Welcome! The name of this blog is based on two of my hobbies. For the past several years I've been learning to play the folk harp. Some say that buying my first harp was a response to my "mid-life crisis". It seemed better (and cheaper) than getting a sports car. Since then I've played in several venues, including church (many times,) parties, staff appreciation breakfasts, a wedding, and a fund-raiser for our local hospital.

The most fun I've had recently was during the Christmas season. On Christmas Eve my daughter and I played two duets at church, she on flute and me on harp. The next day I accompanied her while she sang an old Celtic carol prior to the Christmas Day service.

My dream is to own a larger orchestral harp, but that will have to wait until at least one child has graduated from college and tuition payments have decreased.

The "pipes" part of the blog's title comes from my newest musical adventure. Last month I was attending the monthly scotch tasting at Merlin's Rest pub in Minneapolis, where at the beginning of the evening the scotch is piped in by a man in a kilt. I asked him how I could learn to play the bagpipes -- and two weeks later I had my first lesson on a chanter. The lessons are free; I think his band feels that passing on these skills is part of their responsbility as members of the piping fraternity. It's also a good way to augment their ranks. Although I'm enjoying the new experience, I'm afraid my family (especially the cat) prefers the harp.