Top Ten Things Not to Do on Labor Day

September 1, 2025August 31, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 62 Comments

This post ran first on Labor Day 2015 and every Labor Day after that. I thought it was pretty good advice, so here it is again.

***

In honor of Labor Day, I’ve decided to boil the top ten list down to the most essential items. Let’s all remember those who make our lives easier and more pleasant. Of course, the remembrance includes us authors.

Top Ten Things Not to Do on Labor Day

10 through 1

On Labor Day, have fun, but do not drink and drive. If you do, at best, you are a fool. At worst, you could hurt or kill an innocent person, not to mention your guilty self.

Happy Labor Day, all.

Views of the Neighborhood – Deer Check

August 31, 2025August 30, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 72 Comments

Today, we are checking out the deer in the neighborhood. We are catered by Maie Day of Austin, and our entertainment is Steve Martin, Allison Brown, and Jackson Browne.

gimme burger – Wagyu smash burger, the works, gimme sauce, fries 24

Grilled Half Chicken – Lemon-honey brined

steak frites – 8 oz sirloin with fries

Fried Redfish – succotash, cornbread purée 7 oz

Prime Rib – au jus, horseradish cream, burnt onion powder – 10oz/20oz

Chicken Fried Steak – black pepper gravy

Butterflied Fish – whole grilled fish, sweet pepper chow chow

tomahawk Pork Chop – whiskey-brined, pepper glaze

Ribeye – flake salt, beef tallow 16oz

New York Strip – flake salt, beef tallow 16oz

Picture of an old time school bus

Let’s go

The crowd shuffles in.

Carrots for everyone.

Newlyweds.

Two guys babysitting.

“You talking to me?”

Corncaine.

A buck caught in the virtual headlights.

Dad and lad on a sunny morning.

Four fawns and one nanny.

The boss.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the food and music. I wish you a beautiful week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Toast

August 30, 2025August 29, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 58 Comments

A rough night calls for a smooth coffee. Mine is made, and adding half and half turns the dark brew to the color of toast. The first sip signals the brain that we are indeed going to survive, and it can now lay down the hammer. Once my head recovered from the clanging low caffeine warning, a new threat arose instantly with the Westminster chime rendition of the doorbell. A toss of a plush toy into the soundproof room and slamming the door put an end to the baying of Igor’s hounds in the form of Twiggy and Tempeste.

The security camera could not pick up the idiot who cannot read the “do not ring the doorbell” note above it. “Who’s there?” is the challenge. “Letter for J. Howell,” the reply. The suggestion of leaving it on the porch was met with the age-old excuse of needing a signature. While thinking of all the times a signature was not required on items like proton torpedoes and machine guns, the security system shutdown is initiated.

The SWAT team needs to be put on standby. A quick text to the leader confirms that status. Also, the flight of A-10 Warthogs must be diverted. Another call to the commander puts that worry to rest. The SEAL team needs to be called off, and a call to the leader makes that possible. A call to the tow truck driver stops the deployment of an M1A1 Abrams Tank. The control panel simplifies the shutdown process of the security system. The boiling oil vats are put on standby, the turret mortars disengaged, the Trebuchet on safety, the concertina wire rolled, the Claymore mines reset, the tower Gatling guns on safety, the moat net dropped, the alligators fed, and the IEDs and shoulder-held rockets put away. The Proton torpedoes switched off. The gamma ray beams covered. The high-powered maser guns switched to standby, and the nanorobots were chained in the basement. The locks on the door are thrown. And the door opened.

Standing there is a little mouse who looks very much like Jerry from the cartoons. His clipboard is bigger than he is. He shoves it towards me, and my signature is recorded. He hands me the letter and sticks out his hand er paw. A classic quest for a tip. “Value experiences over possessions,” is my tip. Slamming the door and opening the envelope, I see it is from Linda Hill. It reads:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “toast.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb, 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/2025/08/29/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-30-2025/

“You know there will be comments about slamming the door in the face of a cartoon icon.”

“You tell me what you tip a cartoon. Ink? Paper? Or what?”

“I would have gone for a piece of cheese and a slice of toast.”

“You just said that to get in the prompt word.”

“Maybe, but at least the cheese would have been nice.”

“This may surprise you, but I don’t carry cheese around in my pocket.”

“Short distance to the fridge.”

“And what? Leave the front door unprotected.”

“You been smoking weed?”

“No, why?”

“I sense a little paranoia.”

“Well. You know how I am about security.”

“Yeah, we all know.”

“What about the Uber?”

“It’s over there, but maybe we should get some armed guards to go with us.”

“Stop it. Over where?”

“There.”

