We Need A Little Christmas...

And apparently a soldier guarding the gingerbread...

Boys will be boys.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday.
xoxo Joanna

Where Have I Been?

I'm scratching my head trying to remember what I've been doing that's kept me so busy I haven't had time to check-in for a while.  Hmmm...

I did some work, as in a "real job", for an awesome Interior Designer.  Writing her press kit and website info was easy because I LOVE her design aesthetic.  You might have seen some of my (very over-shared) photos on Facebook.  No???  Click here to see her Guest House for the Pasadena Showcase House of Design.

Facebook-- Gawd I've spent too much time on Facebook lately.  I dove into it for the above mentioned job's social media push.  But I'm afraid I'm too easily addicted to endless scrolling through posts that really have no relevance to me just to see what the handful of people I truly love are up too.  It's become a bad habit that takes up too much of my day.  I have to quit cold-turkey!

So anyway... that all took several weeks, was a total blast, and now I'm "retired" again.

And we went to Israel for a fabulous family wedding.  I so love it there.  Great family (on my husband's side), amazing food, perfect weather and wonderful people.  This trip we spent all our time in Tel Aviv.  The purple Jacaranda trees were in bloom.  So were the kumquat trees at our hotel.

We stayed at a small boutique hotel called The Norman.  It's a lovely hotel with a chic Moroccan vibe-- Hip but quiet in the middle of the city's Rothschild section.  My idea of perfect.

Since we were exhausted, we camped out in hotel room's bed far more than usual to catch up on our sleep.  The linens and duvet were scrumptious-- And by Frette!!!  Do you know them?  I did-- and what I know about them is that they are far to expensive to ever be on my bed at home!  But there they were in all their glory at The Norman.  It was like sleeping on, in, and surrounded by, a silky cloud.  Heaven.

One morning I woke and figured out how The Norman tracks these gems of sheets-- Senors!  Yep, they are actually sewn into the seams so guests don't walk off with them!  Never saw that before.

Traveling though, not so fun.  I've come to the sad realization that a 10 hour time change and 20+ hours of flying and layovers are just too much for my body.  Talk about a killer.  It took nearly 5 days to adjust and catch up then it was almost time to come back home again.  Once we actually returned home it took another 5 days to get myself together.

Makes me wonder how I traveled like that for business all those years.  I know I was younger but sheesh-- It really wore me out.

While in Tel Aviv I discovered a new cookbook-- New to me at least, and I'm working my way through the recipes.  The amazing thing about the food in Israel-- and let me tell you-- we ATE and ATE and ATE, day in an day out-- was that both my husband and I actually LOST weight by the time we got home!  The menu is so filled with fresh vegetables and fish that even though we indulged, we felt great and dropped a few pounds.  That was an unexpected treat at the end of a vacation!

So now it's almost May and I'm working on getting central air conditioning in our house.  Last year's brutal two month heatwave was the straw that broke the camel's back. We live close enough to the ocean that we really didn't miss having it in the past but climate change, global warning, or old age-- whatever you want to call it, has changed things at Casa Jenkins!

How are YOU?
Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

That Moment...

Have you ever had that moment when you took a shortcut through the alley of restaurant you've always wanted to try... only to wish you'd taken the long way around?

That happened to me today on my way for some Indian food.

Cilantro drying in the back alley parking lot.

And to think the front of the restaurant looked so nice.  Sigh, I won't be eating Indian food again for what will probably be forever.

How's your day going?
 Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

Seeing Red

Sometimes the smallest gift is really a spontaneous gesture filled with so much kindness that it makes your heart overflow with gratitude. This picture is one such gift.

My oldest friend's husband snapped this picture on his phone as he left the church after my mother's funeral.  He was struck by the unusual reds that danced across in the sky, and the fact that my mother had asked all of her family to wear red to the service in celebration of her life.

The cold November day we buried our mom, I watched the stunning sunset unfold from the church pew-- at times filling the entire sky in varying shades of red-- as I listened to the minister speak of our clothing choices.

Now, on the rare occasion the skies blaze the same beautiful reds I saw that day, I take it, in all it's glory, as a nudge from our mother to stay strong and be happy.

My friends recently shared this photo with me, not quite sure how I would receive it.  My eyes opened wide the moment I saw it because I knew instantly when it had been taken... at the very end of the service, just before the sunset faded away.

