The coffee machine sits quietly waiting for its first command of the day. A touch of the two coffee images on the touchscreen brings the sweet sound of beans grinding. In 14 seconds, the magic elixir that quells the evil caffeine withdrawal pain pours into the cup. The first sip quiets the sound of a falling Mosler safe crashing into a five-story greenhouse that is in my head. The second sip is accompanied by the predictable cacophony of the Westminster chimes, the doorbell, and the baying of the hounds of Baskerville, portrayed by Twiggy and Tempeste. A quick toss of a new bone into the soundproof room, followed by a door slam, brings the peace train back home.

A glance at the monitor shows that Clarabelle the Clown is on the front porch. Knowing it is silly to ask it to leave the envelope, the security shutdown process is begun with a sigh.

The B-2 bomber squadron and the F-35 escort must be called off. One call does it. The tank corps and gunboats are told to stand by. The Apache helicopters are rerouted. The electric shock fence is turned off. The drawbridge over the quicksand is lowered. The robot attack dogs returned to their charging station. The laser-guided machine guns on the roof are set to caution. The nest filled with rattlesnakes was put away. The bucket filled with 1000 marbles is locked down. The tear gas canisters shut off. The electrified welcome mat set to off. The fall-away sidewalk into the pit filled with spikes is locked. The hornet’s nest closed. The water cannons are set to safety. Bear traps are set to go off. The Peregrine Falcons perched on the roof above the front door fed. The front door is open.

Clarabelle gives me a honk and passes the envelope and clipboard. After the signature, we trade the envelope for the clipboard. Clarabelloe has a hand out in the classic request for a tip. “A positive mind is stronger than a negative thought.” Is the tip left with Clarabelle as the front door closes. The envelope is from Linda Hill. Inside is a message. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “sweet.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2026/05/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-16-2026/

Sweet by John W. Howell © 2025

“Clarabell? From the Howdy Doody show?”

“Yup, the very same. I used to watch it on our 10-inch TV screen.”

“In black and white?

“Of course.”

“What year was that?”

“The show started in 1947, and I think we got our first TV in 1948.”

“You were a kd.”

“Yup. Seven years old when I began watching.”

“Do you remember anything about the show?”

“Only that I sent away for a Clarabell cut-out figure. It arrived about 100 years after I sent in for it.”

“Did you like it?”

“Oh yeah, it was all in color and stood on its own. It was in my room for years.”

“Do you still have it?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’m sure it went the way of all my kid stuff. Passed to cousins.”

“Well, at least you can go on YouTube if you want to see the shows.”

“I don’t have any interest, but thank you for the information.”

“Why talk about Clarabelle then?”

“I just thought it would be fun.”

“You know what else is fun?

“You call Uber?”

“Right over there.”

Photo by Dan Antion

“A 1978 Mark V Lincoln Continental. That will get us there.”

“I thought you would like it.”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Just one stop.”

“Can’t wait to find out on this one.”

“Well.. There was a recall on a part back in 1978, and the dealer had to order it.”

“Yes.”

“The part just came in, and the owner wants to get it fixed before the shop closes.”

“After 47 years of waiting, I don’t blame him, but can’t he do it next week?”

“Yeah, but the price of the ride will never be as sweet.”

“How long is the repair supposed to take?”

“Twenty minutes max.”

“That means 4 hours. Okay, let’s go. I’m going to order VooDoos from DoorDash. Well, just sit in the dealer waiting room as if it were the pub.”

“Worth a try. They have snacks.”

“All the better.”