Spring, Family & Costa Mesa
Dear Friends,
Welcome to my spring newsletter and updates. It has been a mild winter here in St. Louis with hardly any snow and temperatures above normal. It’s nice to see the blossoms on the trees, the longer days and being able to sit on the deck occasionally.
I have four very good female caregivers looking after me and a wonderful male volunteer through the VA. The caregivers come five days a week, serving me breakfast and lunch, bathing me, dressing me and helping me with my daily routine. My volunteer, Jeff, comes twice a week and we work together on my memoirs; however, from time to time we do get distracted by live football (soccer) on TV or just talking about life. He makes a nice change from the four ladies and my amazing Linda.
Family
Last month, my brother, Neil (the nice Beaton) and his lovely wife, Anne, stopped for a visit on their return to Toronto after spending several months in Panama City, Florida (snowbirds!). Unfortunately, I only get to see my brother and sister-in-law twice a year, but we are in constant contact by phone catching up with each other’s news.
On a sad note, my sister, Ann, passed away on Sunday, April 3rd at the age of 81. Ann had been in a nursing home in Phoenix, Arizona with dementia and Saturday morning, after breakfast, she suffered a stroke which left her partially paralyzed. I was very close to my sister, Ann. She was the inspiration for me to immigrate to the United States. Ann met and married a member of the US Airforce and relocated to Ballston Spa, New York in the mid 1950’s.
Ann was a fun-loving, animated woman who was easily recognizable at my concert due to her shenanigans; hard to keep her in her seat on an up tempo tune, especially when Alasdair was playing a reel on his fiddle! She will be dearly missed by her friends, those who knew her and her family. Ann leaves behind one son, two daughters, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. God bless her and may she rest in peace.
Costa Mesa Scottish Festival
As in the past three years, my goal has been to attend the Scottish Festival in Costa Mesa, California over the Memorial Day holiday. Unfortunately, I’ve had to cancel each time because of pressure sores. They are easy to come by, but take several months to heal, confining me to bed.
The ScotsFest at Costa Mesa is my flagship Highland Games, where I returned to roots of my Scottish Folk music thirty-five years ago. It was from here that a door opened for me to perform at Highland Games throughout the United States. And, it is with a grateful heart that I can announce that this May, Linda and I will once again be present at ScotsFest in Costa Mesa!
My sincere thanks to Chief Tom Reoch, the Executive Committee, and the members of the United Scottish Society for our sponsorship. We are overwhelmed with gratitude, and are looking forward to seeing our dearest friends and fans. And the icing on the cake is seeing Ali and Catie, my lovely daughters!
Live in Concert was recorded in Costa Mesa, California with my good friends, Alasdair Fraser and Eric Rigler. Alasdair is a master Scottish fiddler widely known in Europe, Britain, Canada and the United States. Eric played the Uillean pipes on the movies, “Braveheart”, “Titanic” and “Avatar.” He is the world’s most recorded piper, playing for many movies, TV shows, concerts and albums for famous recording artists. BUY IT! There is nothing else like it.
Music, Music & more Music
As a reminder, some of my CD’s are sold out and only available to download.
If you’re looking to make a wise investment, may I recommend Beaton’s Personal Favorites, a two-disc set with 30 songs?
My triple feature DVD, Alex Beaton’s Scotland, is three full-length video productions including a musical travelogue of Scotland, its castles, and my birthplace, Glasgow, as well as the famous river, The Clyde. All three are available in one digitally re-mastered DVD for only $20. It is such a good deal that I myself have purchased many copies for gifts.
I hope that you have a happy and healthy year ahead!
Love,
Alex
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