Tag Archives: bagpipe

Announcement, Baking, Book, Cookies, Experiment, MAKE COOKIES PLAY BAGPIPES, Product

Celtic-Themed Cookie Experiment

February 20, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Donald Duck playing Highland bagpipes As you know I am working on two new books right now. One of these is a bagpipe sheet music book — which has taken priority since I am aiming to release around June/July 2019. Following that I have a new cookie recipe book, and with some luck it might get published this fall. Between the two, the recipe book includes a number of cookies I have dreamed up … some of these recipes do not yet exist. experiment

TIME FOR AN EXPERIMENT!

Fresh Scottish shortbread

One of these recipes — and I’m not giving out much details until it’s perfected — is at least to say caffeinated shortbread with a cool name. I’m excited about this idea!

During a recent phone call with a close friend I shared the details and this fellow replied “Those sound so good I’d take two batches NOW!” My schedule is a bit of a juggling act right now however I want to bake the first experimental batch this week if I can.

There’s a handy thing about my shortbread recipe (which you can find in my book/e-book now available on Amazon.com) … The recipe calls for a pound of butter, 4 cups of flour, and 1 cup of sugar, which means I am able to make this as small as a quarter batch. That’s great for this experiment because I can try one idea, tweak it, and then try again without blowing through whole batches at a time.

Oh yeah … lookin’ forward to this 😀

I Baking Experiments!
~ Don

Announcement, Book Presentation, e-Publishing, Product, Public Appearance, Update

Update on All Points of Interest

January 23, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Things Going On & Things Coming Up!

March 19th, 2019, Tom Trimbath and I will take the floor again at the Langley Public Library to give our “Self-Publishing: From Inspiration to Publication” presentation. If you’re anywhere between considering writing and publishing a book or close to completion, check the WIBC events page and put us on your calendar. Coupeville and Freeland libraries here on Whidbey Island have also been talking toward hosting events including and in addition to Self-Publishing: From Inspiration to Publication.

Tom and I are looking for additional locations and avenues to present this topic and help authors along their paths. Here’s video of our October presentation — I also made an audio recording which I intend to post somewhere online ASAP. The video stopped about an hour into the evening, however my audio recording captured the whole night.

After completing and publishing “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” in both paper book and e-book forms last Fall, I didn’t take a break — I rolled right in to my next 2 book projects! One is a cookie recipe book which I’m quite excited about, the other is a bagpipe sheet music book for a veterans organization I’m honored to be a part of. While I am working on both, the sheet music book has taken the lead as I am aiming to have it published come spring — somewhat more specifically, June.

No-no — it’s a good thing — really ……. I think. 😉

Now that things are getting stabilized with pivoting WIBC from being a production baking company to writing & publishing books, yours truly is on the hunt for a day job. Lately I’ve reworked my resume so it is in fit fighting form and I have gotten a few interviews line up with interesting looking local employers. At the same time, I’m working on my infamous truck to further get it into fit commuting form. Since buying it I’ve done a lot of needed repairs; while it is currently in good shape, there are these last few projects to address so it is less likely to create interruptions as I re-join the traditional workfarce …. er, I mean, workforce.

And now, further on the audio front …

Three things I’m excited to tell you about!

A year ago I started looking into becoming an audio book narrator. I developed a solid initial understanding of the industry and ways to get into it. This interest is still in me, however I have had higher priorities. I plan to narrate my own books and others — first though I need to get things stabilized with my day job.

I’ve said a few times recently that I have 4 recordings ‘in the can’ for my experiential recording project Archive Of Resonance. I’m getting help with the audio now and intend to (er, finally) complete each album as time allows — if I can get all of these put together and published through Amazon this year, great, if not then no big deal … they’ll get done when they’re supposed to.

LASTLY And Not Leastly …
In my superhero persona as BagpiperDon, I have taken on a personal challenge! An online bagpipe school called Dojo University has put forth an activity that bagpipers may take part in For FREE. I’ve known about Dojo U for years, heard nothing but good things about them, and would LOVE to make use of their services. They produce various Free materials which I have been gratefully using in the mean time — chiefly e-articles and some videos. Lately I’ve been taking part in the “Dojo U 100 Day Bagpipe Challenge“. The primary part of the challenge is for pipers, in their individual practice, to assemble their pipes and practice one tune (any tune) a day for 100 consecutive days …. and if you miss a day, you have to start over. I see the object of this as not so much to work on one’s playing ability as it is to develop discipline. Today will be Day 017 for me — only 083 days to go!

