Friday – JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

July 19, 2019August 1, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

“I call this living Little One.”
“Me too, Lucy. Me too.”

Friday is here at last. “Gee, I wish it was Monday,” said no one ever. Always lovely to see the weekend within sight.

If you checked out my post yesterday then you know the landscaping at our place is done. We are all so happy to have that item checked off. We were plagued with gumbo mud every time it rained, which was often. The dogs were forced to stay on a leash until the mess dried, which was about three days. Then we would get a day or two of no rain followed by rain and another three days of the leash. Well, those days are hopefully over.

My WIP is plugging along. I am at 28,000 plus words, which means my 1000 word a day goal is being met. The story is developing well, and it sounds like it might fit the speculative fiction genre. A lot of stuff happening that is not necessarily confined to one or more traditional genres. All I know is it is fun to write, and so I’ll just keep plugging.

Today’s JohnKu talks about fun and writing. I hope you have a very restful and fun weekend.

Fun and Writing by John W. Howell © 2109

To have to work hard,

At something that brings no joy . . .

Must be hell on Earth.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – Hump Day

July 12, 2019July 11, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 62 Comments

Lucy and Twiggy — “Lucy. No sunbath. It’s Friday. Time for a ruckus.”
“You start and I’ll join you later.”

Ah, delicious Friday. Eight more hours till Saturday eve. I hope your week was a good one.

If you looked in on yesterday’s post, you know we are getting some action on our yard. The way it goes is one day of furious activity and then one day of nothing. I’m sure you all have had the experience of doing business with busy contractors. They have several balls in the air, and so one has to go with the flow. We are supposed to get grass today, but I seriously doubt it since the concrete needs to be poured before the sod. Yeah, yesterday was supposed to be concrete. We shall see.

On my WIP I managed another 1000 per day week. So, now I’m over the 21,000-word mark. The characters are starting their “Let us take the wheel,” program which they always do at this time. The male protagonist wants to go to Wimbleton and find himself on the court facing Roger Federer. I’m not sure that’s going to happen, but it is a fun thought.

Today’s JohnKu talks about letting the characters run with the story. I hope you have a great weekend.

They sit for a while,

Doing everything you write. . .

Till they mutiny

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

July 5, 2019July 4, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

Twiggy — “Tell Lucy it’s Friday and time to play.”

A little bit of a short week. I hope everyone came through the birthday celebrations in good shape.

Lots of good stuff happening around here.

The gutter guys showed up on the third and finished the job on quote and on-time. I have to give them a super review.

I managed to keep the 1000 words a day on my WIP. There is a ton of research needed and so I was happy to be able to go forward. As of today, I have over 14,000 words.

The cement guys were postponed until next week. The contractor gave me the best excuse I ever heard. One that has no comeback. “I want to be there when the concrete is poured so I know it’s done right and I have to go out of town this week” What could I say? “Pour anyway and the heck with it done right or not?” I was speechless.

Today’s JohnKu pays tribute to that excuse. I hope your weekend is wonderful.

When you ask why not?

There is only one excuse. . .

The sky is falling.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

June 28, 2019June 27, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 68 Comments

Friday again for all you full-time workers. For us, slackers, it is another day. Just kidding. I always love to see Friday come along. It is especially lovely when I have spent a good week writing. I gave you a sneak peek at the new WIP last week. I’m delighted that the story is going well and I managed 7444 words for the week. Doesn’t sound like much, but as a reminder, I only do 1000 words a day on my current WIP. This one takes a lot of research time as well, so my 1000 words are taking more time than usual. Couple that with having to go to several medically related appointments I’m pleased to hit the goal.

This week also saw ( as some of you might know from yesterday’s post) the arrival of the sprinkler system installers. I also got word the gutter guys will be here on Wednesday, July 3rd. So, call me stupid, but things seem to be moving forward.

Today’s JohnKu reminds us to keep the faith. Have a great weekend.

If the clouds turn dark,

And you cannot see the light . . .

Remember the match.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

June 21, 2019June 28, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 79 Comments

Twiggy and Lucy — “It’s Friday Little One. You gotta move.”
“Five minutes more, Lucy.”

It is Friday again. This week has flown for some reason. Maybe it’s that I’m back to writing on what I hope to be my sixth book. For some reason, I have thoughts of the paranormal in my brain. I tried hard working on an adventure with Ned Tranes. Ned is the police chief in the three John Cannon stories. For whatever reason, Ned continued to drag his feet, and the story became like pulling teeth. Not much fun.

I did sit down and write a short story which exploded into a whole new world. Let me give you a blurb, and you’ll see (hopefully) what I mean. The names are not the final characters but just placeholders.

Samantha and James were best pals in the second grade. One day Samantha suddenly disappeared with no explanation or resolution. James prayed his heart out for her return, but all his pleadings went unanswered.

Driving alone on a long trip to Kansas City, James picks up a hitchhiker. It has been fifteen years since Samantha went out of his life, and here she is in the front seat of the car.

Samantha explains that because of his prayers, she has been chosen to escort him to the eternal home. It is then James learns he is no longer of this world. She tells him gently that he fell asleep, and his body did not survive the car crash.

There are rules to follow for those on a journey to the eternal respite, and Samantha has been schooled in the proper procedures. Violate the regulations and a soul risks spending eternity seeking the place rather than being there.