Truly, it's one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given.

Tis The Season

No matter how you spell it, or what you celebrate, may your holidays be happy and bright.

Big hugs and I'll see you in 2016!

xoxo Joanna

Dr. Who and the Tardis Quilt

Dr. Who collectables scatter my godson's bedroom and Tardis comments pepper his conversation on a regular basis.  I've never seen an entire episode (Shh, don't tell!) but-- I can assure you, Godson has seen them ALL and he and his friends LOVE the show.

Over the years I've searched far and wide for Dr. Who collectibles and treats, picking them up in my travels and hoping it's something he doesn't already have.

This year, I'm pretty sure his upcoming birthday will make me a bit of a hero, if I do say so myself.

This is what I made for him...

(It took a while to put together using the Relatively Dimensional quilt pattern by Hunter's Design Studio.  I made the border slightly larger using Quilter's Linen Metallic-- the solids are Kona Cotton. All are from my favorite fabric store-- Sew Modern in Los Angeles.)

While working on the quilt, I tried to subtly drill Godson about specifics on the Tardis so I could quilt it as "real" as possible.  That process was a bit like pulling teeth but in the end, I figured out enough to give it a go...

Late in the game I learned there is some sort of round seal so I winged it to give the very basic "idea" of where it belongs.

Spoonflower was my source for the printed panels.  Info for that was included in the pattern.

I'll give the quilt wrapped with popcorn and all the goodies to go with an evening of Dr. Who binge watching with his friends.

The quilt has been washed so it's super soft and crinkly, which I love.  And it'll get even better with each washing.

Happy Birthday to my favorite Dr. Who fan!

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

Changing Times

Our neighborhood could be described as "charming", "family-oriented", "tree-lined" and, perhaps even "old".  At least that's how I look at it and love it.  It's what drew us to this 'hood in the first place.

But all that's changing thanks to "McMansions".

I do not love it.

My favorite home in the area recently bit the dust to a developer's plan for "progress towards the future".

Here it is...  Gorgeous, beautifully maintained and in pristine condition-- literally move-in ready-- all 3,000 square feet of it.  Problem is that this beauty, although on a shallow lot, is located on a double wide lot and that made it a developers dream.

First a "Notice" of demolition was posted and then, way too shortly thereafter, this started...

After that it was hard even walk down the street anymore.

The sad ending is that two, count 'em TWO 5,000 square foot houses will be built on the lot in it's place.  Two monster houses in the place of one lovely home.

This isn't the first sad story like this in our community-- it's actually being written about in the newspapers and talked about on the television and radio news all the time.  But developers have deep pockets and it appears, at least so far, nothing "legally" can be done to minimize the overbuilding of lots.

I totally get "progress" and an owner's right to do with their home/property what they want to-- really, I get it.  But I don't get the pile of rubble that once was a perfectly good home that's now in a landfill somewhere.

Or maybe I'm just really sad that the landscape of our neighborhood is changing-- literally.

Is this happening in your neighborhood?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

Scream and Shout!

 Call it an "In Case of Emergency" photo...

This picture was taken yesterday at the Ringling Bros. Circus with my godson.  It was a total blast! 

I'm saving it for a day when I really need to let loose and have a good rant-- like today when my contractor waterproofed and sealed my patio in the wrong color.

Yep, I'm going to need to scream!

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

A Vacuum Cleaner Beating

It all started innocently enough--  Vacuum the house and then go for a much-needed walk on a warm Southern California day.  It's feels (and looks) like about a decade since I worked out and I figured the combo of vacuuming and walking was a good place to start and would count as weight training and cardio (That's only a little stretch of the imagination, right?).

But half way through the living room chore my trusty vacuum started wheezing-- just a little at first, but than it worked itself up into a high pitched screech that had the neighbor's dog wailing. 

I fussed and fiddle with the machine trying to make things right, but couldn't identify where the noise was actually coming from-- Not the hose, the bag or any one specific place.  Screaming at me, it was as if the entire vacuum was either in shock that I was dragging it around cleaning... Or it was on it's last leg.

Dang.  I really like this vacuum too.

Since the vacuum was still picking up dust, I kept pushing it along, praying the noise would stop, and cleaning from one room to the next, until the exhausting and nerve-wracking job was finally finished. 

