Tuesday – Anything Possible – Mystery Blogger Award.

~ John W. Howell

Mysterious Blogger Award

 

A couple of days ago I was tagged in Lennon Carlyle’s Blog for the Mystery Blog Award. I normally do not do awards, but since I have enjoyed Lennon’s blog so much I should recognize her efforts to make me famous. Also, her questions are a whole lot of fun so let’s get started

Rules for nominees of the Mystery Blog Award:

Put the award logo/ picture on your blog – Done
List the rules – Done
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog – Thank you, Lennon Carlyle.
Mention the creator of the award and link their blog too. – See below
Tell your readers three things about yourself – See below
You have to nominate 10-20 people – I nominate all my followers. (Now I’m in no trouble with anyone and in trouble with everyone)
Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog – Here is the notification
Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice, weird or funny question (mention)
Share your link to your best post
Thank you to Okoto Enigma for creating this award.
Three Random Facts about me:

1: Writing is my passion, and I do it every day. I have to meter the time I spend writing since my family has hinted at some comparisons to “The Shining.”

2: I enjoy walking on the beach and feel very fortunate that I can do it every day. The time spent there is golden regarding creativity.

3: I hardly ever wear shoes. The only time I’m forced into shoes is when I have to travel or attend a meeting. I try to stick to boat shoes but occasionally I must follow convention and put on shiny black cap-toed oxfords which are just not me anymore.

 

Here are the questions that Lennon Carlyle has asked.

1.) What’s your favorite concert you’ve ever went to and why is it your favorite? I attended an Elvis Presley concert that proved to be my favorite. He was the Elvis that we came to know toward the end of his life. He was overweight and appeared a little uncomfortable but did he ever sing his heart out. His rendition of “My Way” brought the house down as it was so sincere and from the heart. He died shortly after.

2.) Have you ever done something shameful but don’t regret it? If so, feel like sharing that deep secret with us? It is not such a deep secret but was shameful. I slapped a guy who was hitting his young boy. He was a neighbor, and I could not stand by and witness his so called discipline.  I asked him to stop, and when he told me to mind my business, I hit him. This was at a neighborhood function, and I was criticized for interfering. I never regretted it for a moment.

3.) If you won the lottery what would you do? Where would you live? What would you buy? Would you give some to charity and if so, what would that charity be? If I won the lottery, I would donate a fat percentage to Austin Boxer Rescue. They do so much good work on behalf of abused animals that I would like to support further efforts. I think I would establish a legal fund that could be used to prosecute those who believe animals are inferior to humans and therefore okay to mistreat. The rest  I would save and spend a little on advertising in the New York Times on behalf of my books. I don’t need to move or buy anything so that would be about it.

4.) Do you cook? If so, what’s the best thing you cook and can you share the recipe with us possibly? Please???? I do cook. I have been told the best thing is Clams Linguini. Here is the recipe.

Although fresh clams and clam juice are the best, this also works with the canned variety. This recipe serves two

Ingredients:

Four cloves of garlic smashed and chopped

Two small cans of Snows clams

About two tablespoons of olive oil (I usually do two turns around the pan

One-half teaspoon salt

One-eighth cup of Kosher salt

Two tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil on medium high in a ten-inch pan and add the garlic. Keep stirring to make certain the garlic doesn’t burn. Open the cans of clams and add the liquid to the garlic. Reserve the clams for later. Add the teaspoon of salt and reduce the heat to low and cook until thick (About fifteen minutes). Use a small spatula to continually pull the sauce from the sides of the pan. In the meantime get a big ole pot and bring the water (at least two quarts) to a boil. Add the kosher salt and when dissolved the Linguini (enough for two). Cook according to directions on the pasta box. Once your sauce is thickened, add the clams and allow to heat. (Two minutes) Add the chopped parsley and cook one more minute.

