Sub-title: The one that did NOT get away!

Hi gang:  please forgive my enthusiasm today!  Many of you may recall
me writing about my wife and me turning Rochester NY upside down in
search of an art-case oval door Foster & Co. piano.  I am very proud
to say that we have located one in very nice shape.  After 23 years,
the search is finally over.

The piano is missing it's player action, but I just happen to have
one here that will most likely fit.  The owner, Russ, wanted a working
player piano so I am going to trade him my rebuilt Marshall & Wendell
for it.

It is hard to explain why I feel like I do about this particular model
of Foster.  Many times we grow up with things around us that we take
for granted.  We don, t realize how much we liked a certain possessions
until it is gone.  This is not only true for Pianos, but everything.

Many people told me I was crazy looking for a certain model of piano
after 85 years, but I see it no different from someone looking for a
Seeburg or Ampico.  My parents bought this type of piano in 1958 for my
brother.  He was going take piano lessons but lost interest.  The piano
just sit there for years until I started fooling with it around 1969.

I learned to play on it and that piano became a major part of my life.
On Feb 22 1975 the piano was destroyed by a horrible fire that took not
only the piano, but a huge part of my childhood and my parents liveli-
hood.  I cannot describe the helpless feeling we all had watching our
home destroyed and being powerless to stop it.

My mother was very proud of the fact that I did learn to play, and
she would have me play for anyone that would come to visit.  Mom did
her best to replace that piano, but of course she could not replace
it exactly.  The pastor of the church did donate a beautiful Schubert
piano (more a pretty case than it was musical) but it just wasn't the
Foster.

My mother has passed away now, but I think she would have been just
as excited as I am in finding another one.  I recall that my brother
was going to take the piano away when he married.  But he ran into a
problem -- Mom!  She told him that piano was not going *anywhere*.
I was relieved.

It just goes to show you that you can find things with some luck
(and help from the seller!)  and MMD!

Absolutely Ecstatic
Andy Taylor