He is making sure I do not get that piano even after he is dead

If I'm not mistaken...you can gain practice by visiting certain websites where you can download an interactive piano, and use you computer's keypad in order to play. I know it's not the same thing as using a "real" piano, but it might suffice until you save for the other. These types of computer generated digital pianos are programmed to sound exactly like the real thing. It's called: virtual sound, and in most to all cases, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. It's what some of we musicians actually use these days to record with. Now, I own a Yamaha E-403 USB midi-synth/piano...paid about $400.00 dollars (Canadian) for it...and I must say that ANY of these types of machines are quite the thing. They're cheap (price wise), very easy to use, and are equipped with virtual instrumentation, ESPECIALLY the different types of organ choices, and an amazing grand piano. Some...most music stores HAVE payment plans available; such as Long & McQuade Music Stores. They WILL let you take the instrument home the same day, with a small down-payment. These digital synth/pianos ARE NOT heavy by any stretch of the imagination, and can easily sit on a table or flat surface, should you opt not to purchase a stand. In any event, even the stand is relatively cheap...approx. $30.00 bucks or so. So, there's a couple of options you may want to check out. I wish you all the best of success....AND.....if you say your hubby's got als, then just tell him that he doesn't remember how well you used to play, and that he used to love listening to you, whenever you did. Best of luck. Cheers; cdrxo

There is a Long & McQuade Music Store located in Winnipeg at: 651 Stafford Street, R3M 2X7... Ph No. (204) 284-8992 Fax: (204) 452-2303 E-mail: info@long-mcquade.com Hours are: Mon-Fri: 9:30am - 8:00pm Sat: 9:30am - 6:00pm Sun: Closed Canada's largest music store chain... You can always check out the store nearest you on the web, by simply typing in your postal code. Each month they usually have special sales on most major items, and do especially at this time of year. These people are very easy to talk to, friendly, and..."know their stuff". Whatever it is you need...they'll set you in the right direction, at prices you can afford. Just give them an idea of what it is you're looking for. As far as I know, ALL store locations are wheelchair accessible...AND...can handle shipping, if necessary. Your choice. It WOULD be a shame for your husband to miss a wonderful opportunity in listening to you play, before he passes on. To me, music is one of God's greatest gifts. In any event, good luck with that...and to both of you, a very Merry Christmas. cdrxo

It sure would. I sure wish there were pianos on sale near where I am instead of having to travel to St. James or Assinboine to pick them up. But it seems there is not much for sale in the East End. I guess I will have to see if there is a Second Hand one in our Christian Second Hand bookstore. I did see a couple for sale at Value Village but they were both heavy and were mostly junk.

I can get him to change his mind. It is just that he is fighting the way he was brought up where you had to be good at something before you got a reward, that you had to be a perfect housekeeper, could sew and cook before you got married, and you had to be excellent with children before you could get pregnant or adopt. Me I believe you can learn things as you go along. Besides why do I have to be perfect at playing the organ and make no mistakes before I am good enough to get the piano? Besides the reason I did not play the organ was because it was in the computer room, but now it is in the spare bedroom, and even then it is hard to get to it.

I do not intend to. I just hope that this is just a fluke and that he will be more receptive to the piano as we now have enough room for it. It is just that even a digital piano is out of our reach and I said if I just could get the keyboard, I want it to be a regular 88 keyboard, not the 61 keyboards that come in on around Christmas. I can put it over the coffee table and use that as a bench in the meantime.

There is no way. I put some charges on it and paid them off right away. And we did get the credit card bill and it had a zero balance. The trouble is if I cancel the card, and it has already gone through and get one in my name alone, that would mean that I will have only a $3,000 or less credit limit whereas now we have a $20,000 credit limit. That means if I wanted to use it to buy a computer or even the piano later on, I would be unable to do it. I know I can get a digital one for $1,000 but I want a digital one that will play like a grand piano and that probably will run about $3,000.

I intend to get it. I figure if I work hard enough, and watch my budget that in a year or less I will have it and if I am lucky while he is still alive. We did see a digital piano on the Price is Right and we both thought at least $5000, but it was just under $2000 and he was thinking that a digital piano would be all right, but I think he was considering one of those electronic pianos. But it would the same as exchanging the spinet organ for that. Since it is equal to one that has 61 keys. Right now I cannot afford it, but there have been a couple of pianos that were in a draw. You had to buy a dvd but that was all right and well I could not even enter those draws because even if the piano was free, well he would want me to sell it and get the money for it. At least that is what I thought. Oh I intend to live a very long time.

I know how you feel. I was able to get lessons, and I got up to Grade Nine and I wish I could have continued them. I did want to stretch into organ music but then digital pianos had not been invented yet. I think it is circumstances and also my husband not realizing that you do not just start playing the piano perfectly after just a few lessons, that it takes years. I hope it was not those people whose children did not want to practice that turned him off on it. He knows that once I try something I will continue with it. Oh you were not too old to take lessons. I have a friend who is in her fifties, and she is taking lessons the same as her daughter and she is making out all right.

What he wanted me to do on our bills is to pay the miniumum, but I did not. He got rather upset as he said that he would have the money transferred from his retirement fund into the equity fund and also into the checking account and then everything will be paid up. The trouble is that the retirement is in his name, they will probably want him to go to the credit union and there will have to be two witnesses and i will have to come along to prove that he is him. They might not accept his verification over the phne esp. if he is now losing his voice. I have always expected him to change him mind about the piano when we got the house fixed up so there was room to put it. I even took an online course to practice using the spinet organ (not the same as not enough keys) and using the virtual piano, but it is not the same thing as having a real one and I wanted a digital not the regular piano that needs tuning every year.