Wed. July 31, 2024: Lots Going On in the Old Brain

image courtesy of hainguyenrp via pixabay.com

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Waning Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron Retrograde

Cloudy, muggy, hot

How did we get to midweek so fast?

Yesterday was kind of hot and sticky. I did a bunch of admin and email when I got back from the laundromat, and prepared for my meeting with my mentor. The meeting went well; I got lots of ideas I can put into play over the coming months. It was interesting how she could parse out concerns and connections I hadn’t realized as I put together my notes.

I was energized, but also needed a break after, to clear my head. Very grateful not to have any coverages to turn around. I’ll worry about money later in the week; right now, I’m going to be grateful!

Bea was impatient because I was late with her lunch. Too funny!

After lunch, I had another Authors Guild webinar with Jane Friedman, Matty Dalrymple, and Michael LaRonn. Excellent, excellent information. I took a lot of notes, and it helps me make a plan, especially when it comes to marketing the upcoming Nina Bell books, getting back on track with the Topic Workbooks, and re-igniting interest in the other series.

There were also things that dovetailed with my earlier conversation with my mentor, which was interesting.

And it gave me some ideas of how I want to rewrite the blurb for TAPESTRY.

But I was definitely tired by the end of all that. Lots of energy required for concentration.

I did some research on the 1908 balloon race. There’s information in the archives at the local library that I will need to write the outline, especially around the characters. They are all sources I have to use within the library; I’m considering booking time Friday to do so. I sent an email asking if they could pull material and give me an appointment – I’m all set up for 10 AM on Friday! It really is exciting, and I think will be the good catalyst for the play for the Berkshire Voices group. Colorful characters, exciting history and high stakes, a 12-year-old girl as central to the action (at least in my version). There was a 12-year-old girl in the winning balloon, which makes my original idea about the race even more fun.

Picked up the week’s CSA box. Lots of cool stuff in it; it will make this week’s meals interesting!

I only did one hour of yoga yesterday, gentle yoga. It was great. I was so glad to be back in studio. It was a full class, too! But I felt much better by the end of it.

Heated up some leftovers. Researched through my cookbooks for a recipe using some of the ingredients from the CSA. I’m going to do my own variation, but reading the other recipes helped me figure out what I want to do. The great thing about having 200+ cookbooks is I can usually get several different versions of something and figure out how I want to do it differently.

Read in the evening. As good as the book I’m reading is, my mind is spinning from all the information, and I need some time to sort it out in my brain.

August is going to be a month of inner work, mostly, I think (while earning as much by taking on as much freelance work as I can). It will give me a chance to process the Capacity Building program and the other information I’ve accumulated, and turn it into something I can use as I plan for fall, winter, and even into next spring.

Right now, my brain is tired, and not sure how to sort some of the information. But I do have solid ideas for tracking data over the next cycle, to see what works and doesn’t, and then I can adjust for the next cycle.

Had a lot of weird dreams. Again, in the dreamscape, I’m living a different life with different people, and they are all familiar when I’m within the dream, but not when I wake up. So I’m not feeling very rested when I wake up, because I was off living that other life. It’s a perfectly good life (as is this one), just different.

By 3:30, my room was too stuffy and sticky, so I moved to the couch, with Charlotte. Bea had questions. Tessa was grumpy. I fell asleep again, and all was quiet when I woke up a little after 5:30, after a pretty good sleep.

Fed everyone, did my morning meditation in Bea’s room.

A large quick-turnaround coverage came in this morning, so I will do that this afternoon, which helps the final number in this pay period, although it’s way, way under what it needs to be. But it’s better than not having it.

I hope to get some more edits into MURDER BELLS, work on proposals, and maybe start roughing out characters for the play, so I have an idea which ones to research farther on Friday.

Tomorrow, I will focus on the article for Llewellyn and on the flash fiction piece that needs to get out the door.

Tomorrow will be the 30th anniversary of my initiation, which happened on a group camping trip to Fire Island. A big day in my personal calendar. I’m taking it as a personal holiday.

Have a good one!