I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two.
I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.
In Keith’s words. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”
This post was run on November 30th, 2015. Since we still have holidays and shopping, maybe it will be helpful. I hope you enjoy it.
* * *
Top Ten Things Not to do While Shopping for the Holidays
The inspiration for this list is some years of watching the same mistakes made during this festive time.
10 While shopping for the holidays, do not think other shoppers are out to get you. If you do, at best, you will resemble someone who needs hospitalization. At worst, you may retaliate against the city kickboxing champ who accidentally ran into you. (Notice how he doesn’t use his hands to kick your butt.)
9 While shopping for the holidays, do not have a few drinks to ease the pain. If you do, at best, you may give into temptation and overspend. At worst, you will have the best time you’ll never recall except for the car full of stuff you still don’t know how it got there. (That ringing phone is the credit card company wanting to know if your card has been stolen.)
8 While shopping for the holidays, don’t go out without a list. If you do, at best, you will forget some gifts. At worst, you will spend more than you thought and yet have a nagging feeling you forgot a meaningful gift. (How did that office gift exchange go since you were empty-handed?)
7 While shopping for the holidays, do not leave the house without a travel plan. If you do, at best, you will cover the stores in a pattern looking like the infinity symbol. At worst, you will need to use your GPS to finally figure out where you are and to locate the stores you have already passed. (You now notice you passed the gift shop twice but still can’t figure out how to get back there?)
6 While shopping for the holidays, do not take small children with you. If you do, at best, you all will be frustrated doing precisely the opposite of what you want to do. At worst, you will start to deviate from your shopping plan and end up at the McDonald’s Playground trying to figure out what to tell everyone who will not get a gift this year. (That Big Mac and supersized order of fries are starting to look pretty good right now.)
5 While shopping for the holidays, do not think you are saving money by buying things on sale that you know are not perfect gifts. If you do, at best, you can give gift receipts so the gift can be returned. At worst, you will get the ideal gift from the person you gave a less-than-perfect present. (That is Murphy’s Law of scrimping on a gift for someone. It goes like this. The expense of the gift you receive is indirectly proportional to the cheapness of the gift you give. In other words, the less you spend, the more someone else spends on you.)
4 While shopping for the holidays, do not think a gift card takes the place of an actual present. If you do, at best, you will get your shopping done fast and early. At worst, you could spend more on the gift card than you would on a thoughtful gift. (The problem is the recipient knows the amount. Darn it)
3 While shopping for the holidays, do not take gift suggestions from ads on tv. If you do, at best, your present could represent an uninspired choice. At worst, the gift you give could be totally inappropriate. (Yeah, that Victoria’s Secret or Home Depot item should have stayed in the store. Not to mention the My Pillow slippers.)
2 While shopping for the holidays, do not wait until the last minute to decide what gifts to buy. If you do, at best, you will be running around not knowing what you had in mind. At worst, you will be faced with difficult decisions given that everything you want to buy is unavailable. (The net result is much more expensive than originally planned since now your choice is limited to a diamond or a new car.)
1 While shopping for the holidays, do not avoid taking water and eating before the trips. If you do, at best, you will be without energy and parched. At worst, you will finally be forced to take a break at a sit-down restaurant and spend an enormous amount on something to eat and drink. (Sure, you could wait an hour for a fast-food chicken sandwich, but time is money, right?)
Today we are not going far from home. Since we have had some cold weather, it is time to check the garden and see what remains after a mild freeze. We are catered by Patrizi’s. To view the menu click on the link. Pay no attention to the prices. I’ve got this. Our entertainment is Ricky Nelson
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the kitchen as the brown brew heads south into the double-sided glass mug. A touch of half and half turns the liquid into a pleasant caramel color. A sip and gulp bring a smile, and the effects of the caffeine reach the brain.
The unfortunate side effect of the brain getting a wake-up call is the realization that a rocket in the yard needs attention. A look out of the window confirms that the rocket is still there. A scratch of the head produces nothing in terms of a plan. So after coming up with no original thoughts on how to clear this heavy weight on my plate, my last ditch effort is to Google “Rocket Removal.”
After sifting through hundreds of responses, my eye falls on ACME Rocket Removal and Storm Door Company. After calling the number m,ove to the front door starts the security system shut down. Concertina wire recoil”d, tower machine “uns on stand-by,you’d submarine net retracted, boiling oil cooled, claymore mines disengaged, gate pulled back, bolts thrown, locks un locked, door thrown open.
Standing on the porch with an envelope in his hand is Pepe Le Peu. A comment had to be made.”Are you from the ACME Rocket Removal and Screen Door Company?”
