) before the team decided that a C-section would be necessary. Both mother and baby are doing fine, although Franklin has a minor infection, which the doctors tell Tim is no big deal.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Franklin!