Tricia Pimental
At some point you have probably prepared a
tribute: a birthday or a wedding toast, a speech at someone’s retirement, or
perhaps a eulogy. Such an exercise not only honors the subject but can be a
blessing to the one who crafts it, as it requires introspection, sifting
through memories, and thoughtful assessment of the past.
One afternoon in late 2019, our canine companion
of almost fourteen years went to sleep and never woke up. The loss was unexpected,
a shock that sent me to a cardiologist, where I discovered it is indeed possible
to a literally suffer a broken heart.
My husband, Keith, and I and our pup, Carson, were
a well-traveled trio. “The Great Carsoni” had accompanied us on journeys all around
the United States and Europe. While we were still grieving, the pandemic
descended on the world, and our trips came to an immediate halt. I was
scheduled to speak in the States, as I did twice each year, at an International
Living conference about overseas retirement. I had come out of my own
retirement to join the working force again, signing a contract with them as
their Portugal Correspondent. On those junkets I always visited my daughters
and grandchildren in California, regardless of where I was speaking. Not in
2020. Conferences went virtual.
With the multitude of changes in my work
situation and after much deliberation, I resigned from my position. Working at
IL, I had a calendar full of due dates for articles, videos, Facebook posts,
fillers, and more. I had managed to write some poetry and flash fiction, and a
few short stories, but my personal writing life was neglected. Suddenly free
from a demanding schedule, it was time to reassess.
After I retired from a longtime job in 2011, I wrote
three books, all for different reasons. My first was published that year, a
spiritual memoir titled Rabbit Trail: How a Former Playboy Bunny Found Her
Way. In that book I shared my story of how I came out of false religions
and New Age practices and became a Christian. The following year brought Slippery
Slopes, born of a fast, fun, romp with National Novel Writing Month. (If
you haven’t ever taken the NaNoWriMo challenge, I highly recommend it. I broke—at least for a while—the
pesky habit of editing every word I type as it appears on my screen.) A
Movable Marriage, its title inspired by A Moveable Feast, was my
second memoir, published in 2016.
I wasn’t ready to tackle another full-length
book, but at the close of 2020, after the anniversary of Carson’s passing, I wrote
an essay about him. A few months later the Florida Writers Association was open
for submissions for their Royal Palm Literary Award Competition. I entered “Joy
in the Mourning” in the short nonfiction category.
We all know the feeling once a project has been completed.
What next? The answer to that question came easily, growing naturally out of
what I had just written.
My husband and I are avid photographers and put
our cameras and phones to good use while exploring much of the world. Typical
dog lovers, we featured Carson in many photos. In my essay I had portrayed him
as the savvy traveler he was and regretted not being able to accompany “Joy”
with pictures, as I had my memoirs.
And that’s how the concept of a pictorial calendar
was born.
Unfortunately, an online search for information
about designing and self-publishing a wall calendar was disappointing. Units would
have to be priced at about $25 apiece, a cost I considered prohibitive for successful
marketing.
I had used CreateSpace for my first books, and its
new incarnation, Kindle Direct Publishing, for my third. But investigating the
possibilities there, I learned that I could not create a calendar through their
services. Undaunted, I moved on to a datebook/calendar, filling it with all the
features I would want in a such a book. “The Great Carsoni Maltese 18-month (January
2022 through June 2023) Planner Calendar” included a personal message from me
to the reader as well as my essay, which had gone on to become a finalist in
the RPLA competition. I wrote playful captions for the eighteen monthly photos
featuring Carson in locations from Roswell, New Mexico to Ljubljana, Slovenia. I
researched quotes applicable to each month, from famous folks like Shakespeare
and Steinbeck to British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll. Her quote graces the February
2023 page: “There is always in February some one day, at least, when one smells
the yet distant, but surely coming summer.” I have always loved Moleskins, so I
made a hardcover format available.
I never dreamed when I sat down to record
special memories of a very special little guy that my work would morph into
what it has. It’s been a journey of learning and love, of surprise and sadness,
and of accomplishment. I encourage you to look closely at your work, to “think
outside of the page” and reinvent your creations. The possibilities are
endless.
Five-time Royal Palm Literary Award recipient Tricia Pimental has lived overseas since 2012. Born in Brooklyn, Tricia is a former actress and Toastmaster. In addition to short stories, poetry, and flash fiction, she has written three award-winning books: A Movable Marriage, Slippery Slopes, and Rabbit Trail: How a Former Playboy Bunny Found Her Way.
Other writing credits include two travel books for International Living, when serving as their Portugal Correspondent: The Old-World Charms of Portugal and Escape to Portugal, and a 14-part video series entitled Portugal 101.
Tricia and her husband traded sunny Portugal for snowy Sweden a year ago.
Thank you for sharing with us about your new calendar and that authors can step out of their boxes and create more than novels.
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