A piece of sourdough toast with peanut butter and grape jelly will go well with coffee this morning. The machine gives out a full mug with no complaint, and the toaster follows suit. The first sip of coffee stops the pile-driver effect in my brain from being triggered by dangerously low caffeine levels. Of course, the second sip is accompanied by the crashing sound of a full tray of dishes on a tile floor, which is the combination of the Westminster doorbell and the two four-legged warning barks of Twiggy and Tempeste. A toss of a big bone into the soundproof room and a door slam brings back precious peace.
A glance at the security monitor tells me I am graced with a visit from Roger Rabbit. He has an envelope and a clipboard, so conversation is fruitless. With a sigh, the security shutdown process begins.
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 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 off. Peregrine Falcons perched on the roof above front door fed. The vat of boiling oil set to warm. The front door is opened.
Roger hands me the envelope and the clipboard. Keeping the envelope and returning the clipboard with a fiver attached. ” Control what you can and let go of the rest,” is my other tip. The envelope has a message from Linda Hill. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “jelly.” 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/2026/07/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-11-2026/
Jelly by John W. Howell © 2026
“Roger Rabbit. I haven’t thought about that character in ages.”
“Brings back a memory ot two.”
“Like about Jessica?”
“Well.. Yes.”
“She was a favorite of mine, too. I liked your words of advice.”
“Been useful to me for quite a while.”
“You know what’s useful to me?”
“Let me guess. VooDoo Ranger.”
“You are a genius.”
“Uber?”
“Over there.”
Photo by Dan Antion
“Goodness. A 1970 300 TD. At least there is enough room for both of us.”
“There is one thing.”
“Of course, there is. What is it?”
“We need to help the owner remove the rust.”
“What? That could take weeks.”
“No we’ll just work on that spot under the left side of the rear window.”
“Above the 300 TD?”
“Yup. That’s it.”
“That doesn’t sound bad.”
“It’s not. Here, take these goggles and respirator.”
“What are those for?”
“The sand blaster.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah, the sand blaster makes a lot of dust.”
“I’ve never done a sandblaster before.”
“Nothing to it. Just aim at the rust, and the machine does the rest.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Stand behind the protective glass barrier.”
“Why?”
“So I don’t get hit.”
“Why aren’t you doing the sandblasting?”
“Hey. I arranged the car. Takes these overalls and this blaster. We need to get going.”
Fiction Favorites 
Love that car John… they don’t build them the same today… they all look alike… and as to the home security… sounds like our house with the inclusion of the clawed and fanged feline Amazon warrior…hugs xx
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A ‘ Beware of guard cat’ sign is one you should put up.
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Lol definitely John… when the gate bell rings for the postman he comes over and glares through the bars at him…hugsxx
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Ha ha ha. That must be hysterical to see.
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It is pretty funny… I tell the postman he will do a cat scan before the mail enters the house!!! He must think I am barmy. hugs
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I’m sure the postman gets a laugh. 😄
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Maybe forego the Voodoo Ranger this time?
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😳 Whaaaaattt?
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Heh, heh . . .😁
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Ha ha ha.
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“And point that thing away from me, just in case.”
I noticed you tipped Roger without any encouragement. A favorite?
Have a great weekend, John.
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Not really. I get some heat when I don’t tip, so I decided to give monetary and motivational tips. Covers the ground. I’m sure a disaster is brewing with that sand blaster. Thanks, Dan
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A lot of people remember Jessica, who was not bad, just drawn that way. Nice cartoon reference.
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😊
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😎
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Hope the rust isn’t what’s keeping that car together.
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That’s an excellent point. Might be true, too. 😄
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Being served by Roger Rabbit would be memory stirring. Riding in the Mercedes would be comfortable. Using the sandblaster would be dusty but I suppose the VooDoo Rangers would be worth it.
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Wow – sourdough toast ! Do you or your better half make your own (my daughter does) or buy it ?
I love the stuff.
Roger Rabbit was a cool character.
Thanks
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Make our own bread? Buhahahahaha.I had a pizza oven and made my own dough. It was a classic fail and sold the whole thing. We have a brand here called Easy Tiger, which is excellent.
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John, good decision to take cover. That secondhand rust will “smoke you”…🐳
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Ha ha ha.
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Always looking out for our “fearless leader”👍
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Thank you for that.
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Love that car! And the spot is small enough that sandblasting should only take a minute or two. Good to stand behind a barrier and assign the job to someone else, who deserves TWO VooDoo Rangers.
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My buddy is always thinking. 😊
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Brings back a memory or two…like Jessica–made me laugh! When did you start eating breakfast?! Guess you’ll need it for all that manual labor. 😂 You might want earplugs, too…
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Breakfast? When the prompt is jelly. 😄
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haha! Totally eluded me! 🤣
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😄
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Whoa Nelly…makes you wonder if rust is the jelly keeping that car together? Well done with the challenge. Happy Saturday, John.
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Good one, Monika. Love the phrase “Whoa Nelly.”
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☺️
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😊
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That’s a lot of work for a drink….😦 I think I’d walk or call a cab. BTW, I enjoy sourdough bread every morning. Bravo on your response to the Jelly prompt. You’re extra original today, John. 😂
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I love sourdough toast. It really satisfies. Thank you for the visit and kind words. Wishing you a beautiful Sunday, Gwen.
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Maybe I’ll have a Voodoo Ranger with toast and grape jelly this evening.
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Sounds like a good combo, Thomas.
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Yes and I did have it
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I did with a taco
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