Eva Pasco's Blog, page 26
December 22, 2020
Eva’s Byte #295 – The Glitter of Christmas
“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” (The Grinch from How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss – 1957)
Operative word—perhaps!
The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered 2020 a vile year, serving us a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce on a silver platter. Limiting this year’s in-person holiday gatherings to only people in your own household is like not touching them with a 39-and-a-half-foot pole.
At least technological advances enable us to keep in virtual touch.
Boo-hooing aside, “perhaps” previous Christmases got away from us, its true meaning suffocated under all the glitter of commercialism. The hustle and bustle of jostling crowds in search of perfect gifts creates a distraction from the reason for the holiday season.
As Charles Dicken’s Ghost of Marley in A Christmas Carol said, “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business…”
If anything, the pandemic has emphasized the true meaning of Christmas—that of giving up one’s self to think of others in various states of financial or psychological need.
Disappointed as we might feel about our socially-distant holiday gatherings this year, kindness is the glitter which fortifies the glory of Christmas.
Merry Christmas! May peace and goodwill prevail.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Operative word—perhaps!
The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered 2020 a vile year, serving us a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce on a silver platter. Limiting this year’s in-person holiday gatherings to only people in your own household is like not touching them with a 39-and-a-half-foot pole.
At least technological advances enable us to keep in virtual touch.
Boo-hooing aside, “perhaps” previous Christmases got away from us, its true meaning suffocated under all the glitter of commercialism. The hustle and bustle of jostling crowds in search of perfect gifts creates a distraction from the reason for the holiday season.
As Charles Dicken’s Ghost of Marley in A Christmas Carol said, “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business…”
If anything, the pandemic has emphasized the true meaning of Christmas—that of giving up one’s self to think of others in various states of financial or psychological need.
Disappointed as we might feel about our socially-distant holiday gatherings this year, kindness is the glitter which fortifies the glory of Christmas.
Merry Christmas! May peace and goodwill prevail.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
December 16, 2020
Eva’s Byte #294 – A Few Favorites of Mine
A parody inspired by the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune, “A Few of My Favorite Things” (The Sound of Music):
When I'm feeling panademically anxious
I simply summon my favorite things
And then I don't feel so jittery
1. Pounding the keys, pressing thoughts into words drafting chapter 62 of my Contemporary work in progress, I listen to ambient Christmas music on You Tube. One such illustrative channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiW7C...
2. During the remains of the day, I find it comforting to watch a Christmas movie of yore, true to life. One of my recent favorites, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGwoo...
3. Surrounding myself with the mellow ambience of scented jar candles and battery-operated taper candles.
4. Indulging in one of my favorite freezer finds at the supermarket, Friendly’s Jubilee Ice Cream Roll. Consisting of chocolate ice cream and surrounded by a layer of chocolate chip ice cream, it’s topped with fudge, chocolate almonds, and a pink ice cream with candy chips.
Despite life’s dog bites and bee stings, may each of us take hold of the reins this holiday season by indulging in our favorite pastimes and pleasures.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
When I'm feeling panademically anxious
I simply summon my favorite things
And then I don't feel so jittery
1. Pounding the keys, pressing thoughts into words drafting chapter 62 of my Contemporary work in progress, I listen to ambient Christmas music on You Tube. One such illustrative channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiW7C...
2. During the remains of the day, I find it comforting to watch a Christmas movie of yore, true to life. One of my recent favorites, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGwoo...
3. Surrounding myself with the mellow ambience of scented jar candles and battery-operated taper candles.
4. Indulging in one of my favorite freezer finds at the supermarket, Friendly’s Jubilee Ice Cream Roll. Consisting of chocolate ice cream and surrounded by a layer of chocolate chip ice cream, it’s topped with fudge, chocolate almonds, and a pink ice cream with candy chips.