Thanks for keeping up with me!
~ Don

Book, Product, Progress, Publication, Update

Things Now, Soon, and 2019

January 6, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Happy Sunday Morning!

Yes, I can say that — which probably means the coffee has kicked in ….

Sundry things to chatter about today…

As you’ve heard my first recipe book is out in both paper & e-book form AND that I am not one to take a break — yes, I’m already working on 2 future books! As with any time two or more projects are running concurrently, sometimes one project takes a lead over the other. Of these two books, one is a recipe book and the other is a Highland bagpipe sheet music book. Since publishing “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” on Amazon I have mostly worked on the future recipe book — and I’m Thrilled about its developments! During the past week I’ve realized that the sheet music book is rather close to being done along with having a higher priority. There is some ‘heavy lifting’ to do on this project and everything is ready for it to happen — SO — I’m pressing forth on this as time allows. This is also good because…

Tomorrow I’m meeting with Tom Trimbath — my friend and self-publishing coach — first time in 2019! Getting to work with Tom is great — he’s a wonderful soul full of mirth and insight. I’m looking to talk with him about this sheet music book (since it’s a rather different project) along with our interests in presenting our books and how-to-self-publish topic at various locations in 2019. I hope he’s ready for tomorrow as I’ve already drawn up a list of things to ask and talk with him about!

Last and Certainly Not Least…

Over the past few days I’ve gotten to chat online with my friend, Donna. This is the very-same Donna in Scotland who you will read about in the Acknowledgments section of Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies. As it turns out she’s had my book for a number of days and didn’t know that she was on my Thank You list — she had spent all this time going through my recipes and stories. When it comes to websites and web-marketing, Donna is as smart as a whip*! She took a quick look yesterday here at WhidbeyIslandBaking.com and noticed a few improvements that could be made. Donna went further to say that she could do a review of my site along with giving me a slew of web-marketing tips. While I have learned a good bit of marketing from being a professional musician, I believe that one can always learn more — and quite frankly, I know rather little when it comes to online-marketing. SO… I’m excited to be working with Donna over the coming days and weeks to both improve this site and my web-marketing skills — and, as in my book, once again I ought to say Thanks Donna!
(*She’s also one heck of a photographer!)

Announcement, Author, Baking, Book, Cookies, Experiment, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Product, Public Appearance, Publication, Update

New Year – New Endeavours!

January 1, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

HAPPY 2019!

New Years can be a bit funny — because what is it really? Another 365 days and 6 hours* past and another to go … a December 31st and January 1st is just the difference of a day … and yet it is also something many of us use as an opportunity. We look to the past to make changes or try something new with the future — and sometimes it’s not so much about the past as it is about trying something new to enjoy. So what does 2019 hold for you? I know a few of the things I’m looking toward…
(* Yes, 6 hours — this is how we get leap year AKA the bissextus or a or bissextile year)

It’s harder to show a picture of the e-book version…

This past October I published my first book — “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” — then in mid-December I followed with publishing the e-book version. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to present my book a few times during late 2018, and with the New Year I aim to get more speaking dates. I thoroughly ENJOY getting to talk with other people about baking — getting new-bakers turned on to the idea and talking with old-hats at baking to find out about their ideas!

On the heals of releasing Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies I was compelled to get to work on 2 new books — yes, “compelled“! These were not the next projects I thought I would do, but they were the two that chewed on my mind the most — I was just drawn to them…

But what are they?

I both can and can’t tell you you that…

Yours truly in my other superhero persona… (you can also find me on FB as BagpiperDon BTW)

YES, 2 books, not just 1 …. because that’s how I do things.

One of these books is an ‘official’ Highland bagpipe sheet music book for the local-chapter of a Scottish military origination I’m a part of. The aim of this is not just to create something for my group but ultimately to offer this to the national organization to become all of our ‘official’ bagpipe sheet music book ….. SO, potentially producing and publishing a book for a national (actually international) organization … it’s kind of a big deal!

