Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Peace/Piece

September 21, 2024September 20, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

The message on the coffee machine’s screen is very clear: No coffee until we are clean. Throwing hands up in the air, all peace seems lost until the second message flashes: It only takes two minutes; press start. Grabbing a piece of courage, pressing start saves the day. There is some noise, and then the magic message: All Clean.

The first sip brings the brain to life and reminds us to grab the clock. The time is set for September 20th, 1924, and the location is Washington, D.C. When the plunger is pulled, we find ourselves on the corner of Rhode Island Avenue N.W., M Street, and Connecticut Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C. Here, the dedication of the Nuns of the Battlefield is a public artwork made in 1924 by Irish artist Jerome Connor.

The artwork honors the more than 600 nuns who served as nurses to both the Union and Confederate injured and ill troops during the US Civil War.

The lower right side of the relief is signed: JEROME CONNOR 1924

The lower left side of the relief is inscribed: BUREAU BROS. BRONZE FOUNDERS PHILA. ENN

On the granite above the relief is inscribed: THEY COMFORTED THE DYING, NURSED THE WOUNDED, CARRIED HOPE TO THE IMPRISONED, GAVE IN HIS NAME A DRINK OF WATER TO THE THIRSTY.

On the granite below the relief: TO THE MEMORY AND IN HONOR OF THE VARIOUS ORDERS OF SISTERS WHO GAVE THEIR SERVICES AS NURSES ON BATTLEFIELDS AND IN HOSPITALS DURING THE CIVIL WAR.

On the rear of the slab near the base is inscribed: ERECTED BY THE LADIES AUXILIARY TO THE ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS OF AMERICA. A.D. 1924 BY AUTHORITY OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

Just before the Temperance Union served lemonade, our alarm goes off, and we are in the comfort of the couch. A text has arrived from Linda Hill. It reads:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “peace/piece.’” Use one, use them both (for bonus points), use them any way you’d like. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here’s the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/09/20/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-21-2024/

“A perfect visit for the peace half of the prompt.”

“I thought so. The piece was in keeping with the wonderful memory of those nuns.”

“What was the deal with the Temperance lemonade bit?”

“It was a tongue-in-cheek nod to your obsession with VooDoo Ranger.”

“Ah, you mentioned it first.”

“Uber?”

“Right over there in the garage.”

“What the heck is that?”

“It’s an electric car built by Westinghouse in 1965.”

“I only see two sets.”

“Yeah, the driver said we could take it.”

“What good does that do when the idea is to have a designated driver for our pub trip?”

“This thing has a top speed of 25 miles an hour and a range of 50 miles and is powered by six six-volt batteries.”

“It will take an hour just to get to the pub. Back to my question.”

“I guess we need something else.”

“Call them back and get a better ride.”

“Okay, but I thought this would be fun since only 50 were made.”

“Okay, you win. Get the driver, and I’ll squeeze in the back.”

“You are a prince.”

“No. Just thirsty.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Phone.”

September 14, 2024September 13, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

The wait for coffee has my nerves on edge. I check my phone for messages, but there are none. That process took ten seconds of waiting time, so it is pure downtime until the soothing brew hits my cup. Ah, there they are, the first drops of the life-giving fuel followed by a full cup. With my brain fully functioning, it is time to turn to the clock. The year is 1924, and the day is September 13th. The location is Washington, D.C. The plunger is pulled, and we find ourselves at the retirement announcement of General Pershing.

General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing GCB (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed “Black Jack”, was a senior American United States Army officer. He served most famously as the American Expeditionary Forces(AEF) commander during World War I from 1917 to 1920. In addition to leading the AEF to victory in World War I, Pershing notably served as a mentor to many in the generation of generals who led the United States Army during World War II, including George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Lesley J. McNair, George S. Patton, and Douglas MacArthur.

