Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy Lament

May 25, 2017May 25, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

Lucy

“Hi, Boss.”

“Hi Lucy. What’s up?”

Lucy

“It’s Stella.”

“What about Stella?”

“She’s making faces at me.”

“Bailey?”

Bailey

“Yes?”

“You notice Stella making faces at Lucy?”

“Not sure.”

“Okay, Lucy go get Stella.”

“Here she is.”

Stella and Lucy

“She’s sound asleep.”

“Yeah well before her nap she did it.”

“Describe it.”

Lucy Stella

“She walked out of the room and gave me a look.”

“You weren’t bothering her were you?”

lucy

“Well?”

“I’m thinking.”

“How about you Stella?”

“Well John, I have to admit, every time I try to go somewhere these two hulks are in my way.”

Stella, Lucy, Bailey

“So you did make a face.”

“Yeah, so what? She had it coming. Excuse me while I take some of your water.”

Stella

“We done here?”

Stella

“Boss?”

“Lucy I have a lot of writing to do.”

“That’s it then?”

“That’s it.”

“Not sure what to say, Boss.”

Lucy

Thursday – A Little Personal

May 18, 2017May 17, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 58 Comments

Lucy

“Hi, Boss.”

“Well, hello, Lucy. What can I do for you?

“Baily and I are a little worried.”

Bailey

“I see that. What’s the problem?

Empty desk

“Empty desk boss. Empty desk.”

“You know I can’t sit there 24/7.”

Lucy

“As a spokesperson for the non-humans, I want to make sure people outside the house know you write books.”

“You know last week you got several cute hits. I’m wondering if you can continue to milk it.”

“We actually have a vested interest in your success.”

“So what do you recommend?”

“Throw up a couple of cover pictures and then ask everyone to buy a copy.”

“If only it were that easy.”

“Okay I’ll put up the covers and links, but that’s it.”

“You are a mensch.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy Visit

May 11, 2017May 10, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 43 Comments

Lucy

“Hi, Boss.”

“Hi, Lucy. What do you want.”

“I was thinking about this post.”

“Everyone’s going to believe that one, but okay what were you thinking?”

“The title is ‘A Little Personal’ right?”

“Yes, it is.”

“And mostly when you are doing animals you are putting pictures of those stupid seagulls, herons, pelicans, and what not.”

“Stupid is a harsh word but yes.”

“What is wrong with putting pictures of Bailey, Stella, and me?”

“There is nothing wrong. Here let me put up a shot of bailey.

Bailey

“What about Stella?”

“Here is one of Stella. You know how hard she is to capture on film right?”

“Yeah but run it anyway.”

“Okay here it is”

Stella

“Now how about some action shots. You know some video of Baily and I doing a ruckus in the yard.”

“You are kidding me, right? Here is an action shot of you two.”

Lucy na d Bailey

“Aw come on. We have others”

“Hmmm let me look. Oh here is one.”

Lucy and Bailey

“You ran that one before.”

“For heaven’s sake. Try this one.”

Lucy and Bailey

“Now we are backsliding. Any more of Stella?”

“Here’s one.”

Stella

“I think I’m going to give up.”

Lucy

“Well, you did manage to get some exposure. I’m sure everyone thought you were precious.”

“Come closer and say I’m precious.”

“Time to sign off. Say goodbye, Lucy.”

“Goodbye Lucy.”

Thursday – A Little Personal

May 4, 2017May 3, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 48 Comments

I have a few photos that don’t really have a home on the Views of the Neighborhood post so like last week I thought I would just run them for no real reason other than I like them. I hope you do as well.

The first is a morning shot of the Gulf. I liked the way the sun reflection made the water appear to be made of Mercury and the clouds like steel.

Morning shot of the Gulf

The next photo is of the ARK turtle patrol. The volunteers travel the length of the island searching for nesting turtles. When found the eggs are gathered and hatched in a nursery. The baby turtles are then released when thy are older enough. These efforts have saved Loggerhead turtles from extinction.

Turtle Patrol

The next series are of various sand drawings left by visitors to the beach.

A horse of course.

Sand drawings

A self-critique of the artwork

Must have a mermaid

A dentist on Holiday

Healthy Smiles

So where are we? And what year is it?

Texas

That is about it.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Random Photos

April 27, 2017April 26, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 53 Comments

I was going to post about the fact that I’m putting together a bundle for Kindle that is all three books of the John Cannon Trilogy. I decided that I should wait until it is actually for sale before I start making noise. In about a month I think the box set will be ready. I do have a cover though. Here it is.

