When will the brain-saving liquid show up? It has been an eternal minute since the process was engaged. It seems to me there might be a glitch in the brewing mechanism. No wait. There it is, the first few drops of Elixer slowly making their way to my cup. Finally complete, the first sip is a reminder to grab that clock. I set it for April 26th, 1924, with the location in London. The duration is two hours. When the plunger is pulled, we are immediately transported to Aeolian Hall in London.

Lucky us because we get to witness the first performance of Tzigane, a rhapsody for violin and orchestra by French composer Maurice Ravel. Tzigane, the title of which is derived from the generic European term for “gypsy,” was composed in a short time in 1924. The violinist performing is Jelly d’Arányi, who is of Hungarian descent. He is joined by Henri Gil-Marchex at the piano.

The premiere piece’s performance lasts eleven minutes, and the audience applause is deafening. Maurice is most famous for his Bolèro, which was written in 1928, so he clearly has a great career ahead of him.

Just as the champagne is served, the alarm goes off, and my usual high dive into the couch is accomplished with plenty of welcome barks from the resident pouches.

My text notification goes off, and it is Linda Hill, our prompt for this week. Here is the message: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “show.” Use it as a noun or a verb. Have fun!

To see what other bloggers have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/04/26/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-27-2024/

Show by John W. Howell © 2024

“Well, that was some show.”

“It was terrific.”

“How did you know to go there?”

“I Googled it.”

“I would say that worked ten.”

“Would you like to hear the music?”

“Um, you know I’m not big on classical.”

“Okay, then we will skip it.”

“Well, I don’t want to stand in your readers’ way. Maybe they would like to listen.”

“For those who would, here it is.”

“While they are busy, what say we hit the pub.?”

“Uber?”

“Over there.”

“What on Earth?”

“Don’t be hasty.”

“It is a moving van.”

“With lots of room.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that.”

“Think of pulling up to the front of the pub in this.”

“Yeah. Quite a scene.”

“Maybe we could convince the pub mates to join us on a roadie.”

“Hold it right there.”

“What.”

“No roadies.”

“How about a parkie.”

“What’s that?”

“Where we just stay at the pub but invite everyone to sit inside the truck.”

“Redneck fun, I suppose.”

“Don’t you know it?”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Reaching for the freshly brewed coffee, the cup catches on the small grate that supports it. The cup turns sideways, and all the beautiful, brain-soothing liquid pours onto the floor.

“Great” is the only expletive that comes to mind. Now, the process must begin again. Sopping up the coffee as the machine goes about business, my brain turns to the clock. The cup is finished, and the spilled coffee is cleaned up. One sip and the clock is set. April 19th, 1924. The time is 9:00 o’clock in the evening, and the duration is two hours. The plunger is pulled, and my destination is the studios of WLS AM radio in Chicago, Illinois.

We arrive in time to witness the first broadcast of the National Barn Dance, a show thought up by Edgar L. Bill, the station’s director. As we listen, the tunes are definitely country-oriented. I pull Bill aside and ask, “Why country here in the city.” Bill explains that the station is able to broadcast over the entire Midwest and, at night, pretty much over the whole country. “We had so much highbrow music the first week that we thought it would be a good idea to get on some of the old-time music. After we had been going for about an hour, we received about 25 telegrams of enthusiastic approval. It was this response that pushed the Barn Dance!”

The alarm goes off, and as usual, a soft landing is on my couch. My text tone tells me I have a text from Linda Hill. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: ends with “grate/great.” Use one or bonus points if you use them both. Enjoy!

To see what other bloggers do with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/04/19/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-20-2024/

Grate/Great by John W.Howell © 2024

“That was fun.”

“I never knew the National Barn Dance had been going since 1924.”

“Yup. It kept broadcasting until 1968.”

“Wow, that’s great. A lot of stars appear?”

“Everyone appeared on the show. It was very popular.”

“I’ll bet a few copycats, huh?”

“The biggest was the Grand Ole Opry.”

“No kidding.”

“Started off as the  WSM Barn Dance in Nashville and later changed the name.”

“In its heyday, the National Barn Dance was broadcast across the US.”

“I can’t figure out how to fit the word grate into the conversation.”

“Yeah, it has been a hard day. Let’s hit the pub.”

“I ordered an Uber. It’s over there.”

“Oh, super. A 1924 truck.”

“I had to order that special.”

“It should be fun. I see one of us needs to ride in the back.”

“Yeah, but it’s not so bad; there is a grate to sit on.”

“A grate?”

“It’s a bench but has holes in it. More like a grate.”

“What about my bottom?”

“Might get sore.”

“You take the grate.”

