Dr Karen McAulay

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.

You're teasing me 😉!!

To ...?

The People's Song Book no.2, published by Dundee firm John Leng.

Happiness is having just ordered book 1, repatriating it from Virginia to Scotland to join my book 2. A lot closer to Dundee, whence it presumably originated.
I once had an interview in Virginia ... but I wouldn't have my PhD here if I'd got the job there.

Might be ok unless you have boisterous kids or dogs!! 😉

Not pretending everything's all right. It's not.

When someone #stonewalls you, at least it's quiet.
Happy (quiet) Saturday!
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social