Drain and rinse your Linguini, Spoon into two bowls, top with the sauce divided evenly. You can also put parmesan cheese on the side. I would sever with a simple salad and crusty bread. Oh yes, also a terrific bottle of wine. If you use fresh clams buy a bottle of clam juice and make the sauce as above. Steam the clams until opened then chop all but a few. Add the clams to the sauce and serve with the remaining shelled clams.

5.) Do you have any special plans for 2017 or hopes? I am relaunching my first book My GRL in March and then my fourth book titled Circumstances of Childhood assuming it survives the beta readers. My hope for 2017 is that life becomes better for all of us. Although maybe not possible I can hope, can’t I?

Here are my questions for anyone who would like to participate.

  1. What is the best thing you ever ate and why?
  2. Who has helped you the most in figuring out life in general or a skill specifically?
  3. What is your greatest pleasure and why?
  4. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
  5. If you could, who would you want to be for a day?

47 thoughts on “Tuesday – Anything Possible – Mystery Blogger Award.”

  2. Wow, I was intrigued before but now I feel like I really REALLY like you John. Great answers….seeing Elvis had to be tremendously fun. Slapping your neighbor, well, I’m glad you did it and you don’t regret it. Go John! Thank you so much for the recipe, sounds so yummy!!! Love your questions too. Take care and thank you again for participating!

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  3. What an amazing interview! Thank you for stepping into your neighbor’s “business” – I’m sure he learned something that day. And thank you to Lennon, for this clever and memorable project. I’ll re-blog… 🙂

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    1. I think my feet are wider now that I have five years of barefootin’. I wore the shoes in September and had a sausage feeling down there. The concert was totally amazing. I still can’t hear that song without thinking of his performance. Thanks, Charles.

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      1. I’ve always had wide feet, so shoes are a pain. Most companies that make wide shoes give very few color choices and the prices tend to be higher. As if I can lop off part of my foot to make room for something other than black with a little white or white with a little black. 🙂 I’m sure seeing Elvis in person was a sight to behold. Did people back then ever think he’d still be famous today?

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        1. About Elvis. We thought he would live forever. I think we knew he would be an icon. That’s what made his concerts so special. In fact, people would not leave and continue to applaud hoping he would come back. Only when the announcer said, “ladies and gentleman, Elvis has left the building,” would people begin to file out.

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  7. Good answers, John. I don’t blame you for slapping the bully and shame on those who criticized you. My dad had to physically hold my mother back once when she wanted to do something like that to a woman who was hitting her child. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂 — Suzanne

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  11. I applaud your darkest secret moment. My little sister was abused by a step-mother, terribly so. And when I was recently divorced, I paired off with a fellow in a nearby town. We were getting along grand until his son came to stay with us that next summer. I loved the boy. He was sweet and smart. His dad wanted him to be tough and forced him to spar with him in karate, which he didn’t like to do. One day his father told him to kick him high in the chest and the boy aimed and kicked him much lower. When the father composed himself, he drew back and belted the boy in the face with his fist, knocking him across the living room into the kitchen where he crouched down beside the refrigerator trembling in fear. I left for Florida three days later. I hated to leave the boy, but I made it clear to the man who professed to love me just why I was leaving. If he could hit his own son like that, what could he have done to me? I called the boy’s mother and begged her to come and get him. She did.

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  12. You invoked some great comments from these questions, John. Well-done. I will think about participating by answering your questions. 🙂 I don’t think I can answer as cleverly as you did. 🙂 Good for you for taking up for the little boy. And shoes? Heck since I’m now officially a senior about all I wear are my tennis shoes with orthotics in them. 🙂

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  13. Nice job, John. Thanks for nominating me (and the other 50,000 people reading this post) but I’m going to decline. I worry about revealing too much information like this, in case it ultimately turns out to be the security question on my retirement account. I will share the worst thing I’ve ever heard about anyone eating. My best friend tells a story about how, when he was very young, one of he aunts made a meatloaf out of liver. It that doesn’t make you shiver…

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