Sundays In My City #17 - Tel Aviv

Do you know Unknown Mami? She's awesome and she created a fun Sunday theme inviting you to get out and take pictures of your city to share with the rest of us. Click here for details and her logo and click here to see Unknown Mami's City today.

In my travels I've learned one thing-- No matter where you are in the world, an ice cold Coca-Cola from McDonald's always tastes the same-- Super cold, as the slow burn of caffeine and sugar chug down your throat for some high-octane energy. I enjoyed a Coke at the Tel Aviv Airport at midnight Saturday before a nearly 16 hour flight back to Los Angeles..... and it was goooood.

As soon as I dig myself out of jet-lag, I'll be stopping by to catch up with you. In the meantime, I hope your Sunday is a great one!

Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

Photo Credit - Joanna Jenkins

Happy Bag & Thanks

Before we headed out of town this week, I was given a fabulous gift by a loved one that I thought you might like too.

It's called a "Happy Bag" and this is what it included.

Attached to the small 2 1/2" X 3 1/2" mesh bag was this note-

Happy Bag

An eraser so you can make

Your mistakes disappear

A coin so you can never

Say you're broke

A marble in case someone

Says you've lost yours

A rubber band to stretch

Yourself beyond your limits

A piece of string to tie yourself

Together when things fall apart

A kiss to remind you

Someone cares!

I've never seen this before and it really touched my heart. If I could, I'd send a Happy Bag to all of you.

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© All images copyright Jayne Le Mee 2009

This is a long over-due thank you to the wonderful Angel Cel at AC's Scrapbook for this gorgeous photo. It's of the White Mountains in Eastern USA. A million thanks to Angel Cel for sharing her talent with me. I'm going to have this framed to hang it in my office. You can check out more of her great photos HERE and HERE.

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I'll be back in town on Sunday-- with an Internet connection again. Phew! After several days of being totally "disconnected", I'm anxious to catch up with all of you.

Hope you're having a great week.

Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

A Crazy Little Thing Called Blog: YOUR Advice & Tips #2

As part of a continuing series of “how to” posts with responses and in-put from other bloggers, here’s the latest installment of blogging tips, advice and questions.

1) Normally I get about 150 emails a day. Of that, maybe 10% or 15 emails per day are “junk” or what I considered to be SPAM. So I tried using Word Verification for one week recently to see if my SPAM emails reduced. After the "test" I did not notice any reduction in my junk email while I had it “on” and my SPAM did not increase after I turned it “off”. I’m sure this won’t end the “word verification debate” but I’m leaving it "off". If you’d like to turn yours off too-- Go to Blogger Dashboard/Settings/Comments then scroll down to “Show word verification for comments?” and click NO, then Save settings at bottom of page. - Joanna

2) Here's a tip from Two Yorks And a Bean and Nonnie at Hysterical Raisins on how to enter a direct link into comments. Click HERE for the simple instructions and to see the comment link in action. Instructions are at the top of the page in blue type. This is a really great addition to comments and VERY easy to so. Feel free to give it a try in the comments below if you'd like. (Try it using your blog name and URL in Step 6.)

3) Don’t want your blog found via Google Search Engines-- “You can edit this as well. Just go into Blogger Dashboard/Settings/Basic and answer NO to the question "Let search engines find your blog". Don´t forget to Save settings and your done!” Betty at A Glimpse Into Midlife

4) “You can easily change your settings to show your email address so that those of us who email replies can reach you!” (Go to Blogger Dashboard/Settings/Basic and answer YES to the questions “Show Email Post links?”) "If you don't want to use your regular email, get a free one!!" (Blogger/My Account/gMail for set-up.) Raoulysgirl

5) What’s your preference on having comments acknowledged? “In other words, do you want to have a response to your comment? Does it bother you if you don't get one? And how do you prefer to get your acknowledgement....thru email or in the comments section of the original post or your most current post? Or would you rather have that person come to your blog and make a comment on one of your posts?” Matty at Matty's Thoughts

6) Like Fireblossom at Word Garden, my favorite Comment Box set-up is POP UP windows. That way the post I'm commenting on stays on the page so I can refer back to it while leaving a comment. Go to Blogger Dashboard/Settings/Comments then scroll to almost the bottom of the page to “Comment Form Placement”. Click on Pop-up window. Then Save setting at the bottom of the page. - Joanna

7) How do you send an email that includes your blog name automatically in the Subject line? I’ve received emails with it but I don’t know how to do it.

