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

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

So this happened...

I said a little prayer when the holidays were finally over.  They were rough.  I spent much of them in denial but, just twelve days into the new year, I realized I hadn't stuck my head in the sand nearly as much as I'd thought.

Case in point-- My last month in pictures...

Our family welcomed a new baby cousin.  

I made this quilt and hope it keeps him cozy and warm. 

 Glam Clam Quilt Pattern by Latifah Saafar

All fabrics from the fabulous Sew Modern in Los Angeles.

My BFF made homemade marshmallows and shared some with me.  

They were seriously delicious and light as a feather.

My friends also shared their Christmas with me-- 

Their tree was magical and filled with vintage ornaments.

We had relatives from out-of-town visiting for two weeks so we took in the LA sights including the Space Shuttle Endeavor--  I never get tired of seeing this magnificent ship.

We saw "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" at the movie theater and LOVED it.  (Thanks to great cinematography, I also want to travel to Iceland and Greenland now too!)

Husband hung the blue stained glass in my kitchen window.  It belonged to my mother and looks perfect with the blue glass I've been collecting for the past 30 years.

And we also visited The Skirball Cultural Center. 

This quote says it all for me.  I'll try to keep that in mind as I plow through 2014.

Happy New Year one and all.
xo Joanna

 Stop by and see Unknown Mami for more Sundays In My City.

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com

Honor

Airports don't usually make me cry-- at least not unless my flight has been cancelled, but this past weekend, an event at the airport had me crying like a baby, and that is NOT something I usually do.

Husband and I were waiting for our slightly delayed flight from Baltimore back to Los Angeles and had an extra hour before boarding was scheduled.  I heard part of an announcement over the crackling loud speaker about "welcoming troops... static... Gate 20... static... in 10 minutes..."

I wasn't sure what was happening but we took a walk down the concourse and could easily see something "big" was about to happen.  More than 100 people were lined up with American flags and balloons in great anticipation of an arriving flight.  Since it was nearly Memorial Day, we assumed we were greeting soldiers arriving back in the States and were thrilled to be a part of it.

That was not the case.  Rather, we were greeting more than ninety World War II Veterans who were traveling to Washington DC to see their War Memorial as part of the Honor Flight Network.

As the doors to the jetway opened, people in the front got the first glimpses of aging soldiers, many of whom were in wheel chairs or using walkers.  Cheers, applause and whistling erupted and didn't stop until every single Veteran being honored had departed the plane-- more than 40 minutes later!  And I mean, the cheering never stopped, slowed, or quieted down!

Not a great photo, but you get the idea.  I was crying so hard most of the pics I took were blurry.

The crowd of on lookers grew to more than 300 enthusiastic people of all ages.   We were now 2 or 3 people deep in a line that snaked over 25 yards long--  It was a glorious welcome parade for the heroes, each one slowly making their way, shaking hands, saluting and wiping tears.  Frankly, there wasn't a dry eye in the place!

These courageous men and women, all well over the age of 80, were in awe of the reception they'd never expected.  And so was I.  It began as a small Welcome Committee from Honor Flight and, thanks to the airline's announcement, grew to literally hundreds of people thanking soldiers for their great service to America.  It made me feel so proud.

Reaching out, shaking hands and being able to thank people who served our country so bravely is an experience I won't soon forget.  I'm still choked up just thinking about it.

God bless America and the world.
Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America's veterans for all their sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. Now, with over 800 World War II veterans dying each day, our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.

Photo Credit: © grgroup - Fotolia.com

Lingering Cloud

There's a strange vibe in my neighborhood these days, everyone knows it, even strangers walking by our homes for the first time-- At least it seems that way.  The air is thick with something you can't quite put your finger on-- It lingers heavy like a rain cloud about to burst into a hellacious storm.

Occasionally this dark cloud of angst is separated with squeals of laughter by playing children too young to understand why people are pacing in front of homes with hushed whispers into cell phones, why so many people are arriving with trays of food, and why for some unknown reason, the two houses on either side of ours are still blazing brightly, night and day, with tens of thousands of Christmas lights.

