Years ago Far Guys paternal grandparents played music together. Grandpa played the Violin ( he also played the trombone) and Grandma played the piano. I never heard Grandpa play, but I did hear Grandma play the piano. The violin was silenced when Grandpa died in 1968 a year before Far Guy and I were married.
The violin stayed silent. No one played it, Grandma longed for someone that would learn to play it, someone that would take lessons, someone that she could hand it down to. The violin stayed silent for thirteen years. We took the treasured violin and had it repaired and restrung, the old fellow that repaired it said that he thoroughly enjoyed restoring it because it was a pleasure for him to play such a fine sounding instrument.
Trica 1982
Our oldest daughter Trica began Violin lessons. The rest of us should have invested in ear plugs..luckily our dog Snuffer was old and deaf. Finally after many lessons she could actually play some songs. On weekends she would play for her Great Grandma. Great Grandma sat quietly and listened, sometimes she would dab at her eyes with her hankie. She would always clap her hands at the end of the song. Trica began by playing short little songs like Mary Had a Little Lamb..eventually playing some hymns that Great Grandma really enjoyed. The Saturday afternoon concerts went on for some time.. then in 1983 there was no one to play for anymore. Trica did play a few times for her Grandfather..but after Great Grandma died, it was like the violin music that flowed so freely was all sent along to heaven with her. The violin rests, wrapped safely in the old brown velvet material, inside the case. In 1997 when Trica and Richards house was destroyed by fire and smoke, the violin was saved. It is still resting..some day perhaps it will be unwrapped and restrung, and the horse hair bow strings will again be covered in rosin ..and the music will flow freely again:)