“You have to be kidding me.”

“See that bench on the front. That’s for us.”

“That’s a giant flower pot.”

“True, but all we have to do is remove the brick and be on our way. Here, take these goggles.”

“What are they for?”

“Bugs.”

“Bugs?”

“Yeah, you don’t want bugs in your eyes, and I would keep your mouth closed as well.”

“How does the dribe see?”

“His problem, not ours. Let’s go.”

“I hope this works.”

“Small sacrifice for a VooDoo Ranger.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

August 29, 2025August 28, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 64 Comments

AP Photo

Today’s good news story comes from the Associated Press

Little legs, big dreams: More than 100 teams compete in Lithuania’s international Corgi race

By LIUDAS DAPKUS

Updated 7:46 PM CDT, August 24, 2025

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Cute and adorable Welsh corgis, widely known for their association with the British royal family, are in fact a breed of passionate racers.

That’s at least according to the 120 teams from around Europe taking part in the Corgi Race Vilnius, in Lithuania’s capital, which drew an international bunch of furballs and their owners from countries including Poland, Latvia, Germany, Austria, and Italy.

Thousands of Lithuanians gathered in the capital’s largest park on Saturday and Sunday to watch the events — a solo sprint, a contest for the “mightiest voice,” costume challenges, and group racing.

The event is set to culminate on Sunday with the so-called World Corgi Meetup, where dogs in Lithuania will be connected via a live broadcast with their peers in the United States, Ireland, and Poland.

“This is so much fun and great emotion for the entire family, something bright that many people are craving for these days,” said retired teacher Janina Stoniene, who attended the race with her three grandchildren. The children said they admired the costume challenge as dogs were dressed in eye-catching outfits like Batman, a princess, or an airplane.

A corgi named Amigo, sporting a factory-themed costume complete with two tiny chimneys and “Fur Factory” lettering, was named the proud winner of that contest.

Another called Mango, whose owners are from Lithuania, was the champion of the solo race.

“So this is a mango, like a fruit mango, and we are participating (for the) second time in Corgi Race 2025,” said Ignas Klimaika, a proud corgi lover from Vilnius. “Last year, we didn’t manage to end the race perfectly. We had a really good training. We had trained every day, but this year we decided we just go without training, just to participate, just to enjoy all the lots of corgis,” he said. A corgi dog participates in a fashion show during a international event Corgi Race Vilnius 2025 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A corgi dog participates in a fashion show during the international event Corgi Race Vilnius 2025 in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Corgis race during a international event Corgi Race Vilnius 2025 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) — Corgis race during an international event, Corgi Race Vilnius 2025 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A corgi dog participates in a fashion show during a international event Corgi Race Vilnius 2025 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) — A corgi dog participates in a fashion show during an international event, Corgi Race Vilnius 2025, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

But this year, Mango won the racing competition, while his owners screamed and waved to try to inspire him to triumph.

“He knows what he did and he’s really proud of himself,” said Ignas, who is already planning for 2026.

Here is a link to a video of the event
https://apnews.com/video/lithuanian-capital-becomes-centre-of-the-corgi-universe-with-host-of-corgi-contests-9964ad598f17454890307ecc6aefc3af

The good news here is that folks from around the world have a common interest. Today’s JohnKu discusses the commonalities in the human race.

We all have interests,

It warms the heart when they’re shared . . .

Aids understanding.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Tempeste Outside

August 28, 2025August 27, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 118 Comments

“Hey, Twiggy. What are you doing?”

“Waiting for Tempeste.”

“Where’s Tempeste?”

“Out in the yard having a sniff-A-thon.”

“Hey, Tempeste. You through sniffing?”

“Yeah, I suppose. Nothing interesting today.”

“Go play with Twiggy. She could use some exercise.”

“Didn’t she just get back from a consultation with a surgeon?”

“Yes, but she didn’t have a procedure. She and Mom just talked.”

“What did they talk about?”

“You know your mom has been researching Twiggy’s illness and came up with some evidence that Twiggy should be on an antibiotic for up to three months before any surgery.”

“She told the surgeon that?”

“Yup. The surgeon agreed and also said Twiggy is not showing symptoms of Meningitis.

“So she is getting better?

“It sure looks that way.”

“I can’t wait until she plays with me again.”

“You two know I’m right here, right?”

“How about chasing me and taking my toy away?”

Maybe later, Tempeste. I think I hear the roar of the dinner dish.”

“Hold on, wait for me.”

“You are so quick. I think dinner is ready.”

“I could eat a horse.”

“I doubt Mom is making horse, but it will be good.”

“That is one thing about dinner. It is always good.