Today is January 8, 2013.

Our neighbor, the one most of the 'hood referred to as "Super Dad", died very unexpectedly two days after Christmas.  He was only 51 years old, a fact that surprised many because he looked so much younger.

He and his family own the houses on both sides of ours.  (They live in one, the other is used for "storage".  That's a story for a different time.) They purchased the original house 18 years ago.  That house spent the first 8 years surrounded by a chain link fence with two big dumpsters in the front yard and as many as 14 barking dogs residing there during their endless construction.  It was not a pleasant time and back then, "Super Dad" was referred to as "The Crazy One" who was a pretty rotten neighbor through the entire process.

When the husband and wife finally moved in nearly nine years after they bought the house, the dogs moved out but the shenanigans with the dumpsters and contractors continued until their first child was born 2 years later.  Today she is about 8 years old.

Life seemed to calm down at the house under construction and "The Crazy One" started to mellow with fatherhood and age.  He was the stay-home dad and clearly devoted to his daughter.  His wife is an attorney who works long hours running the very large family business.

Three years ago a second baby girl arrived and again, his transformation was tremendous.  His new title of "Super Dad" was well-deserved.  It was a pretty amazing and very genuine.

When the police, fire engine and ambulance came roaring down our street the early morning of December 27th, it was pretty hard to miss.  My husband dressed and went to offer assistance.  The wife, still in her pajamas and soaking wet from the pouring rain was standing in the middle of our driveway-- the exact center point between their two houses.  At first Husband thought she was a homeless person because she was, frankly, unrecognizable and drenched to the bone.

She had never spoken a word to my husband in 18 years but today she walked straight up to him and told the shocking story...

The night before their kids had a tea party with friends in the front yard surrounded by the glow of Christmas lights.  At the end of the evening, the two kids went for a sleepover at their friend's house.  The wife had the flu and went off to bed while "Super Dad" cleaned up.  When she awoke in morning he was nowhere to be found.  Since it was early, she made a dash from one house to the other in her PJs to look for him assuming he'd slept at the other house because she was sick.

That was not the case.  "Super Dad" died during the clean up Friday night and she found him in the front yard Saturday morning.  They're still not sure if he fell and hit his head on the cement or if he had a massive heart attack.  Regardless, he was there all night, in the pouring rain, and it was simply awful.

She sobbed and sobbed in shock as my husband hugged this almost stranger in our driveway.

And so began the days-long stream of people offering their support-- Family and friends arrive daily to help the grieving wife.  From my office and from our TV room we see people pacing between houses, many crying, others on cell phones, all terribly distraught at this tragedy-- All the while the Christmas lights-- and I mean CHRISTMAS LIGHTS that light up the entire block-- are on, flashing frantically and brightly.

It's eerie--  Two large white angels with trumpets pointing to the sky light up the archway to the path leading to the front door-- where "Super Dad" was found.  The towering 6 foot high shrubs that hide the entire home from the street are covered with tens of thousands of white twinkle lights.  The house itself is also plastered with lights even though they aren't visible from the street. They're there because he was "Super Dad" and the kids wanted them for their tea party.

At the second house, the one on the other side of ours-- More lights-- thousands of them, all green and red blinking in unison to soundless music.  The glow is so powerful that I swear you could spot them from an airplane overheard.

It is odd to see the Christmas lights blazing night and day, during a time of great mourning.  Or perhaps it's not.  In the big scheme of thing, the lights are incidental and possibly unnoticed by family and friends.  Then again-- the decorations are a bright example of the kind of dad he was.  His kids loved the lights and often stood in the front yard in their "feet pajamas" at night to ohh and ahh at them.  Maybe turning the lights out would be too sad, and too final, and too dark at an already dark time.

Regardless, they continue to shine well after Christmas and I'm hoping it brings the family some peace and happy memories of their "Super Dad".