Upon reaching the age of 64 (as required by Department of War regulations at the time), The General was granted full pay and allowances for the rest of his life, as well as continued use of his office at the SWAN Building in Washington, which served as the headquarters of the Department of State, the Department of War, and the Department of the Navy. Pershing was succeeded as Army Chief of Staff by Major General John L. Hines.

Before the drinks were served, the alarm went off, and back on the couch, we landed. Checking my phone, a text has come in from Linda Hill. It reads:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “phone.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

Visit Linda’s blog to read what others have done with the prompt. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2024/09/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-14-2024/

“Well, at least you nailed the prompt.”

“Is there a problem?”

“We never stay for the drinks.”

“That shouldn’t bother you.”

“Why’s that?”

“You know a VooDoo Ranger is pretty close to the end of the history lesson.”

“That’s true. I just would like to stay around a while and socialize.”

“I’m almost afraid of what could happen.”

“I would behave.”

“Said the impulsive one. Get on the phone and order an Uber.”

“Already done. It’s over there.”

“Now you are talking. A 1936 Ford DeLux sedan.”

“I thought you would like it. You can have a shotgun; I’ll take the back.”

“You are so generous.”

“Naw, I just know where my bread is buttered.”

“I almost think I should wear gloves.”

“I think it will be okay unless you are eating fried chicken.”

“Where do you come up with some of the things you say?”

“I have no idea.”

“it really doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “tack/tech/tick/tock/tuck.”

September 7, 2024September 6, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 50 Comments

Coffee can’t come soon enough. There should be a way to start an IV while still in bed. In that way, stepping on legos, stubbed toes, tripping over footstools, and all manner of mayhem might be avoided. Such is impractical, so one must go through the minefield to reach the golden elixir. The first sip is worth the trouble. Once the brain came to life, the clock was the first thought. Although there was no tock to accompany the tick, the tech behind it is intact. It is set on September 6, 1914, and the tack is Atlantic City, New Jersey. A safety tuck under the arm and a plunger pull find us immediately at the Miss America pageant.

The fourth annual Miss America Pageant was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and won by Miss Philadelphia, Ruth Malcomson (1906—1988). The 1922 and 1923 winners, Mary Katherine Campbell (who had entered from Ohio as Miss Columbus), placed First Runner-Up. The pageant marked the last time previous winners were eligible to enter the Miss America pageant.

Mary Katherine Campbell ( December 18, 1905 – June 7, 1990) was The only person to win the Miss America pageant twice and the second woman in history to win the title.

Just as we were about to meet and greet the winners, the alarm drops us onto the old trusty couch. A text has arrived from Linda Hill. It reads:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “tack/tech/tick/tock/tuck.’” Use one or use ’em all for the bonus points. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/09/06/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-7-2024/

“All those women and you didn’t get to talk to any?”

“That’s right. A sad thing, too.”

“I think you should take me with you on these ventures.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I would know what to do instead of standing around until the time ran out.”

“What would you do?”

“Get a few phone numbers. Maybe ask one out.”

“They are in the past. You know that, right? What good would a phone number do you?”

“Hmm. You make a good point. Okay, maybe just a quick hug.”

“I could see you getting hauled off to jail for assault.”

“All right, never mind. Let’s take a new tack.”

“Okay.”

“Does the tech in that tick-tock allow for return visits?”

“I suppose it does.”

“There you go then. We tuck that puppy in a bag and take it with us.”

“And?”

“When we need to extend time, we reset it and return.”

“Let me think on that.”

“I know the perfect thought juice.”

“VooDoo Ranger, right?”

“How did you guess?”

“How about Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“A 1949 Ford truck.”

“Looks that way. Of course, the 49 and 50 looked just like it.”

“The important part is you seem fascinated with trucks.”

“Yeah, I guess a soft spot, and we can buy two more VooDoo Rangers with what we save on the fare.”

