*Music
Musical Collage by G. Miller-Sherer
MUSIC
Day 2 — February 11
Before we met, Elizabeth was dating a guy who didn’t like Broadway musicals. When she learned that I not only loved the Sound of Music, but also played the piano and cello, she was all the more ready to sing “so long, farewell” to him. That she played the flute and piano made my heart sing.
In the early years of our marriage we played handbells together in the Grace Lutheran Church handbell choir, often goofing around side-by-side while director Becky Noe tried to run a disciplined rehearsal. That bell choir was a wonderful place for making music together and building community.
Elizabeth was an enthusiastic supporter of the arts, attending my concerts when I played cello in the Wooster College/Community orchestra and later in the Stratus Chamber Orchestra in Denver. Her favorite pieces were Bach’s Sheep May Safely Graze, Pachelbel’s Canon, Ravel’s Bolero, and anything by Copeland—she thought he was brilliant. But those were all second tier behind her favorite music from the 70’s, especially James Taylor.
So it’s no surprise that our first piece of art was a collage by G. Miller-Scherer with a musical theme, featuring a piano keyboard, sheet music, and a violin. We had eaten at The Barn restaurant in Smithville, Ohio, and afterwards meandered around the pond and into the nearby gift shop. (Elizabeth never said “no” to a gift shop!)
We noticed this framed art print and—since our first anniversary was approaching—we purchased the art as a gift for each other. Through the years, no other piece of art can I relate exactly to an anniversary year, but we often said, “let’s get this for our anniversary.”
Day 2: the art of love and loss
view all posts at kentmueller.com
February 10, 2020, was the day my wife, Elizabeth Izant, entered the hospital. She and I were on a hopeful journey following her heart transplant five months prior. On March 1, she entered hospice and died March 11. This series is not about her medical journey. This is about sharing stories and reflections about our life together. In our 29 years of marriage, we collected a piece of art or two each year, often in celebration of our marriage anniversary. Each day from February 10 to March 11, I will be sharing an image of that art. And a story.