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkin 
Photo Credit © Volodymyr Krasyuk - Fotolia.com

Christmas Ornament Giveaway!

Now that Thanksgiving is over and I'm well past my turkey coma, I don't mind the endless Christmas music on the radio anymore-- I'm actually enjoying it!  But what I'm not enjoying is the battle for a parking space at my local mall.  Ahh, this the season.

Thank heaven for blogger extraordinaire, Attila The Mom, and her crew of very talented folks who make the gorgeous fabric ornaments shown above.  Those beauties are all hand made and so beautiful that I own several of them already-- And I never had to leave the comfort of home to get them.  Isn't online shopping great?

Some of you may recall that Attila provided one of these gems as a giveaway for me last year, and now I'm totally in the Christmas spirit because she's offering another one this year!

What makes these ornaments so special and why I'm happy to participate in this giveaway is because of the significance of how these ornaments and the company, Highland Roses Design, came to be.  It all started with Attila's family... 

Highland Roses Design Collaborative Craft Studio is a privately-funded project that provides individuals who live with disabilities and/or mental illnesses as well as their family caregivers an opportunity to step towards independence through the sale of our own arts and crafts creations. They accept no grants or government funding, and are working to become self-sustaining through our own endeavors.

Every step of this undertaking is a collaborative effort---from design to creation. Each distinctive ornament is produced by several sets of hands---all working together to create something special!  For more info or to place an order CLICK HERE. 

I can't tell you how blown away I was when I received my first ornament from this hardworking group of crafters.  They are beautiful-- Not just the ornaments, but the hands and hearts that made them.  Here's YOUR chance to own one too. 

  

 Christmas Ornament Giveaway!  

 Choose from one of the three ornaments pictured as your prize. 

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on THIS POST and/or on and or all of my new my posts between now and midnight PT, December 15, 2012.  The more you comment, the more chances you have to win.

And, if you want to be a super elf and help spread the word-- Just blog about the giveaway and/or Highland Roses Design's ornaments, linking to THIS POST, and you'll get THREE MORE chances to win.

Easy peasy.

Giveaway available to everyone, everywhere in the world, as long as you have a blog and I can email you for your address.  I'll notify the winner on December 16th.  

So come-- Get in the Christmas spirit and enter to win!

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

For more info on Highland Roses Design Collaborative Craft Studio click HERE!

Thanksgiving Comes First

As I sit watching TV with a half eaten bag of Halloween candy, I am reminded, despite the barrage of Christmas commercials and the numerous news reports of people camped out in from of retailers for days to get "early bird" specials on Black Friday, that Thanksgiving Comes First.

And really, it should-- Thanksgiving coming first, that is-- Especially since it's early this year-- November 22nd.  To that end, I'm focusing on the things I am thankful for while I ignore the non-stop Christmas music on the easy listening radio stations and the endless stream of Christmas commercializing from retailers on the TV that started well before Halloween.  And I'm making a point of NOT Chri$tma$ $hopping before Thanksgiving to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

Instead, in the 22 days leading up to Thanksgiving I am focusing on the many things I am thankful for...

1.  Chocolate.  Because just one bite helps minimize angst, exhaustion and anxiety.

2.  Lumpy turkey gravy.  It immediately reminds me of my late great-grandmother who made the best ever.

Dad, Mom, Granny and me - circa 1964-ish.

3.  Holding hands when my Ohio family says grace before a meal-- even if we're in a restaurant.  Stopping everything everyone is doing to hold hands and give thanks for the day and the meal we are about to share brings tears to my eyes.

4.  My grandparents-- The ones who always welcomed me with open arms and unconditional love.  My first Thanksgiving memories were at the kids' table in their crowded kitchen-- warm from all the cooking and so many people crammed into the small room that the windows "steamed up".

5.  Cool whip.  'Nuff said.

6.  Jello, because it's not Thanksgiving without it.

7.  Friends.  True friends.  Mine are few but priceless.

8.  100 watt light bulbs-- A lot of them, and having them turned on-- All.  The.  Time.  These days I'm still a little spooked because of these idiots so I'm lighting things up day and night to remind myself how thankful I am to have a home, even if it is all glass.

