Pia-pia-piano

The piano tuner is here and has already said he can't replace the missing parts on notes that are broken. He's tuning the ones that are still here, though. When pressed for the name of the parts he just reiterates that it's not possible to get the parts anymore, which is rubbish, but I did manage to get him to say that this style of action stopped being made 80-150 years ago.

I think once he's tuned the notes we still have I'll get someone else in to look at it again and see what they say about finding the parts. Then I'll ask the interwebs or something.

Still, at least it won't hurt when Linnea bashes it, after it's tuned.

True Food!

We went to the food co-op today, just me and Rob, no babies - they stayed here with my mother. It was a short trike, just past the end of Prospect St to All Saints Church Hall. We were very pleased and impressed.

Firstly, it was spacious. The goods were laid out around the edge of the room and on a little island of tables in the middle; there was plenty of space to walk around. The instructions for shopping - use a form to fill in what you buy and the prices as you go along - were very clear, and each basket was stacked with a form and a biro ready to use.

Secondly, there was no packaging unless we chose it. There were great plastic bins of nuts, dried fruit, and cereals. Enormous containers of various soaps and detergents, with taps. Trays of fresh fruit and veg, but only stuff in season, which will take a little getting used to, I think. We will be able to bring our tupperware and fill it right there. I must choose which of our canvas bags to designate the spud bag.

Thirdly, they take various things for recycling which the local kerbside collection service doesn't - notably those waxed cardboard drinks cartons, which we get rice milk and fruit juices in. And they will take plastic bags for re-use, and glass bottles, jars, you name it...

Fourthly, they had a great range of chocolates. And other goodies.

I was amazed and delighted. Shopping was a pleasure - it wasn't crowded, it wasn't loud, I could think, and there were seats and cups of tea. It was lovely to meet Chris again. We'll be able to really reduce our packaging disposal and increase our recycling. And I won't have to open those brittle plastic packets that stick for ages and then finally tear wildly, spraying their contents across an area slightly larger than Belgium. I can do the same trick with mis-fitting tupperware lids instead.