In the meantime, there are a few photos that have been on my camera and the thought was to write a post around them by getting more. Unfortunately, they are pretty much stand alone pictures, so I hope you like them.

The first is a shrimp boat that is very close to shore. They don’t normally operate this close

Shrimp boat

The next is Lucy watching the waves for any signs of wildlife or a taco.

Lucy

This one is a shot of a neighboring subdivision. I don’t think they want you to go in there.

No trespassing

A picture of Peggy enjoying some time in the surf. She has her caddie with her.

Peggy the Blue Heron

Here is a flight of pelicans in the V formation

Pelicans

The next is a shot of the town alligator. He had just missed capturing a Coot. (no not me)

Alligator

Well, I’ve cleaned out the file of anything worth keeping. Thanks for viewing.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Radio Interview with Kevin Cooper #RRBC

April 20, 2017April 18, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 12 Comments

Today I am pleased to have Kevin Cooper as a guest on RAVE WAVES Blog Talk Radio Spotlight Honors. The show is on today at 11:00 Central Time. Here is a direct link to listen

Bio

Kevin Cooper is an Author & Songwriter. After years of studying, and even more years working in education, and management in the US, he returned to his hometown in England where he finally settled down to focus on his writing and music. He has since authored several works and recorded/released a few of his songs. He is currently working on his third memoir, and working towards his first full music album.

Kevin has a M.Ed in Secondary Education with English as his main subject area from the Grand Canyon University. He also completed some post-graduate studies in Christian Counselling and Psychopathology at Asbury Theological Seminary. He obtained a BA in Psychology with a minor in Classical Greek from Asbury College after first spending two years studying Music and Religious Studies at Western Kentucky University.

We will be discussion his Book Animal Tales.

Blurb

Animal Tales is a lovely collection of short stories and poetry about cats, dogs, birds, and even a mouse. They will warm your heart and touch you soul.

Most of these tales were inspired by real life events, even the poems are inspired by actual observations and the retelling of events.

Animal Tales is a not-for-profit book. All proceeds are donated to Animal Rescue Charities.

We look forward to your visit.

Thursday a Little Personal – The Blue Sky Tag by Ipuna Black

April 6, 2017April 5, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 32 Comments

The Blue Sky Tag

I was tagged in a post by a favorite blogger, Ipuna Black. She lives in Las Vegas with her family. She has a super blog that is filled with inspiration. Ipuna has a Ph.D. in nursing and worth a visit to get a taste of her philosophy on staying happy. In fact, she is one of the happiest people I have met online. Thank you Ipuna for thinking of me on this tag.

So, the Blue Sky Tag:

Here are the rules:

Give 11 questions
Tag 11 people (I will alter this rule)
Answer the 11 questions given to you
Here are her questions:

Where in the world are you?

I’m on an island in the Gulf of Mexico that is off the South Coast of Texas. We have warm weather most of the year although occasionally it can get chilly a few nights in winter.
How many languages do you speak?

I speak only one. English. I took four years of French and can read, but the first time I tried to speak in France no one seemed to understand me so I stopped. I also studied German and had the same reaction in Germany. I shouldn’t feel bad since I get the same reaction here in the US when I speak English as well.
What is your biggest goal for your blog?

My goal is to have my readers enjoy themselves for the moments they visit. That’s it.
What is your 5 year plan, if you have one?

At my age, a five-year plan includes living for five years. Seriously my plan includes another four books (five if we count this year)
How would you define success?

Success to me is doing exactly what you enjoy doing.
How do you keep yourself organized?

I have a standard routine that I follow on a daily basis. I set time aside for my writing and then time for other activities.
What’s your favorite dessert?

My wife makes a killer chocolate cake that has chunks of chocolate in it and a homemade frosting that defines the term “death by chocolate.”
What are you afraid of?

That our government will never get its priorities in order to become relevant to our lives.
What are you absolutely bad at? What are you the best at?

I am bad at self-promotion. I find it embarrassing to promote myself and my writing. I should do more but always have to force myself. I am best at working hard. I feel nothing in like is free and we all must work at being the best we can be. I have always admired those who work smart. I’m not one of those people. I work hard.
Which fictional character would you be best friends with?

I hate to say this but John J. Cannon (The character in my books) and I are very close friends.
Can you name your top ten favorite blogs (or What types of blogs do you like)?