Note. We will be continuing Twiggy’s medication and will check with the doctor in four weeks. We are all happy with her progress and continue to hope the surgery won’t be necessary. Thank you for all your good wishes and concern.

Guest Post – Jan Sikes and Linda Broday Book Launch – A Bold Bargain and Cade’s Quest

August 27, 2025August 26, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 84 Comments

I am very pleased to welcome Jan Sikes and Linda Broday to Fiction Favorites. They are launching their exciting books at the same time and are here to tell us about them. So, Jan and Linda the post is yours.

We are deeply grateful to you, John, for allowing us to take over your wonderful blog site today!

When we decided to launch our new books together on the same day, Linda and I wanted to make it something special. It feels like we are making publishing history, and perhaps we are.

For this blog tour, we’ve chosen questions and answers designed to give the readers a deeper look into who we are, our background, and how we ended up where we are today, launching books together.

Question: How is it that both of you sisters became writers? Did your parents encourage writing or is it in the genes?

Jan: It’s interesting that neither of our parents were educated. Our dad only went to the third grade, and Mom the seventh. When they married, Daddy could not read nor write. Mom taught him, and one of his favorite things to do every day was read the newspaper from front to back. He especially liked the funnies. Another quirky thing about him was that he loved to make up limericks. As far as I know, no one ever wrote them down, but they always made us giggle. So, is it in the genes? I have no idea.

Linda: John, our mother was such an avid reader. Once we finished with a library book, she would read it. As Jan said, our parents received very little education, and Daddy was illiterate when he and Mom married. But Daddy would sit and think for a little bit, then out would come this funny limerick. One was, “Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.” He had a bunch but that’s all I can remember at the moment. Mom really encouraged us, and she always said that the sky was the limit and to be all we could be. But, she really got upset with us for reading in bed with the flashlight when we were supposed to be asleep. We got a scolding. It was that way on any given night.

Question: Besides reading, what in your growing-up years had the most influence on how you write today?

Jan: As we’ve mentioned before, we grew up without a TV. So, we had to entertain ourselves, and one thing we loved to do and could spend hours getting lost in, was playing with paper dolls. We designed settings, clothing, gave our characters names, and then created drama storylines for them. It was a great exercise in using our imaginations. We like to think that helped us later on with writing.

Linda: We were always making up stories, as Jan said. In addition to paper dolls, we loved to line the kitchen chairs up in the hallway and pretend it was a train. One year I remember one of us getting a toy cash register so we played store a lot, taking turns being the checker. Also, because we had to attend church so much, we sometimes played that, making up sermons and songs. Kids today don’t get a lot of chances to use their imaginations, which is crucial for a writer. Looking back, I can only remember a handful of times when we got crossways. There weren’t many. Jan has always been my best friend.

Question: What other authors are you friends with and how have they helped you become a better writer?

Jan: I have met so many amazing authors through the years, and lots of them helped influence and shape me in the craft of writing. I love attending book festivals to chat with other authors in person. Some who I can honestly say influenced me, encouraged me, and helped me become a better writer are you, John (yes, you, sir), Mae Clair, Parris Afton Bond, D.L. Finn, Staci Troilo, Beem Weeks, Wendy Scott, D. Wallace Peach, and Joy York. That’s just a few. There are so many! Starting this writing journey after my husband’s passing opened up an entirely new world for me.

Linda: I became friends with Jodi Thomas in 1993, and our friendship has deepened over the years. I recently celebrated the release of her Ransom Canyon series on Netflix. We visit back and forth and have attended so many writing conferences together. And there are so many other writers that I share a close relationship. I Zoom most every Friday with author Dee Burks up in Amarillo, and we go over whatever section I send her. I need that kind of sharing of ideas that always sparks creativity.

Question: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Jan: I do read my reviews. I learn from them. If a reviewer mentions something in the book that didn’t make sense to them, or could have been better, I take that to heart. When Harmony Kent read my first book and left an honest review, it helped me immensely. She mentioned head-hopping. Until that moment, I’d never heard of it and didn’t know what it was. But that single statement in the review sent me on a learning expedition, and I revised the book because of it. So, I definitely can learn from honest reviews. I ignore bad reviews that hold no merit.

Linda: I read some, but not a whole lot unless I know the person. I once got a horrible review from a reader in Australia who told me the book would’ve been good except for the romance part that ruined it. I just laughed. She knew it was a romance when she bought it. I have no time for craziness like that. One time, I had two readers get into an argument on a book review site. That was uncomfortable. This is such a crazy business.

