A photo of the Port Aransas Community Tree. A very Happy Holiday to all.
Tag: Circumstances of Childhood
Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “yule/you’ll/Yul”
You’ll not believe it is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again. This week’s prompt is “yule/you’ll/Yul.” Linda Hill says to start the post with one of them. Now you know why the first sentence was so goofy. If you would like to join this band of misfits, visit Linda’s blog and read all about how. Here is the link.
Yule/you’ll/Yul by John W. Howell © 2017
“What is your name , son?”
“Yul.”
“Yul?”
“Yes, sir?”
“You’ll have to give me a hand here.”
“Yes sir. What are you doing?”
“Trying to get this Yule log into the sleigh.”
“Not sure you have the strength for that, sir.”
“Guess why I asked you for help?”
“Not sure.”
“You kidding me?”
“No sir.”
“Because I don’t have the strength.”
“Ah. We are on the same page.”
“So grab the end there.”
“Hummph.”
“Heavy right?”
“Mmmpphhh.”
“We are almost there.”
“There. We have it in the sleigh.”
“Thank you, Yul. You were a big help.”
“Sir?”
“Yes, Yul.”
“I hope you’ll have a Merry Christmas.”
“Thank you, Yul. I hope you’ll have the same.”
“I think I will.”
“You think?”
“Yes. Especially if you give me your wallet.”
Friday – JohnKu – TGIF
We are getting close to Christmas, and it looks like I have everything under control. All my shopping is done, packages wrapped, and chores finished. (There are always chores) The fact that Christmas Eve is on a Sunday has me a little confused. As you may know, I do a Views of the neighborhood on Sunday and a Top Ten Things Not to Do on Mondays. In the spirit of the Holiday, I will not be doing a classic Views or Top Ten. It is my intent to take the two days to remember the spirit of the season.
I hope your holiday will be filled with the joy intended. This week’s JohnKu talks about the holiday wish.
Holiday by John W. Howell © 2017
So this is Christmas,
Time to reflect true meaning. . .
A meaningful peace.
Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day
It is Wednesday Day again. Last week we witnessed Frank Plano asking some questions of Alice Weston. When he got to the point of asking Alice about being in Kenosha the same day Lucas’ parents were murdered, Alice pretty much showed him the door. I see Alice is approaching Harriet Murphy’s house, so I guess she is in some kind of hurry to relate the conversation with Frank. Let’s go and maybe learn something about that night in Kenosha.
“Open the damn door, Harriet. Since when do you lock it?”
“Since we have that private eye snooping around. There come on in.”
“For heaven’s sake. That’s all I need. To have that Frank character see me hustling over to see you right after I threw him out of my house.”
“Then why are you here? You could have called.”
“I don’t trust the phones anymore. He may have mine bugged.”
“Oh come on, Alice. Aren’t you overreacting?”
“How about if I told you he knows we were in Kenosha the night the Severides were murdered?”
“Okay. That is a little concerning.”
“You bet it is. Also, he knows that we used to visit the Severides.”
“No way. How could he find that out?”
“Beats me. This guy may have a crystal ball for all I know. I’m telling you we are in deep yogurt.”
“Come on. Alice. Get a grip. So we visited the Severides? So what?”
“And we saw them right before they were killed. You think that is just a piece of idle gossip that is going to go away if Frank finds that out.”
“Did he say he knew?”
“No, he just said he knows we were in town.”
“Okay then. We were in town. We had shopping to do or something. No harm no foul.”
“You gotta keep these basketball sayings to yourself. If he knows we were in Kenosha, how long do you think it will take to track us to the Severides?”
“Unlike you, I don’t think that’s possible. Hell, we were discreet as always.”
“How did he know we had visited them before?”
“Hmm. I see what you’re saying. You want some tea?”
“Tea is not the answer, Harriet. We need to do something.”
“Let me think. Do you think Frank has made this report yet?”
“How would I know?”
“Why don’t you call him and tell him you’ve been thinking and maybe you need to talk again.”
“Yeah, then what?”
“You’ll ask him if he’s filed his report.”
“If he has?”
“We’ll have to ride it out.”
“If he has not?”
“We might need to think of a way to silence him. Here give him a call.”
Tuesday – Anything possible – Kreative Kue #153
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 keith@channing.info before 6 pm next 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 – pingbacks don’t often work.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries, with links to your own blog or web site, next Monday.
The Photo.
The Gift by John W. Howell © 2017
“How did you come to buy this present for me?”
“It just spoke to me as I walked by it in the store.”
“What kind of store was that?”
“A little shop down on Thirteenth Street.”
“Thirteenth street? What was the address?”
“Six-sixty-sixth Thirteenth Street, why?”
“Oh, just a little curious. I noticed on the card that the store had a funny name.”
“Funny how?”
“All Things Eternal sounds a little weird.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I think they stand behind their products is all.”
“Look at this inspection tag. It’s signed by someone named Cya.”
“A very common name in the apparatus business. You going to try them or not?”
“I’m just a little concerned about this whole thing.”
“Why?”
“Look down. That is one heck of a fall if they don’t work.”
“For heaven’s sake. There is a lifetime warranty.”
“A what?”
“Lifetime warranty.”
“Whose lifetime.”
“The user of course.”
“Now you’ve convinced me. There is no way I’m putting these wings on and stepping off this ledge.”
“Chicken.”
Top Ten Things Not to Do Wrapping Presents
I always enjoy wrapping presents. I pretty much avoid the “store gift wrap” in favor of the messes I create. I think putting oneself into the process is a way you can show the recipients of the gift that you really care. The inspiration for this post is every year of doing my own. I hope you enjoy it.
10 If you are gift wrapping, don’t think it’s the thought that counts. If you do, at best your wrapping will look like you didn’t think at all. At worst, your package will be mistaken for trash and never opened in the first place. (No wonder you didn’t get a thank you, Cassidy.)
9 If you are gift wrapping, do not try to use a fake box with Tiny the WWF champ who just enrolled in a court-ordered intensive course on how to handle disappointment. If you do at best, you won’t be in the room when Tiny opens the Tiffany box to find a screwdriver. At worst, although Tiny will do his best to control himself it may be more than one can expect. (You have been thinking of removing that dining room wall anyway right, Crane?)
8 If you are gift wrapping, do not use seasonally inappropriate paper. If you do, at best others will think you mentally unstable. At worst, friends and family will gather and determine what to do with you now that you have lost track of time. (Okay so you wanted to save a few bucks on paper, but Easter wrap was not the way to go, Clive.)
7 If you are gift wrapping, do not forget the nametags. If you do, at best you’ll remember each gift and who it goes to just by the wrapping. At worst, Uncle Phil will wonder what you are trying to say with the Lady Schick electric razor gift. (You thought for sure that red box was a bottle of bourbon, Cal. I wonder what aunt Helen thinks of it.)
6 If you are gift wrapping, do not forget to measure twice before cutting once. If you do, at best there is a smaller box that can be wrapped with your mistakes. At worst, you have another trip to the wrapping store to get additional supplies. (Too bad they are all out of Christmas wrap huh, Cameron? They have plenty of Easter wrap though.)
5 If you are gift wrapping, do not use the same paper for all the gifts. If you do, someone will recognize it as last year’s $0.99 Target sale item. At worst, your display under the tree will look like the packages were done by Mrs. Jones first grade class. (Why is everyone asking if these gifts are meant for a Toys for Tots donation, Carling?)
4 If you are gift wrapping, do not throw away the return receipts. If you do, at best all your gifts will be perfect. At worst, those gifts that were a little off the mark will show up next year. (You could have sworn you gave this scarf to your cousin last year huh, Carmichael?)
3 If you are gift wrapping, do not think more scotch tape will solve sloppy wrapping. If you do, at best your recipients will have a scissor handy to cut through. At worst, you’ll get calls about paper cuts and tape in kid’s hair. (Maybe taking more time would have been a good idea, Carver.)
2 If you are gift wrapping, do not try to create what you are not qualified to design. If you do, at best yours will be the last one opened. At worst, your package will end up looking like a bizarre thing that should be soaked in water before being disarmed. (Gotta wonder why your brother-in-law called the bomb squad. That grenade on top was a dummy right, Caster?)
1 If you are gift wrapping, do not think a bunch of sparkling confetti in the box will be well received. If you do, at best the recipient will be kind and not shoot you. At worst, the gift will be opened on the new white living room carpet. (You just know that stuff will be there until next year don’t you, Chadwick?)
Views of the Neighborhood – Holiday Parade
This week started the holiday season here in Port Aransas. Like everything else we do here, it was kicked off with a parade. The parade started about a half mile from the community center and ended there with hot cocoa, popcorn, cookies, coffee, and a visit by Santa. The evening was capped with live music and the lighting of the holiday tree. I apologize for the quality of the parade photos. The darkness fell and I really should have had a tripod. I think you can catch the spirit.
The Community center is ready for the Holiday festivities.
The elves are putting out the cookies.
Frosty is waiting to greet everyone.
Frosty’s brother is here too.
The parade and activities were sponsored by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
The tree is waiting to be lighted.
The parade is starting
EMS is here.
A decorated golf cart.
A golf cart with red running lights.
A classic 1948 MG.
The lifeguards are here with a Santa float.
The real Santa on a hook and ladder.
One of Port A’s finest.
Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Contrast”
It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday and our prompt this week is “contrast.” Linda Hill says we can use the word or maybe a concept that demonstrates contrast. If you would like to join in and have some fun go to Linda’s blog and read how. It is not hard. All you really need is a strong sense of self-worth and plenty of alcohol. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2017/12/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-16-17/
Contrast by John W. Howell © 2017
“So there I was looking through my viewfinder.”
“Viewfinder? Were you taking a picture?”
“Of course I was taking a picture. What do you think? Think I go around looking at the world through my camera.”
“Well, you have that ginormous lens.”
“Okay, okay don’t interrupt. Let me finish the story . You’ll be impressed.”
“So far not.”
“You have to trust me on this. So there I was looking through my viewfinder and what do you think I saw?”
“Do you want me to tell the story?”
“I saw two buildings that were framed in perfect contrast.”
“Perfect what?”
“Contrast. Contrast.”
“What the heck is contrast?”
“These buildings.”
“No, I mean what do you mean by contrast?”
“Oh. Contrast is a color or illumination that makes one object stand out from the other.”
“Okay and I will be impressed how?”
“Here look at the photo on my camera.”
“Okay I see two buildings. So what?”
“Don’t you see that one is grey and one is mauve?”
“Well they are different color for sure.”
“Do you see both?”
“I said that.”
“Perfect contrast.”
“Man, you need to get out more.”
Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy Has a Question
“Hey, Boss.”
“Hi, Lucy. When you stand there like that, I know there is something on your mind.”
“How do you know I do not just adore you.”
“Um. I would say I just know. So what is the question.”
“Okay, then you caught me. I was wondering if that is Santa on the roof?”
“Santa? What makes you think Santa is on the roof?”
“Tell him, Bailey.”
“Well pops. We hear the pitter patter of pretty heavy deer up there.”
“I’m always amazed how you wake up from a sound sleep and seem to know what’s going on, Bailey.”
“Boss. Come over here and take a look.”
“Lucy. I don’t have to take a look.”
“Lucy’s not kidding, pops. You should see this.”
“Can’t you just tell me?”
“It looks like a bunch of elves delivering long pieces of metal.”
“That’s because they are the roofers, you two. Remember, the hurricane damaged our roof? These guys are fixing it.”
“But so much stuff, Boss. You should see it all.”
“I know, Lucy. They are replacing the whole roof, so there is a lot of stuff to put up there.”
“Can Bailey and I bark at them?”
“That would be a no. Lucy.”
“Beg for treats?”
“No.”
Wednesday Story Day – AKA – Hump Day
It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week we were treated to seeing Alice almost fall over herself when she learned from Frank Plano the private detective (got it right this week) that Lucas had a five million dollar insurance payment. She got on the phone with Harriet and promised to get back to her. I see she is going back to the living room where Frank waits.
“I’m sorry the coffee took so long, I had to make fresh. Here you are.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Weston.”
“Do you take anything in your coffee?”
“No, I like it just like this. It’s delicious I might add.”
“Why, thank you. It’s a blend I have made up special.”
“I would love to know the recipe.”
“Ah, my little secret, Mr. Plano. You’ll just have to keep coming back for more.”
“Ahem. Well yes, thank you. Now, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
“Questions? I thought we were going to discuss Lucas.”
“In due time, Mrs. Weston. First, I wonder if you have any reaction to the information I uncovered that you and Mrs. Murphy used to travel regularly to Kenosha to meet with the Severides.”
“Where did you get that information?”
“My sources are confidential, Mrs. Weston.”
“Well, then my reaction will remain confidential, Mr. Plano.”
“I see. Okay, let me go in a different direction.”
“I’m not sure I like this line of questioning, Mr. Plano. What gives you the right to come to my house and ask me questions?”
“I have no right what so ever, Mrs. Weston. I am conducting an investigation that will form the basis for a report to my client. I would like to have your side of the story included, but since you don’t seem to want your side told, I’ll just present the information that I have.”
“Okay. Yes, Harriet and I used to visit the Severides. So what?”
“You were seen at their house the night they were killed.”
“Now you are fishing, Mr. Plano. No one saw us at their house.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, because we were never there that night.”
“You were in Kenosha that night though, right?”
“I don’t think that is any of your business.”
“Fine, I’ll just use the sworn statement of the person who saw you.”
“For heaven’s sake. So we were in Kenosha that night. What does that prove?”
“You tell me, Mrs. Weston. You seem pretty defensive to me.”
“Are you finished with your coffee?”
“Yes, and it was divine.”
“Then I’m going to ask you to leave.”
“I sure wish I had your side of the story before I go.”
“There is no story Mr. Plano. Good day to you.”
“Good day, Mrs. Weston. If you change your mind give me a call. Here’s my card.”
“You can keep it, Mr. Plano. As I said, there is no story. I’m going to shut the door now. mind your toes.”