“I am and take this envelope. It has our working contract as well as a message from our founder Linda HIll.” Holding my nose I take the envelope and before I could open it Pepe disappeared through the open front door. The envelope had two things. The contrat as Pepe mentioned and as if I didn’t have enough on my plate a message from Linda Hill. It read. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “on your/my plate.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
Today’s good news story comes from ABC News and Milwaukee affiliate WISN. Here it is as reported on MSN.
First responders adopt dogs they helped rescue from plane crash
Story by Meredith Deliso •
First responders who raced to the scene after a plane carrying more than 50 shelter dogs crash-landed onto a Wisconsin golf course this week have helped rescue the pets in more ways than one.
The large twin-engine aircraft, transporting the dogs to shelters in southeastern Wisconsin from Louisiana, crashed on the golf course at the Western Lakes Golf Club in Pewaukee on Tuesday.
Three people and 53 dogs on board all survived, with some animals suffering minor injuries like bumps and scrapes. Authorities said that the three people were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In the days following the crash, several first responders who worked the scene adopted the dogs they helped rescue.
“As soon as I found out all of them were okay, my first thought was that one of them is coming home with me. So this is my little Lucky,” Elle Steitzer, a firefighter, and EMT at Lake Country Fire Rescue, told ABC Milwaukee affiliate WISN while cradling her new puppy.
Streitzer and two of her colleagues at Lake Country Fire Rescue, who responded to the scene of the plane crash, adopted dogs on Friday.
“He just kind of fell out of the sky in front of me, so here he is,” Amber Christian, a firefighter, and paramedic with Lake Country Fire Rescue, told WISN of her dog, Artemis.
Deputy Chief Tony Wasielewski said Marley jumped into his arms after the crash. The next day, he went to find her at the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County, which took in 21 of the dogs involved in the crash.
“When they let her in the door, she bypassed my wife, ran to me, jumped kind of into my arms, gave me kisses. I started to tear up a little bit, and I said, ‘Oh boy, I guess we got a dog,'” Wasielewski told WISN.
The dogs were taken to shelters in counties across Wisconsin.
Elmbrook Humane Society took 11 dogs, with “first dibs” going to the first responders of the plane crash.
“We had quite a few of them calling asking,” Stephanie Deswarte, a front desk manager for the shelter, told ABC News.
“We normally don’t let people adopt until we have them up on our website because we want to give anybody as fair of a chance as possible. But since they were obviously in the thick of it, and they did such a great job trying to help with the whole crazy situation, that we gave all first responders first dibs, so to speak, to adopt before they went up on the website,” she continued.
Deswarte said so far, three people involved in the rescue — one of the first responders on the scene, another first responder, and a worker at the golf course — have adopted the puppies Charlie Brown, Linus, and Sally, while the family of another first responder was looking at adopting a puppy on Saturday.
“We have never had something quite like this happen before,” Deswarte said. “It was a miracle that everybody really was okay.”
Matthew Haerter, assistant chief at Lake Country Fire and Rescue, commended the pilot during what he described as a “relatively catastrophic landing.” The plane went through trees, losing both its wings before it belly-landed on the course.
“I think all of us collectively have a soft spot in our heart, especially for dogs that have been rescued,” Haerter said during a press briefing Tuesday. “And now to think that they have to go through this before they find their forever home.”
“This could have turned out so much worse,” he said.
Local authorities had no comment on the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
The good news here is people opened their hearts to those who had suffered enough. Today’s JohnKu carries the same message. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Today I am very happy to host a fellow Story Empire contributor and friend, Harmony Kent. She is here to share information about her latest book of poetry. So please welcome Harmony to Fiction Favorites
Thanks so much, John for hosting me today. It’s always wonderful to visit with you.
Here’s a little bit I’d love to share about my latest book of poetry, Sorrowful Soul. Full of freestyle poems, which provide company and compassion through the devastating journey of grief and loss and onward, this heartfelt collection shows us we do not travel this lonely road alone.
Since Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s excellent book on the stages of grief, we now have an established set of seven stages to the grieving process. Although these stages are non-linear and can be revisited at any time, it’s helpful to have a rough idea of what we might expect during this difficult period of transition. The third stage is commonly known as Guilt.
Here’s an extract from the opening lines to a poem about guilt and shame …
From Part 3: Guilt
(Extract From Penance)
You set fire to the rain
Drenched me in pain
Our last words burn
While the world ceases to turn
You took every last bit of me
And now I don’t know how to be
I am lost with nowhere to belong
Weak and wearied now you’re gone
Maybe it’s all my fault
I deserve this thunderbolt
And tho’ I did my best
I cannot lay this to rest
Is it possible to make this right
To end this deep dark night
Of a wounded soul?
