Monday, July 6, 2026

Sounding Fourth, High and Low

We have apples! Whether we get to eat any of them depends upon two things: How much the birds and squirrels leave us and if the weather cooperates. We planted this tree the summer after we moved in, so about seven years ago.



Just a few inches of knitting to go to finish the Summer Sorrel top. I turned it right-side-out to get the photo, but the directions have you knit with it inside-out, because the outside is reverse stockinette, so purl stitches, which are a little more cumbersome than knit stitches. I hope to be able to wear this by next week. My Ravelry page for the project is here.



Most of the week was spent getting ready for Independence Day, July 4th, which didn't come until Saturday. Putting out the flag was easy.



The hard part was learning the music for the Sound Fourth Concert.



We had a total of four practices and then the performance. The practices were fun, but hectic. The last practice was with the band, and then the big day! I got this photo from my seat when I arrived at the auditorium for the concert.



I had a ride with a friend, and Charlie came later. He took this photo about 20 minutes before the start of the show, when we were warming up. Can you find me? I'm on the stage in the back row, sitting between a Bass 2 and a Soprano 2. It's like "Where's Waldo?"



I'll make it easier. So why am I not sitting with the Soprano I singers? Well, we needed some more people on the section in "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," where the TTBB parts are highlighted. Our director asked if any of us ladies could sing low enough, to please join in. We wouldn't be singing during that part anyway. So I sang Bass I, which was the melody, and easy to sing. There weren't any notes too high or too low for my chest voice. The hardest part was getting enough air without breathing in the wrong places. I was separated from the rest of the Soprano I singers, but I could still hear them. I was also singing a descant in "My Country 'Tis of Thee." The people on each side of me said I didn't bother them, so it worked out well all around, and it was a lot of fun.



Soren's birthday was yesterday. I can't believe he's 14 years old! We were at the hospital when he was born. I remember looking out at the fireworks display over Portland from the hospital window. 



Karen's lawnmower broke down in the middle of mowing the grass. Charlie did a little research to find out what kind they needed and ordered a new one. They had to assemble it, but it wasn't too difficult, and now Daphne has mowed the whole lawn, including the part that got left out. It's battery-powered, too, so she likes not having to get her hands smelly filling the tank with gasoline.



Someone on Blue Sky noticed that I had reached 90,000 followers and thought I needed a congratulatory post, so she made me this neat picture. I thought it was clever how she worked in so many of my interests in the picture. I think she put a lot of thought into it.



We did some walks, although not every day. I did the usual amount of cooking and laundry. I had a routine medical appointment. My new book is waiting for proofreading to be completed, but there's no rush. Summer choir starts this week, so I will have new music to learn. That should be fun. If I finish the Summer Sorrel, I will have something new to start or some UFO to finish up. Busy, busy.


I have a lot of difficulty responding to comments to my blog posts because of technical issues beyond my control (my lack of understanding of how things work). Message me on Facebook, Ravelry, BlueSky or Spoutible if you need information.


If you have a few minutes and are willing, please go to Amazon or B&N and search for Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook by Peggy Stuart". Every click on the page for the book makes it more likely they will keep a good supply in their warehouse and stores. If you are outside the US, you may have a separate website for these retailers. If you have a copy of any of our books, including Emil, Mariah, Classic Tales RetoldOur Favorite Verses, More Classic Tales Retold or Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, please leave an honest review on the websites, especially if you bought from them.

Where's my blog: If you want to follow my blog, go here and sign up to follow.

What's on my needles: The Summer Sorrel top is almost done. All I have to do is finish the second sleeve.

What's on my iPhone: Still listening to Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan on the Audiobooksnow app. 

What's on my sewing machine: Put away until the next project.

What's in The Doll's Storybook: When Emil was fairly new to the family, he didn't know about Jolena's summer trips to the Southern Hemisphere. In this story he finds out all about how they have winter there, so the Doll's Ski Team can go and practice. Read it here.


What's my tip of the week: If you sing in a choir and you listen to the piece you're learning on YouTube, you should know that you can slow down the speed of the video without changing the pitch of the notes you hear. Just click on the little cog (found in different places, depending on whether you're using a computer, a tablet or a phone) and change the speed. You can go in both directions, but I find it helpful to hear it slowed down, so I can follow the notes in my sheet music. Then, when I get more familiar with it, I speed it back up to normal.

Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog, and they are reproduced in print with a few changes.

The stories in Billy: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Talking About Boys, ChangesShhhhh!, Staying After and Money in a Jar.

The stories in More Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Welcoming a StrangerThe RescueUnmaskedFuzzy Town––A Play and Sky Blue.

Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook. Poems included are Valentine's DayKeeping PetsBack to School, Victor the VultureThe Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.

The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green GreatcoatThe Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.

The stories in Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Best BudsGetting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.

The stories in Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Being LittleBesties, and Distraction.

Book #7 is in the works.

If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less, only 8%, because the vendor gets a cut. My author's page at Book Baby is here. Scroll down and click on any of the books that interest you. Find my books at Barbara's Bookstore as well, or ask your local library to order the books.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

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