The sound of coffee dribbling out of the machine’s exit tubes is music to the ears and the brain. Pound for pound, you can’t beat the restorative ability of even a sip of that beautiful elixir. After the first sip, looking around for the clock, the thought strikes: Why not go to Europe and see what is happening? The clock is set for Greece on April 13th, 1924. The duration is an hour. Pulling the plunger, and we are there.

We arrive in time for the announcement of the results of the election held on March 25th. The voters were to decide whether or not to retain the monarchy or endorse the Second Hellenic Republic proclaimed by parliament. Parliament stipulated that the public had to approve its decision.

Over a million votes were cast, and 758,000 opted for a republic with Pavlos Kountouriotis as president. Only 325,000 supported King George II’s return to the throne.

With the cheering crowds as a send-off, the alarm goes off, and a soft landing is managed on the couch. A text from Linda Hill comes in. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: ends with “ound.” Find a word (or words) that ends with “ound” and use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you want to see how other bloggers handle the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/04/12/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-13-2024/

Ound by John W. Howell © 2024

“By the sounds of things, the people of Greece were tired of their king.”

“Yeah, I think you could say that.”

“I guess they were happy with that decision.”

“It’s Hard to say. The Hellenic Republic lasted until 1935 when a single-party form of government was established.”

“Oh, so things kept changing.”

“King George came back in 1935, but then the monarchy rule was dissolved in 1973 for the second time.”

“Who had to cough up the money to fund these changes?”

“I guess taxes. Why do you ask?”

“It seems like it would be tough on the people to have all these changes.”

“I think they were okay although it would be a pain.”

“Speaking of pain. How about a pub visit?”

“You order Uber?”

“Right over there.”

“Now that looks like fun.”

“Yeah, just think of look on the faces when we pull up.”

“Is that legal?”

“Oh yeah. Surplus purchase.”

“Well okay then Let’s go.”

The morning joe is on the slow train when the heart and mind want it on the express. Drop by drop, the soothin’ syrup moves into the cup. Finally, it is full, and a sip awakens the brain. Reaching for the clock, it is set to April 6th, 1924. The location is Sand Point Navel Air Station in Seattle. The duration is two hours. The plunger is pulled.

We are at the Sand Point Navel Air Station in time to see eight American pilots depart Seattle’s Sand Point Naval Air Station in four modified Navy torpedo bombers. Their goal is to be the first to fly around the world. Several attempts have been made by other countries, but so far, none have been successful. Their planes are named Seattle, Boston, Chicago, and New Orleans. The route will take them West over Alaska and then over Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Paris, London, and Hull, England, and then return via the Atlantic Ocean across North America to Seattle. It is expected to take 175 days to complete the mission. (We know they did complete it and were the first to do so.)

The alarm goes off, and my trusty couch receives me. My text tone tells me Linda Hill has sent a message. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “express.” Use it as a noun, verb, adverb, or adjective. Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

If you want to see what other bloggers have done with the prompt, here is a link to Linda’s post. https://lindaghill.com/2024/04/05/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-6-2024/

Express by John W. Howell © 2024

“Wow, 175 days to fly around the world. Not exactly express, is it?”

“Don’t forget it is 1924. Things were a little slower then.”

“I’ll bet that was a tough trip.”

“One plane crashed in Alaska, and the pilot and navigator spent 10 days in the wilderness.”

“Goodness. Did they survive?”

“Yes. They were rescued.”

“Anything else?”

“The plane named Boston landed between the Faroe Islands and Iceland and sank.”

“Anyone hurt?”

“Nope. Both were okay, and they got a replacement plane for the trip across North America. They flew a total of 27,000 miles.”

“No, VooDoo Ranger, I’ll bet.”

“You order Uber?”

“He’s right over there.”

“What is that?”

“I wanted you to experience a modern-day trip like in 1924.”

“I can see from here that one of us has to ride in the back.”

“That’s okay. We both will. It will be like flying around the world.”

“I’ll have to trust you on that. I hope it doesn’t take 175 days to get to the pub.”

“Naw, this is an express. We’ll be there in no time.”

“After you.”

If there was ever a need for coffee, it is now. Fingers drumming on the counter fail to rush the dreaded AI in charge of brewing the life-restoring beverage. Finally, a wheeze indicates that the aromatic liquid will begin its journey from the bowels of the fickle machine to my very welcoming cup. Yes, the trickle has started, and soon, the crema layer will form. Time for a sip and new awareness of the need for the clock.

Clock in hand set for March 30, 1924 for a duration of two hours. The plunger is pulled and we are tansported to Toledo Ohio. The US has enacted the eighteenth constitutional amendment that bans the sale and consumption of alcohol.

