I Just Got Back a Feeling - Make That TWO!

I was 14.
My mother was helping a just-getting-married neighbor unpack in her gorgeous (read - expensive) new home.
I saw put on the fireplace mantle,
this.
I literally gasped!
"What is that? I asked my mother.
"What?"
"That!" Breathless. Really.
"Oh? You like that?"
"It is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
"It's a Royal Doulton figurine. I can show you others."
"Really?"

She did.

There was a nice classy mall nearby when I was little. It had a John Wanamaker's.
They had, upstairs, Royal Doulton figurines. Oh I was in love.

At 16, we went to Bermuda, father mother and I on a cruise.
In Smith's, on Front Street - yes I remember -
we looked at an entire WALL of Royal Doulton figurines.
My father wanted to buy me a "lady."
They were too expensive! He felt bad. But he bought me a little girl, and a little doggie and 2 pups. So cute!
He said the girl - reminded him of me. As she was sitting with a dog and a book. Nice.
Next occasion, they bought me a "lady." And another and another. I have several now. And bought one for myself too!
And I have the one I helped my father pick out as a gift for my mother and after he died and she sold the house, she gave it to me.

Today, looking at that photo of the first one, gave me a moment of that feeling back.
ME.
NOT ABOUT A GUY.
ME.
INSIDE.
AT 14.

I am so grateful for that.

--

And ANOTHER now!
Practicing Chopin Nocturne in Eb. This is it by Rubenstein: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRO05WcNDk

From THE book I had as teen. Maybe 17 when first got this piece? It was my favorite. I was trying to tell my father my favorite piece. He didn't know which one I meant. I was humming it. Finally he said to my mother - "I think she means Eddie Duchin's theme song?!"
And he found it for me.
And told me, he didn't love that Eddie Duchin had added all those frills.
Anyway, I went to my piano teacher and said I want4ed to learn the Eddit Duchin theme song.
It turned out she new what it REALLY was - the Chopin.
And I saw the music
and went running to my father and said, "Eddie Duchin didn't add those frills! They are in the MUSIC! CHOPIN did it!"
"OH!" he said. "Wow!" "I love it then!"

And I am holding THAT book - the one rom 40 years ago - the one that has been in sun, rain, sleet, snow, hail, car seat, many moves, .... and is falling apart.
And I am loving it.

IT is remembering - me -
before I was "me-about-a-guy."

Oh Thank You for This Miracle, God.
I never thought it would happen!



I've just taken pics to show you here.
And I am feeling EXCITED. For the first time EVER - outside of England last March-April, about something that is NOT about a GUY!

This is really it. THE book. On MY piano - that *I* bought and paid for and use.


I can't work out how to get a pic of MY Doulton(s) here. Am doing the EXACT SAME THING did with the Chopin music - but it won't "take."
That's okay:) It is the red Autumn breezes one. Like this: