M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Last week I was busy hanging out at Disney World on vacation. Mr. Walt Disney himself is on my list of top five people I'd love to meet "dead or alive" (along with Gorge Eastman, a critical part in Disney's success today but that's another story). Only establishing Disney World Resorts in 1971 it is celebrating its 40th year this year, October 1st, 2011 to be exact. So what did I take home as a souvenir? a park map copyright 2011, a space mountain photo (my favorite ride), and of course two pins; "celebrating 40 years of magic spinner" and "The Haunted Mansion" which to my sister and boyfriend was a very tedious painful picking out process. We were in the store close to an hour. The interesting thing that I did not know at the time was pin trading has been a cult like part of Disney since October 1999. Some of the Disney pins can bring in thousands of dollars not to mention the limited edition box set, and cast member only pins. Large trading events are hosted a few times a year, and you can register and rank points with Disney for a better chance at new upcoming limited edition pins. There is a whole culture of pin collecting that I was completely oblivious to. Cast Members all have a pin lanyard and will trade with you but there are some recommended rules and etiquette to be followed. Below are pics of my beloved pin picks.

I picked this pin because it was the only "Adult Ride" we took our little 10 month old on. He was so brave and loved the haunted mansion! Also, the Haunted manision is an original ride that has been at Disney World since the doors first opened day!

Haunted Mansion- Goofy and Donald

Location: Walt Disney World

Release Date: October 3, 2006

Open Edition

This pin choice was very tough for me. There were so many that celebrated the 40th anniversary, but I liked that this one had all my favorite "old school" Disney characters on it (with the exception of Pluto and Chip & Dale)

Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary-Spinner

Location: Walt Disney World

Release Date: Jan 6, 2011

I now know for next time, to buy lots of pins while I am there! The choices online are very limiting in comparison to large stores that are stacked floor to ceiling with pins!

My Beautiful New Piano

Fun Fact: in 1893 Good Morning to All, now known as Happy Birthday to You was the number one song for that year. Therefore, keeping with the spirit this will be the first song I learn to play on my new piano. Which brings me to today's entry. I have been looking for an antique piano for many months now. Its hard to find the right combination of price, quality, sound, and size when dealing with large antique pianos. Finally, I found the PERFECT one. In good condition with only three or four chipped keys, and a few loose pins, I feel like I made a good choice. It is a John Broadwood and Sons, one of the oldest and most prestigious piano makers to date (They still hold the royal warrant as manufactures to Queen Elizabeth II). Originally brought over from the United Kingdom the serial number on the inside dates it to a manufacturing time frame somewhere between 1885-1890. During this time frame John Braodwood and Sons were on the cusp of innovation, being one of the first to make upright pianos which moved away from the traditional birdcage settings and instead began placing the wires for the dampers behind the action as we see in traditional piano's today. This is good news for Mister Swendsen (apparently the best piano tuner in Calgary) who will becoming in a few weeks for a tune up.
What caught my eye about this piano was the open jigsaw fretwork on the front panels. Its hard to say if the fabric behind it is original or not, but there's a good chance it is by observing the wear marks. The legs have hand carved flowers on them which equates to each being slightly different. The keys are an ivory in a cream color with strong horizontal grain which would be next to impossible to match if I choose to restore them. Due to this, I think I am going to leave them as is and chalk the chips up to well-played. I believe this to be a mahogany piano with a dark stain judging by the wood grain but popular woods at the time included walnut,  and rosewood for higher-end models. I still have to find a piano stool, as the matching one has went MIA somewhere in its 121 years. Below are some more detailed pictures of my new toy.