Despite life’s dog bites and bee stings, may each of us take hold of the reins this holiday season by indulging in our favorite pastimes and pleasures.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
December 9, 2020
Eva’s Byte #293 – Glued
"A triumph my dear, another triumph!" (Bob Cratchit, from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
Not the least bit mechanically inclined, self-isolating during a pandemic has shown me a side of myself, hitherto unseen, due to my ineptitude for fixing what’s broken. While grateful for the preoccupation of writing—still, there’s no place to go, nor people to see—except during my weekly trip to the supermarket.
This week, on the same designated grocery shopping day, I ventured to Job Lot, a discount retailer with stores scattered about throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Hard-pressed to find certain odds and ends in the supermarket aisles, or finding them too expensive, I ventured off the beaten path.
Out of all the needful items tossed into my shopping cart, Super Glue was one of them: a package of three .3g tubes for $1.00!
Today, I “pressed my luck” repairing two things I couldn’t toss out or patch with duct tape:
A knob on a bureau drawer, which a screwdriver couldn’t tighten, had come loose to the point of falling off every time I opened the drawer.
Press-toh! A triumph!
From old age, a knob on one of the cupboards at the bottom of my antique hutch snapped off. The pressure was on, so to speak, in getting metal-on-metal to adhere.
Press-toh! Another triumph!
In my capacity as a writer, you might say I glued my thoughts together to finish drafting chapter 61 in Part 3 of my Contemporary Work in Progress. As I conduct a read-through for proofing and editing, my eyes will be glued to the text, peering through a new pair of green-framed readers acquired at Job Lot for $2.99.
*May each of us triumph over adversity by carrying on those cherished seasonal traditions that are the glue for holding our holidays together.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Not the least bit mechanically inclined, self-isolating during a pandemic has shown me a side of myself, hitherto unseen, due to my ineptitude for fixing what’s broken. While grateful for the preoccupation of writing—still, there’s no place to go, nor people to see—except during my weekly trip to the supermarket.
This week, on the same designated grocery shopping day, I ventured to Job Lot, a discount retailer with stores scattered about throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Hard-pressed to find certain odds and ends in the supermarket aisles, or finding them too expensive, I ventured off the beaten path.
Out of all the needful items tossed into my shopping cart, Super Glue was one of them: a package of three .3g tubes for $1.00!
Today, I “pressed my luck” repairing two things I couldn’t toss out or patch with duct tape:
A knob on a bureau drawer, which a screwdriver couldn’t tighten, had come loose to the point of falling off every time I opened the drawer.
Press-toh! A triumph!
From old age, a knob on one of the cupboards at the bottom of my antique hutch snapped off. The pressure was on, so to speak, in getting metal-on-metal to adhere.
Press-toh! Another triumph!
In my capacity as a writer, you might say I glued my thoughts together to finish drafting chapter 61 in Part 3 of my Contemporary Work in Progress. As I conduct a read-through for proofing and editing, my eyes will be glued to the text, peering through a new pair of green-framed readers acquired at Job Lot for $2.99.
*May each of us triumph over adversity by carrying on those cherished seasonal traditions that are the glue for holding our holidays together.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
December 2, 2020
Eva’s Byte #292 – Stardust Memories
Inspired by “Stardust,” a song recorded by Nat King Cole in 1957.
Stealing across the meadows of my heart, the refrain of stardust memories from Christmases of yesteryear during childhood and adolescence.
One stardust memory, in particular, was joy riding through cities dressed in holiday style. Streets adorned with garlands strung from one side to the other, and centered by wreaths dangling in the middle formed a never-ending arch.
At the urging of my mother, sister and I, my dad would oblige our request to take off to find the bright lights. We’d file in our station wagon and assume our usual positions, my sister and I at opposite ends in the back seat.
Off we’d go hither, thither, and yon to Providence, Pawtucket, or Cranston on any given evening leading up to Christmas.
Our favorite excursion, by far, was Garden City in Cranston.