9.  Prayers for my loved ones in need.  Knowing that on a daily basis, loving and generous people I have never met, pray-- by name, for the well-being of people I care about is absolutely humbling and deeply appreciated.

10. My sewing machine and the ability to use my arthritic hands well enough to make this quilt for Middle Sister as a house warming present...

11. A whole week of school vacation for Thanksgiving-- Godson (now in high school) and I have big plans.  And to say that I am thankful that I'm still cool enough for him to hang out with is an understatement.

12. The old cemetery in my hometown.  It's a beautiful place where my dad and his side of the family are all buried.  Rain, shine, blazing heat or brutal winters-- it makes no difference. It's the place to go to be surrounded by love and peace.

13.  I give thanks for breakfast.  Second only to Thanksgiving dinner, it's hands down, my favorite meal.

14.  Flannel pajamas and warm fuzzy socks.

Mom and her dog, Noah.

 15.  I'm thankful for strong female role models growing up.  I had more than my share-- starting with my mother.

16.  All twelve of my nieces and nephews.  They full my heart with joy.

17.  My brother-- The one to call in case of an emergency.  He's rock solid, gives great advice, never judges, and loves with his whole heart.

My siblings and I - circa 1966-ish.

18.  My three sisters--  I can bare my soul to all of them and vice-a-versa.  We are blessed to have each other.

19.  Monopoly-- the game, because it's brought multiple generations of my family together after Thanksgiving dinner for more years than I can count.

20.  I am very thankful for my husband, the love of my life.

21.  My husband.  Because it's worth repeating.

22.  Grandma Lee's Nude Apple Pie.  It was a family favorite dessert, although it was a cake, not a pie and, it was "naked" because there was no frosting.  Gram kept the "recipe" on a 3" X 5" index card covered with spattered ingredients from decades of use.  The thing is though, that the recipe lists all the ingredients but not the quantities.  And her "secret" ingredient that made the cake so darn delicious was never written down.  No matter how hard we've tried, my sisters and I have never been able to come even remotely close to duplicating her cake.  But, the memory of Grandma Lee's cake is still vivid in our minds, especially at Thanksgiving.  And for that reason alone, I don't want to rush past Thanksgiving-- I want to linger in the memories and the joy it brings.

Thanks to Suldog, a terrific blogger and writer, for always reminding us that Thanksgiving Comes First.  Check it out HERE.  

Happy Thanksgiving.  xo jj
Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins

Merry Happy

My sweet baby niece Olivia.

Whatever you celebrate, may your holiday be bright.

xoxox

Joanna

Drum Roll Please...

And the winner of my Silver, Gold and Cash Giveaway is....

Tammy at Hot Flashes In The Desert

A million thanks to all who entered. I really appreciate it. Please know how meaningful it is to me that you participated and that you learned more about Attila The Mom's great company, Highland Roses Design. The ornaments designed and made by her crew are truly stunning. If you haven't checked them out yet, please do. Below are the ornaments I purchased.

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In other happy giveaway news, I found out this morning that I was the lucky winner of This Stop Willoughby's giveaway presented by Novica in Association with National Geographic. I was able to purchase a beautiful shawl with my gift card. THANKS!

#####

I type this with several paper-cuts on my hands from wrapping holiday packages for shipping to my family back home in Ohio. They will laugh out loud when the boxes arrive. I think I used nearly an entire role of packing tape to secure the boxes.

Instead of focusing on the task at hand-- positioning three, maybe four, pieces of tape per box, I was thinking about my sweet Step-Dad Dave who passed away in July.

Dave was a meticulous packer. When my mother-in-law passed away a few years ago, Baby Sister baked her famous peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for us and Dave wrapped them so carefully for FedEx that not a single cookie broke in the cross-country shipment.

