We celebrated IAN’S 81ST BIRTHDAY on May 2, 2013 with three other couples who have become very good friends to us since we moved to Vernon five years ago. Here we’ll share a few photos from the party, including one of friend Fernando accompanying us as we sang “Happy Birthday” to Ian. Usually our parties are centered around singing. This party centered around writing, with the theme  “Birthday Limericks.” We suggested that the limericks could center around one of Ian’s favourite things such as writing stories, singing, all things Scottish, his love of dancing or his favourite drinks – Scotch whisky and  good white wine.

LIMERICKS are a special kind of poem. Usually they have a five line cadence with a pattern of AABBA (in other words, the first, second and fifth lines rhyme and have the rhythm dah DAH, dah dah DAH, dah dah DAH; while the third and fourth lines rhyme and have the shorter rhythm dah dah DAH dah dah DAH. Ian is a fan of poetry ONLY when it rhymes. In fact, he claims a poem isn’t really a poem if it doesn’t rhyme. Therefore, the limerick is his favourite kind of poetry.

Inspired by a fellow blogger (Flammeusgladius aka Tom Riley) Gayle had asked our guests to each write a limerick for Ian as a birthday gift. In thanks Ian has come up with the following limerick. For anyone who isn’t familiar with the Scottish use of the term “the noo”, that means “now” or “at the present time.”

Thanks to all for your limericks true

Heartfelt greetings from all of you.

You can tease, you can praise

And your glasses you raise.

but I’ll stick with coffee, the noo.

Gayle had corresponded with blogger Tom Riley prior to the birthday and, true to form as he puts his whole blog (Flammeusgladius)  into limerick form, he came up with this post on his blog for Ian’s birthday:

Birthday Dram

by flammeusgladius

(for Ian Moore-Morrans)

It’s with joy, and with no trace of sorrow,

That, upon an occasion I borrow

From your family, I drink

This Scotch neat.  And I think

You should add a new birthday tomorrow.

So here are the rest of Ian’s birthday limericks for your enjoyment:

From wife and editor Gayle:

Dear Ian, you’ve turned eighty-one.

Who says you’re too old to have fun?

We can sing, we’ll sip wines;

And we’ll both write some lines.

And that’s why I love you so, Hon!

From friend Nita:

Now we know that Ian’s Scottish.

As a dancer he was “hottish.”

He’d quick step; the girls would cling,

Then he’d do the Highland Fling.

But tell me, did he ever dance the Schottishe?

From our friend and accompanist Fernando:

Hey, Ian, I will play for you piano.

As long as in my ear you do not bellow.

Gayle has warned me, you sing loud.

When you entertain a crowd.

So go easy now, it’s better to sing mellow.

From Eric (a fellow Scotsman):

He wears a kilt

and sings wi’ a lilt.

He wears a tam

and likes a wee dram.

Now he and his lass

they are top class.

So sing for me

a tune that I luv

A song of my land

And that is “Misty Island.”

 (Note: “Misty Islands of the Highlands” is Ian and Gayle’s favourite song to sing together as a duet.)

 

From Patch:

Life of Ian

First poverty, then military.

The young Scottish millwright did marry.

Lived all over Canuck land.

Chased Incas with Gayle in hand.

Now as author in Vernon he’ll tarry!

 

From Gail (and Bill):

A task I’ve been handed for Birthday Boy Ian

He’s the best Scotch drinker that I’ve ever se-en

He’ll top up that glass

While he calls for his lass.

If I got paid for this, it’d be pretty le-an!

**

There’s Ian the Birthday boy in the kilt

When you hear him talk, there’s a wee bit o’ lilt.

He does talk to the dog

Then falls asleep like a log.

It just must be the way he is built!

**

If a young Scotsman moved across an ocean

Would it be Ian and would he have a notion

To work really hard and sing when he could

Perhaps write a book and make it real good

Then later drink a Scotch whisky potion?

**

OK, so we’re not pros at this limerick writing and maybe our meters and rhyming schemes were sometimes a bit of a stretch. But we really had fun and the topics were all very appropriate. We were happy, Ian was happy — what more could we ask for?  A good time was had by all! Once again, Happy Birthday Ian.