Another perk....
of my job is the permission to pillage catalogs from the recycling bin. Priests and staff who are no longer at our parish do not have third class mail forwarded. It is either passed along to someone else who is interested or pitched. In a free moment the other day I pulled a music educators catalog out of the recycling bin........and now my mind is reeling with ideas on how to spend some of the extra money I have earned. I already decided to dedicate some of my earnings to investing in extras for the boys’ educational needs.

So many fabulous things to choose from. The one item that I am absolutely obsessing about is the Highland Bagpipe & Learning Kit. Full-sized rosewood bagpipes, rosewood practice chanter, tutor book and audio cassette, instruction card, seasoning oil, stopping corks, sandpaper, spool of hemp, and set of reeds. In a satin and velvet-lined carry case with side pockets. Just $259.

I wanted to hire a bagpiper for my father’s memorial service but my husband and sister talked me out of it. Now I never miss the chance to remark on the lovely pipers that I hear at funerals at our church. And how I hope someone won’t be too cheap to hire a bagpiper for my funeral.

So here’s the scathingly brilliant idea. We take up the bagpipes as a school musical pursuit. And maybe one of the children would actually be good enough that we would have a ‘free’ piper in the family for my funeral. (Or at least excellent revenge on the Tuba Boy who plays Danny Boy on the other side of my bedroom wall at 10:00pm!)

Or maybe I’ll just order some books, posters and CD’s. While I’m ordering I should pop for the 12 white mime masks for $9. That would be just the touch we need for the intolerable family portraits we pose for every Christmas, Easter and whenever.

And a new bust of Beethoven.