Tears are rolling down my face as I think back on it. I miss my family and the holiday blues are starting to sink in.... Tis the season.

Big sigh.

Are you ready for the holidays?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

A Big What!?! and $$$ Giveaway

It took a long moment for his words to register in my brain, his thick Russian accent playing tricks on my ears, or so I thought....

"You have very big poops."

He said it several times in response to the alarmed look on my face...

"Very big poops! Not good."

Standing in my living room, I took a step back, almost in self defense, and to distance myself from the potential conversation this near stranger was attempting to have with me. Joseph had been washing my windows, inside and out, for the past ten years but we were hardly on friendly enough terms for this type of chit-chat.

Again, with one last ditch effort to help me understand he said...

"YOU.

HAVE.

VERY.

BIG.

POOPS!"

...As if saying it slower and louder would make it easier for my brain to comprehend.

And then he held up his hand to show me, his thick fingers unfolding to reveal mouse poop.

Oh thank gawd!

Seriously, the first thing I thought was that now I didn't have to find a new window washer because I definitely would not hire a poop talking guy again, but alas, it was only mouse poop.

Phew!

Then the words sunk in. Mouse poop!

WTH?!?

Joseph found the "big poops", three small droppings, upstairs in my office. That meant the "mouse" was INSIDE my house-- In fact, it was on the floor next to my sewing machine.

Instantly my head hurt.

Thirty minutes later I was at Ace Hardware buying mouse traps in small, medium and large sizes to capture the pooping pest and get it the hell out of my house. Eleven traps ought to do it, don't you think? (I hope, I hope!)

But before I raced to the store, I closed my bedroom door-- Right after I scoured it high and low for any trace of mouse droppings. There were none, thank gawd, otherwise I'd have to move into a hotel until the deed was done and the mouse, which, in my imagination was growing by leaps and bounds, lived elsewhere.

So now here I sit, with legs crossed under me so there isn't the slightest possibility of our four-legged friend scurrying over my feet to get to the peanut butter filled traps. And yes, I have said several sincere prayers that the traps are indeed for a mouse and not it's much larger cousin.

Ewww.

*****

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY to win either the gorgeous Silver or Gold Ornaments featured in this post along with a $50 Visa Gift Card!

All you have to do is leave a comment over HERE telling me which color ornament you'd like if you win. You can ALSO leave a comment below on this post for an additional chance/entry. Plus-- Lots more entry chances if you Follow and blog about the giveaway too. Full Details are HERE.

Ornaments courtesy of the awesome Attila The Mom at Cheaper Than Therapy and her posse who live with disabilities and/or mental illnesses as well as their family caregivers. All are taking a step towards independence through the sale of their own arts and crafts creations. In short-- It's an inspiring cause and well worth checking out HERE.

Any secrets to scaring away mice? I mean mouse, please god, let there only be one!

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor. com - Joanna Jenkins

photo credit: © Marek - Fotolia.com

Itchy Dresses and $50 GIVEAWAY!

That is not me, but I guarantee you, that dress is only half as uncomfortable as mine were.

Every Christmas my Mom's dad (our sweet grandfather) and his wife (the Wicked Witch) would send my sisters and me matching dresses covered with lace and a big fluffy skirt so we looked, in our young opinion, like a bunch of Pollyanna freaks.

Every year when the UPS guy delivered the dress box from a fancy-schmancy store in Florida where they lived, it was met with a round of groans and contempt. This unpleasant annual ritual continued until I was 10 and my oldest sister was 12 years old!

Did I mention the dresses matched?!?

Hideous is the best way to describe them. To add insult to injury, the Wicked Witch managed to find dresses that itched worse than a nasty case of poison ivy.

Not to sound ungrateful, but I hated those dresses, every single one of them, but each year we dressed in our new outfits, buckled on our Mary Jane patent leather shoes and headed off to church Christmas morning. We'd scratch and itch through the entire service.

But that wasn't the end of it. Oh no.

After church, we loaded into our gigantic family station wagon and headed to my dad's folks-- the grandparents we really liked, and had a big Christmas dinner.... In our itchy dresses.

