Wed. May 24, 2023: Research Into a Place From My Past

image courtesy of  Connor Johnson via pixabay.com

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Sunny and pleasant

Come visit the Process Muse, where I talk about Idea Cookies.

Today’s serial episode is Angel Hunt:

Episode 35: Who Is He?

Who is the entity who allowed Lianna entrance? What does he have to do with the hunt?

Angel Hunt Serial Link

Yesterday was just kind of an “I’m disappointed in myself” kind of day. My brain just checked out, early on. I got the blog up. I did some more research on the photographs of the Playland Painters. I’m pretty sure I’ll need to go down and research in the archives in person. I worked on next week’s Process Muse. I crunched numbers. If the grant money doesn’t show up and the debt defaults, we’ll get by, although June will be tight. If either the grant money or the debt ceiling limit is raised by June 1, I can move forward on everything. Even without the grant money in place, if the debt ceiling is lifted, I have enough to take care of everything that needs attention in June, and even a few things that want attention.

The back-and-forth on the Playland Painters was interesting. Playland park itself knows nothing. The new “management” company has no idea, nor do they know where any of the materials from the museum ended up. Typical. No sense of history or lineage.

The researchers at the Westchester Archives are intrigued. They asked for the jpgs, and I sent them over. I told them the search terms I’d used from their collection, which hadn’t yielded results. One had been 8 pages’ worth of thumbnails. The other is over 50 pages, and I’ve only made it through the first 10 (although, in both, I found some really interesting photos that will help with the project). I also found a book on the history of the park, which I will order sometime in June, depending on how all the money stuff shakes out over the next few weeks.

The Archives is only open to appointments one day per week, and then only 2 hours in the morning, and 2 hours in the afternoon. The loose plan is, if/when I book an appointment, I’d drive down very early in the morning to be there when they open, research both sessions, and then either drive back partway and visit a friend, or stay in a motel overnight and drive home the next day. Doing the full drive is possible – especially since I’d be done late afternoon. But, energy-wise, I’m not sure I could do it, especially after researching all day. Play it by ear.

I took a brief look at the Rye Historical society site. It doesn’t look as though they allow researchers; they research “for a fee.” They have very little of their collection digitized thus far. They have some photos of Playland, but I don’t know what other types of records they have. I contacted the Westchester Children’s Museum, which took over the space where the little museum in which I found the photographs used to be.

I tried to look for census records, but the last NY state census was in 1925. Four years too early, and I need a name.  If I want to look in the federal census online, I need to have a name.

What I need are Playland’s employment records. The Westchester Archives might have them. I’m also wondering if maybe they were part of the WPA program? Although that didn’t start until 1935, and, according to the caption below the photo, these women worked there from 1929-1940 panting. They’re wearing smocks, and it’s hard to tell what they have under them, but it looks like, from the hem length, the shoes, and the hair styles, the photo was taken somewhere in the mid 1930’s.

I sent an email to the reference librarian at the library where I got my first library card, just in case. I keep hoping that someone I send the photo to will be related to one of the women in it!

Anyway, that was that rabbit hole yesterday (and early this morning). What else did I do yesterday? I didn’t draft an episode of Legerdemain, which puts me back. I uploaded the Legerdemain episode video on TikTok. I’m having a terrible time with the sound attribution. It keeps listing it as original sound by me. One can only change the attribution line ONCE – and when I change it, it doesn’t save what I entered. I did the social media rounds for Legerdemain. I worked on next week’s Process Muse post. I did two client projects, one fairly large, one short. I sent three plays out on submission.

I did not go to yoga, which I missed, but I wasn’t feeling up to it.

On a practical level, I patched the hole in the screen from the time Spiro Squirrel tried to get in. I got myself a roll of screen tape for this kind of patching.

I’m reading VIVIANA VALENTINE GETS HER MAN by Emily J. Edwards, and it’s lots of fun. I’m thinking I might do book recommendations occasionally on TikTok, too, if I can set up a good template.

Went to bed early, exhausted. Woke up around 3 AM with sense memory stress. Managed to get back to sleep, and got up with the coffee. The oat milk is all clumpy AGAIN – that’s twice lately. I didn’t think plant milk could curdle.

I didn’t go to the laundromat, which I’m fine about today, but will regret next week. On today’s agenda is a lot of Legerdemain, so I can get back on track; more Playland research; a trip to the library to drop off/pick up books,  I have two client projects to do this afternoon. I hope I get in more for tomorrow and Friday. I really want to take the Monday holiday. I need the rest. But we’ll see how it all shakes out. I might have to push through all this week into next.

I’ve pushed working on the flash fiction to the weekend, along with drafting a 10-minute comedy play. I have to start thinking about the radio play for the UK company, too.

So I better get going, hadn’t I, and get a few things done! Have a good one, my friends.

Thurs. Jan. 23, 2020: Projects and Exhaustion and Frustration

Thursday, January 23, 2020
Dark Moon
Sunny and cold

Hop on over to Gratitude and Growth, where I talk about my dreams of gardens.

Yesterday was exhausting, partially because the day before the dark moon tends to be my lowest energy day of the month.

I’m working on a big project with a client, so that’s taking a lot of time and attention for the next few weeks.

I started the next Kate Warne play, “The Rare Medium.” I hope I can keep the opening two lines. They are some of my favorites among all my projects. No, I am not posting them. I don’t blow first rights by splattering something in draft on public platforms.