As for the other book…
(I’m really excited about this project!)

As a performing musician and recording artist I have learned to play certain things close to the vest. I have something in excess of 30 album ideas which I would LOVE to record — and have every intention to produce ….. HOWEVER … I generally don’t reveal those ideas to many if any people beforehand. Why? Simply because I want to make my albums — as opposed to someone hearing my idea, swiping it, and beating me to the punch. This other book is along these lines, but I will tell you this…

So far as I know there is only one other recipe book at all similar to it currently on the market &/or ever before made; it involves cookies which I am developing new recipes specifically for this project.
I may be partnering with another writer for the content of this book.
To fully and correctly publish this book I will have to learn and do things that I previously have only been familiar with however have not otherwise done.
This will probably be a coffee table book. I would like this book to have its own t-shirt. I may not make an e-book version however I definitely would like to make an audiobook version. AND it is my preference to release all of these at the same time.

AND two other things I’m working on…

As an extension of being a professional musician I like to record things — and I do mean ‘things’ being not-music however are sounds I find interesting. I do this under the project name of Archive Of Resonance. I have been a busy boy over the last number of years — both getting things done and sometimes having to put a few things on the shelf. One such thing …. or moreover four such things … are AOR recordings. While there are recordings I have wanted to make*, I have captured four sets of audio which I have wanted to turn into albums …. just that finishing this work has not been a priority. By my guesstimate, each of these need about 20 hours of work. My aim is to work on these over the course of 2019, publish them, and make them available on Amazon.
(*mostly couldn’t because I lacked transportation — but that’s changed now!)

AND LASTLY …

With pivoting WIBC from production baking to writing and publishing books and other products, I knew that I would need to get an Author’s/Musician’s Day Job. I got an initial start on my job search in the fall of 2018 and will be getting back at in during January 2019. This previous start was a decent beginning — I have some leads that look interesting and a decent idea of what my skills apply to. So the future looks …… interesting!

Going Forward!
~ Don

Book, Progress, Publication, Update

Priorities on a Sunday night

March 18, 2018 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Taking it extra easy Sunday night Priorities
Eight forty five PM Priorities
And it’s time for a new post on my Facebook page
I’ve played bagpipes for the last 3 days Priorities
I’m exhausted and recovering Priorities
Back to work on my book tomorrow Priorities

Okay, so Elton John did a much better job on those lyrics than I did…

Time for a quick update — some maybe not so new…

Life of a bagpiping budding recipe book author — it has a certain quirky romance to it, but in reality it can be a juggle … well, on top of fixing a truck, contributing to finish building a house, and helping to support one’s parents. Since late last year I’ve had to prioritize these things — and shift my priorities depending on the week! Priorities

I’ve been working to knock down my ToDo List, and frankly … I’ve had a few things to get out of the way to where I can refocus on finishing my book. Priorities

Frankly … today has been spent resting

The last 3 days I’ve been on a St. Patrick’s Day tour playing Celtic-rock both with Geoffrey Castle and my own band, Nae Regrets. Each day things ramped up. Thursday I opened for Geoff in Kirkland. Friday morning I had a Nae Regrets rehearsal in the morning and then played for Geoff in the historic Mount Vernon Lincoln Theater (video below). Saturday Nae Regrets played in Mountlake Terrace, then I flew down to Auburn to play for Geoff, and then I flew back to Maplewood neighborhood in North Seattle for Nae Regrets to play a house party. And then I got my tired self home and CRASHED until 10AM Sunday morning.

goofy juggler — Imagine each red ball as things I’m working on — yeah, it’s about like that right now

All of the shows went well. Taking off for three days and playing was also a nice break from everything I’ve been focused on. AND NOW …

I’m pleased to announce that a variety of ToDo items are out of my way and I can make finishing my recipe book my prime focus …. at least until something else comes up. Yeah, I never learned to juggle in practical terms however I sure can figuratively juggle!

So this week I aim to… bake cookies and take pictures to make some step-by-step instruction photos, work up the surprise content, and address some final writing. And depending on how I’m feeling tomorrow, rest-up some more from this fantastic past weekend!

Whidbey Island Baking Company

Tag Archives: bagpipe