Tickling The Ivory

One of my favorite expressions ‘to tickle the ivory’. Don’t know where it came from, and I don’t know if it’s a common, but to tickle the ivory means to play the piano. Get it? Ivory is what keys are made of (elephant tusks) and when you play the piano, you are simply just tickling them! I think it’s very clever. My mom uses this expression all the time and now I have adapted to it.

My dad loves the piano and wanted his three daughters to learn how to play. His dream was to one day see each of us play at a concert, wearing a blue velvet bow in our hair. Don’t ask. I have no idea how he came up with that one. My dad was in retail so used to come up with all these fashion trends saying that they were ‘in style’ at the moment and knew this because he was in with the fashion peeps. Ok dad, so what do you have for us today? He would come home from trips and have all new outfits for us, some matching (which i loved, I am the youngest remember and wanted always to be just like my sisters) and some not. What were some of his best items? Flannel, pleated, plaid skirts that went down to our knees. (I think flannel, pleated and plaid kind of all mean the same thing when you are talking about these skirts but it sounded better with three ways to describe).  I got the red, my sister got the green, and the other blue. We were too young to have an opinion at that point so what did we wear for Christmas that year? Our pleated kilts. Another classic? Stirrup cord pants.

But that’s besides the point, we were talking about piano. So my dad made us all take piano lessons till we got to grade 4. After that, if we wanted to quit, we could. That’s exactly what both my sisters did. They got to grade 4 and quit. Me on the other hand, didn’t actually mind the piano so though why wouldn’t I just continue? So i did and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. At any time I can just sit down and ‘tickle the ivory’ and i find it very relaxing and as well love to be able to say that i can play the piano. I am no Beethoven, but I can get by. My sisters are both very jealous of my talent, and wish that they weren’t so quick to quit and my Dad just says I told you so.

So where am i getting at? I think the t-shirt I am describing to you today represent by two most impressive, not to mention favorite, talents. Playing the piano, and drinking.

T-shirt courtesy of BustedTees

Beethoven’s fifth certainly is a powerful movement, and depending on what he is drinking there, the 5th drink could be just as powerful.

I certainly didn’t need lessons to learn how to drink, that came from my Dad, the one who also told me to play the piano. So I may not listen to him about everything, and he never got his concert with a blue velvet bow, but the things I know he is right about, he really is right!