To ensure we would never have to wear those wretched dresses again, one by one, my sisters and I deliberately spilled food down the front of them. Red Jello was my food of choice as I knew it would stain and never come out. Big Sister usually "wore" the gravy, guaranteeing a huge grease spot, and once my Middle Sister caught on to our antics, she'd either flip a biscuit slathered in butter and honey, or a full glass of chocolate milk in her lap. All were guaranteed to permanently stain and land those ugly dresses in the trash after one wear.

I don't think my Mom ever caught on to our scheme since, no matter how hard we tried, my favorite Grandpa always, and I mean always, managed to dribble something on his tie with his very first bite of dinner.

Ahh, Christmas memories.....

Make a Christmas memory of your own by entering my SILVER, GOLD & CASH GIVEAWAY! You could win a gorgeous handmade ornament and a $50 Visa Gift Card!

All you have to do is leave a comment below on THIS POST telling me if you prefer the silver or gold ornament pictured here if your win. Then go to THIS POST for all the contest details and a whopping 15 more changes to win!

Anyone, anywhere can enter, not just in the USA. So come on and join in!

The gorgeous ornaments are from Attila The Mom at Cheaper Than Therapy who heads up an awesome organization that's a privately-funded project providing individuals who live with disabilities and/or mental illness as well as the family caregiver an opportunity to step towards independence through the sale of their own art and crafts creations. Each distinctive ornament is produced by several sets of hands-- all working to create something special.

More chances to win in each of my posts between now and Midnight, Pacific Time, December 10th so don't be shy-- Keep commenting/entering!

Click here for details for a 10% discount on all ornaments. I ordered several and trust me, they are stunning and very reasonably priced.

What would you do with the $50 Gift Card if you won?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

This memory was inspired by a photo of Mrs4444's husband all dressed up as a kid for Thanksgiving.

Photo Credit: © Magalice - Fotolia.com

Silver, Gold and Cash Giveaway!

If you are like me, the very idea of enduring the mobs of shoppers on Black Friday or any of the upcoming weekends before Christmas sends shivers down your spin. The thought of the credit card bill arriving at the end of December is no picnic either.

So before I turn into Scrooge and start bah-humbugging my way through the holidays, I'm getting in the spirit, with the help of Attila The Mom at Cheaper Than Therapy, and having a SILVER, GOLD AND CASH GIVEAWAY!

One lucky winner will have their choice of either a silver or gold handmade ornament from Attila's awesome posse of crafters (like the ones pictured in this post) and I'm throwing in a $50 Visa Gift Card to help take the sting out of shopping this year!

Of course if you'd like to use that Gift Card to shop online at Attila's store that would be okay too, but not necessary.

Why am I loving Attila's ornaments so much? She's the head honcho at Highland Roses Design Collaborative Craft Studio, a privately-funded project that provides individuals who live with disabilities and/or mental illnesses as well as their family caregivers an opportunity to step towards independence through the sale of their own arts and crafts creations.

It's important to note that every step of this undertaking is a collaborative effort-- from design to creation. Each distinctive ornament is produced by several sets of hands-- all working to create something special!

Here's the cool part--They accept NO grants or government funding, and are working to become self-sustaining through their own endeavors. I love that!

And in case you're wondering if these ornaments, priced $5 to $13 each, are as good as they look in the above photos, I can honestly say YOU BETCHA BABY because I did a little shopping myself and purchased eight of their gorgeous ornaments that arrived a few days ago.

The detail is amazing, the quality is far, far beyond anything I'd imagined and the colors are vibrant. I'll have a hard time giving these away as gifts!

But wait-- There's MORE..... Interested in purchasing these ornaments? Click on the "Email Shop Owner" button on the left sidebar BEFORE ordering and mention The Fifty Factor to receive 10% off your order! IMPORTANT: Please wait for an invoice that reflects your discount! (Offer ends at midnight PT, 12/10/2011.)

