Eva Pasco's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-progress"

This week, anyway.

What consumes you, lately?

As each of us strive to survive and thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic, we adopt a new lifestyle, whether we like it or not.

Not liking to leave the sanctuary of my home to forage at the local supermarket, as the number of cases in my area surpasses 8000, I did so anyway.

Smoked out of my own home, consumed by food:

Since my last trip there, the latest standard procedure implemented involves one-way travel down the aisles, clearly designated by arrows strategically placed at the end of each intersection. As if that’s not enough, the voice projected from a loud speaker reminds everyone to follow protocol.

A few shoppers blatantly ignore the safety measure, compromising social-distancing, while cross-contaminating.

Civil Disobedience—Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” (1969) comes to mind.

Even if these nonconformists hadn’t given the slightest thought to jeopardizing others, you’d think they’d be concerned for their own well-being. Apparently not.

Once more, back home unless driven out by primordial needs, I’ve battened down the hatches, resuming my online quests to better accommodate a lifestyle imposed by the pandemic.

In that regard, I signed up for a weekly, meal-delivery service:

Good-for-you-food— less sugar, less processed ingredients, more nutrients, and 500 calories or less. Freshly chef-prepared. Ready to consume in minutes after heating in the microwave.

Also consumed with writing in my capacity as an author, this week I’m rounding the bend to completing the draft of chapter 47 in my Contemporary WIP.

*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far. May whatever consumes you for the time being, enable a healthier lifestyle.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

Not the only one foraging online for necessities while hunkering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prospects are not without peril.

First off, a heartfelt thanks to everyone working the frontline frontiers: medical field, supermarket employees, retailers, restaurant personnel, truckers, and many more not mentioned who put their life in peril each day.

That said, in the hustle and bustle to meet consumer demands, something goes awry between purchasing and freighting precious cargo to your door.

Detecting a foul odor emanating from a 3-oz. case of 24 canned cat food, I tentatively peeled back the perforated strip. To my horror, I discovered a feasting swarm of insects.

While recuperating from that peril, it was only a matter of days before the next peril struck.

Dragging the box delivered on my threshold into the kitchen, I felt something wet at the bottom. No second guessing as to the cause, when the contents included a dozen 32-fl. oz. cartons of hemp milk. Sure enough, one had leaked onto all of the rest. Not that most of those survived the haul unscathed either, in various stages of “crushed”. I ended up tossing two cartons, vowing to find a more reputable vendor the next time around.

In the grand scheme of things, two incidents such as these don’t amount to a hill of beans.

Perish the thought, if in my capacity as writer, I was at a loss for words. Nothing could be further from the truth. This week, I’m rolling along to the finish line of chapter 48 in Part 3 of my Contemporary WIP.

*If you’ve read this far, my sincere appreciation.

May your perils be few and far between. May your prospects be pastures of green.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

Vive la difference:

Sea glass is physically and chemically weathered glass found along bodies of salt water. Beach glass is found along bodies of fresh water, whereby the different pH balance imparts the glass with a less frosted appearance.

Since I live by the East Bay, and in close enough proximity to beaches along the southern coastline of Rhode Island, it would appear that shards of glass are ripe for picking along these shorelines. A finders-keepers proposition dependent upon the currents and wave action, there’s no guarantee for what bounty I’ll come across, if anything, during each spelunking expedition.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Pure joy derives from the adventure of exploration in comfortable shoes with a sealable, plastic sandwich bag in hand.

For starters, I plan on venturing close to home in my town:

Sabin Point Park, a 7-acre city park with sweeping views of the East Bay.

Bullocks Point, a beach area near the Crescent Park Looff Carousel, the only historic remnant left of Crescent Park, the “Coney Island of New England”.

In my capacity of writer, I’m deriving joy from wending my way through Part 4 of my WIP, closing in on sealing the fate of Chapter 69.
Just as there’s no telling what I’ll find foraging along the shoreline, there’s no telling where my characters will lead me as I approach the finish line.

*May the spirit of adventure lead you to go with the tide.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read thus far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

No longer sentimentally attached to favorite dolls of my childhood and adolescence, I’d begun to realize one of the fundamentals of life as a preteen during our family road trips. That being, even if the opportunity to revisit some of the same places occurred, we couldn’t duplicate the initial awe of discovery.

