Robby's Night.

Post 413 ~ ~ ~ Thursday, 21st February, 2008.

Hello my friends ~~ I hope you are all doing well and looking
forward to the weekend. I had my hair permed yesterday, so
when John called in tonight, I got him to take a photo, as it
looks quite nice. I went to a different hairdresser and am very
pleased with the result. There is a round Welcome plaque on
the door behind my head. No it's definitely not a halo!!!


Below are pictures of a beautiful parcel that arrived from the U.S.
from my friend Pearl who announced that I had won a Giveaway
from her. Thank you so much, everything is beautiful and will
be treasured.


The first one is a lovely Pin (or Brooch as we call them)and it has the
fitting on the back for a chain. So I plan to wear it as a necklace. It is
a heart shaped garland of flowers with a lovely cherub resting on them.



There is a beautiful garland with hearts and flowers, ribbon and soft
feathers ? on it and some gold beads. The sweetest card with two
butterflies and a pretty flower on it. I love it and thank you so much
for your very kind words on the back of it. A real treasure.


My friend Lady Di sent me a lovely story that I want to share with
you all. Thank you Dianne - it's a beauty. I hope you all enjoy it.
It is a True Storycalled "Robby's Night."

At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is
Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher
from Des Moines, Iowa and I have always supplemented my
income by teaching piano lessons ~ something I have done for over
30 years.

Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical
ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I
have taught some talented students.

However I've also had my share of what I call "musically challenged"
pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when
his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson.
I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which
I explained to Robby.

But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him
play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well Robby began with his
piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless
endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and
basic rhythm needed to excel but he dutifully reviewed his scales and
some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn.

Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and
tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always
say,"My Mom's going to hear me play someday." But it seemed hopeless.
He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a
distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him
up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons.

I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability,
that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he
stopped coming as he was a bad advertisement for my teaching.

Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the
upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who had received a flyer)
asked if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for
current pupils and because he had dropped out he really didn't
qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him
to piano lessons but he had been practicing. "Miss Hondorf, I've
just got to play !" he insisted.

I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe
it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying
that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high
school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives.

I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and
thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any
damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I
could always salvage his poor performance through my "curtain
closer !"

Well the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been
practicing and it showed, then Robby came up on stage. His clothes
were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an egg-beater
through it. "Why didn't he dress up like his fellow students?"
I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair
for this special night ?"

Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised
when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21
in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers
were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories.
He went from pianissomo to fortissimo. From allegro to
virtuosa. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were
magnificent ! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people
his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo
and everyone was on their feet in wild applause.

Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around
Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that Robby. How
did you do it ?"

Through the microphone Robby explained; "Well Miss Hondorf,
Remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had
cancer and passed away this morning and well . . . .She was born
deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted
to make it special."

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people
from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into
foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and
I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking
Robbie as my pupil.

No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy of
Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil for it is he that
taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing
in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you
don't know why.

Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah
Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995.

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Time for some jokes ~ ~ ~ ~

My wife was looking at an expensive dress. She turned to me and
said, "If I wore this dress, I'm sure it would make me look years
younger."

"I know dear," I replied. "But do you really want to look years
older every time you take it off."
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"Susan," said the teacher. "Why did you let out that awful yell?"

"Please miss, said Susan, "I've just hit my fumb wiv a hammer."

"Susan," responded the teacher, "the word is thumb, not fumb."

"Yes miss," said Susan, "but as well as hitting my thumb, I also
hit my thinger."
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James and Keith were on a hunting holiday. On their second
day they were walking un the woods when they suddenly realized
that they were lost. They sat and thought about their predicament.

Keith said, " I remember from my granddad that the best way
way to get someone to come and rescue you is to fire three times
in the air."

"Good idea," said James and fired three times.
Thirty minutes later, there was no sound of any rescuers so James
fired again. Still no sounds of rescue.

After a further thirty minutes they fired three more times and Keith
said, "I hope a guide or some recuers come soon ~~ we've only got
three more arrows left
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John invited his mother over for dinner. During the meal, his
mother couldn't help noticing how beautiful John's flat mate
was. She had long suspected a relationship between them and
this only made her more curious.

Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact
she started to wonder if there was more between John and his
flat mate than met the eye.

Reading his mother's thoughts, John volunteered, "I know what
you must be thinking, but I assure you, Julie and I are just flat mates."

About a week later, Julie came to John and said, "Ever since your
mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the beautiful silver
grsvy lsdle. You don't suppose she took it, do you ?"

"Well, I doubt it but I'll write her a letter and ask, just to be sure."
So he sat down and wrote : "Dear Mother, I'm not saying you "did"
take a gravy ladle from my home and I'm not saying you "didn't"
But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you
were here for dinner."

Several days later, John received a letter from his mother saying :
"Dear Son, I'm not saying that you "do" sleep with Julie, and
I'm not saying that you "do not" sleep with Julie. But the fact
remains that if she was sleeping in her own bed, she would have
found the the gravy ladle by now, Love, Mom."
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A wealthy man who was having an affair with an Italian woman
for several years.

One night during one of their rendezvous, she confided she was
pregnant. Not wanting to tuin his reputation or his marriage, he
paid a large sum of money if she would go to Italy to secretly have
the child. If she stayed in Italy to raise the child, he would also
provide child support intil the child turned eighteen.

She agreed, but asked how he would know the baby was born. To
keep it discreet, he told her to simply mail him a postcard and
write "spaghetti" on the back. He would then arrange for child
support payments to begin.

One day about eight months later, he came home to his confused
wife. "Honey," she said, "You received a very strange postcard
today."

"Oh, give it to me and I'll explain it." he said. The wife obeyed,
and watched her husband read the card, turned white and fainted.

On the card was written, "Spaghetti. Spaghetti, Spaghetti.
Two with meatballs, one without."
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There was a middle aged couple that had two stunningly
beautiful teenage daughters. They decided to try one last
time for the son they always wanted.

After months of trying, the wife finally became pregnant,
and sure enough, delivered a healthy baby boy. The joyful
father rushed into the nursery to see his new son. He
took one look and was horrified to see the ugliest child he
had ever seen.

He went to his wife and said that there was no way he could
be the father of that child.

"Look at the two beautiful daughters I fathered !! " Then he
gave her a stern look and asked, "Have you been fooling
around on me ?"

The wife smiled sweetly and said, "Not this time !!"
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Just a couple of quotes tonight as I am getting sleepy.

The certain proof that intelligent life exists elsewhere
in the universe is that no one has bothered to make
contact with us. ~ ~ ~ Unknown.

I bought a small ornamental pig the other day which
carries a sign that says "Dear Lord, If you can't make
me skinny ~~ make my friends FAT.
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That is enough for tonight. Take care my friends,
Keep smiling and be kind to one another.
Love and best wishes to you all. Cheers, Merle.

Post 413 ~ ~ ~ Thursday, 21st February, 2008.
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