PURCHASE LINKS:

CADE’S QUEST: https://www.amazon.com/Cades-Quest-Western-Romance-McIntyres-ebook/dp/B0FD7X4H5D/

A BOLD BARGAIN: https://www.amazon.com/Bold-Bargain-Bargainer-Book-ebook/dp/B0FD7VSY68/

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

WEBSITE: https://www.jansikes.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authorjansikesbooks

TWITTER: HTTPS://WWW.TWITTER.COM/JANSIKES3

BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/jksikes-author.bsky.social

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jan-Sikes/author/B00CS9K8DK?ccs_id=8185cb63-9ad0-4d7b-85ad-c2d64ce37812

WEBSITE: https://www.lindabroday.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lindabrodayauthor

BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/lindabroday.bsky.social

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Linda-Broday/author/B001JRXWB2?ccs_id=4a2c44df-2076-43cd-8bf8-f15b530ea92f

A Terrific Review of Detour on the Eternal Road by Robbie Cheadle

August 26, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 19 Comments

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – Offense

August 26, 2025August 26, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 62 Comments

Today I randomly opened Circumstances of Childhood to page 141 and with my eyes closed, pointed at the page. The word closest to my finger is offense. That is our prompt today.

“No offense but do you know what you’re doing?”

“No offense?”

“Well, I’m just wondering. That looks complicated.”

“I’ve been doing this for years. So, to answer your so called ‘no offense’ question. Yes, I know what I’m doing.”

“Okay. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“I’m not offended but it seems that youngsters ought to think a little more before talking.”

“You have to admit that from where I’m sitting your actions look a little strange.”

“Strange? How so?”

“For one we are way too high for my comfort.”

“Well you didn’t have to come along.”

“I can say if I knew were were going to end up on the top of the world I would have stayed home.”

“It is a little late for that now.”

“I know and that is what worries me. How are we going to get down to the valley?”

“You’re kidding right?”

“No.”

“We are going to glide down.”

“Glide down?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Look at you. You are scared aren’t you?”

“I’ve never been this high before.”

“You are a condor. What do you mean you have never been this high before? These mountains are your home.”

“My mom never let me .”

“That explains it all. Today you are going to become an adult.”

“By sailing down to the valley.”

“By catching the wind currents and soaring above the mountains and then down to the valley.”

“Does sound fun.”

“Yeah. Just don’t look down. Spread your wings like this and step off. Go ahead. I’m right behind you.”

Top Ten Things Not To Do When Attending a Parent-teacher Conference

August 25, 2025August 24, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 74 Comments

Image from Pixabay

This post was published on April 29, 2014, by Marie Bailey and me. Since school has begun, it is time to prepare for the dreaded parent-teacher conference. Hopefully, this advice will help.

Top Ten Things Not To Do When Attending a Parent-Teacher Conference

10 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not assume your child is never at fault. If you do, at best, you might be disappointed. At worst, you may find yourself explaining certain behaviors that could only be learned at home.

9 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not try to explain away your child’s behavior with some made-up medical excuse. If you do, at best, you might be questioned about your own veracity. At worst, you might have to explain to child welfare that a medical exam found no medical reason for the behaviors.

8 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not try to deny providing unusual help on the term project. If you do, at best, you will appear to be someone who has issues with the truth. At worst, you could be accused of being a severely overprotective parent with recommendations for counseling.

7 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not try to ingratiate the teacher with abnormal compliments. If you do, at best, you will look like you have something to hide. At worst, the teacher will think you are shallow and assign the same trait to your child.

6 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not assume the teacher will be impressed with your professional or work title and your forceful personality. If you do, at best, you may be in for a rude awakening. At worst, the teacher will think you are a bully and report you to the principal.

5 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not do all the talking. If you do, at best, you may miss some important information. At worst, the teacher will think you care more about yourself than your child and end the conference early with none of the issues resolved.

4 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not bring along friends or relatives as support. If you do, at best, the teacher will feel outnumbered and end the conference early. At worst, the teacher will bring in several witnesses, and pretty soon, the conference will take on the appearance of a trial with you as the defendant.

3 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not bring gifts. If you do, at best, the teacher will feel uncomfortable in giving you an honest evaluation of your child’s performance. At worst, the teacher will need to call the principal to witness turning down what they consider to be a bribe.

2 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not call the teacher by their first name. If you do, at best, the teacher will believe you are rude. At worst, the teacher may get the impression that you are unnecessarily challenging the professional relationship, which will not bode well for the rest of the semester for your child.

1 When attending a parent-teacher conference, do not wear your most casual clothes. If you do, at best, the teacher will believe you are not serious about the conference. At worst, you may be unknowingly violating the school dress code and be asked to leave the building.