March 15, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. The Music Stand.

I purchased the little music stand in 1972, the same year we bought our first house in Bethesda, Maryland. It was stuck in the back corner of an antique store in Kensington. The bottom was coated with a thick coast af what seemed to be thick cream. It was green. The post was dark black as was the small table and music holder. It looked horrible but it was heavy and when a rubbed the post I thought it was brass. So I bought it for under one hundred dollars. When I got it home I used the hose to clean up the base which turned to be iron. I washed the wood which turned out to be walnut. And I scrubbed the post to discover that it was brass. The table is 16 inces across. From then on, Ken and I used the music stand when we practiced. It was also a useful reading table. We both loved that small music stand and it sat in our living rooms from that day on. It was beautiful and useful. When we sold the farm we brought a small amount of furniture to both Texas and Mississippi. We gave the little music stand to Christina and Andrew as we had no spot for it in our condo. As Molly was little and the music stand moves, they put in a corner of the TV room, out of Molly's hands. And that is where it has stayed, looking beautiful but not being used. Last week I mentioned to Christina the tremor in my right arm. She wondered if I could use the music stand as a book rack. On Friday she brought it over and arranged it for me beside my breakfast chair. It works like a charm. I can read twice as long now that I do not need to hold the book or magazine. My tremor is interesting in that I can control it if I think about it. But of course, when I am reading I am not thinking about my tremor so it kicks in. Also interesting is that when I am not holding a magazine or book, the tremor disappears. Now I am happy. I love looking at that little table with all these years of use. And it once again it has became useful.