8) Does anyone know how to add a watermark on your photos-- A copyright symbol and name or URL on photos you’ve taken yourself? Click HERE for a post by Lilly at Lilly's Life giving a true example of why watermarks are important.

9) For Disqus Comment Users: What are the pros and cons of using this for your comments?

10) For Twitter and Facebook users? How has it enhanced your blog traffic and/or blog experience?

A million thanks to the bloggers who contributed above. If you asked the same question but weren't mentioned it just means someone else asked the question first. If you missed Part One of Tips & Advice Click HERE

Feel free to add your feedback to any or all of the above and by all means ASK MORE QUESTIONS and I'll post them at a future date.

Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

Note: I'm out of town with no Internet access this week. I'll be back on Sunday!

Photo Credit © Mikael Damkier - Fotolia.com

Sunday In My City #16 - Los Angeles

We had a big, cold, rain storm at the beginning of this week, then a day of clearing and then more rain again-- buckets of it! Yes I know, it's not the massive amounts of snow parts of American got slammed with, and I shouldn't be complaining-- But rain in Southern California is a very big deal, especially if the temps drop below 50 degrees, which they did. It was freezing and I didn't like it one bit.

When storm cleared and the sun came out on Wednesday, this is what I saw from my back yard!

We only see the snow covered mountains about ten days a year. The snow is there for a lot longer, but after it rains the smog moves back in and the mountains vanish from sight. If we ever decide to sell our home, the realtor's open house will be on a day like this!

Do you know Unknown Mami? She's awesome and she created a fun Sunday theme inviting you to get out and take pictures of your city to share with the rest of us. Click here for details and her logo and click here to see Unknown Mami's City today.

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Here's a $300 giveaway that's easy to participate in-- Audrey at Barking Mad is asking-- "What brings you joy in your life?

I found this giveaway via If Only I Had Superpowers and it gave me pause-- I thought about the many joyous things I have to be thankful for, not the least of which are-- My beloved husband who has made me laugh every single day for the past 22 years-- my loving family, one and all-- my sweet Godson and his awesome mom-- some really wonderful friends-- my new found holiday spirit-- an upcoming trip to see loved ones this week-- and of course, all my blog friends that I've met this past year! Despite life's ups and down, I'm blessed and joyful on so many levels. Thanks for asking Audrey. It was nice to sit and reflect the joys of life for a moment or two.

Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

Photo Credit Joanna Jenkins

Holiday Spirit: Yeah Or Neigh?

After circling the mall parking lot-- on a week day afternoon, for a miserable 45 minutes, then finally making my way out of the underground garage and back home without ever leaving the car, I wasn't feeling the holiday spirit. Not one bit!

The mall, and it's massive underground parking lot, was bumper-to-bumper and a total zoo leaving me to wonder "what economic crisis?". As for the crazy people fighting over the lone available parking space-- driving backwards, the wrong way, in the garage-- Well, they deserve a great, big lump of coal in my book.

Bah humbug was on my mind the entire drive home, empty handed, with nothing crossed off my shopping list. So I did what any addicted blogger would do, I parked myself at my computer-- where parking was easy-- and read blogs for the rest of the afternoon.

And what to my wondering eyes did appear?

Bountiful blogs full of holiday cheer! They immediately put

me in the spirit feeling energized and hopeful for the season again!

The first blog I read was by a newer blogger, Jane at Living In The Land of Nod, who shared her Christmas tree shopping experience that was so funny and so heartwarming that I've changed my mind and will decorate the house for the holidays. It's a great post and I hope you will CLICK HERE to stop by and show her some new blogger love.

Then I read Cindy LaFerle's blog who was apologizing for her "shameless plug" of her book Writing Home. But Cindy's plug is for a VERY good cause! Every year since 2005, Cindy has donated the profits from her book sales to a homeless shelter in metro Detroit where she lives. How awesome is that! Click HERE for details on Cindy's fabulous book-- which I've read and absolutely loved-- And help spread a little holiday cheer to the very hard hit Detroit area.

I've talked about Attila The Mom at Cheaper Than Therapy, and her son, Big Kid, in this space before. You might recall Big Kid's life-threatening bout with The Swine Flu. Well, prior to that, Attila, who has a heart of gold, organized and funded a collaborative craft studio to help market the creativity of adults who have disabilities and their family caregivers in an effort to help them become more financially independent. And what are they marketing??? Some AWE-SOME handmade Christmas decorations that's what! Seeing is believing so please CLICK HERE to check them out. (A little tease is shown here.) I hope you will keep these creative folks in mind when Christmas shopping this season.