By this time, I knew I had to take the machine in for repair and was giving myself a good talking to because I couldn't identify the source of the noise-- Translation:  Not paying attention when I pulled the plug out from the wall while at the same time stepping on the button that retracts the cord and winds it up inside the machine all nice and neat.

Well... like I said, it's been a while since I was the one doing the vacuuming around here and I'd forgotten about the crazy cord rewind.

Note to self:  Do not bend over, thereby putting your face too close to the machine when the cord is whipping towards you at the speed of light.

Faster than you can say "Mike Dyson", the plug and my face-- specifically my lip-- collided in a rather uncomfortable smack, just barely avoiding chipping a tooth, but definitely doing significant damage to my bottom lip.

Let's just say much blood followed and by the end of the day I looked like I'd gone a few rounds with an able-bodies contender.

But it was only the vacuum who beat me up-- The vacuum that was repaired waaay before my lip healed.  The vacuum that didn't dare wheeze or screech while I still had a fat lip.  The vacuum that taught me a valuable lesson-- not the least of which was that from now on, I'm letting someone else do the cleaning around here!

# # # # #

Gosh, I can't believe how long it's been since my last post!  All's well, I've just been really busy.  I have lots to share and promise to be back soon.

How are YOU?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

Happy, Calm and Um....

I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions for 2015 mainly because the thought of having one more thing on my "to-do" list was overwhelming. I was tired, stressed and worn down enough without feeling defeated for not accomplishing yet another goal.

A better attitude would definitely have been on my agenda if I'd made a resolution-- after all, the countless funerals I've attended in the past few years were more than my heart could stand and left me feeling stressed and sad.  Maybe that's why an emailed review request about a supplement called "Happy Calm Focused" caught my eye.

In all honesty, the super positive name and packaging had me rolling my eyes and laughing out loud at its claims.  It was early February and I'd already attended three MORE funerals of loved ones.  (I know!  When will it STOP!?!)  But if ever someone was in need of help being happy and calm it was definitely me.  So, after taking my head out of the oven I agreed to give the HCF supplement a try.  A free bottle arrived in my mailbox shortly thereafter.

Did I mention that I have never, ever, blindly tried a supplement before? Not once.  I called my doc who said it was okay to give one bottle a try to see if he helped.  Then I checked the mostly very positive HCF reviews online and popped the top.

The cobolt blue bottle made me happy-- I collect blue glass and even though this was plastic the coloring wasn't lost on me.

Could I have been momentarily happy before even swallowing the three substantial capsules that smelled a lot like herbs and the back of a pharmacy?  Probably not, but it made me smile nevertheless.  A good start, huh?

It's important to take HCF on an empty stomach 30 minutes before eating in the morning-- That had me watching the clock because I wake up starved and actually keep granola bars on my bedside table.  As the thirty minutes ticked by til food time, I could still taste that herb/pharmacy/ick smell and was less than calm waiting to eat something to squash the after-taste.

Was Happy Calm Focused really working on me?  Fast forward three weeks...

Two more very sad situations with loved ones later (Again I say-- When will it STOP!) and I have to admit that I'm taking things in stride which I translate to being more calm in a crisis.  Happy might be too strong a word to describe my emotional state these days but the noise in my head when tracking the drama that surrounds me is somewhat lower. Both good things.

As for focused-- I'm afraid that ship has sailed for me.  I haven't been laser focused in more years than I can remember and have actually forgotten where I put the Happy Calm Focused supplement bottle a few times.

Will I continue to take the HCF supplement after the bottle is empty? I'm not sure.  The biggest down side for me is the indigestion and "repeating" of the supplement throughout the day.  I'm not crazy about that.  This is not a side-effect I read about in online reviews so maybe it's just my "delicate" system.

Happy Calm Focused isn't a "miracle in a bottle", at least not for me. Rather, it's an amino acid based supplement that might have helped make me feel a little better.  Will it help you feel happier, more calm and focused?  You'll have to be the judge.

Available on Amazon.com.

How are you feeling these days?
Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

Great Paying Job

I arranged these flowers myself.  No housekeeper required.

I am always amazed by the things that appear on our online community homeowners website.  I told you about the Great Lemon Caper.  Now we have what I can only call Housekeeper Madness.

Names have been changed (in blue) to protect the innocent and slightly crazy....