Join James and Samantha as they travel toward the safety of his eternal place. They will be facing the challenges of abiding by the rules, different time periods, and staying clear of those who have an incentive to see that James never makes it home.

Maybe it will work. I know I’m more excited to write this story so we’ll see how it goes.

Today’s JohnKu talks about when writing becomes a chore. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Dragging to the desk,

Having to face dross again . . .

Better start over.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

June 14, 2019June 13, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 61 Comments

Friday is here. I know we were all wishing Wednesday was Friday, but it was only a false alarm. The rain here is scheduled to stop for the next three days. That is a good thing. We went through some pretty stiff storms on Sunday, but even with a tornado warning, everything is fine. There is no going into the back yard, though. The landscape architect went back there on Wednesday, and I’m not sure she came out. Her car is gone, so I have to assume the best. We did receive the information that gutters need to be put up before the landscape work begins. Oh, joy another delay.

I’m heading to McKinney, Texas this weekend. There is a book fair there, and I want to meet the reading public. It is a 41/2 hour drive. So I’ll be pretty much out of pocket Friday and Saturday. Please excuse me if I miss a visit or comment. Know I’ll be shaking the bushes and begging folks to buy my books.

I’ll be having dinner with some Texas authors on Friday night, so that will be fun. Big thanks to Jan Sikes for setting it up. I’ll also give you a photo recap of the fair on Sunday.

Todays JohnKu talks about putting yourself out there. I hope you all have a great weekend.

There’s always a time,

To meet and greet your readers. . .

You have to seek it.

Friday – JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

June 7, 2019June 6, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 72 Comments

Friday has graced us with another visit to usher in the weekend. We finally got to see the first iteration of the landscape plan. We didn’t have any significant adjustments. Next week the architect and foreman will be taking a close look at access and amount of work so an estimate can be put together. We, of course, are anxious to get the mud covered but need to allow the process to move forward at its own pace.

Here is a shot of the plan.

I know it’s hard to see, but you can get the idea that there is an area of patio to the left and an area of grass to the right. The patio area features crushed granite and black star gravel stone borders. The grass is pretty much grass so the dogs can run.

Today’s John Ku talks about what makes a house a home. I hope you all have a delightful weekend.

A building set up,

To keep one dry and secure. . .

Love makes it a home.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

May 31, 2019May 30, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 50 Comments

“You know, Lucy it is Friday, and there is a whole world out there.”
“Full of mud, Little One. Full of mud.”

Another week has gone by, and Friday is here already. Seems too quick sometimes.

We are feeling that the end of the line regarding getting the house settled is in sight. The Producer is at the accessory stage of selection. The necessary items have all arrived. We had an outdoor chair that needed a part replaced, but that is pretty much it. The last thing for my office is on its way, so maybe next week I can give you a look.

Landscaping is still in the design phase. The rain brings mud, and we are getting anxious. As they say, “All things come to he who waits.”

Today’s JohnKu talks about getting back to the WIP. It is a message meant for me alone. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Diversions aside,

No more excuses at hand. . .

Get back to writing.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

May 24, 2019May 23, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 57 Comments

Well, here we are on the cusp of a Memorial Day weekend. If we were at the coast, the store would have been visited, supplies laid in, and our loins girded for another onslaught. There would be drunks, illegal fireworks, bottles, and cans everywhere. A walk on the beach impossible without confronting, loose dogs, loud music, and city folks who believe littering is a God-given right.

But, we are not on the coast. We are in a quiet neighborhood where the cardinals and doves make up the bulk of the noise. Oh, sure there is a stray motorboat sound but nothing like a three-tier boombox putting out decibel levels to rival the Blue Angels at a five hundred foot flyover.

In short, we intend to honor those who made the mayhem at the coast possible. Those who felt a higher calling than the preservation of their own life. We will remember those who sacrificed all to maintain the freedom we enjoy today. We will do this honor in an elegant way far from those who only thought is where they left the bottle opener for that illegal glass bottle of ale.

Today’s JohnKu talks about Memorial Day. I hope yours is filled with joy and remembrance of those who gave all of us the highest gift possible.

They never doubted,

But knew it was the right thing . . .

Eternally blessed.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

May 17, 2019May 18, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 70 Comments

The front yard deer — “But Mama. Those folks are having a TGIF celebration.”
“You don’t want to get near that house, sweetheart. An author lives there.”

Here it is Friday again. This week has been the week of notables. The fence guys arrived and finished the fence in three days. The pups can now cavort in safety with no sightline to deer. Twiggy’s bark-a-thons at the deer are now confined to only brief sightings from the house.

Our bed arrived after three months. So nice to be up off the floor. We need to accomodate Lucy’s arthritic hips with a bench. (Yes she needs to be on the bed) Twiggy’s life is unchanged. She could not get up when the bed was on the floor so she still gets a lift.

My desk arrived just yesterday. The office is pretty much done except for a bench. The dreaded futon is in there now but has an appointment with Goodwill.

The outdoor furnature arrived in eleven different packages on four different days. I mentioned to the FedEx guy, “I bet you hate us.” He responded with “Sometimes.” I had to laugh out loud and agree. He was stuggling with a box weighing 132 pounds (60Kilos)at the time. The fence guys had blocked the driveway so he was forced to go through gravel to get to the porch.

The call is out to two landscapers. More on that later.

Today’s JohnKu talks about after all the projects are done. I hope you have a great weekend.

The rush is over,

The termoil at last is done . . .

What do we do now?