Working on the book for review, and the other book for review finally arrived. Will finish one today and get the review out tomorrow, and read the other one over the weekend.

Have roughed out the short story inspired by the news event in my head, and will start drafting it later today.

Have a meeting with a potential client late morning tomorrow, so tomorrow’s blog will post late. It’s on YET another platform, so I need to download YET another app and I’m sick of it all. I don’t want to run my life on apps.

The rental inspection was this morning. Of course, one of the carbon monoxide detectors decided to start squeaking “end of life” because why wait until an hour later, when the inspection was done? Will contact the landlord to get a new one. He’s really good about stuff like that.

Needed Google Hangouts Meet App for tomorrow’s client conference. What a nightmare getting that to work. I HATE having to use apps for everything. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

Working on the revisions for THE BALTHAZAAR TREASURE, too. I lost a few threads in this draft. Some of them I will remove completely — they’re bogging down the story. Others need to be reworked so they’re stronger.

Of course, scenes for GAMBIT COLONY keep forming in my head, when it’s not a good time to work on it. Because that’s the way it goes. Idea Cookies.

Some work at the library, then work at home, then taking my mother to her doctor’s appointment. Then home for more writing and reading.

Every one of those rude, corrupt GOP Senators walking out of the trial needs to be held in contempt, lose the right to vote, and be removed from the process (and office). No jurors are allowed to behave this way. Chief Justice Roberts’s refusal to actually behave like a judge during trial is equally appalling. The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court is supposed to be a leader, not a milquetoast.

The whole corrupt sham is disgusting.

In the meantime, I’m going back to the page.

 

Fri. Jan. 10, 2020: Reviewing Focus & Prepping for a Writing Weekend

Friday, January 10, 2020
Full Moon
Uranus Retrograde
Cloudy and mild

Hop on over to the Ava Dunne blog, Affairs of the Pen,to read about what the characters miss when they go out to sea.

We’re supposed to hit record high temperatures this weekend around here. The snow is already melting. IF it’s dry enough, I’ll do some more yard work.

Got out a bunch of LOIs yesterday, worked on the GRAVE REACHmedia kit, did some work on the marketing plan for the overall series.

Dropped off and picked up a bunch of stuff at the library.

The first shipment of books for the contest arrived. Very exciting! I unpacked them, checked them against my list. I have a few digital ones to download, which I will do over the next few days, and then I’ll start reading. I like getting the entries in two shipments. It means I can finish the first batch by the time the second batch arrives, and it gives me time to give the ones vying for the top spot and finalist spots a second read.

Yes, I take my work as a contest judge seriously. These authors poured heart and soul into the work. I approach each with excitement and joy. I WANT to fall in love with every book I pick up. The categories have become more and more competitive each year, with both the quality of writing, and the way the winning authors are growing the genre.

In the afternoon, I read F.P. Lock’s dissection of Susanna Centlivre’s plays, letters, and poems. It was very interesting, and makes me even more excited to write about her. I look forward to reading her plays — I got several from Project Gutenberg. The Lock book came from Taunton Library via the Commonwealth Catalog — I’m so lucky to have access to that.

To my great joy, I received notification that 365 Women accepted BOTH the proposal for the Susanna Centlivre play and for the Isabella Goodwin play. I’m absolutely delighted. I am researching Susanna already. I’d like to get that play done and out by the end of June. That gives me the second half of the year for Isabella’s play.

I got a little bit of work done on the Winter Solstice romance. I’m at the point (six chapters in), where I need to start typing what I’ve written in longhand and making tracking sheets, because I’m losing certain elements. I have an outline, which helps. I have a feeling it will be more of a women’s fiction novel with romantic elements rather than a romance novel. There are issues I’m exploring that take it out of the romance formula, while still having my two protagonists falling in love.

I’m still struggling with the last few pages of “Trust.” I hope to get it finished this weekend.

I need to do some tweaks on the Lavinia Fontana play, too, SERENE AND DETERMINED, because I have my eye on a potential submission for that.

I had a wacky idea of an out-there dream project (in real life) that I will never be able to fund (in real life), but it would make a cool premise for a book. Made some notes. So we’ll see.

Idea Cookies, right?

Working on the books for review. I want to get the reviews out next week, and get in the next books for review. I can juggle those deadlines with contest entries and research books.

Re-read Donna Leon’s QUIETLY IN THEIR SLEEP and A NOBLE RADIANCE over the last couple of days. I get so much out of this series every time I read it.

Finished watching the documentary on the Dark Ages. I didn’t know most of what was in it. Very interesting.

One of the LOIs I sent out yesterday already got a response for more interaction. I will do that later today. We will see if we are a good match. But it was a pleasant, professional response, and it was quick, so we’ll see how it goes.

Lots of errands this morning. As I’ve been writing this, it’s moved from sunny to cloudy. Reminds me there was a red sky in the morning, which means there could be rain later. Looks like it will be sooner, rather than later.

So, how did I do on this week’s intent of focus?

Pretty well, even though the focus was spread over a lot of projects. But whatever I worked on, I FOCUSED on. I got more done (although it never, ever feels like enough).

I feel as though the energy I focused on the Susanna Centlivre research really paid off, as did the focus on the LOIs. It’s too early to see if the pitches hit true, but I’m happy with the quality of what I pitched.

I’m looking forward to a creative weekend. Let’s hope next week is positive and creative, too!