“What do you mean ‘we?'”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – ‘School’

August 31, 2024August 30, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 73 Comments

The essence of the gods slowly makes its way into my cup. Being old school, there is no reason to move or engage in mental activity without that first sip of Columbia’s second-most favorite export. The cup is full, and the first sip is consumed. Thoughts turn to the alarm clock. It is set for August 31, 1924, and the location is Coberg in Bavaria. The duration is for an hour. The puller plunger finds us in the town of Coburg.

It is here that Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, a former officer of the Imperial Russian Navy, first cousin to the late Tsar Nicholas II of the Russian Empire, and grandson of Tsar Alexander II, proclaimed himself to be the Tsar of all the Russias as the closest living heir to the Tsar Nicholas who was murdered by the Soviets in 1918.

This announcement was made, and we know that Kirill sought to regain the monarchy but was unsuccessful until he died in 1938.

Just as the announcement was complete, our alarm takes us back to the trusty couch. A text from Linda Hill is waiting that reads: “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “school.” Use it as a noun or a verb; use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. https://lindaghill.com/2024/08/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-31-2024/

“So old Kirill spent some time trying to regain the throne?”

“Yup, and it never happened. He even promised to keep elements of the Soviet system.”

“Did he live in Germany till he died?”

“No, he bought a place in France and lived there.”

“This information is certainly obscure these days.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

“How come I never learned this in school?”

“Unless you were into Russian history, it isn’t something that commonly comes up.”

“I suppose it is like VooDoo Ranger.”

“Gee, three minutes till that subject came up. I give. How is VooDoo Ranger like Russian history?”

“Unless you have sampled it, you have no idea what you have.”

“Call Uber, for heaven’s sake.”

“Done. He’s right over there.”

“Wow, that looks like a 1951 Chevy dump truck.”

“With snow plow, I might add.”

“We have the old squeeze play in the front.”

“I wonder what riding in the dumper would be like.”

“You go right ahead. School me later.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Hap.”

August 24, 2024August 23, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 89 Comments

Happiness is a strong cup of coffee to get the blood moving and the brain in gear. Thank you to my magic potion machine for delivering a cup of the hot steaming stuff with no delay. The functioning brain meant reaching for the clock would not be wasted. The clock is set for August 23, 1924 and the location is St Louis, Missouri. We arrive to pick up the story from the St Louis Dispatch in an article written by Roland Thomas.

He writes that the planets Mars and Earth were the closest today than they had been since August 18, 1845, and the closest since high-power telescopes had been constructed, coming within 34,630,000 miles (55,730,000 km). We know from experience that Mars and Earth would not be this close again until August 28, 2003.

As stories of men on Mars attacking the Earth are rumored, our alarm goes off, and we land safely on the couch. A text from Linda Hill comes through. It reads:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “hap.’” Find a word that starts with “hap” and use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda Hill’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/08/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-24-2024/

“Pretty exciting stuff.”

“Back then, it was.”

“When will it happen that Mars will be closest again?”

“Not till 2035.”

“Wow, that is a long wait.”

“Yeah, if you missed it in 2003, it sure is.”

“You going to watch it?”

“Humm. Maybe. I’ll be 94 then.”

“Oh, come on. With your VooDoo Ranger as support, there’s no contest.”

“I suppose you would call it the fountain of youth.”

“Well, maybe not the fountain of youth, but maybe the source of youth.”

“Or at least a haphazard conduit.”

“Well, we are happiest at the pub. Let’s go.”

“Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“Okay, I call shotgun.”

“You got it.”

“Do we have a ladder to get up there?”

“It so happens that I’m prepared to give you a boost.”

“Don’t drop a senior citizen.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Ship”

August 10, 2024August 9, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 62 Comments

While waiting for the delivery of my life-giving elixir, my mind wandered to some information sent to me by award-winning author and friend Gwen Plano. She sent.

Coffee and tea intake were associated with long-term cognitive changes in older adults, two prospective studies presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) suggested.