So here's the scoop on how to have one of these handmade pretties on your holiday tree this year along with the $50 Gift Card in your pocket...

SILVER, GOLD AND CASH GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Leave separate comments to take advantage of each entry option...

1) Leave a comment on THIS POST telling me if you'd like the silver or gold ornament for one entry.

2) Leave an additional comment on THIS POST if you're a Follower.

3) Go to Highland Roses Designs (featured at Ruby Plaza) and tell me on THIS POST which is your favorite ornament for FIVE MORE entries/comments.

4) Leave a comment on all my upcoming posts now through Midnight PT, December 10th for one additional entry per post. (One comment per additional post please.)

5) Blog about this giveaway: Leave THREE extra comments on THIS POST with the link to your post featuring the giveaway. Include the silver or gold ornament photo in your post and receive TWO extra entries! (Five total entries/comments for this step!)

6) Include an ornament photo and link to THIS POST on your sidebar through Midnight, December 10th then leave THREE extra comments on THIS POST with a link to your blog.

Got that??? Lots of comment options on THIS POST plus one extra entry per post on all my upcoming posts from now through December 10th. The point is to help spread the word about this terrific organization and their gorgeous creations so please, don't be shy about joining in and leaving multiple comments.

Everyone, everywhere is eligible to enter as long as you have a blog!

Giveaway and 10% discount ends at Midnight, Pacific Time, December 10, 2011 so swing by Highland Roses Design Collaborative Craft Studio (featured at Ruby Plaza) to shop!

I know it's a lot of commenting, but the Craft Studio is a great, great cause and $50 doesn't hurt either.

Winner will be drawn and notified December 11, 2011 and will have 48 hours to respond to my email with mailing address, or a new winner will be chosen. No affiliates please. All results are final. No hassles allowed :-)

So, are you in for the Giveaway?

Welcome to www.TheFIftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

Thanksgiving Comes First 2011

Dear Retailers, Television Networks, Radio Stations and major corporations:

With all due respect to the holiday, I am asking, actually I'm begging you, to please-- please, knock off the early Christmas chatter. It's only October, not even Halloween yet, but the red and green mall decorations popping up, the trees with shiny stars on top selling ornaments, the jingle bells, the random caroling over the loud speakers, and the increasing stream of commercials, all shouting Christmas, are just too much. It leaves me in a puddle of tears on the floor.

I realize I am not your problem, and I know the economy is rough, money is tight, and profits are at risk, but if you could grant this one request by holding off on "Decking the Halls", until December and remember Thanksgiving Comes First, I'd deeply appreciate it.

Thanksgiving is my great big family's very favorite holiday, one steeped in tradition and filled with meaningful heart-felt memories that we look forward to all year long. On this holiday, we come together as a family for fellowship, joyful conversation, wonderful food, and the opportunity to take time out of our busy lives to say thank you for all the things we are so blessed to have.

We look forward to this day all year long, as do countless other Americans, and it shouldn't be swept under the table, disregarded, minimized, or taken for granted just to cash in on Christmas.

But that is not why I'm asking you to hold off on your commercialized Christmas rush this year. My request actually comes from the bottom of my heart and a sincere need to protect and support my mother and family.

We are devastated over the recent passing of my sweet step-father, Dave, and this will be our first holiday without him. We need more time to heal and mend and prepare our hearts for a Thanksgiving without him leading our family in Grace at the dinner table.

Our hearts are still so very heavy and there is a layer of sadness in my family that is difficult to describe other than to say it is a sadness so deep that Thanksgiving, my step-dad's very favorite holiday, is too hard for us to imagine yet without him.

We started preparing for Thanksgiving months ago, well before Dave's passing. His famous Pretzel Jello Salad and Cranberry Jello were two dishes he planned to lovingly prepare just the way everyone likes them.

He was going to help move the furniture out of their living room so the dining room table could stretch all the way to their front bay window allowing our entire family, young and old, to all be around the same Thanksgiving table together. It's a lot of work but it was that important to Dave and he'd have gladly rolled up his sleeves and made it happen with the help of my nephews and brother.

