Tag: Circumstances of Childhood

Friday – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell ~ 75 Comments

Today’s good news comes from the good news network. Here is the story in its entirety.

Airline Captain Writes Note to Tooth Fairy For Girl Who Lost Tooth on Plane

By

Andy Corbley

–

Captain Josh – courtesy of Laura Larmon

A 6-year-old who realized after disembarking that she had lost a tooth aboard a plane was desperate to get it back.

Seeing this, a passing captain, with his jacket, cap, and epaulets, stepped in to write a note to the Tooth Fairy explaining the situation.

Lena and Laura Larmon were at the tail end of a long travel period, with a return leg from Norway to Greenville-Spartanburg Int. Airport, South Carolina, interrupted in New York with a 36-hour delay. Finally, stepping off the plane must have felt like bliss, until at the baggage claim, when 6-year-old Lena realized she had lost a tooth.

“We tried to walk back to the airplane, but security was closed. It was 2 a.m.,” mom Laura told Good Morning America, adding that Lena was “crying and very emotional” when she realized that, without the tooth to place under her pillow, there would be no corresponding visit from the Tooth Fairy.

That’s when United Airlines Captain Josh Duchow, seeing Lena’s distress, stepped in to help. With his captain’s bearing and official uniform, there would be no doubt that a quick written explanation from “Captain Josh” would be an acceptable receipt for the Tooth Fairy’s records.

“Dear Tooth Fairy, Lena had a tooth fall out on her flight to Greenville,” wrote Duchow, who piloted the flight. “Please take this note in place of her tooth.”

Note to Tooth Fairy – courtesy Laura Larmon

Mother Laura later shared the story on Instagram and Facebook as a break from “a world of bad airline stories.”

United Airlines released a statement on Duchow’s part, declaring: “we’re proud to see moments like this that underscore our commitment to going above and beyond for our customers and creating an airline where Good Leads the Way.”

The good news here is it doesn’t take much to show kindness. Thank you, Captain Josh, for your kindness toward Lena. Today’s JohnKu talks about being kind. I hope you have a great weekend.

Kindness by John W. Howell

It does not take much,

To make the day of someone . . .

Who needs a kind act.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy’s Ball

~ John W. Howell ~ 88 Comments

“Let’s go outside and play while it’s still cool Little One.”

“I gotta find my ball.”

“So you have your ball. Let’s play.”

“Yeah, but something’s different.”

“What do you mean?”

“It smells different.”

“I don’t know, kiddo. it looks the same to me.”

“Yeah, it does look the same but trust me, something’s off.”

“How does it smell?”

“My ball always smells like bacon. This one smells like old feet.”

“Old feet? How can that be?”

“I think I know the reason. I must have grabbed the old ball.”

“The old ball? How many do you have?”

“Just two. After a while, the bacon smell disappears, and I whine until mom gets me a new one.”

“So you grabbed the old one. Can’t you make it work?”

“You don’t understand, Lucy. This one is a stranger to me.”

“I detect an element of spoiled here.”

“Not spoiled. Discerning.”

“Sure. There are underprivileged dogs who would love to have that ball.”

“I know, and I would love to give it to them too.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #367 by Keith Channing

~ John W. Howell ~ 60 Comments

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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm on Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next time.”

The Photo.

The Box by John W. Howell © 2022

“Well, boys, I never expected this.”

“Oh, Sir. You deserve a surprise.”

“Since I’m leaving the school, it was nice of you to think of me.”

“We have thought of you every day, Sir.”

“How lovely. Hear that, staff. These boys have me in high esteem.”

“I would say we constantly have you in mind, Sir.”

“That is so nice. By the way, why did you insist that this be opened out of doors?”

“The sentiment contained inside need not be confined by restricted space, Sir.”

“I am overcome with such a kind thought. I hope you didn’t spend a lot of money on this.”

“No, Sir. That is a natural gift, and we made it ourselves.”

“Even better, boys.”

“Yes, Sir. A couple of servings of toast and beans, and we were all set.”

“Oh, your lunch before you made the gift?”

“Yes, Sir. Seems you are having difficulty opening that.”

“Yes, quite.”

“We wrapped it quite well so the surprise would not be given away before its time. Maybe a pocket knife would help.”

