Nothing Easier

The shedding birch catkins have attracted the bushtits. Brief as it was, theirs was a joyous visit this morning.

Music by the pound. There must be at least forty pounds’ worth in the plastic tub — lesson books, sheet music, and various bound collections. I took out a few — a book of scales in my old piano teacher’s hand, complete with fingering; two books for new beginners; and books for early, intermediate, and slightly more advanced levels. Each is a familiar old friend. A few are from before my time, most notably Nothing Easier for Piano: The Adventures of Ten Little Fingers in Mother Goose Land, by John M. Williams and illustrated by Nina Wright, which belonged to my father’s little sister, who is now about ninety years old, and which was published by G. Schirmer, Inc., in 1923.

An invasive species. Every time I read or hear the term, I smile. What better example than the human?

August 23, 2022. Afternoon.

[ 1529 ]