Charles, what is wrong with your Rodgers? I have a 2 manual Rogers 525 and the main problem I have had with it is with the pedal board switches. The pedal board uses rubber rings on the pedals that compress on the microswitches, but after time the synthetic rubber degrades and falls apart. Although you can still get these rubber rings on eBay, they are very pricey so I found another even better solution that is permanent, using reed switches and magnets.

The original tones on the Rodgers are awful, but I got the organ because of its MIDI and the price was right. Its MIDI unfortunately does not connect to the pistons on the console so I got a touch screen for the computer setup allowing me to easily touch on/off the stops and registration buttons (rather than using a mouse). The touch screen is suspended with a monitor arm near me as if it were part of the console.

Although I did not have to, I decided to devote a computer to it, and started with an old one sitting around. To connect the MIDI to the computer I got a good quality Roland MIDI to USB cable. From then on it was a matter of downloading the software, Grand Orgue (which is free), Hauptwerk which at the time was free but with certain limitations that did not really bother me, and downloaded all the free organ samplings I could find. Originally I just used the speakers on the console that connect to the computer audio output, but eventually also added an impressive subwoofer and other things like a professional reverb unit for those dry samples I downloaded. But I still often use just headphones when practising late at night.

Setting up Hauptwerk was confusing at first, but they have online forums to help and once I understood the principle behind it, it became simple. Grand Orgue is more straight forward, but does not have the configuration features Hauptwerk has. In hindsight, it is not difficult to set everything up once you know what you are doing, and I can help with any problems.

SS, candles indeed. The company would likely cancel my insurance. LOL Christmas trees, as with much in nature, makes me sneeze and wheeze, so the artificial tree is a necessity. Anyone remember the aluminum trees with the color wheel? That's been a while. Then there are those wretched lilies at Easter. Wheeze city.

Charles, I always struggle a week or two after Easter when the lilies get a little ripe and start to shed all their pollen… It is absolutely terrible!

SS, the florist removes stamens or some such - I refer to it as castrating the lilies. That's supposed to help but I still stay as far away from them as possible.

I know. You can tell I was easily entertained, but I could watch the colors change for hours.