More with Lady Barbara

"My Mom got me piano lessons when I turned eight years old. I told my piano teacher it would be my last piano lesson, but did not tell her about some family problems My Dad watched me while I took my last piano lesson." 
   "Now Barbara, since I will never see you again, I wish you to continue to play and today will run through chords so you can still play-even if it is not Chopin or Bach."
    She taught me all the major and minor chords and like you George was fond of the key of "F." Like all families, we had a piano in our living room and every week end after church, my family with all of my relatives would come over. I would play for them on my piano. My Mother's family was large and my Uncle Mc Dowell became famous in Europe and received the first American award for his mastery of his instrument."
   Well Barbara, I will certainly look up your family tree at the California room of the San Diego Library. I am interested to find out the name of the church that held the tombs of your ancestors.
   "And George, remember we allowed the Jews in Rhode Island to build the first Jewish synagogue...I don't know if I will be back for awhile. My back hurts so and my lift will discontinue its route."
  Don't worry Barbara, I will pick you up from time to time. Can you bring pictures of some of your family members.
At each Encinita's Senior Center lunch, she played while I hummed, just to make sure she did not forget the melody. She has such an ear for music that more lessons could have made this damsel into a Carnegie Hall musician . 
   At today' lunch she spoke about the Japanese couple that had been removed and sent to a desert camp.  
   "Their four sons joined the army. My Mom drove to the desert every Saturday to take them food. She did that for about one year until they were sent to another state. They lost their Highland Park home but not their vegetable stall at the Grand Central Station. After the war, they thanked us and moved to another location."
    "My first school was Hillcrest Grammar School. I went to Nightingale Junior High. At Junior High, the Mexican kids belonged to various gangs. I wished to go to their homes but they forbade me - it was too risky. The boys would often fight after school. 
    "The girls wore the same color socks the entire year - it denoted the gang they belonged to. One Mexican girl had a beautiful voice and I played the piano for her. I could play in whatever key they wanted."
    "I remember when our third son was born. Our first kids I had at home. Our third son almost was born in my husband Jay's Chevy. He raced down Torrance Blvd to get to the hospital. We heard a siren but my thoughts were about my black coat now was sprinkled with red blood."
    "The motorcycle cop told my husband to pull over. He pointed to me and the pregnancy about to happen. The cop shook his head and called ahead. He put on his siren and escorted us to the Torrance hospital. They placed me on a gurney." 
    "A sheep farmer friend of our died in La Harbra. He gave us several head of sheep and a lone ram. The sheep gave us no trouble but the ram was something else. Bechtel sent some worker s over to our house to make a pen for that ram."
    Like most times, Lady Barbara barely started her lunch. Her food was sharing a live conversation with the others at Table 5.t