The Sixth Challenge

My friend, Deb, had this challenge on her blog.

She "dared" me to participate in the "sixth" challenge which is where you:

1. Go the the photo folder in your computer
2. Go to the 6th folder.
3. Go to the sixth picture.
4. Put the picture on your blog and the description.
5. Invite 6 friends to join the challenge.

So, here's my picture:

Ok, so I know it's not that exciting. Just a pretty bad picture of an old guitar. But, I guess it takes some explaining.

Josh has been playing around with my guitar lately and decided it needed new strings. (it did!) So...off to one of his favorite places in the 'burg....HomeTown Music. We bought some Martin acoustic strings and I was in the middle of taking the old ones off, when I had a "hankerin" for a cold pop. (and it IS pop...not soda....but that's another subject)
I set the guitar down "mid-strung" and when I came back, those strings pulled on my "heartstrings" a little and I took a few pictures....just for me, I thought. But now, my blogging buddies share in it, too, I guess.

Now...about this old guitar. Flash back to the beginning of the cold and snowy season of late 1977. Kelly and I were living in an upstairs apartment off of Norton Rd in Columbus. Drew had been born in January of that year and I was pregnant with Michelle. Fun times, busy times, and I never stopped. That is, until the pregnancy hit a big speed bump. Everyone was concerned. The doctor put me on "bed rest" for a couple of months in hopes that I could carry Michelle to term. (which I'm thrilled to say I did...even PAST term, oh goodie!)
But during that bed rest, it was tough. Imagine being young, usually VERY active, with a 9 month old little guy, and you have to stay put. No computer of course, and we got fuzzy NBC if I stood in a certain place in the living room and held up one leg and pointed tin foil at the TV. (Ok..so THAT is a little exaggeration, but it was really hit and miss reception on that old little black and white tv, and we DID only get NBC and sometimes a very snowy and fuzzy ABC) No computer, no cell phone, no video games. We did have a few albums and an old stereo, but I wasn't supposed to keep getting up to change it. Kelly was working at Prudential Insurance, and I would get all set up on the couch with things around me, and an open playpen right next to me with Drew and his toys, etc. I did get up quite a few times during the day for necessary things, but the majority of time I spent on the couch trying to be as still as possible for my unborn baby while doing my best to take care of my other baby. (These days I know that medically that was probably ridiculous, but back then they seemed to think bed rest was the answer to everything)
After several weeks, I was going batty. My mom came over when she could and a couple friends from church would pop in, but the walls were closing in. I tried to be upbeat, but I know Kelly could tell the days seemed like forever to me.
One day, he came in all smiles. I mean big goofy little-boy smiles. I could tell something was up. He asked me about my day, because I usually didn't talk to him during the day at all (remember no cell phones....it seems weird now) Then he kissed me. He said he forgot something...went to the door, and picked up something from our little landing. He tried to hide it behind him (didn't work) then brought me over a beautiful, brand spankin' new guitar and handed it to me. He said something like "uh, this is for you" or something wonderfully romantic like that. Seriously, I was in love. Head over heels in love. I mean over the moon in love. (and I felt pretty good about Kelly about then, too!)
He had been saving the little bit of money he had to spend on lunches, and other things, and he worked out a great deal with the guy who sold it to him. It was unbelievable to me. No special occasion. Just because he knew I needed something to keep me busy.
Well, Drew loved it. He would sit and watch me fumble with it and work out a few songs. We sang the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle over and over. (it's the same song so that made it easy) Then, it was on to bigger and better things...like Puff the Magic Dragon and Blowin' in the Wind. Soon we were on to Venus and House of the Risin' Sun. Oh yeah.....we were rockin' out on the couch.
The guitar has been brought out and loved over and over through the years...sometimes forgotten for months, and sometimes right smack in the middle of things. I was always so careful with it. Not a mark on it for 19 years. Until....I left it out after a "jam session" with Laurie, Jessie and Megan up in Toledo. Josh was almost three. And had a toy hammer. Not a good combination. It must have been a little sharp, because I came back and saw him right in the middle of "me fix tigar, mommy!" Click to make this picture below appear bigger.....you can see his handiwork. (I actually love those marks now)

I've been married 33 1/2 years.
Lots of special moments.
But few equal the day my sweetheart brought home a guitar to his girl on the couch.