So like I said, I'm finally in the holiday spirit and it feels gooooood. I think if you check out these three blogs you will be too. Jane, Cindy and Attila the Mom.

And for all our Hanukkah celebrators out there, here's a little Adam Sandler tune to hum as you light your menorah starting on the 11th.

What puts you in the holiday spirit?

Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

Photo credit Christmas Tree: Fotolia

Photo credit: Writing Home - Cindy LaFerle

Photo credit: Quilted Ornament - Attila The Mom

To Be 16 Again...

Dear Younger Self,

The good news is that it's the summer before your senior year of high school and you've finally reached that magical age-- 16! The bad news is you have to spend six weeks in Summer School taking Driver's Education classes which starts at 7:30am. Early mornings are not, nor will they ever be, your favorite time of day, especially during summer vacation.

But it's not the early morning memories that will linger with you for the next twenty years, it's the Driver's Ed class itself-- The class you were so excited to take but in the end gave you nightmares-- The class that scared you too much to drive until you were nearly 20 years old-- The class that caused you to miss so many incredible adventures.

Driver's Education, in 1975, consisted of a manual with the driving laws for the State of Ohio that you will study on your own in preparation for the written State exam. Time actually driving in a car will be very limited and scheduled a few afternoons per week. The four hours of daily classroom time for six weeks will not be spent reviewing the manual, rather it will be spent in the dark-- watching movies of horrific car crashes-- involving teenager drivers. And it will scar the daylights out of you!

You name it, you'll see it. All real accidents, all with teenagers, and many did not live to tell the story. Most of your classmates will simply nap through the filmed tragedies, but not you. You will sat straight up at your desk and, practically without blinking, watch every second in stunned silence. Sometimes tears will run down your face, other times your friends will pass you tissues. Never once will your teacher notice who's watching and who's sobbing silently.

As a very impressionable teenager, know the class and these movies are meant to scare you into being a better, more cautious driver. And they are meant to scare you into never drinking and driving. All are important lessons to learn, but not meant to scare you out of your curiosity and sense of adventure. Don't take these movies so literally that you spend years not venturing beyond your own backyard.

Not getting a driver's license until you were nearly 20 will be a real crimp in your social life and your maturity. Life experiences usually happen well beyond your safe home environment and you need to be prepared, otherwise when you are brave enough to step into the business world and start traveling in your early 20s, you will be pretty lost and seriously lacking "streets smarts".

Your fear of the unknown will cause you to miss out on so many marvelous opportunities to see other parts of the world. You'll actually pass on a trip to Hong Kong. You'll work in New York City but never see Harlem, Greenwich Village or the excitement of Time Square on New Year's Eve. You'll travel to Cannes, France many times but never take the train to Monte Carlo for the weekend. And you will definitely miss out on seeing Paris! You'll attended annual film festivals in Milan, Italy but never journey more than 2 miles from your hotel. In London-- Except for a few day tours in the city, you will completely miss seeing the glorious countryside. Why? Because you are too afraid of what "might happen" thanks to those Driver's Ed movies.

Life happens one day at a time. Be mindful and aware and do the best you can to be safe but stop being afraid of the "unknown". Don't let scary movies viewed as a teen keep you away from your adventurous streak. Don't wait until you are in your mid-30s before we wake up and start really living, and doing, and seeing life and all it has to offer. Far too many opportunities will be missed that you can never get back again.

So during the summer of your 16th year, study hard and learn much. Then, take a step off the high dive, hop onto a train, and leap into life with your eyes wide open. You know you want to and you know you will be smart about it. Get your Driver's License and point the car towards your dreams. Don't wait or life will pass you by.

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Do you know Chocolate Covered Daydreams? She's a terrific blog friend with an interesting and fun blog about life that's easy to relate to and often leaves me laughing out loud. Right now, until December 14th, CCD is offering a fantastic giveaway for a Wii Fit Plus. The rules are simple and involve answering the question-- If you could write a letter to your younger self, giving advice for the future, what would you say?

I answered the question and entered the giveaway with the above post. You can too! Click HERE for the giveaway rules and start writing!

Are you adventurous?

Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

Photo Credit: