Another Lady Barbara Story

Today Lady Barbara played the piano again at the Encinitas Senior Center. She played songs from Fiddler on the Roof. . I sing and she plays since her eyes now fail her. She played and sang from Wish I was a Rich Man, and Sunrise Sunset. She was in fine spirits since the rain brings out the best in my Lady.
   She has problems recalling melodies. But when I can hum the tune, she has the gift to hit the right black and whites on the piano. My do we have fun.
   Yesterday I spent the entire day in the hospital to make sure my friend got the best of care-and he did. That evening, I felt pooped. I ate a left over tuna sandwich and called it a night at seven o'clock. There would be no blood pressure pill for me tonight. My research made me think twice before swallowing my blood thinner and dehydrate.

   I arose once to shower at twelve and slept till six. I hopped on the 6:25 coaster to my parked car in Old Town and winged it to first Coco's and then the Encinitas' Senior Center. I blogged about my experience at the Scripps Hospital before taking some sheet music for the senior lunch at 11:00.
   Of course I played You were only fooling when Lady Barbara came up and finished with "when I was falling in love..." I played a few songs and she sat and played Easter Parade and when Irish Eyes were Smiling. Another old time gal sat down and tried to sing. I could tell in her day she had it.
   It was baked chicken and rice day. Gregorio, the mad Russian picked up his chicken with both hands and forgot about time. Of course he made time with the chicken.  Barbara,, now happy, spoke more about her family and dropped a piece of chicken 
   "I made a royal mistake." Don't worry Lady Barbara, tell me more about the McDowell s?
    "My Uncle Ed, who lived in upstate New York,  composed music. He composed To a wild Rose and other songs. He became the first accepted American composer in France. He arranged music for CBS radio among the other radio stations." My other uncle was the one who got me music lessons. He played the French horn and played in the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra."
    I had overheard her speaking about her Mom's teaching job in Pueblo, Colorado. I wished to know why her family settled in Colorado
   "My Grandfather had the biggest meat packing business in upstate New York. He came down with a lung disease and his doctors told him to move west. He moved and began to distribute grocery products to stores. He bought items in bulk."
   He probably came down with consumption or asthma. Tuberculosis was the big killer than along with Diphtheria. Tell me more.
   "They bought some twenty acres of land before they sold it to an oil company. They kept the mineral rights. He moved then to Arizona where he died in his fifties. My brother in Oregon has all the papers. Both of us own the rights for any oil found on our property."Her Mom told her that she taught sixth grade in a Pueblo school house using McGuffey readers. Many of her students spoke foreign languages and their Dad's worked close by mining steel.
   At that point during lunch, everyone began to leave. Their taxis and lifts arrived. Some took the free bread while I bused the Table 5 dishes. Stories from Lady Barbara will be edited into a book.
   At another lunch, I asked her what made Jay McAfee so special-or what was the chemical attraction. 
   "He had no faults. He was nice with his fellow employees and the letters sent to him during and after his death bear this out. Even today, I sign my name with his name in the middle."
    "When Steve took us to Palo Verde, Arizona , I know he wished to get to know Jay better. Jay never was good in sports but did attempt to play golf. The other Bechtel golfers made fun of him but he wanted to be one of them."
     "I remember reading in a business magazine that Steve Bechtel may have been the richest man in the United States. He owned all of his stock and gave some to his executives."
     "He was smallish and thin compared to his rather heavy wife. I remember we had to go up a tall tower to look over the land. Mrs. Bechtel climbed but not me. My husband forced me to climb the ladder, but I could not look down. Steve rented a Ford to take us around when he could have rented a more stylish car."
   I told her that I woke up singing the song that her Uncle Eddie McDowell wrote. She played it on the piano. Her feeling for words and her piano playing has improved. 
   "George, do you know that most houses carried a piano?
   Well Barbara, without a song the day would never end or even begin.