Another favorite stardust memory is how my father went to great lengths in perpetuating our belief in magic. As cited in my Nonfiction Memoir collection, 100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s—Memoir #69 -The Christmas Conspiracy:
In 1961, for my sister’s benefit, my father got the notion to drive us to Boston on Christmas Eve where Santa was purported to have been holed up to greet boys and girls. My sister cast a pall over my father’s good intentions as soon as he pulled out of the driveway, whining her concerns about whether we’d be home in time for her to fall asleep before Santa came down our chimney.
By the time we arrived at Boston Commons, having spotted Santa mingling with children who’d also made the pilgrimage, my father plowed through a throng of people. He approached the red-suited fella, pointed to where we stood, and bent Santa’s ear long enough to persuade him to tell my sister he wouldn’t be taking off for the star-studded skies until much later. When it was her turn to tick off her wish list and tell him what a good girl she’d been all year, Santa allayed her fears and winked at my father.
*At this juncture in time when a pandemic modifies our holiday gathering plans, it’s more important than ever to haul out the holly, put up the tree, and make merry to create stardust memories.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Stealing across the meadows of my heart, the refrain of stardust memories from Christmases of yesteryear during childhood and adolescence.
One stardust memory, in particular, was joy riding through cities dressed in holiday style. Streets adorned with garlands strung from one side to the other, and centered by wreaths dangling in the middle formed a never-ending arch.
At the urging of my mother, sister and I, my dad would oblige our request to take off to find the bright lights. We’d file in our station wagon and assume our usual positions, my sister and I at opposite ends in the back seat.
Off we’d go hither, thither, and yon to Providence, Pawtucket, or Cranston on any given evening leading up to Christmas.
Our favorite excursion, by far, was Garden City in Cranston.
Another favorite stardust memory is how my father went to great lengths in perpetuating our belief in magic. As cited in my Nonfiction Memoir collection, 100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s—Memoir #69 -The Christmas Conspiracy:
In 1961, for my sister’s benefit, my father got the notion to drive us to Boston on Christmas Eve where Santa was purported to have been holed up to greet boys and girls. My sister cast a pall over my father’s good intentions as soon as he pulled out of the driveway, whining her concerns about whether we’d be home in time for her to fall asleep before Santa came down our chimney.
By the time we arrived at Boston Commons, having spotted Santa mingling with children who’d also made the pilgrimage, my father plowed through a throng of people. He approached the red-suited fella, pointed to where we stood, and bent Santa’s ear long enough to persuade him to tell my sister he wouldn’t be taking off for the star-studded skies until much later. When it was her turn to tick off her wish list and tell him what a good girl she’d been all year, Santa allayed her fears and winked at my father.
*At this juncture in time when a pandemic modifies our holiday gathering plans, it’s more important than ever to haul out the holly, put up the tree, and make merry to create stardust memories.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
November 25, 2020
Eva’s Byte #291 – Thanksgiving: Then and Now
A former third-grade teacher for sixteen out of those twenty-nine years spent in the trenches of elementary education, the theme of “Native Americans and Pilgrims” loomed large in our social studies curriculum. Striving to steer away from teaching the subject in a boring and dry-as-hardtack manner, we brought that period in history to the forefront with meaning and relevance for 8 and 9-year-olds, by relying on the book, If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern.
Certainly, major relevance gleaned from the Pilgrim settlement at Plimoth Plantation was the realization that diverse cultures of a community could live in peace and harmony. This is a history lesson worth repeating today.
Then – October of 1621:
The Pilgrims celebrated the "First Thanksgiving" after their first harvest in the New World. The celebration entailed an outdoor feast lasting three days. In attendance—90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims.
*During the Mayflower voyage, a steady sea-diet high in salt weakened their bodies. Malnutrition, disease, and the harsh weather claimed as many as 2-3 colonists per day during their first two months on land, diminishing their original fold of 102 by half.
Now – November 26, 2020:
Due to the widespread surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC has urged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving virtually, or to assemble in gatherings limited to members of the same household.
Similar to the Pilgrim voyage which gave rise to a Thanksgiving feast, this same holiday is considered the busiest travel juncture of the year in order for family and friends from afar to be together at the dinner table.
