Eva Pasco's Blog
December 3, 2025
Eva’s Byte #553 – Sweater Weather
Fast approaching the winter solstice, dipping temperatures predicate embracing the warmth of our down or fleece jackets.
Perchance, the warmth of a Christmas sweater:
Of Nordic origin, the Fair Isle knitting traditions crafted sweaters to keep folks warm during chilly Scandinavian winters. The sweaters happened to be colorful with intricate patterns. In the 1950s, the trend caught on in North America, where manufacturers added holiday motifs: snowflakes, reindeer, Christmas trees, Santa.
Their popularity skyrocketed in the 1980s, courtesy of the Griswalds in the 1989 film, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. They have made a strong comeback via the “ugly Christmas sweater” trend.
During my teaching career in the third-grade trenches, I opted for festive sweatshirts. Long since retired, I tread the holiday in a more subdued fashion. I’m not looking to light up a room when I enter. On Christmas, I do pair holiday socks with my Mary Janes.
In the capacity of a writer blazing trails through my Contemporary work in progress, I’m drafting chapter 25 (495 words thus far).
May the holiday spirit warm our hearts with gratitude and the spirit of giving.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Perchance, the warmth of a Christmas sweater:
Of Nordic origin, the Fair Isle knitting traditions crafted sweaters to keep folks warm during chilly Scandinavian winters. The sweaters happened to be colorful with intricate patterns. In the 1950s, the trend caught on in North America, where manufacturers added holiday motifs: snowflakes, reindeer, Christmas trees, Santa.
Their popularity skyrocketed in the 1980s, courtesy of the Griswalds in the 1989 film, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. They have made a strong comeback via the “ugly Christmas sweater” trend.
During my teaching career in the third-grade trenches, I opted for festive sweatshirts. Long since retired, I tread the holiday in a more subdued fashion. I’m not looking to light up a room when I enter. On Christmas, I do pair holiday socks with my Mary Janes.
In the capacity of a writer blazing trails through my Contemporary work in progress, I’m drafting chapter 25 (495 words thus far).
May the holiday spirit warm our hearts with gratitude and the spirit of giving.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
November 26, 2025
Eva’s Byte #552 – Decking the Halls
Bitten by the Christmas decorating bug, I conducted a curiosity search to find out when most begin their seasonal undertaking of decking the halls.
Purportedly, the attitude has wide latitude:
Most begin after Thanksgiving, starting the weekend of Black Friday. Other afficionados start as early as November 1st or late October.
Apparently, nesting for Christmas provides comfort and a state of mental well-being.
Fa-la-la-la-la!
I usually decorate the day after Thanksgiving. This year, I’ve moved up my decorating scheme by a few days to counteract the occurrence of Thanksgiving Day on the 28th. I’m not one to leave Christmas decorations on display past the 25th, except for my 4-ft. gnome tree and miniature themed trees which are out all year round. Hence, my haste to decorate.
In the capacity of a writer drafting my Contemporary, I finished chapter 24 (2271 words). I’ve begun composing chapter 25 (146 words thus far).
May all that is meaningful bring each of us comfort and joy throughout Christmastime.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Purportedly, the attitude has wide latitude:
Most begin after Thanksgiving, starting the weekend of Black Friday. Other afficionados start as early as November 1st or late October.
Apparently, nesting for Christmas provides comfort and a state of mental well-being.
Fa-la-la-la-la!
I usually decorate the day after Thanksgiving. This year, I’ve moved up my decorating scheme by a few days to counteract the occurrence of Thanksgiving Day on the 28th. I’m not one to leave Christmas decorations on display past the 25th, except for my 4-ft. gnome tree and miniature themed trees which are out all year round. Hence, my haste to decorate.
In the capacity of a writer drafting my Contemporary, I finished chapter 24 (2271 words). I’ve begun composing chapter 25 (146 words thus far).
May all that is meaningful bring each of us comfort and joy throughout Christmastime.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
November 19, 2025
Eva’s Byte #551 – Over the Top!
In general, a typical American Thanksgiving meal centers around roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. Common sides might include, but are not limited to: glazed carrots, gelatin fruit salads, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole. Popular desserts tap into pumpkin and pecan pie.
Typical and plentiful!
Thinking back to my family’s atypical Thanksgiving feast for a family of four during my childhood and adolescence—it was over the top! No complaints whatsoever.