“Do you have one?”

“Not with us. We will be right back.”

“Look at those boys. It just makes your heart sing with such dedication. Do you smell that? I say, check your shoes, will you, chaps?

 

Views of the Neighborhood – Fourth of July Decorations

~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

This is the day before the Fourth of July. So I thought it would be interesting to see some decorations around town. We are being catered by Better Half in Austin. Today’s entertainment is who else but Lee Greenwood.

Menu

BETTER HALF BREAKFAST SANDWICH English muffin, crispy hash brown, smoked paprika aïoli, arugula, fried farm egg CHOOSE BACON, BREAKFAST SAUSAGE, BEYOND SAUSAGE, OR AVOCADO

CHICKEN BISCUIT southern fried chicken breast, jalapeño-honey butter, curry bread & butter pickles
PASTRAMI BISCUIT house cured & smoked brisket pastrami,
creamy Swiss & horseradish pimento cheese spread, fried egg

GRANOLA BOWL oats, nuts & seeds, pomegranate molasses,
local Greek yogurt, seasonal fruit & berries, Thai basil & mint

WAFFLE IRON HASHBROWNS coffee & cream gravy, cotija, farm egg, pickled onions, scallions

NEW SOURDOUGH PANCAKES  strawberries, coconut lime streusel, vanilla whip

NEW BIG SUMMER SALAD  sweet corn purée, power greens & romaine hearts, heirloom cherry tomato, avocado & yellow squash, summer shoots, creamy cotija chimichurri & spicy pepitas
BETTER HALF CHICKEN BURGER house ground chicken, Duke’s Mayo, Swiss, LTO

BETTER HALF CHEESEBURGER 44 Farms ground beef, Dijonnaise, American cheese, LTO

BEYOND MEAT VEGGIE PATTY AVAILABLE

Picture of an old time school bus

So, hop on, and let’s go.

This is a repeat of a prior year. I thought it was funny and a good use for a poor departed palm tree.

Several mail toppers in town.

From Sea to Sea decoration.

A stylish bunting on stylish home.

The ultimate topper. Armadillo, cactus, and flags.

The Lakeway Heritage Center celebrating the Fourth of July.

The Freedom Memorial is all decked out too.

Lakeway city lines all the thoroughfares with flags. This is the sculpture garden.

A close look at the plaque.

Guardian angel.

Girls with arbor rope.

Girl with Teddy bear.

Boys balancing.

Tennis boy.

I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July celebration. Now enjoy the food and Lee Greenwood.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Amble”

~ John W. Howell ~ 75 Comments

 

 

A picture of a string with drops of water- the logo for SoCSA quiet Saturday morning with the sounds of birds adding to the peaceful feeling. Inhaling the aroma of freshly brewed coffee as it is being made adds to the overall feeling of contentment. The temperature is below the blast furnace level, so an excellent opportunity exists to sit on the patio and enjoy the morning.

Twiggy and Lucy decide to come with me to the outside. They are busy reading their nose e-mails, and I’m occupied with mine. A fairly loud noise interrupts us all. Lucy and Twiggy do the instinctual reaction to warn the noise that the suburbs of St Louis are closer than they think. To be barked to St. Louis is a treat no intruder should miss.

The noise repeats, and this time the location is determined to be from the front yard. If this is another Warner Brothers character, I’m going to demand a royalty, I think, as I amble to the front door. After the disarm and unlock process, I’m standing on the front porch face to face with a mule.

Not knowing how the thing got there, I look around for a note. I’m assuming this is another delivery of the prompt from Linda Hill. I go around the back of the mule, and for whatever reason, I lift its tale. “Watch it, buster.” The words seem to come from a loudspeaker somewhere. Moving around to the front, I say maybe the dumbest thing that has ever been said under the circumstances. “Who said that?” Were the words.

“You must have seen movies in your day and know you are in the presence of Francis the Talking Mule.” I look around, thinking that maybe there is a camera somewhere. “Just pay attention, buster.” I look the mule in the eye and puff my cheeks. “Who you calling, buster?”