*Recent statistics cite that at least 250,000 people in the United States have died from the virus since the pandemic erupted less than a year ago, last February.
Like our Pilgrim forebears, families and friends will need to come to an agreement as to the logistics for giving thanks and counting our blessings.
More importantly, we need to pay the holiday forward by harvesting peace and harmony in our community as the Wampanoags and Pilgrims did during the First Thanksgiving.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Certainly, major relevance gleaned from the Pilgrim settlement at Plimoth Plantation was the realization that diverse cultures of a community could live in peace and harmony. This is a history lesson worth repeating today.
Then – October of 1621:
The Pilgrims celebrated the "First Thanksgiving" after their first harvest in the New World. The celebration entailed an outdoor feast lasting three days. In attendance—90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims.
*During the Mayflower voyage, a steady sea-diet high in salt weakened their bodies. Malnutrition, disease, and the harsh weather claimed as many as 2-3 colonists per day during their first two months on land, diminishing their original fold of 102 by half.
Now – November 26, 2020:
Due to the widespread surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC has urged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving virtually, or to assemble in gatherings limited to members of the same household.
Similar to the Pilgrim voyage which gave rise to a Thanksgiving feast, this same holiday is considered the busiest travel juncture of the year in order for family and friends from afar to be together at the dinner table.
*Recent statistics cite that at least 250,000 people in the United States have died from the virus since the pandemic erupted less than a year ago, last February.
Like our Pilgrim forebears, families and friends will need to come to an agreement as to the logistics for giving thanks and counting our blessings.
More importantly, we need to pay the holiday forward by harvesting peace and harmony in our community as the Wampanoags and Pilgrims did during the First Thanksgiving.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
November 18, 2020
Eva’s Byte #290 – Nippers
Jack Frost nipping at your nose…
There’s that nipper--a lyric from “The Christmas Song” which alludes to frigid temperatures. A Storm 10 meteorologist affiliated with one of the local news channels in my neck of the woods, stated that a breezy northwest wind will produce wind chills in the 20s throughout this afternoon.
No doubt, the first of many nose-nippers as winter approaches.
Then there’s the COVID-19 pandemic, nipping at our heels, behooving all of us to make the season bright, however we can, for our own peace of mind.
One of those candle burners at both ends—late to bed and early to rise—much of my self-isolated day is devoted to writing, be it: drafting my WIP, composing a weekly blog and occasional memoir, editing, reading/reviewing.
However, approaching the wee small hours of the morning, I need an ice breaker to nip anxiety in the bud. Last night, during my bout of restlessness, I didn’t feel up to putting in the time to watch a Christmas movie. But, restlessness being a catalyst for Internet exploration, I discovered plenty of You Tube videos on Christmas Home Décor tours.
In my glory, and much to my delight, I embarked on two virtual tours that instilled in me: the warmth, charm, and glow of the holiday season.
If I hadn’t already crafted a gunny sack wrap out of burlap for my recently acquired 4-ft. artificial Douglas fir, I may have considered standing it in a wicker basket and draping a wide scarf or blanket throw to function as a skirt.
No matter the season, there will always be nippers at our heels. When a nip of sherry won’t do, our own creative outlets and pursuits have potential to nip the doldrums in the bud. Perchance, just by changing the scenery.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
There’s that nipper--a lyric from “The Christmas Song” which alludes to frigid temperatures. A Storm 10 meteorologist affiliated with one of the local news channels in my neck of the woods, stated that a breezy northwest wind will produce wind chills in the 20s throughout this afternoon.
No doubt, the first of many nose-nippers as winter approaches.
Then there’s the COVID-19 pandemic, nipping at our heels, behooving all of us to make the season bright, however we can, for our own peace of mind.
One of those candle burners at both ends—late to bed and early to rise—much of my self-isolated day is devoted to writing, be it: drafting my WIP, composing a weekly blog and occasional memoir, editing, reading/reviewing.
