| When Sally scheduled an appointment for a viewing of | | | | took on extra students thus using up so much more of |
| the house on Colonial Lane she had no idea she was | | | | her time and energy. |
| going to fall in love with it immediately. Although the | | | | Sally soldiered on for a few months but something had |
| home was built in 1926 it had been completely | | | | to give because she was growing so tired and |
| maintained and still conveyed much of its original charm | | | | dissatisfied that she considered cutting back on her |
| and character. To her immense delight, the home was | | | | teaching. She mentioned it to her neighbor, Lydia, a 66 |
| built with a large sunroom that ran the entire length of | | | | year old widow who lived directly across the street. |
| the house on the east side and was the perfect place | | | | Soon they had worked out a plan for Lydia to assist |
| to set up her studio. Sally had been teaching piano to | | | | her on a regular basis with the children. They agreed |
| gifted students for several years but was lacking | | | | that Lydia would come to the house Monday through |
| space in her current home because her living room | | | | Friday after school where she would have oversight |
| was the only place large enough for her baby grand. | | | | over the two girls as they worked on their homework. |
| She had always dreamed of a larger space to have a | | | | She also offered to cook the family meal for them so |
| true studio and this was going to be ideal. She decided | | | | Sally would have a home-cooked dinner each night for |
| she would purchase another instrument that included | | | | her family. The benefits of this household assistance |
| an artist piano bench that perfectly suited her needs. | | | | were obvious at once to Sally and immediately felt |
| At the same specialty shop, she also located a duet | | | | more in control but there were advantages to Lydia as |
| piano bench and decided to purchase it for her | | | | well. These advantages included: |
| Steinway baby grand because it would greatly aid her | | | | Added income - Being a widow with limited income |
| while she was accompanying her students. | | | | had caused Lydia to consider selling her home to cut |
| In a very short time Sally had picked up several more | | | | back on expenses. The added money she made each |
| students due to her new location in a beautiful little | | | | week greatly helped her meet her financial goals. |
| suburb north of Cincinnati. She loved the challenge of | | | | Sense of family - Lydia had only one son whom |
| teaching and truly enjoyed her students but she was | | | | she rarely saw and Sally, her husband and two girls |
| discovering that she was falling behind in every aspect | | | | became a second family to her in no time. |
| of keeping house for her husband and two young | | | | Feeling needed - Being around a young family |
| daughters. It had seemed much easier to clean, run | | | | again gave her a true sense of worth that she had not |
| errands, and cook nice meals before she moved and | | | | felt for a long time. |