I know Dave had been thinking about what he would say that he was most thankful for this year when it was his turn to share with the family. It's our tradition before dessert-- to always go around the table and not only thank god and our folk's for the wonderful meal but we also give thanks and verbalize something important to each of us from the past year. We'll never know what Dave was holding in his heart to share but you can be sure he is one person we are all deeply thankful for.

This Thanksgiving will be so difficult for my family, especially our Mom because very honestly, her heart has broken into a thousand pieces. It's obvious to see when the thought of life without her Beloved crosses Mom's mind. And now with so many retailers and corporations all but ignoring Thanksgiving and it's significance makes Mom and my family feel even more devastated by our loss.

We as a family are in desperate need of Thanksgiving and the opportunity to come together and remember the things we are thankful for. As we hold hands to say Grace before our meal I have no doubt tears will flow, but I pray that it is also a time to help the healing process and for us to remember not just our sweet Dave, but also the many things we have been blessed with and are thankful for this year.

So again I ask-- Please do not rush into Christmas yet-- Let Thanksgiving Come First-- for all the right reasons, and because my mom and family are not yet ready to face a holiday with one less loved one in our life.

Sincerely, Joanna Jenkins

It's time to roll the Thanksgiving Comes First boulder up the mountain of Christmas advertising that seems to inundate us earlier and earlier with each passing year. Click HERE to read Suldog's annual post then join in and help spread the word.

White Elephant

If she doesn't like it, I'm blaming it on Yul Brynner-- You know the King of Siam. By "it" I mean the gift I sent to a fellow blogger as part of Margaret at Nanny Goats In Panties' White Elephant Gift Exchange. Do you know what a "White Elephant" is?

White Elephant

–noun

1.

a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose of: Our Victorian bric-a-brac and furniture were white elephants. [This blogger's translation: junk]

2.

a possession entailing great expense out of proportion to its usefulness or value to the owner: When he bought the mansion he didn't know it was going to be such a white elephant.

3.

an abnormally whitish or pale elephant, usually found in Thailand; an albino elephant.

Origin: 1850-1855- from the perh. apocryphal tale that the King of Siam would award a disagreeable courtier a white elephant, the up keep of which which would ruin the courtier

I took my White Elephant gift selection seriously, wrapping the most tacky, useless, get-it-outta-my-house gift I could find. Afterall, it's supposed to be a gag gift, right?

But what if one man's trash is another man's treasure and the blogger I sent the gift too actually really, really likes it? Do I make light and say I misunderstood the rules of engagement? Or do I tell the truth-- That this Love Birds Soap Dish.....

....Has been passed around my family for years in our annual Holiday White Elephant Exchange.

Fortunately my Mom is a good sport because when she first purchased this gift for my Baby Sister about eight years ago, she sincerely thought it was the perfect gift for her. Sis had other ideas and wondered if perhaps she had been switched at birth because it was definitely not her taste, not ever. So Mom promptly suggested a White Elephant Exchange for the following year and the passing of the Love Birds began!

For the record, I've gotten stuck with this dish three times over the years, which just goes to show, if you aren't at the exchange in person you're going to get the junkiest of the junk.

When Margaret posted about the after-holidays exchange party I jumped at the opportunity to rid myself of "something inexpensive and hopefully hideous"... Like the Love Birds.

Truthfully, it's really not that bad, it's just so unpractacle for a soap dish-- Did you see all those nocks and crannies for soap gunk to build up in. Who wants to clean that? Not me, and apparently not anyone else in my family either.

So Paige at Some Days You Gotta Dance I hope you don't love the Love Birds but if you do, I hope you can take a joke. If not, it's all Yul Brynner's fault.

Thanks to Margaret for hosting this little ditty. Stop by and read about more White Elephant treasures at Nanny Goats In Panties.

What's the craziest gift you've received?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

Photo Credit: The King And I