However, approaching the wee small hours of the morning, I need an ice breaker to nip anxiety in the bud. Last night, during my bout of restlessness, I didn’t feel up to putting in the time to watch a Christmas movie. But, restlessness being a catalyst for Internet exploration, I discovered plenty of You Tube videos on Christmas Home Décor tours.
In my glory, and much to my delight, I embarked on two virtual tours that instilled in me: the warmth, charm, and glow of the holiday season.
If I hadn’t already crafted a gunny sack wrap out of burlap for my recently acquired 4-ft. artificial Douglas fir, I may have considered standing it in a wicker basket and draping a wide scarf or blanket throw to function as a skirt.
No matter the season, there will always be nippers at our heels. When a nip of sherry won’t do, our own creative outlets and pursuits have potential to nip the doldrums in the bud. Perchance, just by changing the scenery.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
November 12, 2020
Eva’s Byte #289 – The Reminder
For me, more than ever, the upcoming holidays are a welcome reminder ‘tis the season for compassion and generosity of spirit.
Every once in a while—earlier this week, for me—the reminder to view a situation from a different perspective by putting myself in someone else’s shoes for a moment, smacked me upside the head.
As mentioned in previous blogs, one of my ways of coping with the raging pandemic has been to surround myself with bits and baubles which connote and promote a sense of peace, tranquility, and harmony. Hence, my recent acquisition of miniature, artificial Christmas trees to decorate in all-year-round themes: mice; birds.
You might say, I branched out when I recently acquired an artificial 4-ft. Douglas fir, now standing bare-branched between my dining and living area. Having chosen the decorative theme of gnomes, I placed an order for one on Etsy, November 1st, happy to support an Indie entrepreneur with lots of 5-Star reviews. Since the item should have shipped on the 4th, but did not, I messaged an inquiry to the merchant. She responded within minutes.
The honest and heartfelt content of her brief note constituted a tearjerker. In summation, she had to make an emergency out-of-town trip because her daughter’s husband, who has cancer, is only expected to live a few more days. And, she’d brought the materials with her to craft my gnome, which she intends to mail the next day.
Of course, I replied in kind. As you already know, that’s beside the point. Though age-old, the point should never be forgotten about how none of us know what others are going through. Often, it takes an angel who walks among us, to bring home the familiar, yet poignant reminder of extending compassion and generosity of spirit to others all year round.
If you happen to adore gnomes like I do, and perchance collect them, when you boop a gnome on the nose, it’s good luck. Just sayin’…
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Every once in a while—earlier this week, for me—the reminder to view a situation from a different perspective by putting myself in someone else’s shoes for a moment, smacked me upside the head.
As mentioned in previous blogs, one of my ways of coping with the raging pandemic has been to surround myself with bits and baubles which connote and promote a sense of peace, tranquility, and harmony. Hence, my recent acquisition of miniature, artificial Christmas trees to decorate in all-year-round themes: mice; birds.
You might say, I branched out when I recently acquired an artificial 4-ft. Douglas fir, now standing bare-branched between my dining and living area. Having chosen the decorative theme of gnomes, I placed an order for one on Etsy, November 1st, happy to support an Indie entrepreneur with lots of 5-Star reviews. Since the item should have shipped on the 4th, but did not, I messaged an inquiry to the merchant. She responded within minutes.
The honest and heartfelt content of her brief note constituted a tearjerker. In summation, she had to make an emergency out-of-town trip because her daughter’s husband, who has cancer, is only expected to live a few more days. And, she’d brought the materials with her to craft my gnome, which she intends to mail the next day.
Of course, I replied in kind. As you already know, that’s beside the point. Though age-old, the point should never be forgotten about how none of us know what others are going through. Often, it takes an angel who walks among us, to bring home the familiar, yet poignant reminder of extending compassion and generosity of spirit to others all year round.
If you happen to adore gnomes like I do, and perchance collect them, when you boop a gnome on the nose, it’s good luck. Just sayin’…
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
November 4, 2020
Eva’s Byte #288: Carrying On
“Sometimes just carrying on is the superhuman achievement.” Albert Camus
An American caught up in the nail-biting 2020 election, with an eye on who will occupy the Oval Office as 46th President of the US—I’m carrying on, otherwise.