Have you ever found yourself trapped within layers of guilt and shame over an unexpected change or loss? Chat with me in the comments. I hope you enjoyed this poetic excerpt and would love to know what you think. Thanks for reading 😊
If we’re lucky, we meet twilight at the front door and old age creeps in on the night breeze.
Even if we make it to our twilight years, the more we age, the more loss we must endure as part of the cycle of life. Many of these poems lament death, but they also relate to broken relationships, severed friendships, and the loss of youth. This book of grief poetry is as much about saying goodbye and working through loss as it is about death and love split asunder.
This heartfelt collection provides company and compassion through the devastating journey of loss and shows us we do not travel this lonely road alone. Within these pages we share shock, numbness and denial, catapult into anger, bargaining, depression, loneliness, and guilt, and—eventually—make the seismic shift into testing the possibility of a new normal and finding acceptance.
Harmony Kent spent 13 years in a Zen Buddhist monastery, where she faced her demons and overcame devastating low self-esteem and found freedom. After a life-changing injury, Harmony returned to the world at the tender age of 40, and her life as a writer began.
Harmony is an award winning multi-genre author, and her publications include:
The Battle for Brisingamen (Fantasy Fiction) AIA approved
The Glade (Mystery/Thriller) AIA Approved/BRAG Medallion Honouree/New Apple Literary Awards Official Selection Honours 2015
Polish Your Prose: Essential Editing Tips for Authors (Writing/Editing) New Apple Literary Awards Top Medallist Honours 2015
As well as being an avid reader and writer, Harmony also offers reviews and supports her fellow authors. Harmony is always on the lookout for talent and excellence, and will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes.
In Keith’s words. “Using this photo (below)as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”
This post originally ran on November 28th, 2016. I think with the approaching Thanksgiving holiday, it would be a good thing to review it again. I hope you enjoy it.
* * *
The inspiration for this list came from the just completed Thanksgiving feast. I was very observant and did not see any of these things at our dining room table. I hope you enjoy the list.
10 At the dining room table, do not burp out loud. If you do, at best, you can recover with an “excuse me.” At worst, all the relatives will now have verified evidence that you are an animal. (They long suspected it was true, and you just gave them confirmation, Ferd)
9 At the dining room table, do not help yourself to food from someone else’s plate. If you do, at best, you’ll be told to stop. At worst, your cousin Tiny, the WWF champ, will demonstrate a new hold. (Quit whining. That hand will be okay once you get a cast, Bunky)
8 At the dining room table, do not chew your food with your mouth open. If you do, at best, you will gross out your family. At worst, grandma will take the opportunity to lecture everyone on proper manners. (Nothing like a two-hour tutorial on chewing with your mouth closed to put everyone on edge)
7 At the dining room table, do not assume your hostess meant for you to eat the fruit and nasturtiums out of the centerpiece. If you do, at best, you will be thought of as odd. At worst, your hostess will calmly advise everyone that the centerpiece is to be donated to the local old folks’ home, and she would appreciate it if there was something left to give. (Your face and the red table runner are the same color, huh, Wheezer)
6 At the dining room table, do not talk about sex, politics, or religion. If you do, at best, no one will follow suit. At worst, you will be the root cause of a donnybrook that does not have a good ending. (Those police officers are here to escort you to the station, Bud. It seems your brother-in-law didn’t take kindly to the wine bottle bonk.)
5 At the dining room table, do not insist on rolling in the TV to watch football. If you do, at best, this will be your last invitation to dinner. At worst, your table mates will shout at each other above the game’s noise, and it won’t be worth the hassle. (Did you ever think you should be on a deserted island, Buster?)
4 At the dining room table, do not text or otherwise use your phone. If you do, at best, your family’s looks should make you stop. At worst, someone will finally pluck the phone from your hand. (If you’re lucky, they won’t dump it in the gravy bowl)
3 At the dining room table, do not make any Earth-shattering announcements. If you do, at best, the long silence will be a killer. At worst, everyone will be thrown into disarray and will be sorry for whatever they said in reaction later. (Surely you could have waited to announce you were running away to join the circus, Chum)
2 At the dining room table, do not do your best imitation of a strong silent type. If you do, at best, the conversation will be on everything but your interests. At worst, your table mates will believe something is bothering you and won’t let it rest until you come clean. (They were sure surprised to learn that what they see is what they get, Dork.)
1 At the dining room table, do not think you must race everyone to a clean plate. If you do, at best, you’ll be waiting a long time for others to finish. At worst, the general impression will be that you haven’t had a good meal for a while. (That sure flies in the face of all that success bragging you were doing before dinner, huh, Bruser?)