It all leaves me thinking maybe I should go back to work-- cleaning houses!

Happy weekend!
Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

I Dare You Not To Smile

I've heard police called a lot of things but never a "Diva" before.

This has been on the news lately but it's worth a look.  There is NO WAY you can't watch this video and not smile.

I crack up when he spots and waves at a pedestrian.

I don't know this guy, and I'm guessing there is a lot of teasing and joking going on back at the police station but seriously, I think I would love having him as my next door neighbor... and at my next party.

And, I'm grateful that I do not have a dashboard camera in my car to catch my antics.  How about you?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  --  Joanna Jenkins

Move Over Rudolph

Santa has a new sleigh-- Marine One from the The Ronald Reagan Library.

Have no fear!  Your gifts are on their way.

Wishing you a fabulous holiday.  And a big thank you for making this year so special.

xo Joanna

Tis The Season

I've been busy, as you can see.

This the my workroom-- which sounds fancier than "my old office".  I might switch to calling it my "studio" in 2015 where I create, mediate and retreat to when the day catches up with me.  But for now it's the space I dumped all my holiday shopping packages.

It's hard to tell, but behind the mountain of boxes and bags is a large table with my sewing machine on it.  Behind that is a long cabinet stacked high with fabric.  Honest.

And I'm usually very neat and organized.  (Not.)

So this week I sorted, wrapped and wrapped and wrapped, boxed up and shipped, and divided the remaining packages into stacks for their local destinations this holiday.

I can almost see the floor again.

Did my husband help, you ask?  Why of course.  He brought home a package of bows from the drug store... And his work is done.

How's your holiday shopping coming along?

Welcome to wwwTheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

Wet. Very Wet

Feeling really lucky to have my Mom's rain boots this week.  She wore them for years whenever it was wet out to walk her sweet dog, Noah.  The dog lives with my baby sister now and the boots were parked at my back door just waiting for the rain.

The first time it rained after mom passed away was in about April and I just couldn't bring myself to put them on.

But this rain-soaked Friday morning in December seemed like a good time to take a short walk between downpours and soak up a little of Mom's love.  I can't fill her shoes but her boots are pretty darn comfy.

For more Sundays In My City visit the fabulous Unknown Mami. 

 How's your Sunday?  

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

I Used To Love Rummage Sales

It was a gigantic fund-raising Rummage Sale like so many others I'd been to...

But it wasn't.  

It was 7 very large rooms of a community center and all the hallways jammed pack with other people's donated "stuff" for sale.

But it wasn't.

It was all meteciously organized and sorted by category so you could easily search out exactly what you were looking for.

But it wasn't.

It was every second-hand shopper's dream sale.

But it wasn't.  Not at all.

Back home recently for a fast weekend of visiting family before the snow flies in Northeast Ohio, my sisters and I stopped by the much anticipated Community Rummage Sale we'd been attending annually for at least 20 years.  This is the mother of all Rummage Sales with more treasures and surprise purchases than any other.  Furniture, kitchenware, linens, pictures, crafts, glassware, you name it...  Truly-- everything you could think of and then some.  We love this sale.

But not this year.

The Rummage Sale is the brainchild of the residents at the senior living community my mom lived in before she passed away nearly 11 months ago.  The "merchandise" is mostly donated by residents when they are downsizing to move into new houses or apartments on the senior campus.

It's generally all the stuff that new residents either can't fit into their new home, stuff their family members don't want or need, or items they simply no longer desire.  It's all donated for a good cause and everyone feels really good about passing their belongings on because the funds raised go to help seniors in need.

But it's not.

And by "not" I mean it's not just stuff donated when new residents are downsizing to move into the senior living community.  It's also all the stuff donated by families when their loved ones pass away.  A realization that we, when attending the Rummage Sale all these years, choose not to think about.

As I said, this was a much anticipated event for my sisters and I so, without hesitation, we piled into Baby Sister's giant SUV and headed to the sale hoping to find small crystal bowls, mason jars and votive candle holders to be used at my niece's wedding this coming Spring.

When we walked into the front door we were immediately greeted by my mother's former next door neighbor.  She really misses mom and we had a lovely conversation together albeit with a lump in our throats.

Then, even though we'd braced ourselves for the possibility of running into more of Mom's other friends, we stepped into the first room to shop-- kitchenware.