Appetizer: celery stuffed with cream cheese
Followed by an antipasto in full regalia
Followed by hearty escarole soup, a meal in itself
Followed by lasagna, comfort food
We’d take leave of the table for a breather. I’d help my mother wash dishes and prepare the setting for our turkey dinner which also entailed stuffing, mashed potatoes with giblet gravy, and corn.
In the evening, my mother would roast chestnuts in the oven. We’d snack on those, and indulge her homemade chocolate cream pie, my favorite.
Besides feasting my eyes on an abundance of food on the table, I’m feeling the abundance of love my mother and father lavished on our family.
In the capacity of a writer drafting a Contemporary, I’m wending my way toward the end of chapter 24 (2172 words thus far).
May a bountiful harvest of love, laughter, and good food bless everyone’s Thanksgiving gathering.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Typical and plentiful!
Thinking back to my family’s atypical Thanksgiving feast for a family of four during my childhood and adolescence—it was over the top! No complaints whatsoever.
Appetizer: celery stuffed with cream cheese
Followed by an antipasto in full regalia
Followed by hearty escarole soup, a meal in itself
Followed by lasagna, comfort food
We’d take leave of the table for a breather. I’d help my mother wash dishes and prepare the setting for our turkey dinner which also entailed stuffing, mashed potatoes with giblet gravy, and corn.
In the evening, my mother would roast chestnuts in the oven. We’d snack on those, and indulge her homemade chocolate cream pie, my favorite.
Besides feasting my eyes on an abundance of food on the table, I’m feeling the abundance of love my mother and father lavished on our family.
In the capacity of a writer drafting a Contemporary, I’m wending my way toward the end of chapter 24 (2172 words thus far).
May a bountiful harvest of love, laughter, and good food bless everyone’s Thanksgiving gathering.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
November 12, 2025
Eva’s Byte #550 – The Moors
‘Tis the season for ushering in the doldrums.
By turning the clocks back one hour, the early descending darkness, in conjunction with a persistent string of gloomy days and bouts of gusty winds severing most of the leaves from deciduous trees, have brought on a seasonal bleakness.
A writer in a literary frame of mind, I’m transported to the moors, the unforgiving landscape ingrained in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, a novel dear to my heart.
Purportedly, Brontë drew inspiration from the actual moors surrounding her family’s home in the West Yorkshire village of Haworth.
Envisioning Brontë’s moors which exemplify wild abandon and isolation, I truly relish New England’s dark, stark days for battening down the hatches and basking in the warmth of home.
Drafting my Contemporary work in progress, I’m wending my way toward the end of chapter 24 (1670 words thus far).
*May each of us adapt to nature’s seasonal nuances by creating our own comfort zone.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
By turning the clocks back one hour, the early descending darkness, in conjunction with a persistent string of gloomy days and bouts of gusty winds severing most of the leaves from deciduous trees, have brought on a seasonal bleakness.
A writer in a literary frame of mind, I’m transported to the moors, the unforgiving landscape ingrained in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, a novel dear to my heart.
Purportedly, Brontë drew inspiration from the actual moors surrounding her family’s home in the West Yorkshire village of Haworth.
Envisioning Brontë’s moors which exemplify wild abandon and isolation, I truly relish New England’s dark, stark days for battening down the hatches and basking in the warmth of home.
Drafting my Contemporary work in progress, I’m wending my way toward the end of chapter 24 (1670 words thus far).
*May each of us adapt to nature’s seasonal nuances by creating our own comfort zone.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
November 5, 2025
Eva’s Byte #549 – Stepping Back in Time
The end of Daylight Savings Time occurred on Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 2 a.m. when we set our clocks back one hour.
I’m turning back the hands of time to step back into the Sixties, the Baby Boomer generation, applicable to those born from 1946 to 1964 during the baby boom that followed the end of WWII.
Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation: This is my generation, baby (The Who, 1965).
Somehow most of us born during the timeframe of the Sixties managed to navigate through life without becoming a juvenile delinquent from watching violence on TV:
Witnessing two drunken brawlers, Bluto and Popeye, beat the living daylights out of each other over Olive Oyl.
Witnessing three Stooges smash plates over each other’s heads, or poke fingers into one another’s eyes.
Watching the physical altercations and staged fights on ‘Roller Derby’.
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk—common sense prevailed.
In the capacity of a writer drafting my Contemporary work in progress, I’m elbowing my way through chapter 24 (1292 words thus far).
*May each of us keep our head during difficult or chaotic situations.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
I’m turning back the hands of time to step back into the Sixties, the Baby Boomer generation, applicable to those born from 1946 to 1964 during the baby boom that followed the end of WWII.
Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation: This is my generation, baby (The Who, 1965).
Somehow most of us born during the timeframe of the Sixties managed to navigate through life without becoming a juvenile delinquent from watching violence on TV:
Witnessing two drunken brawlers, Bluto and Popeye, beat the living daylights out of each other over Olive Oyl.
Witnessing three Stooges smash plates over each other’s heads, or poke fingers into one another’s eyes.
Watching the physical altercations and staged fights on ‘Roller Derby’.
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk—common sense prevailed.
In the capacity of a writer drafting my Contemporary work in progress, I’m elbowing my way through chapter 24 (1292 words thus far).
*May each of us keep our head during difficult or chaotic situations.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
October 29, 2025
Eva’s Byte #548 – The Ice Tongs
Ice tongs, hitherto never used, come in handy during an uh-oh moment.
These ice tongs have a history rooted in a memoir I’d published on Authors Den, September 28, 2019, “Homespun Goodness.” I sing the praises of Modern Diner, the Pawtucket, Rhode Island restaurant chosen to be the first diner in the nation accepted on the National Register for Historic Places. The “Sterling Streamliner” entailing the diner’s skeletal structure was purportedly manufactured in the late 1930s and 1940s.
At that point in time, before I picked up the tab for the breakfast my mother and I heartily enjoyed, our server presented us with “stainless steel” ice tongs sealed in plastic as a goodwill gesture for our loyal patronage.
For six years, the sealed tongs idled inside a cutlery tray along with other hardly used utensils. Until October 23, 2025, when the detached nozzle of my dental flosser accidentally got swept into the garbage disposal. Ice tongs to the rescue!
In the capacity of a writer progressing along my Contemporary work in progress, I’m drafting chapter 24 (1087 words thus far).
May each of us tap into our resourcefulness when called for.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
These ice tongs have a history rooted in a memoir I’d published on Authors Den, September 28, 2019, “Homespun Goodness.” I sing the praises of Modern Diner, the Pawtucket, Rhode Island restaurant chosen to be the first diner in the nation accepted on the National Register for Historic Places. The “Sterling Streamliner” entailing the diner’s skeletal structure was purportedly manufactured in the late 1930s and 1940s.
At that point in time, before I picked up the tab for the breakfast my mother and I heartily enjoyed, our server presented us with “stainless steel” ice tongs sealed in plastic as a goodwill gesture for our loyal patronage.
For six years, the sealed tongs idled inside a cutlery tray along with other hardly used utensils. Until October 23, 2025, when the detached nozzle of my dental flosser accidentally got swept into the garbage disposal. Ice tongs to the rescue!
In the capacity of a writer progressing along my Contemporary work in progress, I’m drafting chapter 24 (1087 words thus far).
May each of us tap into our resourcefulness when called for.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
October 22, 2025
Eva’s Byte # 547 – The Page is a Stage
All of the pages are a writer’s stage, and the characters have their entrances, key roles, and exits.
*My modified version of character Jacques’ opening line from the “Seven Ages of Man” speech in Act II, Scene VII of William Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It)
In the capacity of a writer who stages death by murder, or tragic accident, it’s important for me to blur the lines of distinction between fact and fiction. The content of my plots must have plausibility.
In keeping with the framework of the 1970s, my research garnered information conducive to staging a death:
Most vehicles sold up to 1974 did not have airbags. (Buick Riviera, Electra, and Le Sabre, along with certain Oldsmobile and Cadillac models had them). The 1971 Pinto did not. Like most cars at that time, their seatbelts were manual lap belts.
The Pinto, Ford’s first subcompact car, was known for lacking several safety features, especially the propensity for its fuel tank to rupture in rear-end collisions, causing a fire.
Fuel for thought in staging my page.
At this point in time, I’m in the throes of drafting chapter 24 of my Contemporary work in progress (644 words thus far).
*May each of us set the stage for achieving our goals.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
*My modified version of character Jacques’ opening line from the “Seven Ages of Man” speech in Act II, Scene VII of William Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It)
In the capacity of a writer who stages death by murder, or tragic accident, it’s important for me to blur the lines of distinction between fact and fiction. The content of my plots must have plausibility.
In keeping with the framework of the 1970s, my research garnered information conducive to staging a death:
Most vehicles sold up to 1974 did not have airbags. (Buick Riviera, Electra, and Le Sabre, along with certain Oldsmobile and Cadillac models had them). The 1971 Pinto did not. Like most cars at that time, their seatbelts were manual lap belts.