We have arrived in Toledo to witness the tradegy of 12 people poisened to death consuming denatured alcohol at a party. Denatured alcohol is used as a solvent and has additives that when injested are fatel. The police shief says it is a shame these folks didn’t know that they were drinking poisen. “It’s plain to see that whoever organized this party is responsible for these deaths.”

The alarm goes off and like a flying plane my carcuss is lofted to the couch for a soft landing. My text signal goes off and I see it is from Linda Hill. It reads:Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “plain/plane.” Use one, use ’em both, bonus points if you get ’em both in your post. Have fun! If you would like to see what other bloggers do with the prompt visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/03/29/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-30-2024/

Plain/Plane by John W. Howell © 2024

“Well you got the bonus points.”

“Yes I did.”

“You sure hauled out of there though.”

“I made a slight miscalulation on the time.”

“Well, that explains it.”

“Sad about those people.”

“Yeah. There was a lot of that.”

“It was plain stupid to drink that stuff.”

“Thos people ended up on a different plane.”

“Not like good old Voo Doo Ranger.”

“Speaking of which.”

“Ordered the Uber. It’s right over there.”

“Goodness what is that?”

“A 1906 Stanley Gentlemans Speedy Runabout.”

“How in the heck did you find that one.”

“The Stanley company went out of business in1924. I thought it would be a good tie-in to your post.”

“Okay then. Let’s go.”

“I call the running board.”

“Well if that’s what you want, you got it.”

Come on, Columbian soothin’ syrup. Flow out those two spigots and give me the help I need to enable the thinking process. Oh, look, the liquid happiness is flowing. All I need is a sip, and the memories of this glorious room will return. Here is the sip. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

Here are the memories: The ceilings and windows give the feeling of the out of doors. When we moved in, the only piece of furniture we had was a futon. We sold our other place at the coast, which was fully furnished, so we had nothing. We bought the futon, knowing it would soon be gifted to the Salvation Army. Two people and two dogs were very cozy on that futon until the new furniture arrived.

We have been here for five years, and the room has changed slightly. The couches have been lowered twice: once for Twiggy’s rehabilitation from surgery and lately to keep Tempeste the puppy from running under them and doing things that should be done outside. The rug has been changed, and new art has been installed.

The room is the center of the home and is where we spend most of our time. The time clock is going to wait for next week since the word count is getting close to the limit. My text alert tells me Linda Hill has sent the prompt. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “Memories of the room you’re in.” Write about a memory of the room (or park, or gym, or where ever you are) you’re in when you write your post. Enjoy!

To see what other bloggers have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/03/22/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-23-2024/

Memories of the Room You’re In by John W. Howell © 2024

“How did you guys get along without furniture?”

“As weird as it sounds, we did quite well.”

“Where did you sit to eat?”

“We have a large kitchen counter that has room for seats. Our daughter loaned us bar stools.”

“Dishes?”

“Yeah, we brought a set from the coast.”

“Where did you sleep?”

“We bought a mattress and put it on the bedroom floor.”

“Why did you need a futon?”

“We didn’t have a place to sit, and it worked like a couch.”

“Was it long before the furniture arrived?”

“It was all special order, so it took some time. We found a couple of pieces by going to stores.”

“Sounds ghastly.”

“It was a good memory. Of course, being in my late 70s, getting up from the mattress was a challenge.”

“I can imagine.”

“Speaking of challenge, you haven’t mentioned VooDoo Ranger.”

“I guess I’ve been busy thinking of this old guy getting out of bed and trying to stand up.”

“Yeah, it was fun. I could have used a crane.”

“Speaking of.”

“Oh no.”

“Look at our Uber lift.”

“When you say ‘lift,’ that’s an understatement.”

“You like it then?”

“Dan Antion would love it. Yes, I like it. Looks like we both can ride in the cabin.”

“Can you imagine the looks when we get to the pub?”

“For fun, I think we should tell them we are here to raise the roof.”

“You know, for you, that was pretty good. Are you taking pills or something?”

“Just high on life, my friend. Let’s go.”

The machine diligently produces the mind-saving elixir that is the legal import of Columbia. The beans are ground, tamped, and scalded with boiling water to give me what I need most: that first cup of coffee. With it in hand, the clock is set to March 16th, 1924. The location is the port city of Fiume on the Adriatic Sea, and the time is set for two hours. The plunger is pulled, and we are there.

We arrive in time for a grand celebration: the city is formally annexed to Italy. Benito Mussolini is present, and King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy reads the annexation proclamation to cheering crowds.

The city’s autonomous municipal government had declared in late October 1918 that Fiume wanted to be annexed to Italy, explaining their reasoning with words like “national self-determination.” Italy had only entered WWI because of promises of territorial expansion along the Adriatic at Habsburg’s expense. Fiume is now named Rijeke and is the third-largest city in Croatia

Fiume was once labeled the center for fascism since Mussolini began his takeover of Italy from there. By pulling the wool over King Victor Emmanuel III’s eyes, he was able to take over the government.

As the crowds cheer, the alarm goes off, and a soft landing on the couch is the result. My text tone lets me know Linda Hill has sent this week’s prompt. The text reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “wool.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you want to see what other bloggers have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/03/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-16-2024

Wool by John W. Howell © 2024

“What do you mean by pulling the wool over King Victor Emmanuel III’s eyes?”

“Mussolini was able to convince the king to place him in the position of head of the government. No election or anything. I would say that was a wool pull.”

“Okay, before your explanation, I envisioned Mussolini holding up a sheep.”

“Not a bad visual for this situation.”

“When did this happen?”

“It was in 1922. 30,000 citizens protested to the king demanding Mussolini be put in charge.”

“So he did.”

“Yup. The king felt his dynasty would be preserved by doing so.”

“Did it help?”

“Well, the king stepped down in 1946 after 46 years on the throne. I would say it helped.”

“All this talk of Kings makes me thirsty.”

“There’s no pulling the wool over my eyes. Did you order the Uber?”

“Yup. Right over there.”

“Wow. That’s a 1963 Studebaker Avanti.”

“It is a beauty, and we get to ride in it.”

“This might be the best ride yet.”

“As you can see, I haven’t been gathering wool.”

“No, I think you scored big on this one. Let’s go.

A new drink today. To test the machine to the maximum, a cappuccino is ordered. A smile on the control panel assures me this was not a challenge for the crafty AI entity inside the machine. After a bunch of hissing and spitting, a lovely signature cappuccino is produced. One sip and it is to the clock. The clock is set for March 9, 1924. The location is the Elysee Palace in France. The duration is two hours. Once the plunger is pulled we find ourselves in a meeting of the French Cabinet..

The coffee has been delayed. Checking my watch for the fourth time does not seem to help. Finally, within the bowels of the pesky machine, I hear the faint rumbles that assure me that soon the liquid soothing syrup will be streaming out of the spouts. Sure enough, here it comes.

After a deep sip, the mind thaws, and memory turns to the clock. The setting is simple, February 3, 1924. The place is Washington, DC. The duration is two hours. Checking my clothes before pulling the plunger ensures the dress is appropriate for February in Washington. No use freezing on my watch is the thought.

The plunger pull causes us to end up at 2340 S Street NW in Washington. There are uniformed police everywhere. Listening carefully to the officers, the cause of the commotion is Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the US from 1913 to 1921, has died. We are in front of his home, where he passed at 11:15 this morning.

President Wilson did have a stroke in 1919 that left him all but incapacitated. He and his second wife Edith and his doctor kept the public from knowing the absolute truth. It is said that Edith was, in fact, acting in Wilson’s absence. He retired from the Presidency in 1921.

The alarm sound precedes a trip to the couch. My phone tells me I have a text. It is from Linda Hill (who else?) It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “watch.” Use it as a noun or a verb; use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

If you want to see what other bloggers do with this prompt, visit Linda’s post at this link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/02/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-3-2024/

Watch by John W. Howell © 2023

“Wow, that Wilson thing was serious.”

“Yes, it was. There was no succession plan enacted.”

“if that were on my watch, I would have told someone.”

“The cabinet knew but went along with the President’s wishes.”

“Well, I’m glad nothing Earth-shattering took place.”

“The only thing that seemed to be affected was the ratification of the US membership in the League of Nations never happened.”

“Why was that?”

“Wilson, who favored joining, was too ill to negotiate his position, and those opposed in Congress had their way, so the US never joined. Maybe it didn’t matter after all since the League disbanded in 1946. So you may be right. Nothing Earth-shattering.”

“This political talk has made me thirsty.”

“You get thirsty when we aren’t even talking.”

“There’s Uber.”

“I don’t see it. Just that strange-looking truck.”

“That’s it. A vintage 1950s home delivery truck. Isn’t it sweet?”

“I guess you could call it sweet. I would love to know where you find these things.”

“Discount Uber is the place. I watch for the best specials.”

“Okay, I’m game. Let’s go.”

“One other thing.”

“Yes.”

“He has block ice to keep the milk cold.”

“And?”

“Hello. What else does very well when cold?”

“VooDoo Ranger?”

“Bingo.”

“You are the best.”