But we shouldn't have.

On a table, four steps inside the door, were my mother's kitchen placemats for sale-- The ones I'd made her a million years ago and she insisted were "just fine" for her new home even though they didn't match anything but she used them everyday because I'd made them for her. 

I could literally hear my sisters' intake of breath simultaneously followed by zippered purses opening to reach for Kleenex.  Seeing our mother's donated things for sale never crossed out minds.

And there we stood silently, tears rolling down our faces-- all of us touching the placemats that I now held in my arms like a child holding a favorite teddy bear.  No words, just tears and the realization that our last moments of denial about mom's passing, and thinking the past 11 months had all been a bad dream that we would magically wake-up from, faded with our tears on the fabric of the mates.

Apparently we stood frozen at the "placemat table" for a long time because a nearly 85 year old resident volunteer wearing a name tag and apron gently nudged us along because we were holding up other shoppers.

As we snaked our way through the many tables of sale items, we spotted more of the "stuff" we'd donated when our mother passed away-- Her dish towels, the ones with the crocheted tops that she hung off her kitchen stove handle.  Then came the China tea pot without a lid that Mom always put the dandelions we'd pick for her as kids.

In the "Holiday Room" we immediately spotted the Halloween candle holders with the tiny mice glued on them and the wooden, brightly painted Easter flowers mom pulled out for display every year.

The next room was filled with tables loaded with glassware... and mom's juice glasses, butter dishes, and tea cups as well as several small crystal bowls, mason jars and votive candles.

We stopped by the "Elegant Elephants" room-- Which loosely translated means "the expensive but hideously ugly donated stuff they didn't know where else to put" and there we spotted Mom's over-sized glass angel dressed in a wonky pink and blue glittered gown and appearing to fly like Peter Pan.  I'm pretty sure mom would have called the angel an "Elephant" too but never revealed which family member gave it to her and always had it displayed in her living room.

From room to room we went, seeing residents who asked us if we were our mother's daughters because we look so much like her.  Staff members hugged us and told us with tears in their eyes how much they missed our Mom's positive attitude and sense of humor.

And we continued to "shop" room by room.

But we didn't.

"Shop" that is.  We were really just looking for our mother's things.

In the end, we bought all of our mother's "stuff" that we could find at the Rummage Sale... the stuff we brokenheartedly donated because we all had already brought so much of our mother's cherished possessions to our own home when she passed.

Mom's things at the Rummage Sale were just too hard to see left behind.  Silly, I know, but my sisters and I came home with a carload of our mother's possessions... that we paid for... because we couldn't bear to leave them, or her, behind at the Rummage Sale.

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins
Photo Credit: © Kellis - Fotolia.com

Friday Fragments - 9/26/14

I do my best to stay out of Costco because it's usually an expensive swing around the warehouse store followed by a $1.50 hot dog and soda that I really didn't need (along with a ton of other stuff stacked in my cart).  But this week required stocking up my bare cupboards and this jar of chocolate caramel deliciousness landed in my cart with the silent pledge to "Only eat ONE per day!".

You can see how well that pledge worked... Although I did have a partner in crime, my husband.

####

I learned a fascinating thing about Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's--  They always have a beautiful display of affordable fresh flowers on hand, but did you know they also do bridal flowers!  Seriously, you can get a "wedding in a box" so to speak, delivered to your front door-- Bride's bouquet, bridemaids' bouquets, boutonnieres and rose pedals for the flower girl, the works.  Who knew!?!

And you can buy bulk flowers as well.  That's how I found out about it.  I Googled "bulk baby's breath" and there it was.

#####

Baby's breath was on my mind for my niece who's getting married in May, 2015-- The same niece that's going to graduate as a Veterinarian two weeks before her big day.  She'd like to work with large animals.  Good thing, huh?  (PS She's 5' 6" tall!)

Did I show you this photo already?

#####

This baby quilt was finished and shipped off to a new mama.  I think she was pretty happy with it.  At least grandma/my friend was who said if she knew what my gift was she'd have kept the blanket at her house for the baby.  Ha!

 Did I show you this photo already too?  A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

#####

And I've been spotting this sign around Beverly Hills at all the public parking lots.  

Give me spare change 

and I may never get off 

these streets.  Give to

organizations that could 

really help me 

and you could save my life. 