“The one who needs a prompt I have in my pocket.” The mule drops an envelope on the walk and ambles down the driveway. Not knowing where the envelope came from, I was reluctant to pick it up. Finally gathering the courage, I did a two-finger pick up and opened it. Of course, there was a note from Linda Hill which said:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “—amble.” Add letters to the beginning of “-amble” to make another word or use it as is in your post. Enjoy!

If you want to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2022/07/01/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-2-2022/

Amble by John W.Howell © 2022

“Francis the flipping Talking Mule?”

“Yes. A problem?”

“How many years back was Francis the Talking Mule?”

“The 50s.”

“You getting senile in your old age?”

“No, why?”

“To bring up that character. Must have been popular when you were a kid.”

“In fact, Francis was popular when I was a kid.”

“I knew it. Senile.”

“Quit that. Just a memory is all.”

“It is a break from those Warner Brothers characters.”

“So, what do you think?”

“About what?”

“Francis the Talking Mule.”

“You better clean your driveway.”

“I’m serious.”

“That was a preamble to the advice to forget about Francis.”

“Fine, done. Any more advice.”

“Need to sit with a cold one and think.”

“You are buying, so let’s go.”

“My car is in the shop. Can you drive?”

“Better yet, let’s catch Francis the Talking Über.”

“Very funny. Just call the real one. I think I’m going to be overserved.”

 

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Friyay/Good News

~ John W. Howell ~ 84 Comments
Today’s good news story comes once again from the Good News Network. Here it is in its entirety.

Floating Drones Are Swallowing Tons of Plastic Waste Before it Reaches Ocean

By Andy Corbley
June 24, 2022
Waste Shark

From Chennai to Trentino alto Adige to Baltimore, inventors are churning out methods of stopping plastic pollution from entering the ocean by picking it out of riverways.

They come in different shapes and sizes, and a Dutch company just added a whale-shark-inspired drone that can cobble 160 liters of waste to the mix.

Developed by RanMarine in Rotterdam, the drone project was both straightforward, but with a pretty long checklist. It had to be automated, zero emissions, easy to use, economic to deploy and maintain, and be able to clean a freshwater environment without harming it.

The result is WasteShark, which is about 4 feet long and quietly captures trash in a tray between its two pontoons. Like the whale shark that provided its inspiration, a grid stops anything sizeable from entering its mouth, until it detects trash and the grid is lowered.

Once the drone is filled, it’s steered back to the water’s edge, where the tray can be easily removed, and emptied into a larger receptacle.

Watch the video

The good news here is around the world people continue to work on keeping plastic and trash out of the ocean. Today’s JohnKu talks about problem-solving.

Perseverance by John W. Howell © 2022

Solving a problem,

Even the impossible . . .

Takes a dogged heart.

 

Thursday – A Little Personal – Cool Weather for Twiggy and Lucy

~ John W. Howell ~ 98 Comments

“Whoa, Lucy. It is cool out here.”

“Let’s just say it is cooler. Hey Boss, what is the temperature outlook for today?”

“My watch says 84 right now with a high of 97 and a low tonight of 66.” (For our metric friends, that would be 28.8, 36.1, and 18.8.)

Sounds a lot better than the 100s.”

“So Lucy. These rocks are cool as cucumbers.”

“That sun is not as hot as the last few weeks.”

“You think the world is ending?”

“No, we just have had a break in the temperatures. The 100s will be back in a week.’

“I don’t get why the weather is so changeable.”

“Well, as they say, ‘Just hang around, and it will change.'”

“Love to know who says stuff like that.”

“I think it is called conventional wisdom, Little One.”

“I’d love to meet this wisdom guy.”

“It’s not a — Oh, never mind. I’m going to see if the cabana boy is on duty.”

“I can’t believe we can be out here. This shade is great.”

“I’m with you. A little kibble and some cool drinks will make the day perfect.”

“So, where’s the kibble and drinks?”

“The cabana boy is off doing other things. So I guess we will just have to relax without the frills.”

“What are you doing?”

“Smelling the flowers.”

“That’s a plant.”

“No matter. Just enjoying life right now.”

“Doesn’t take the place of kibble and a cool drink.”

“It does if you try Little One.”

 

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue # 366 by Keith Channing.

~ John W. Howell ~ 55 Comments

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 it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm on Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). 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.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next time.”

The photo.

A Walk by John W. Howell © 2022

“Look at the beautiful flowers.”

“I see them. Daisies are my favorite too.”

“I like them as well.”

“Why are we walking on this path, Mama?”

“We need to get some fresh air and look for a nice spot to rest.”

“What was wrong with our old spot?”

“Didn’t you hear all that noise?”

“Yes, but we have heard it before.”

“This was different. There were saws and big machines.”

“What does that mean, Mama?”

“That the world as we know it is changing.”

“Why does it change?”

“I don’t have a good answer. People call it progress.”

“But why did we leave, and are we going back?”

“We left my child, so you can grow up big and strong with fresh air and good food.”

“What about going back?”

“That is impossible, I’m afraid. Those saws and machines destroyed our forest, so we have nothing back there.”

“What about Papa?”

“He’s going to meet us at the new place.”

“That’s good to hear, Mama. How about my friends?”

“The herd decided to move as well. So all the does and fawns will be there too.”

“You mean it? That’s swell.”

“So it will be a new life for us all. Look, baby. There’s a butterfly.”

 

Top Ten Things Not to Do at a GYM (or Workout Club)

~ John W. Howell ~ 61 Comments
Photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash

 

This post originally ran on August 1, 2016. Since I’m still going to the gym, I still see the same annoying things, so I think it will be helpful.

* * *

Top Ten Things Not to Do at a GYM (or Workout Club)

Having been a gym member for some years, I observed some annoying habits of other attendees. I want to dedicate this blog to y’all. (you know who you are)

10 If you are working out, do not leave the equipment covered in sweat. If you do, at best, you’ll earn the club gross-out award. At worst, you might have a discussion with Tiny, the club rules enforcer. (Tiny tends to talk with his fists, and you could be looking at an incoming knuckle sandwich.)

9 If you are working out, do not do your stretches in a way that blocks others’ use of a machine. If you do, at best, you may find yourself stopped at some point. At worst, a brave soul may only knock you out of the way and use the machine. (You would argue, but it looks like they outweigh you by 100 pounds, and they are wearing a WWF champion belt)

8 If you are working out, do not wear week-old workout clothes. If you do, at best, you’ll have plenty of workout space to yourself. At worst, the membership will take up a collection and present you with the “Sponsor a homeless person” check for twenty-five dollars. (Pretty embarrassing getting into your BMW after the ceremony, isn’t it.)

7 If you are working out, do not drop the bar of weights on the floor. If you do, at best, the population will take cover, thinking an earthquake is in progress. At worst, you happen to hit the floor weak spot, and you and the bar of weights wake up in the basement. (You have to wonder why no one seems to care that you are missing.)

6 If you are working out, do not sing along to the music in your earbuds. If you do, at best, the rest of the club will think you’ve lost your mind. At worst, Someone will call 911 thinking you are in excruciating pain and are in the throes of a heart attack. (You might as well go with the EMTs since they are trained to subdue crazies who resist.)

5 If you are working out, don’t brag about your weight loss. If you do, at best, those who might have considered being a friend are long gone. At worst, you will brag to the wrong person who has a medical condition coupled with psychotic episodes triggered by the word “loss.” (Running fast was never your strong suit, was it?)

4 If you are working out, do not flirt with the instructor. If you do, at best, the instructor will do their best to stay away from you. At worst, the instructor will think you may be the love of their life. (Only now do you find out the instructor is on a work-release program after an episode with a former student.)

3 If you are working out, do not try to hoard as many clean towels as you can fit in your locker. If you do, at best, others will know and treat you like a thief. At worst, security will pay you a visit just as you open your towel-stuffed locker. (Talking fast doesn’t seem to help, does it?)

2 If you are working out, do not make grunting noises as you do your reps. If you do, at best, the room will think you’re obsessed. At worst, the management will send Tiny to discuss proper decorum in the gym. (It seems many folks thought your grunts were a little too personal.)

1 If you are working out, do not make a habit of filling up more than one water bottle at the fountain. If you do, at best, the long line will consist of those who have come to hate you. At worst, the tall guy behind you will cease to be able to control his desire to act on an urge to drown you in the very same fountain. (Wow! “Where did that come from?” You ask.)