Mama’s brother as a young piper.
Today mama’s brother is 80 years old.
Today he is moving into what is called The Memory Wing of the rest home where he has been for some time, at least since he began having trouble with his own memory and other physical problems.
So much going on in the world, but mama is thinking only of her only brother and his long slip into a world we cannot inhabit with him. Still, I was so happy when I heard The Skye Boat Song coming from my computer speakers—mama was borrowing my computer to find bagpipers for her brother and then played two songs over the phone for his birthday music. Of course, I was listening, too–I LOVE bagpipes.
Do you think we can find Amazing Grace, too?
All during her childhood, mama was tickled to hear her brother on the pipes (he began playing with the Calgary Highlanders as a young teen) and their sounds are part of her life with him. Because of his illness, he can no longer play but mama says he was really good. The story goes that his piano teacher was terribly disappointed when she heard he was taking up the pipes, because he played piano beautifully and for the pipes you have to have stiff fingers!
Mama’s brother’s pipes, no longer played…
Ah, well, he does not know his affliction and seems happy in his surroundings and it is really mama and her sister-in-law and his children and others in the family who suffer, as it is hard to watch a brilliant mind slowly moving into another world that none can share.
I want to send him my kitty congratulations—I wish he had known me because I know he LOVES kitties, even if he did have that bad doggy, Cookie. He fed three little wild kitties who came to stay one day under his house, and mama says that was one of his last real pleasures at home before he was moved.
Happy birthday, bagpiper, pianist, maker of exquisite toy soldiers, West Point graduate, Viet Nam veteran, speaker of Russian, kolache lover, and kind brother to my mama. We are all so glad you were born.
One of his marvellous ships–the smoke is cotton wool…
Mommy loves the pipes too! Sadly, even though she would like to hear them for real we still don’t have sound on the ‘puter. Years ago she knew a piper. When a bunch of her friends went camping they were piped to sleep and woken up by him in the morning and mommy said that was absolutely the best reason to camp in what turned out to be cold rainy weather!
Oh, I think you have sound on your computer, no? Push Fn and then at the top push F4 and that’s your sound keys, I think…..
I don’t know of a computer without sound….
Glad you love the pipes, and I wish we could have camped with you.
Happy Birthday to your mom’s brother. Playing the bagpipes seems to be a lost art…but we hope not.
Well, not in Scotland, at least, but yes, in other countries you don’t find them that often. In Rome, the Abruzzi bagpipers come in with their bagpipes made of sheep bellies and they sing “Piva, piva, l’olio d’oliva”…don’t ask me why, but they do. The pipes they play are really unusual.
Happy Birthday to your mom’s brother. We enjoy listening to the pipes too.
Yes, I love the pipes and mama and I listen often over UTube. Glad you liked them.