I love so many blogs and those people know who they are. (Including Ipuna Black) I don’t think I could whittle the list to ten without leaving off one that should be included. So let me say I really like blogs that have a point. I enjoy it when the message is original content. I love humor and have a preference for those that demonstrate a sense of humor as well.

As part of this tag, I’m going to nominate all of my readers. If you would like to participate here are your eleven questions

Where are you?
When did you know you wanted to blog?
What three things do you love to blog about?
Where do you get your inspiration?
What is the funniest thing you have written?
How often do you blog?
What is your favorite TV show and why?
Do you read and what do you read if so?
What is the best thing you have eaten?
What drives you crazy?
What gives you peace?

Thank you all. Thanks to Ipuna.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Update on Peggy the Heron

March 30, 2017March 29, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

It has been a while since I have given you an update on my favorite heron. For those who are new Peggy has been in the neighborhood for over four years and she has an injured leg. We call her Peggy even though we are not sure she is a female. Peggy of course is the affectionate term for the fact that one leg is pretty much as if she was a pirate. The quick report is Peggy is doing well. She had a challenge with her bad leg about a month ago and was not getting around too well. She has recovered and is back to her old self.

Here is a photo of Peggy starting her hunt in our backyard.

Peggy

And now she is really concentrating

Peggy

Yes, she managed to get a fish. The next photo is a different time but the same place. Not that the photo is so good but is a matter of tracking her. The afternoon sun made the shot hard to get.

Peggy

With Peggy getting the shot is sometimes hard since she doesn’t like to pose.

Peggy

Here she is fishing along the Gulf shore. I am walking the dogs, and she is always on guard when I have them with me. This next photo shows how she manages to make ends meet.

Peggy

I talked to this group of fisherman, and they had named Peggy Burt. It appears these guys have been fishing here for four years and “Burt” pays them a visit every time. While I was there, Peggy got four pieces of bait, so it looks like she has some pretty good friends.

All in all, Peggy is doing fine. I hope you liked the update.

Thursday – A Little Personal – #RRBC Spotlight Honors Interview with Lynn Miclea

March 23, 2017March 22, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

Today I am interviewing Lynn Miclea author of the book “Ruthie: A Family’s Struggle with ALS.” This book is a memoir written by Lynn in the hopes of helping other caregivers cope with the awesome responsibility and stress of caring for loved ones. The show is live beginning at 11:00 Central Time and here is a direct link. If you miss the live show, an archived version will be available at this link after the show is over.

Here is the blurb for Lynn’s book.

A powerful and compassionate memoir about an intelligent and beautiful woman’s experience with ALS. Dramatic and heart-wrenching, the story takes the reader through various symptoms, multiple diagnoses, and progression of the disease, as the author’s mother loses her strength, independence, and ability to speak and eat. The story includes volatile family interactions as one person who is in denial attempts to block the woman from getting the help she desperately needs. This is a personal view of this difficult illness, and the story brings you right into their lives and hearts. This book is ultimately inspirational, as it offers many insights and practical suggestions for helping someone with a terminal disease. This would greatly benefit anyone dealing with any type of progressive illness.

About Lynn

Lynn

Lynn has become a successful author with ten books published. Two of her books are powerful memoirs, and eight are uplifting children’s fiction adventure books about kindness and helping others.

Lynn’s contact information:

Twitter Handle: @hunnipuff
Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/lynnmiclea.author/ and
https://www.facebook.com/Ruthie-A-Familys-Struggle-with-ALS-1599236806972900/
Website address: https://www.lynnmiclea.com
Amazon author page – https://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Miclea/e/B00SIA8AW4
e-mail – lynnmiclea@aol.com

Thursday – A little Personal – My GRL Thank You.

March 9, 2017March 10, 2017 ~ John W. Howell ~ 47 Comments

So many bloggers helped with the My GRL relaunch and I want to take a moment to thank each. The interesting thing is these folks have exceptional blogs, are talented writers and should be on everyone’s follow, read, and comment list. They also are terrific people and are always going out of their way to help others. Here is the list and a link to their blog.

Gwen Plano http://www.gwenplano.com

Julian Froment https://julianfroment.wordpress.com

Keith Channing http://channing.info/wp

Charles Yallowitz https://legendsofwindemere.com

Jan Hawke https://janhawke.me

Steve Boseley https://authorsteveboseley.wordpress.com

Teagan Geneviene https://teagansbooks.com

Chris Graham https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com

Marie Ann Bailey https://1writeway.com

Ronald E Yates https://ronaldyatesbooks.com

Jan Sikes https://rijanjks.wordpress.com

Mae Clair https://maeclair.net