But, I could capture my emotions and preserve memories by hanging onto sentimental acquisitions.

One such acquisition came from the gift shop at the Polar Caves in Rumney, New Hampshire. Rock candy! I kept the conglomeration inside its miniature, brown paper bag—for years! Luckily, no ant infestation.

Not any less sentimental toward meaningful acquisitions in adulthood, I have a sizeable lava specimen from Mount Etna which my sister scrounged for me per my request.

I have an emotional attachment to the lid of a chocolate box which I’ve pinned on a wall in my office because of the words, “Every little moment of life we share makes life sweeter”.

My sentimental attachment to the kindness behind a floral arrangement I received last week, has prompted me to press and dry its four, big-bloom roses for keepsake inside the florist’s vase.

In my capacity as a writer, I’ve grown sentimentally attached to my fleshed-out characters pressed between the pages of my Contemporary work in progress. I’m nearing the finish line of Chapter 72 in Part 4, and closer to completing the novel than I was nearly “five years ago” when I began drafting it.

May the sentimental attachments you hold dear bring a measure of peace and comfort.

*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

“People don’t take trips, trips take people.” John Steinbeck

Taking full advantage of living along the East Bay, Road Trip No. 1 will take me to Sabin Point Park where I’ll embark on my new hobby of foraging for sea glass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_OM_...

The short trek from my parking lot onto SE-114S, with a series of left and rights leading to Shore Road, should take approximately 11 minutes.

Thursday’s forecast calls for a mix of sun and clouds, with the temperature reaching 79. Low tide is at 8:25 a.m. Perfect.

My washable, polyester shopping tote contains all that is necessary for retrieving and/or minor excavating: sealable plastic bag and a spoon. To be added: bottled water, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, paper towels, and water shoes.

Even if I don’t find any sea glass, I’m sure I won’t go home emptyhanded with plenty of rocks and shells strewn along the beach.

In the capacity of a writer, my journey has taken me to the end of Part 4, having just completed Chapter 75 at 1100 words. Unless my imagination dictates otherwise, Part 5 should entail a short trip to the finish line.

As with any road trip embarked on—literally, literarily, or metaphorically—we often discover hidden inner strengths along the way to our destination.

*Wherever you trips take you, may the journey be self-fulfilling.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

Last week’s blog pertained to the first venture in my new hobby of foraging for sea glass. My road trip to Sabin Point on the east side of the Providence River is a shipping channel used by large vessels going to and from the Port of Providence, just 1,000 feet off Sabin Point.

Lucky for me!

Since glass tends to wash up on beaches along popular marine trading routes and ports, I was richly rewarded going with the flow of time and low tide.

Beginner’s luck!

That day I bagged approximately 12 pieces of blunt-edged, frosted specimens. At the bare minimum, each piece took approximately 20 – 40 years to shape up once it was shipped out—meaning tossed away in its state of bottle-hood or stately plate-li-ness. The most common colors to stumble across are Kelly green, brown, and white.

I tossed my Kelly green finds into the brine because they were not ripe enough for the picking due to their sharp edges and shiny surfaces. I’ve several white specimens, 2 brown, 1 seafoam green, and a rare find of substantial size in one of the more uncommon colors of forest green.

On Thursday, I’ll press my luck by returning to Sabin Point. This time, exploring the opposite end of the narrow shoreline. I plan to arrive around noon when the waves crest at 2 ft., and continue to diminish as low tide approaches at 2:42 p.m. EST.

In the capacity of a writer, I’m going with the flow of time and tide, rounding out the edges in Part 5, Chapter 76 of my Contemporary work in progress.

*When seizing the moment to embark on a new adventure, may time and tide flow with you.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

I’m delving into those moments that take us away from where we are in our present frame of mind. Moments, which for no explicable reason, hold us in an abeyance of peace and tranquility:

Perhaps it’s the hypnotic billowing of white curtains on a breezy, summer day which transports our mind miles away.

Or, sitting on a porch and gazing into oblivion.

