"Turn It Into An Art Piece!"

   Years and years ago, Mark bought a violin.  His intentions were for Darling Daughter to learn to play.  Lovely!  But without lessons, that is nigh on impossible for a little girl to do.  Actually, she did not have the inspiration to play the violin.  She wanted to play the piano.  No piano was bought but I did find her a great teacher down the road a ways.  She enjoyed that until the teacher started getting Darling Daughter to babysit while she was supposed to be learning.  Lessons over.  Back to the violin, however.  That child-sized instrument soon made its way to a family member who wanted it for her daughter.  The little girl wanted to play but, she never received any lessons, so the violin stayed lonely.  Then Hurricane Katrina came along and tried to play the instrument but just made a huge mess of things.  After the violin floated around in hurricane flood waters for a day, I suddenly got it back.  Well, now.  What do you do with a soggy violin with a busted back panel.  Aha!  I shall alter it!  Well, I received quite the chiding for that idea!  "You cannot mess up a perfectly "good" instrument."  I was told by the same person who let it float in flood waters!  So, I thought perhaps I should not.  The violin sat for ten years in that state.

  Today as I was discarding stuff, I found the violin still in its case.  Hmmm, if no one has used this broken thing in ten years, I can alter it but, to be on the safe side, I asked my "violin expert".  Yes, I actually do have one now!  I sent pictures of the instrument all the way to Zagreb, Croatia and asked a professional violin instructor whether the thing was worth keeping as is.  My sweet friend laughed and said "In perfect condition, the violin would be worth no more than $40.  As it is, turn it into an art piece!"  I told Emily that I had an idea of using it for a clue hunt prop and she had some great suggestions of how to do that.  So, as a project, I shall alter a violin!  I have never done anything like this but I am going to give it a shot!

  Emily is not only a professional violin instructor but, also, an amazing ballerina (which is why she is in Zagreb.)   It pays to have really good friends!  She did not mind giving me advice even though she is one busy lady.  That young lady is going to go far in this world.  She is beautiful, has tons of talent but is genuinely a kind person.  With young people like her, I have hope that this old world will be alright. Thanks, Emily!