Dr Karen McAulay

I've undone my sock-knitting to where it was 2 days ago. Don't know if I'll bother again, though. Knitting socks is considered offensive in my house. It takes too much of my attention when I'm sitting relaxing in the lounge.
#GoingDownTheGardenToEatWorms, as the song goes.

"Off the table". "Off of" is ungrammatical. "Of" is genitive - belonging to the table. The word "Off" does not BELONG to the table.
Enough of this ...

Knitting socks for first time. Went wrong. Today's efforts had to be pulled out.

And ... I was concentrating very hard on my knitting after dinner.
Forced to look away, I dropped stitches and couldn't find them again.
Aw, shucks!

Made a casserole with ingredients chopped very small for invalid's delicate digestion. But when I mentioned this, I was asked if I was trying to make them feel guilty, and what my 'innuendo' was.
I'd just hoped for 'great, thanks.'
Was that unreasonable?
Today's nosedive continues.

Whilst the invalid languished upstairs, the kitchen was professionally tiled. Beautifully.
The recovering invalid, wanting to exert control and remind me I didn't manage it well enough, finds fault.
I'm not enjoying today 😕
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social

Halfway through a sentence (3-4 words), before ANY point has been made, I'm told to 'stop going on'. Also that I should not raise my voice to make a point - I should lower it.
I am NOT A TENOR. Never have been. I give up.
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social

In a Tardis?

IKEA green and blue wool rug.

Nice, eh? Room decorated to improve my mood whilst working!

Dining room - new green IKEA rug to tone with fern-patterned blinds.

Contentment (however brief, before my peace is shattered) is a new rug to finish off redecorated dining room (also my study!)

Eh? This is most odd!

Weird!

Birdsong. Taps running. A whole lot of new sounds for you!

I've ordered a copy!

Well done!

Having done the 2 things I set out to do, I should head home.
But it's quite nice being out, having been a housebound carer last week. Grumpy invalid is on the mend, thankfully. Hasn't messaged me yet to find out where I am and when returning...

Such a good idea. I should travel. In the name of writing ...

Call for Papers: Early history of teacher training - History of Education Society

🚨 CALL FOR PAPERS!

See below for the details of a conference in Liverpool on the early history of teacher training colleges in Britain, specifically between 1836 and 1914

📍 Liverpool, 2 June 2026

historyofeducation.org.uk/call-for-pap...

International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and Marjory Kennedy-Fraser) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

And I got applause yesterday!
(Thank you 😊 - it wasn't me, it was the tune I played...)
#ChurchOrganist

karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i...

Yes, it did go through my mind they must be pretty combustible.
Wonder if any journos will track down the business owners?

International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and MKF) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

Web of Science apparently found a bunch of scientific papers credited to me. Flattering! But McAuley is not me. Now corrected. I write about women's musical history karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i..., social history & old national song books. karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/t...

I play no games. Never have.
By inference, I'm nothing/nobody.
(shuffling off to play piano ...)

International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and MKF) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

#InternationalWomensDay: Rose Smith (and MKF) songs played in Neilston Parish Church today! karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i...
#WomanOrganist #WomenComposers @royalmusical.bsky.social

Me wearing my mother's apron. She was a force to reckon with.

Don't Mess With Me. I'm wearing my late mother's apron!
Because I said so.

On #InternationalWomensDay, please remember many women who aren't celebrating today. Negative 'comments' do constitute criticism. #Gaslighting is #abuse. And a woman can hardly be considered hypersensitive, if other *men* witness and identify the unacceptable behaviour.
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social

The People’s Song Book No.2 (published by John Leng) It stands to reason. If I’m researching the John Leng Scots Song competitions, then I might also be interested in this firm’s publications. Not, of course, that there’s any direct…

I know it's #InternationalWomensDay - I'll come to that later today. But first, just a wee celebration of a successful bit of research treasure-hunting on eBay!
karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/t...
#NationalSongs #JohnLeng #Dundee

Lovely!

Sharp intake of breath. I don't recall any of that!!

Gasp!!! I had No Idea!

To my astonishment this evening, I realised I had almost shelved my music in Dewey order. Organ anthologies, Organ single composers, Piano. Old habits die hard.