Also caught up in the pandemic, COVID-19 numbers in my state of Rhode Island continue to rise. Just when you thought the noose couldn’t get any tighter on restrictions: any infected individual and those they live with must quarantine for 24 days, rather than 14.
Regardless of whom is elected President, while very important, I (and the country’s population at large) must carry on to maintain our physical/mental health, safety and well-being within the confines of our surroundings and wherever we must venture.
No easy feat.
Besides adhering to the discipline of morning exercise and daily walks, I’ve felt it necessary to “branch out” into enhancing ambiance in my home. I’m referring to the 2-ft. artificial pine tree I’ve decorated with realistic replicas of birds. I’m awaiting a 4-ft. pine whose decorating theme will revolve around gnomes.
Finding joy in life’s simple pleasures and looking for silver linings keep the doldrums away.
In my capacity as a writer, the process of writing, however slow, is also my saving grace. I’m drafting chapter 59 of Part 3 in my Contemporary work in progress, carrying on until its finish line.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far. May each of us carry on, come what may.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
An American caught up in the nail-biting 2020 election, with an eye on who will occupy the Oval Office as 46th President of the US—I’m carrying on, otherwise.
Also caught up in the pandemic, COVID-19 numbers in my state of Rhode Island continue to rise. Just when you thought the noose couldn’t get any tighter on restrictions: any infected individual and those they live with must quarantine for 24 days, rather than 14.
Regardless of whom is elected President, while very important, I (and the country’s population at large) must carry on to maintain our physical/mental health, safety and well-being within the confines of our surroundings and wherever we must venture.
No easy feat.
Besides adhering to the discipline of morning exercise and daily walks, I’ve felt it necessary to “branch out” into enhancing ambiance in my home. I’m referring to the 2-ft. artificial pine tree I’ve decorated with realistic replicas of birds. I’m awaiting a 4-ft. pine whose decorating theme will revolve around gnomes.
Finding joy in life’s simple pleasures and looking for silver linings keep the doldrums away.
In my capacity as a writer, the process of writing, however slow, is also my saving grace. I’m drafting chapter 59 of Part 3 in my Contemporary work in progress, carrying on until its finish line.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far. May each of us carry on, come what may.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
October 28, 2020
Eva’s Byte #287 – For the Birds
Oh, by gosh, by golly
It’s time for mistletoe and holly
(Lyrics to “Mistletoe and Holly,” a 1957 Christmas song recorded and co-written by Frank Sinatra)
***
A little early to ring in the holidays, but they’ll be here soon enough.
Like so many of us, I’m spending more time at home in self-isolation during the pandemic. It has behooved me to nest by surrounding myself with bits and baubles which connote and promote a sense of peace, tranquility, and harmony.
For instance, my miniature Christmas trees. Over the years, I’ve acquired a smattering of them ranging from 6 – 24 inches in height:
A tree comprised of tiny cellophane packages
A tinsel tree of holly and berries
A tree made from pine cones, interspersed with berries
A dainty evergreen decorated with red ball ornaments and red bows
An evergreen with pine cones and berries, to which I’ve added felt mini mice on the branches.
Since I love to surround myself with objects from nature, both the pine cone tree and mouse critter tree stay in place all year round.
This brings me around to yesterday’s acquisition from Amazon, shown in the photo, and out for delivery. I intend to display this tree on the surface of a large storage bin located to the right of my desk in my office. There, it will remain all year beside a small bin containing my dearly departed Hope’s memorabilia.
By gosh, by golly, soon after I determine the spread of its branches, I’ll be ordering a set of miniature birds to perch on them—before it’s time for mistletoe and holly, that’s for sure.
As we round the bend to the holidays, may each of you nest to your heart’s contentment.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
It’s time for mistletoe and holly
(Lyrics to “Mistletoe and Holly,” a 1957 Christmas song recorded and co-written by Frank Sinatra)
***
A little early to ring in the holidays, but they’ll be here soon enough.