One of my most memorable long-drawn moments occurred many years ago watching the raising of the drawbridge over the Mystic River Bascule Bridge in Connecticut. The famous drawbridge built in 1922 connects the Groton side of Mystic with the Stonington side. It’s raised to allow boat traffic at 40 minutes past the hour from 7:40 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. from May 1st to October 31st.

Abutting the bridge is Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream where I’d purchased a sugar cone of Kahlua Mocha Fudge and savored it while watching the raising of the drawbridge. During those long-drawn moments, maritime motion and my own superfluous thoughts were suspended in time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IUwH...

In my capacity of a writer, I must set aside extraneous thoughts so as not to detract from the literary world I’m creating. And, as painstaking as I find the task, I must fabricate long-drawn moments inside the headspace of my characters for them to seem as real as you and me. I’m currently lowering the drawbridge on Chapter 76 of my Contemporary work in progress.

*May you find time to stretch your imagination and rejuvenate during long-drawn moments which come your way.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page:
https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

Inspired by the song, “Shout” (Tears for Fears; 1984)

At the world level, these are the things I can do without:

Pestilence. War. Poverty. Homelessness. Incurable illnesses. Racial Tension. Political Foot-Dragging. Domestic Violence. Environmental Jeopardy.

And, the beat goes on.

At the ground level, these are the pesky, aggravating, short-lived things I could have done without this week:

Waking up to no hot water.

An air conditioning unit spewing dirt.

A prescription delivery service that didn’t deliver.

In my capacity of a writer, I’ll give a shout out for finishing Chapter 76 in my Contemporary work in progress. About to begin drafting Chapter 77, I could do without the anxiety I harbor whenever facing a blank page. At this juncture along the novel’s journey, I foresee no more than five chapters left to write.

For every single thing we can do without, there are many more things we can’t do without.

*May each of us look on the bright side of things to foster our own well-being.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

Preempted during the pandemic, my sister and her husband’s annual, summer trip from the Pacific to Atlantic Coast. In the making this week, a brief stop in Rhode Island for a couple of days. A longer stay is forthcoming in August when my grandnephew comes along.

My mother and I are looking forward to our exclusive girls’ day out where we intend to fulfill the longstanding, yearly tradition of having lunch at Old Grist Mill Tavern.

Although the menu has changed and there’s no longer a salad bar, the ambiance will foster more joyous memories.

Per usual, we’ll poke around inside the Four Echoes antique center nearby. Because my mother no longer has the stamina to match her willpower, my sister and I will see that she is comfortable while we undertake a whirlwind tour.

The extended forecast for sunny days ahead offers the three of us bright promise for enjoying one another’s company, the true measure of joy in the making.

In my capacity as a writer, I finished drafting Chapter 77 of my Contemporary work in progress. Chapter 78 is now in the making. I foresee two more chapters bounding toward the finish line.

*Regardless of changes wrought by the passage of time, may each of us appreciate life in the making by choosing the joyous path.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w

…whether cognizant or clueless, I’m self-compelled to come up with a blog each week ever since I published the first Byte at Authors Den on May 2, 2015.

Independent stand-alones, I’d say my blogs are “blah-blah-blah-ing” because I prefer to veer toward the sunny side of the street whenever possible, saving harsh realities for my works of fiction.

So, dipping a big toe in the shallow end of the pool, here is the result of this week’s independent thinking:

In view of the fact that I’m reinstating my independence to dine out more often in the aftermath of becoming fully vaccinated, I’ve been preoccupied with lobster salad rolls. Last week, during the course of my sister’s brief visit, I enjoyed them on two separate occasions. A Rhode Island native, I prefer my lobster salad with mayo on a buttered hot dog bun.

Come rain or come shine, on Independence Day, I will forego the lobster fetish in deference to my traditional Fourth-fare of indulging a medium-well Texas burger. It consists of ½ lb. ground sirloin topped with melted cheddar, bacon slice, onion ring and barbecue sauce.

On the writing front, I’m nearing the end of Chapter 78 in my Contemporary work in progress. My protagonist, a feisty woman of independent means, and a major character are dialoguing over coffee and bagels topped with cream cheese, bacon, and scallions.

*Come rain or come shine, may independent thinking prevail throughout all of your decision-making.

My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w