It's up to you.

It's up to you.

I'm not sure how I feel about it.  What do you think?

#####

Got random bits flying around in your head? Pull them together and share them in your own Friday Fragments.  For more Fragmenters, click HERE and visit Mrs. 4444, our gracious hostess.  

Oh good lord, how on earth did I turn this red on?  And what's with that white bar up there?  Sheesh.  A mind really IS a terrible thing to waste.  Sigh.

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

There's One In Every Crowd

I belong to a neighborhood community website that lets neighbors, elected officials, and first responders keep in touch about everything from road closures and coyote sightings to requests for contractor referrals and babysitters.  (Think Facebook for your 'hood.)

Residents have been mostly respectful and keep their comments and posts about the neighborhood.  Some just give the facts or ask simple questions--  Others definitely "over share".

Case in point...

A neighbor posted that squirrels were eating all the lemons off her tree and wanted to know if anyone had an easy solution that had worked for them.  From her post question, I got the impression she was looking for safe and sane solutions.

But that's not the response she got.  Turns out, peeps in our 'hood are very passionate about their fruit trees!  And they really don't like squirrels-- Any squirrels!  Not.  At.  All.

One guy talked about the wolf urine he buys online and sprays on all his fruit to scare the squirrels away.  Another talked about having tried a hot pepper concoction that was only successful at killing her trees.  And another actually takes the time to rubber band all her fruit to the branches while it ripens making it more difficult for critters to carry off.

A prominent member of our community went on and on that all she has to do is feed the squirrels plenty of peanuts every single day and they stay away from her fruit trees.  I yiyi-- That was met with screams and pleads to stop feeding wildlife complete with links to county ordinances to prove it's against the law.

There is a long time resident (whose profile includes his photo and complete address.) who simply traps and drowns the squirrels claiming it's the very most humane thing to do.  His comment was easily 300 words long and explained-- in great detail, the ins and outs of his reasoning.  This comment was met with barely a response!

Good lord, you'd think the squirrels were carrying away small children, not lemons!

Within 24 hours there were about 30 comments to the simple question of "how to stop squirrels from eating lemons off trees" with many neighbors feeling compelled to comment for the first time ever.

But then... One comment in particular, well.... that's when things really went sour.

A middle-aged guy (I know because his comments came with his full name, photo and full address)-- let's call him Bozo, bragged that he didn't notice any "bare fruit trees" because he takes daily walks in our area and "has lunch" by picking fruit off other people's trees along the way-- several pieces in fact-- and thinks there's nothing wrong with going into people's yards scavenging because "there's enough fruit for people and the squirrels".

That made me wonder if he poached and dined on the fruit with the wolf urine sprayed on it.

To add insult to injury, Bozo went on to brag that he and a buddy drive around in a swank BMW and gather shopping bags full of a variety of fruit from people's yards... in the dark of night.

And the you know what hit the fan.

The community site blew up with comments.

Apparently, we have some crazy squirrels in these parts who not only eat lemons (and figs, oranges, avocados, apples, pears and plums), they also chew their way through cable wires, security screens and the likes.  Folks mostly just want the squirrels to go away.  But they really, really want Bozo to go away.  And by "away" I mean-- Behind bars in an orange jumpsuit (Orange--no pun intended)!

More than 100 comments later and people are still livid that Bozo sees no problem with stealing fruit from people's yards.  Great debate has gone on and he's justified his actions on the site at least 6 times with no apologizes.  Even people who don't have fruit trees are going ballistic.

Folks have politely, and not so politely, explained to Bozo that homeowners pay a high price for watering, pruning and maintaining their trees.  And the trees are on private property.  Bozo doesn't have a leg to stand on or any right to be taking people's fruit from their yards.

And the comments go on and on and on...

To be honest, I have not gotten into the great squirrel debate with my neighbors but as a result, I've changed my settings to only include police reports on our community website.  Some may say I'd be more passionate about this issue if the squirrels were a problem for me but, at least for now, they are not.

Other than thinking trapping and drowning squirrels is hateful, I just can't get on this bandwagon.  To read all the banter and drama about the fruit thief and see only a few comments about the squirrel-drowner has left me not really feeling very neighborly.