Like so many of us, I’m spending more time at home in self-isolation during the pandemic. It has behooved me to nest by surrounding myself with bits and baubles which connote and promote a sense of peace, tranquility, and harmony.
For instance, my miniature Christmas trees. Over the years, I’ve acquired a smattering of them ranging from 6 – 24 inches in height:
A tree comprised of tiny cellophane packages
A tinsel tree of holly and berries
A tree made from pine cones, interspersed with berries
A dainty evergreen decorated with red ball ornaments and red bows
An evergreen with pine cones and berries, to which I’ve added felt mini mice on the branches.
Since I love to surround myself with objects from nature, both the pine cone tree and mouse critter tree stay in place all year round.
This brings me around to yesterday’s acquisition from Amazon, shown in the photo, and out for delivery. I intend to display this tree on the surface of a large storage bin located to the right of my desk in my office. There, it will remain all year beside a small bin containing my dearly departed Hope’s memorabilia.
By gosh, by golly, soon after I determine the spread of its branches, I’ll be ordering a set of miniature birds to perch on them—before it’s time for mistletoe and holly, that’s for sure.
As we round the bend to the holidays, may each of you nest to your heart’s contentment.
*My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
October 21, 2020
Eva’s Byte #286 – “If I Didn’t Write…”
If my spare-time weren’t devoted to each and every aspect pertaining to the life of an Indie author: researching, drafting, editing, blogging, writing random memoirs, reading, and reviewing—I’d be knitting.
Oh, the irony of it all: the art of telling a yarn, as opposed to the art of interlocking loops in yarn with needles. From my perspective, I see a similarity in both endeavors regarding the lengthy process of fabricating from beginning to end.
During adolescence, my mother taught both my sister and me the basic stitches so we could knit a scarf:
Row 1 Knit one, purl one, knit one, purl one, etc. - to the end of the row.
Row 2 Purl one, knit one, purl one, knit one, etc. - to the end of the row.
Despite the constant supervision required under my mother’s tutelage, I never finished that scarf.
Nevertheless, I often think back fondly to the relaxing repetitiveness of the knitting process. I admit to fantasizing about creating unique, hand-knit, collectible sweaters such as those Storybook Knits designed by Jamie Gries, several of which I’ve acquired.
However, the die has been cast for me to write stories, rather than knit accessories or garments.
In that capacity, I’ve begun drafting chapter 58 of my Contemporary Work in Progress. While conducting research, you might say I had to unravel a few previously woven threads to fit the parameters of technology in a bygone era. Because I’m better at weaving a story than weaving a scarf, I picked up the stitches for tightening its cohesiveness.
* For the short or long haul, may you enjoy the processes which enable you to finish your project.
My sincere appreciation If you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Oh, the irony of it all: the art of telling a yarn, as opposed to the art of interlocking loops in yarn with needles. From my perspective, I see a similarity in both endeavors regarding the lengthy process of fabricating from beginning to end.
During adolescence, my mother taught both my sister and me the basic stitches so we could knit a scarf:
Row 1 Knit one, purl one, knit one, purl one, etc. - to the end of the row.
Row 2 Purl one, knit one, purl one, knit one, etc. - to the end of the row.
Despite the constant supervision required under my mother’s tutelage, I never finished that scarf.
Nevertheless, I often think back fondly to the relaxing repetitiveness of the knitting process. I admit to fantasizing about creating unique, hand-knit, collectible sweaters such as those Storybook Knits designed by Jamie Gries, several of which I’ve acquired.
However, the die has been cast for me to write stories, rather than knit accessories or garments.
In that capacity, I’ve begun drafting chapter 58 of my Contemporary Work in Progress. While conducting research, you might say I had to unravel a few previously woven threads to fit the parameters of technology in a bygone era. Because I’m better at weaving a story than weaving a scarf, I picked up the stitches for tightening its cohesiveness.
* For the short or long haul, may you enjoy the processes which enable you to finish your project.
My sincere appreciation If you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
