The Roaring Twenties

Grapeshot has neglected her blog, sad to say.  After the trip to Spain, and recovering from  the head and chest cold that did not want to go away, there were, shall we say, a myriad of tasks on my plate.  Probably hundreds.  Hunkered down and got many out of the way.

Gritted teeth and reformatted two novels for ebooks.  Every publisher wants different formatting, including scene breaks, chapter headings.  God, is it tedious, mindless, boring and totally necessary.  Got going on my 1928 California novel.  The twenties were soooo interesting.  I was ready to begin the novel a few years ago when the woman who became Maxine began talking to me, telling me her story, and I put 1928 aside and wrote a new novel.  That wouldn't have been so bad except that I am a slow writer and when you aren't writing to a deadline, well, let's just say I am somewhat dilatory.

Portugal:  Al Fresco lunch at the museum.  The chicken empadas were soooo good.

Now I'm back to Such Stuff As Dreams and of course in the intervening years I forgot 75% of all my research.  Still have the books, just have to read them again.   Last night I discovered I only had a vague idea of the houses my characters lived in.  Of   course, they lived in California Bungalows!  How could I not have known that. Found some old old notes about the book that didn't make a lot of sense.  Change.  Change.

I am also in the throes of some work for a writing conference.  Winterized the garden.  We're supposed to get serious snow tonight, so  undoubtedly the nasturtiums and whatever is left (morning glories, cleomes, and a few other annuals) will be frozen.  Got out the fall and winter clothes.  Spain was warm.  It is no longer warm in New England.

Cooked some decent meals:  enchiladas verdes, roast chicken with mustard sauce, etc.  Roasted chicken in mustard and garlic sauce by Jacques Pepin  

The marinade for the chicken would be delicious on the grill or with pork chops, steak, fish or lots of other meats.  

And now we're roaring into the roaring twenties.   Trying to figure out where the conflicts will be.  Hadn't really had a handle on the novel yet.  Which is what you discover when you start to write.  So there is work to be done.   Why am I not surprised? 

Southern cornbread, Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

    Note the cast iron skillets, a cook's best friend.  Cooked the chicken in mustard sauce in it, too.