The Pinto, Ford’s first subcompact car, was known for lacking several safety features, especially the propensity for its fuel tank to rupture in rear-end collisions, causing a fire.
Fuel for thought in staging my page.
At this point in time, I’m in the throes of drafting chapter 24 of my Contemporary work in progress (644 words thus far).
*May each of us set the stage for achieving our goals.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
October 15, 2025
Eva’s Byte #546 – Falling in Place
As the leaves begin to show their true colors, and the invigorating crispness pervades the autumn air in my neck of the woods, things are falling in place like acorns.
After careful consideration, objectives to foster my peace of mind were attained as fall approached. With these time-consuming and costly processes behind me, I’ve been leaving no stone unturned in tackling fall cleaning, and putting things in place as I go along.
In the capacity of a writer drafting a Contemporary work in progress, aspects of the story are falling in place as I wend my way through chapter 24 (385 words thus far).
*May situations move beyond confusion to clarity, where everything falls in place.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
After careful consideration, objectives to foster my peace of mind were attained as fall approached. With these time-consuming and costly processes behind me, I’ve been leaving no stone unturned in tackling fall cleaning, and putting things in place as I go along.
In the capacity of a writer drafting a Contemporary work in progress, aspects of the story are falling in place as I wend my way through chapter 24 (385 words thus far).
*May situations move beyond confusion to clarity, where everything falls in place.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
October 8, 2025
Eva’s Byte #545 – The Find
I’ve devoted previous blogs to my hobby of foraging for sea glass at Sabin Point, a beach in Riverside, Rhode Island, whose ocean waters are part Narragansett Bay’s shipping lane. A regularly used navigable route for large vessels, I did espy a tugboat towing a barge during my most recent trip.
Scheduling my visit during the incoming low tide at 10:45 a.m. EDST, the waves had a kick on the downside of high surf from Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda.
Crediting the surge for a plethora of treasures I collected, my most notable find was a clear-colored vintage stopper. Its origin is either a perfume bottle, or 1930s medicine vial.
Opaque from seafaring, the spherical top is intact, but pitted; the plug itself has a small piece broken off, although smooth from the erosion process. I have placed this treasure on my desk alongside other unique glass finds.
In the capacity of a writer coasting along the draft of my Contemporary work in progress, I finished chapter 23 (1327 words). Blurring the lines of demarcation between fact and fiction, I’ve conducted research to lay the foundation of chapter 24.
*May each of us appreciate the beauty in imperfections.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Scheduling my visit during the incoming low tide at 10:45 a.m. EDST, the waves had a kick on the downside of high surf from Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda.
Crediting the surge for a plethora of treasures I collected, my most notable find was a clear-colored vintage stopper. Its origin is either a perfume bottle, or 1930s medicine vial.
Opaque from seafaring, the spherical top is intact, but pitted; the plug itself has a small piece broken off, although smooth from the erosion process. I have placed this treasure on my desk alongside other unique glass finds.
In the capacity of a writer coasting along the draft of my Contemporary work in progress, I finished chapter 23 (1327 words). Blurring the lines of demarcation between fact and fiction, I’ve conducted research to lay the foundation of chapter 24.
*May each of us appreciate the beauty in imperfections.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
October 1, 2025
Eva’s Byte #544 – The Eggs-plosion
Blaming what occurred on a writer’s absentmindedness, I had a situation on my hands.
Prior to furthering along the draft of my Contemporary work in progress, I began boiling a half dozen eggs. Caught up in my writing, I completely forgot about checking on their status. Immersed in my own fictitious world, staccato popping sounds startled me into mobilizing.
Horrors!
Water in the pan had evaporated. The chittering eggs had exploded into bits and pieces, projecting everywhere in the kitchen, adhering to walls and embedding under stove burners. Under the circumstances, I scrambled to clean up the mess.
Since the fiasco, I’ve advanced chapter 23 to 719 words.
*May each of us live in the present moment.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Prior to furthering along the draft of my Contemporary work in progress, I began boiling a half dozen eggs. Caught up in my writing, I completely forgot about checking on their status. Immersed in my own fictitious world, staccato popping sounds startled me into mobilizing.
Horrors!
Water in the pan had evaporated. The chittering eggs had exploded into bits and pieces, projecting everywhere in the kitchen, adhering to walls and embedding under stove burners. Under the circumstances, I scrambled to clean up the mess.
Since the fiasco, I’ve advanced chapter 23 to 719 words.
*May each of us live in the present moment.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