Among 6,001 Health and Retirement Study participants in the U.S., drinking two or more cups of coffee a day was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia over 7 years compared with drinking less than one daily cup (P<0.05), reported Changzheng Yuan, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China, in a poster presented at the meeting.

Moderate tea drinking — up to two cups a day — was also associated with a lower dementia risk compared with no tea consumption (P<0.05).

When total caffeine intake derived from coffee and tea was calculated, participants in the highest quartile of caffeine consumption had a 38% decreased risk of dementia (P=0.032), Yuan and co-authors said.

No longer being concerned about the benefits of coffee, and hopefully, will have time to drink enough to fill a ship. While thinking about coffee there is a knock at the door. Twiggy and Tempeste open up with a fair imitation of the Hounds of Baskerville. It is FedEx with an envelope. Inside is a note from Linda Hill. It reads;

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ship.’” Use it as a noun, a verb, or slang … or all three! Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/08/09/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-10-2024/

“Hold on.”

“What?”

“There was no trip to the past today.”

“Well, not much going on a hundred years ago.”

“You could have gone back only Fifty.”

“That ship has sailed.”

“Okay, so no trip back today.”

“Fine. Here is the only thing happening. In the first boxing match ever staged at Wembley Stadium, light heavyweight boxer Tommy Gibbons of the U.S. knocked out Jack Bloomfield in the third round of a non-title bout. Bloomfield was knocked out in the 3rd round and never fought again.”

“I see what you mean. Going to a boxing match is not my idea of a good time.”

“I can’t imagine your idea of a good time.”

“Well, Uber is right over there, which is a big hint.”

“No way. You can ship that sucker back to Uber.”

“Oh, come on. Think of riding in the bucket.”

“You think of riding in the bucket. A/C cab for me.”

“I guess you are paying, so you should have a choice.”

“You are not going to ride in the bucket, right?”

“Sitting on your lap is more practical.”

“Although more unrealistic.”

“The bucket will be fine.”

“Keep your hands and feet in.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

“Ship of fools.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Get in the bucket, and let’s go.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt- Itch

July 27, 2024July 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

The coffee machine saluted me smartly as I walked into the kitchen. This highly unusual event made me think there was trouble afoot—maybe a better phrase would be trouble brewing. A shaking finger brought the brewing process to life. The aroma of the Columbian beans being pulverized into a powder made my nose itch and caused every salivary gland to empty faster than a bilge pump on the Titanic.

At last, the brew is ready, and one sip sends me to the clock. The setting is July 26, 1924. The destination is Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The duration is one hour. When the plunger is pulled, we watch Argentine pilot Pedro Zanni and mechanic Felipe Beltrame begin attempting to fly around the world, departing Amsterdam in a Fokker C-IV biplane named Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

With stops planned in Baghdad and Hanoi, Hong Kong, Fuzhou, and Shanghai, we now know that it was necessary to change planes after the first one was destroyed. The two would get as far as Tokyo before abandoning the trip on October 11 upon discovering that a British and American team had completed the first aerial circumnavigation on September 28.

Oh well. The champagne was warm and flat and lucky for us, the alarm dropped us onto our comfortable couch. Linda Hill texted the prompt for today, which reads.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ends with ‘itch.’” Find a word that ends with “itch” or use the word “itch.” Enjoy!

Visit Linda’s post to see what other bloggers did with the prompt. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/07/26/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-27-2024/

“So those guys gave up, huh?”

“They sure did.”

“I’ll bet they were itching to win.”

“After destroying one plane, I’m sure they were.”

“I’m glad you gave the result of the rest of the story.”

“We covered the American trip a few posts ago, so I thought everyone would enjoy knowing what happened to these two.”

“Not to switch gears, but I think my lips are cracking.”

“From the lack of bottle moisture, I imagine.”

“I also have an eye twitch.”

“Sounds like we ought to get to the pub. Uber?”

“He is already here. Look over there.”

“We are going to the pub in a food truck?”