# # # # 

Summer has flown by!  I hope to be back on a more regular basis.  
Thanks for stopping by.
Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins
Photo credit: © denira - Fotolia.com

I'm Not Buying It

Having just posted about the marvels of the iPhone and how it's changed my way of life, I was blown away at a presentation I attended recently given by a successful small business owner who talked about how the iPhone screen is at the core of her business product development.

As the manufacture of modern quilts doing business in the US, Canada and Europe, she discussed how ALL of her designs start small-- very small-- as in on the 2" X 3" screen of her smart phone.  Long story short-- If her quilt looks good on a very small screen... like a cellphone, Instagram or Pinterest-- then they will sell well.  If her quilts lose their impact, color, pattern/design, etc. on the small image size, it's scrapped from her collection.

Kinda makes sense if you think about it.  A gorgeous floral print, for example, may look stunning in a giant quilt, but on the very small screen-- thanks to modern technology-- the pattern is reduced so much it can get lost and, in some cases, can even disappear or muddy the colors meaning the customer might not be getting the quilt fabric/pattern they expected.

Genius, is all I can say because in a million years, I'd have never thought our buying habits (as well as design and marketing products) had changed so much so fast and to such a small-- and very cost effective format.

Then...  I got a look at another successful manufacture who has a very different idea of how people shop... It reminds me of the old Sears catalog approach which, in my opinion, is outdated, ridiculously costly (ultimately to the consumer?) and overkill to say the least.

Not long ago I received FIFTEEN POUNDS of Restoration Hardware catalogs delivered to my door step.  I practically needed a crane to pick them up off my porch.  The package included 14 different catalogs covering their entire product line.  And by the way, they were not promoting a sale.  The impression I got was that I was supposed to keep these catalogs as a reference for future purchases.  (Not.)

Granted, I'm talking about two very different companies and product lines, but the glaring differences between marketing via social media like Instagram and Pinterest versus old school catalogs with expensive photography printed on beautiful paper, then bundled and hand delivered to my front door left me wondering if Restoration Hardware was totally disconnected from today's shoppers-- not to mention the environmental impact of this stack of paper that almost immediately landed in my recycle bin without opening a single page.  Do plush towels, furniture and rugs really sell better using expensive, bulky catalog mailings?

In all honesty, receipt of the Restoration Hardware monster catalogs left me feeling guilty and a little bit miffed that I bought bath towels in their store about three years ago which is why, I'm assuming, I received this expensive collection of catalogs-- Guilty because I'm pretty "green" in our household and call catalog companies asking them to remove me from their mailing list to lighten my carbon footprint.  Dang!  Obviously I missed Restoration Hardware. 

Did my small towel purchase three years ago generate-- and warrant-- my receiving fifteen pounds of catalogs?  No, not in a million years.  My guess is the catalogs ate up their profits in my small purchase.  I'd have rather they shipped me a free towel instead.  That would be positive attention getting marketing.  And I'm guessing the towel would have been far less expensive then the cost to produce and deliver their catalogs.  The towel wouldn't have landed in the recycle bin either-- Just sayin'.

My shopping habits have changed drastically over the past few years and catalogs are long gone.  I turn to the Internet for everything from groceries and books to bathing suits purchases and prefer not to shop in brick and mortar stores if at all possible (Thus the bathing suit shopping online and it's lack of giant three-way mirrors!).  But, thanks to Restoration Hardware, I'm wondering if I might be missing something.  Or not.

What do you think? 

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

Already Four

I have a clear memory of blogging about my first great-niece, E, and how marvelous it was to have a smart phone to receive text messages and photos all through my niece's labor.  The idea of communicating with a woman in the delivery room was shocking and exciting.

In the end, a photo of this little peanut appeared on my blog...

 
It's hard to believe that in four short years I've grown unable to live without my iPhone and totally acknowledge how pathetic it is to admit that... and truly mean it.

And it's also hard to believe that my first great-niece, E, is now a whopping four years old!  I absolutely can't live without her either. 

For her 4th birthday dinner, as usual, our family held hands to say grace before the meal.  E insisted on saying the blessing and took her job very seriously.  After a moment of thought, she took a deep breath and said...  "Dear God...."

And then she proceed to recite the entire Pledge of Allegiance-- After which, we all said, "Amen."

Happy 4th Birthday E.  Make a wish and wish big!

 For more Sundays In My City stop by and say hello to Unknown Mami

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins