Jody Daniel: Blog

Hi all!
My week started on Wednesday. The rascals were off from work on Monday and Tuesday. A whirlwind of two days. Shopping, eating out, took the doggie to the vet, (and he lives to bark and bite another day.) But I survived the ordeal! That’s what counts.

In the short week I had to myself, I finished chapter 22 and send it to the editors. Even started chapter 23 and are about 2000 words in on it.

I also got the brain-fart to change “Star Of Assisi’s” cover-page form the generic one to a more fitting one. I had not posted it for a few minutes when I got an email that said, “Horrible Picture.”

Well, I myself was not totally happy with the picture, so with a few things like asking “Perchance AI Image generator” to paint me a photo-real picture of a sunset over Noordhoek beach, I got a background I could use. Then imported that into DAZ 3D and did a silhouette of Roy and Fiona on the beach looking at the sunset. It is after all a love story.

LibreOffice Draw came next and provided the script for the titles and all this came together in Paint.net. The final product I opened in IrfanView and sized it. Thus, dropping the file size from 5 mb to around 800 kb without sacrificing the quality. Uploaded and – no word yet on the cover page. Mission completed.

So, if you have anything to say about the new cover page – I am open to suggestions. I don’t bite. Sometimes I don’t express myself that well in English, but I don’t mean any harm. I appreciate each and every one of you. Even the “horrible picture” remark. It tells me that I need to go back to the drawing-board. It also tells me that you look at what I did and has the grid to tell me, “NO!”

One of my “consultants” told me that the title of the picture is too slanted and the fond of the “By Jody Daniel” is boring. After I explained that the “Star Wars” theme of the title depicts the elusiveness of the “Star,” he conceded that I had something, and it makes sense.

Here is chapter 20. Enjoy! Don’t forget to vote... It helps to motivate me. Especially the 10 votes! LOL!!! And the 10-votes outnumber the rest by far.

Those that voted 1, 5 and 6. There is only six of you in total. Even the 7-vote is far behind the 8, 9, and 10 votes! And the 10-votes are running away from the pack. LOL!

Wishing you all the best — until next week!

Bye 4 now!

Hi all!
I hope you guys and girls that set the clock to my postings on Mondays are not too much miffed that I am posting this chapter on Sunday. Yeah, life splattered me with a curveball, and I have to be running out to the vet on Monday morning. The rascals had booked a visit to the vet for the doggie early in the morning and seeing that the doggie has diabetes he has to stay there the whole day for testing.

Funny that you should raise eyebrows, but I did not know it as well that dogs and cats can get diabetes. This is now the third Fox Terrier Dog that I came to know that has this condition. No problem. I give him his shots mornings and night, and he is doing well. Just getting on in years and we all are awaiting time... (sniff)

On that note, my one editor has a cat that he needs to inject mornings and nights, also for diabetes.

Also, funny how these animals respond to the call for a shot. They know it is helping them, and they even remind you that it’s time to do the deed.

And please do watch your furry kids. If they start to drink a lot of water and also has to visit outside for the call of nature more often, then it could be an indication that the problem is facing them. And not only in older animals. Young ones also can get it early on in life.

This also means that my Monday and Tuesday are out the window. With the rascal's home for the two days – chaos, mayhem, and a lot of “Honey can you do...” are on the cards.

So, I rather post early, than have to have you wait till Tuesday. (Or even Wednesday!)

Here’s Chapter 19 of Star of Assisi. Enjoy! (Lucky it was done and dusted long ago. LOL.)

On that note: Never ever end a sympathy card, WhatsApp, or text message with “LOL.” It does not mean “Lots Of Love...”

Wishing you all the best — until next week!
Bye 4 now!

Hi all!
Looking at the last ten comments it seems to me that the story is not going down well. Remember, in “Desert Rose” Ash was described as having long hair brushing his shoulders. Now it seems like he did have a haircut, (as was proposed by “Thinker.”) but Ash does not sport a business suit. Now what was that famous lyric in the song Amanda? “...It’s an awful awakenin’ in a country boy’s life. To look in the mirror in total surprise, at the hair on your shoulders and the age in your eyes...”

Sometimes that is true, as I don’t recognize the guy in the mirror looking back at me. Now, I'm crowdin’ 70, and still wearing jeans...

I’ve seen men aged around fifty, sixty, that sports long hair and ponytails. Some with even beards. Ash at 57 to 59 do fit that description. Angie don’t mind, because he still rocks her world. I even worked with a guy that at 61 had a baby with his 30-year-old secretary! Yes, he married his secretary 30 years younger than him. Maybe because he was a nuclear physicist that had something to do with his motto of; "18 till, I die." (Or was it the Uranium238?)

Also, I’ve seen men looking like 20 or 30 but is in fact around 40 or 50. You know that when you shop at a certain store at a certain time every week, you tend to make casual conversation with some of the other shoppers in the store that you run into every week. This had me and the red head befriend a couple at that store that also shop every week at the same time. She’s this gorgeous thin sexy girl with long black hair, an infectious smile and blue eyes. Sometimes wearing miniskirts that show off her legs really good. Him, even has the same name as me, looks like he just stepped out of university, ready to tackle the world.

Much was my surprise when he told me that he is contemplating taking early retirement. He was 55 and she was 50! Looks are deceptive. So why can’t Ash have long hair and looking like 30? Angie keeps him young.

Now, to age Ash is somewhat of a trick as the next morph up will have Ash looking 86!

That said – maybe I should stop posting pictures in my stories. I suppose the other three quarters of the readership would soon riot. But as my Editors said: “You can’t please everyone. So, ignore it like a stop sign at the end of the street.”

In the last 10 comments, there was one by “msilversickle” about the idea of renaming Cape Town International to “Joe Masepus” International. I hope you got my translation of that! A joke, as CTI is located right in the middle of the Cape Flats. "Masepus" valley! The famous insult and everyday words spoken on the Cape Flats. LOL.

The last picture in chapter 18 depicts Roy blow-drying and brushing Fiona’s hair after a shower together. That is real life between consenting adults. If Mat Twassel can get away with more explicit pictures, why can’t I? Besides, what is a nipple between friends?

Here’s Chapter 18 of Star of Assisi. Enjoy!

Wishing you all the best — until next week!

Bye for now!

Hi all!

I am breaking out the winter woollies as we speak. Old man Winter did not creep up on us. He landed with an Airbus A380 full of all the necessary ice and chill he could lay his hands on. Well, you guys and girls out in the Northern Hemisphere – enjoy your summer! Enjoy mowing the grass, watering the garden, long lazy days in the sun, and all that.

Here I’ve packed away the lawn mower. Coiled up the leads to the leave blower and the hedge trimmer. Now I can focus on what is important – BEING LAZY! LOL.

Things are starting to happen in Estralla de Asis. The plot is coming together very well.

Speaking of the Star of Assisi, it is with sadness that I heard about the passing of the Pope. He was a good man that tried his best to get people the world over to unite and stop the wars that had been raging. And reading between the lines, I think that the new Pope will carry on where the late Pope Francis stopped off.

Why is the Pope mentioned in this blog? Well, the Estrella de Asis has a little to do with the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. But not quite... Next time you are in Italy, be sure to visit the Basilica of St Francis. But you won’t find the Star there... LOL.

Well, as I write this, it is Friday and the weekend starts. The two rascals will be home and that means life will have a faster pace. I have finished my prep for publishing chapter 17 on Monday morning early. I found that if I upload it before 07:00 in the morning. It is published by 11:00 SAST. Good news to some of you that can’t wait.

One last thing: Have Donald Trump imposed postage on emails? Either that, or you guys and girls has stopped emailing me. I miss you in my in-box. (sniff)

BTW: That stink about whites being murdered and their property being expropriated from them? Do not believe all you hear in the media. It is a reality, but not that bad. So far, the Democratic Alliance as part of the Government of National Unity has been doing very well in curbing some of the disasters proposed by the ANC. And it looks like the youth has started to open their eyes to the lies of the ANC. Secrets burn, but the truth echoes...

Here’s Chapter 17 of Star of Assisi. Enjoy!

Wishing you all the best — until next week!

Bye for now!

Hi all!
Monday, Monday, so good to me.
Monday mornin', it was all I hoped it would be…

Ever since I retired, Mondays have started to feel just like any other day — no early alarms, no rush to get ready, and best of all… no traffic! That might just be the highlight.

Now, I get to spend my Monday mornings sharing a new chapter of a story with you all, hoping to brighten your week just a little.

Here’s Chapter 16 of Star of Assisi. Enjoy!
Wishing you all the best — until next week!

Bye for now!