“Hey, how easy will it be to have a snack or two with the VooDoo Rangers?”

“I know, but doesn’t the guy need to keep his truck open for customers?”

“Well, I told him we would cover him for an hour of revenue.”

“We? I love how you use the royal we when you pitch an idea.”

“It will be fun.”

“They said.”

“Oh, come on.”

“Fine, let’s go.”

“Atta boy. Wait until you taste his burger. It is bitchin’.”

“Gratuitous use of the prompt.”

“You think?”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Chicken or Egg

June 29, 2024July 12, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

Banging on the machine has no effect. It is clear the foamer is on the fritz. There is no reason to make a Cappuccino without milk foam. It makes one wonder which came first, the milk foam or the coffee. Clearly, a cup of coffee without milk foam is just a cup of coffee. Milk foam without coffee is just hot milk with a mustache possibility. What is a person to do? The best thing to do is reset and be grateful for a cup of coffee and then get a new machine.

With coffee in one hand and the clock in the other, it is time to head out for another adventure. The clock is set for June 29th, 1914. The location is Sarajevo, Bosnia. The duration is for an hour. When the plunger is pulled we land on the street in Sarajevo. It is 11:00 AM, and two shots have taken the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Sophie the Duchess of Hohenberg, his wife.

The shooter is a student, Gavrilo Princip, a Serb separatist who is immediately arrested along with 22 accomplices. Pandamonium breaks out, and our alarm goes off. Back on the sofa, the text from Linda Hill comes in. It reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “chicken or egg.” Use the “which came first” conundrum in your post, whether about the chicken and the egg or about a real-life situation that fits the question. Or just talk about chickens and eggs! Enjoy!

To see what others did with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/06/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-29-2024/

“That was some visit. I noticed you went back to 1914. Why?”

“For one, nothing was going on in 1924 but the Democratic convention. I could not pass up the event that triggered World War I.”

“Gotta wonder how that was the trigger.”

“Well, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and allies of each country declared war on each other. It was a mess.”

“What happened to the shooter?”

“He eventually was found guilty and sentenced to twenty years of hard labor in prison. He was too young for the death penalty, but his accomplices were all put to death. He died in prison in 1918.”

“Whoa, Karma at work.”

“Something like that.”

“Speaking of Karma.”

“I suppose this is a run-up to a pub visit.”

“Well with a name like VooDoo Ranger what else would Karma be?”

“Dis you call Uber.”

“Yup, he is waiting over there.”

“What a sweet ride. A 1966 VW Beetle. Wait, there is already a passenger.”

“Yeah, that’s old Virginia. I’m afraid she misunderstood me when I mentioned the VooDoo Rangers.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s into VooDoo and wanted to meet the ranger and swap methods.”

“For heaven’s sake. Couldn’t you clear it up?”

“I tried, but you know how it is.”

“No, I don’t.

“Let’s just say when Virginia gets something in her mind, it is best to go along. Especially if she asks for a lock of your hair.”

“Your hair?”

“No, yours.”

“I see what you mean. Let’s go.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Water”

June 22, 2024June 21, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 64 Comments

A hot, steaming cup of Columbian Dark Roast and water meets my lips. The brain shouts hallelujah as the liquid races through the pounding nerve endings, quelling the revolt and opening the neurons so that rational thought can resume. The clock is set for June 22, 1924. The location is Long Island, New York. The duration is one hour. The plunger is pulled, and we find ourselves at Mitchel Field near Garden City, Long Island.

Army First Lieutenant Russell Maughan is preparing his Curtiss P-1 Hawk for a dawn-to-dusk flight across America. He plans to be the first to fly across the North American continent in one day. The takeoff is scheduled for 3:58 AM tomorrow morning. He plans to land at Crissy Field near San Francisco before sundown. If so, the flight of 2670 miles will take 20 hours and 48 minutes.

