Un update on Cate's progress

I thought I should bring you up to date on what Cate has not done recently. As you know – she decided not to learn the Piano so we bought one of these and this has been a great success.

She did open it one day and discovered to her horror that they have not progressed from when she was a small girl. All the keys are still white and black and have no markings on them at all.

But this is impossible – she gasped – how can anybody make coherent sounds with something like this. Don’t they do a QWERTY keyboard yet?

I said that no they didn’t and that there were no plans to do so and that much practice would be required. I said that I could mark the keyboard up with post-it notes or a crayon to get her started but she lost interest almost immediately.

To make her feel not quite so bad – as the Piano sits next to her in her study and makes her feel a teensy bit guilty – I have taken the tag off the stool so it does not look quite so new an unused.

Mrs. Moneypenny dusts it every week but it still looks sort of – you know – unused. I am thinking of hiring some small children to come in and play it (while I am not here) so that it will look aged and make Cate feel better.

But really – she is so busy that I cannot imagine how she would have the time to sit and practice the piano. I think she will have to start on something more simple – like Angry Birds. She now has a work iPhone with all these Apps!

Now she also decided not to do Yoga and this has also been very successful. The Yoga mat was purchased and has not been unwrapped – which is just as it should be.

I have helped her with this because of my ribs which are still in a delicate state but will mend if I do not do anything else stupid – which is asking a lot from me - but I will do my best.

But – bless her soul – she has been walking to work and back again for months. A promise she made to herself and has kept.

Now I have figured out a way she can learn to play the Piano while walking to work - and keep herself fit at the same time. And if she became proficient and spent 15 minutes on the corner of Ungargasse and the Rennweg she could earn enough for Yoga lessons. I have yet to speak to her about this fabulous idea.