Posted in Bagpiping, General Thoughts on Sep 11th, 2009 No Comments »
I’d like to share an experience I had five years ago.
September 13, 2004
This last weekend I flew from Boston to Pittsburgh (via Washington D.C.) to compete in the bagpipe events at the Ligonier Highland Games. When I arrived in Pittsburgh, I learned United had lost my garment bag – the one holding my carefully packed [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, General Thoughts on Dec 4th, 2008 No Comments »
I bagpipe for a number of funerals each month, many of them military. A military funeral is one held for a veteran who’s died. Every veteran has the right to a flag-draped coffin, an honor guard of at least two service men or women, at least one of whom is from the deceased’s branch of [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, Book Promotion on Sep 26th, 2008 2 Comments »
The weathermen can’t decide what to call it: tropical storm, sub-tropical storm, nor’easter, and most recently, low-pressure system meets high-pressure ridge (sounds like a date.) Regardless of its name, there’s a nasty storm headed north this weekend. Through tomorrow we’re looking at 3-5″ of rain and 20-30 mph winds with gusts to 40. Pipes in [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, Book Promotion on Sep 21st, 2008 No Comments »
Later today I’ll give a live radio interview on Celtic Crossings, a weekly program on WMUA radio 91.1 FM. I’ll be on at 4 pm, and you can listen live at this link:
http://www.wmua.org/listen.php
Louise Dunphy, the host of the show, will be speaking to me about Through the Eyes of a Raptor, and the upcoming Pipes [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, Book Promotion, General Thoughts, Getting Published, Reading and Literacy on Sep 17th, 2008 No Comments »
The Grey Ghost is now officially under contract! It’s been something of a backward process since the book is written and even the cover art is final, but I’ll take it!
It’s hard to celebrate, however, because there’s just too much else going on—I’m satisfied just finding time to breathe. Last Saturday I spent a busy, [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, Reading and Literacy on Jul 13th, 2008 No Comments »
On Friday I was thrilled to participate in a wonderful program for Boston’s inner-city elementary and middle grade students, known as B-SAFE. The violence and gang murders in the Boston neighborhoods B-SAFE serves make the news far too often. B-SAFE is a summer camp-like program that nurtures kids physically, academically, spiritually, and emotionally.
I’ve gotten close to [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, Book Promotion, Orchids on Nov 6th, 2007 No Comments »
I’ve just returned from six days of perfect Floridian weather (missing several days of cold, nasty New England weather.) I visited four schools while down south, participated in the Sarasota Reading Festival, played whiffle ball on the beach with my 9-year-old nephews, and have placed my book into three bookstores in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. But the [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, General Thoughts on Oct 12th, 2007 2 Comments »
Yesterday I bagpiped for a local funeral—the accidental heroin overdose of a 26-year-old. Even the cause of death challenges thought: I doubt it was an accident he took the heroin. I’m just guessing he hadn’t meant to do himself in with that single injection.
That his family has a history, going back several generations, of substance abuse [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, Book Promotion on Aug 19th, 2007 No Comments »
I can neither believe it’s August 19 already, nor that it’s been two months since I last posted here. No wonder my friends have been complaining about my hiatus and have nagged me to get back on the blog! When asked what I’d been doing, I had to stop and think about the answer. It [...]
Posted in Bagpiping, Book Promotion, Getting Published on Apr 24th, 2007 No Comments »
I haven’t posted in nearly two weeks. While there hasn’t been much news per se, there’s been plenty of activity. The first Highland games of the New England season was Sat, April 14. I should have competed there, but I’ve neglected my bagpipe practice (with all the book commotion) and I simply wasn’t ready. Still, [...]