In talking with the Lieutenant, he plans to make fueling stops at Dayton, Ohio; St. Joseph, Missouri; North Platte, Nebraska; Cheyenne, Wyoming; and the Bonneville Salt Flats at Salduro, Utah.

We wish him well just as the alarm heaves me into the down softness of the couch. I have a text from Linda Hill. It reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “water.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

To see how others have used the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/06/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-22-2024/

“So you snuck water in there up front.”

“Didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”

“How come you didn’t stay for the takeoff of the Lieutenant?”

“It is complicated.”

“Try me.”

“Okay. The flight took place on the 23rd of June in 1924.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Today is the 22nd. I didn’t want to go another day.”

“Ah. Your obsessive compulsiveness made you want the time to be exactly 100 years.”

“Right.”

“I hope you get help with that. Well, did he male it?”

“Yes. He flew and arrived one minute before sundown on the West Coast, setting a record as the first to fly transcontinental in one day.”

“I guess that was important at the time.”

“Of course, it was. Aviation was new, and records were just waiting to be set.”

“Care to go for a new record?”

“Does this involve VooDoo Ranger by chance?”

“Well………”

“You call Uber?”

“Check it out. He’s over there.”

“OMG.”

“What?”

“Thant’s a 1966 Ford Fairlane two-door sedan.”

“How do you know that?”

“My first job was as a sales representative, and I had a company car like that, only blue.”

“I can’t imagine you as a sales rep. Door to door?”

“Aw, come on. I represented the company brands at retail.”

“Stores, you mean?”

“Yup. I ensured all was good so the consumer wouldn’t be disappointed by an out-of-stock item.”

“So you carried the company’s water.”

“Sure did.”

“Did they make water?”

“You are an idiot, you know that. Let’s get to the Voo Doo Ranger.”

“Right behind you. You can have shotgun too.”

“Since I’m buying, I hope so. Oh, I almost forgot. There will be no Views of the Neighborhood tomorrow. Going to be busy. I hope everyone has a peaceful Sunday.”

Stream of Consciousness Friday – Prompt – SUM.

June 15, 2024June 14, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 56 Comments

Without delay, my precious cup of reality is delivered by my equally precious reality liquid delivery machine. No muss, fuss, or civil disobedience was incurred in the making of my steaming, frothy cup of Columbia’s second most popular export. One sip and my brain engages in summarizing the agenda for the day. At the top is the clock.

It is set for June 15, 1924, and the location is Paris, France. The duration is two hours. Pulling the plunger finds us at the Théâtre de la Cigale. We are going to witness the premier performance of the ballet Mercure. This ballet is choreographed by Léonide Massine. The music is by Erik Satie and costumes by (get this) Pablo Picasso. Yes, this is the final theater involvement of Picasso, who dabbled in the venue for about ten years. At the time, he was the leader of the cubist movement in art and was well-regarded.

As the performance begins, a group of artists from the surrealistic school of art demonstrate against Erik Satie by jumping on the stage and yelling, “Brave Picasso, down with Satie.”The police arrive, and the ballet continues after the order is restored. It was too bad for us since the demonstration took up most of the time. The alarm goes off, and couch landing 101 takes place. My text notification says Linda Hill has sent one. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “sum.” Use the letters “sum” in a word in your post or use the word “sum.” Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/06/14/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-15-2024/https://lindaghill.com/2024/06/14/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-june-15-2024/

“That was some melee, huh?”

“Yes, it was. The reviews for the ballet were good and Picasso given a lot of praise. There were only a very few performances, though.”

“Why’s that?”

“The show manager was over his head. The last show was on June 22. He figured he was at sum-zero on cost and time to pull up stakes.”

“That’s too bad. Sounds like it could have been something.”

“Given that was one hundred years ago, and people are still talking about it, I would agree.”

“Which brings up another classic.”

“Please don’t say VooDoo Ranger.”

“You said it.”

“Trapped like a rat.”

“I ordered Uber.”