How pathetic is my life that I would be excited to find a ladybug in the back yard?  But that’s the truth.  “Hold all my calls,” I said to my assistant.  I ran and got my macro lens and followed my ladybug around for half an hour.  This shot was just before she flew away.   I have more small moving things on my Photography page.

Now that the new “How-to” videos are up, I added some  printable recipes in the Recipes page to match the videos, so if you want to make one of the things in a video, you can see it in print.  Once when I was watching a cooking video and wanted to try it, I had to keep replaying it to write down the ingredients.  Just trying to make it easy to eat well.  My favorite is still the granola!

How am I supposed to get anything done when it’s 75 degrees, the sun is shining, and my back yard is full of flowers? I took this picture today and I think the reason I enjoy taking photos so much is that I can’t draw.  I wish I could, but I can’t.  So my photos allow me to create beautiful pictures with more-or-less no talent.  The only skill I need is to know which button to push on my camera.  It’s the big silver one.

We just posted seven new “How-To” videos.  They are so much fun to make and I have a lot more ideas for the next ones.  One of my new favorites is a healthier hot fudge sundae.  Click here to check it out.

Congratulations to my friend, Vince, who graduates next month with his Masters.  He’s always looked like a movie star but this spectacular photo of him was taken at the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago. What a testament to his commitment and hard work.  Congratulations, Vince!

I wonder if other Californians are like me.  When I find myself in different locations, I wonder how badly I’d be hurt if the big earthquake happened right then.  Like today at mall on the 2nd floor, I looked down and thought, “I’d probably survive but I might break a leg.”  When I’m in a high-rise, I’m not as optimistic.  My least favorite place is stuck at a red light under a freeway overpass, but if there’s a big truck in front of me, I feel safer because I’ve decided the truck would stop the chunks of concrete from landing on me.  Does that make me paranoid or do I just need a hobby?

Can you guess what this is?  I’ll give you some hints…

1. It’s in my kitchen.

2. You may have it too.

Find the answer in my Mystery Photos.

I never thought to actually stick my entire face into a calzone to eat it, but it worked well for this little girl.  Ruby is the 15-month-old daughter of my website developer, Robert and his wife, Heather.  Robert swears this is a calzone but I still think it looks like a side of ham. 🙂 

How cute is she?  

You go, Ruby!

I had lunch today with my attorney and he picked the spot.  I’ve never been to the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel and what an experience!  They only have valet parking so I had to pull up in my dumpy old Lexus into what looked like a scene from a Turner classic movie.  They had Bentleys, Rolls Royces, a Maybach, and some other shiny cars I didn’t recognize but one of the dozen or more valets agreed to take my car.  Inside were the most beautiful people in the most beautiful clothes – one woman had a fox draped around her shoulders (with the face!!).  Luckily, I got seated right away so no one could study the $49 skirt I was wearing from Macy’s. It was the ultimate Hollywood experience.  I saw a couple of faces that might have cost more than those cars.

Here’s a question that Karyn sent in about my granola recipe:

“Hello, I found your site by putting in a search for “what happened to Jenny Jones” and here you are! I really enjoyed watching your “how to” video on granola making and I was wondering how long it lasts in the fridge? or what do you do with it when it is done baking? leave it out? how long does it stay fresh? have you ever tried granola in the Special K box? I did and it was amazing sooooo good, could I use that granola to make my own granola ? could I bake that granola do you think when I make my own type of granola ?? Please let me know, I am on a restricted diet and have plenty of operations on my pancreas (due to gall stones) Now my pancreas does not work and I have chronic pancreatitis, so I must really watch what I eat. granola is perfect for my diet. thanks for all your help and I am glad I found your site! thanks so much.!!! “

Here’s my response… Karyn, after my granola has cooled, I put it in a covered container and it will keep for several weeks in the fridge. Mine doesn’t last more than about two weeks but it should stay fresh for at least a couple of months. I haven’t tried the Special K brand but that granola is already cooked so I do not suggest using it to make your own granola because you will be baking it twice and it could be overdone. I just looked up the ingredients in the Special K brand online and my, my, my…lookie here:

Ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN OATS, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, OAT BRAN, RICE, HONEY, SOLUBLE WHEAT FIBER, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SOY GRITS, MOLASSES, CORN FLOUR, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, ACACIA GUM, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, OAT FIBER, EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, MALT FLAVORING, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, BHT (PRESERVATIVE), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID, FERROUS FUMARATE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, VITAMIN D, VITAMIN B12

Karyn, if your health is a priority, I suggest you make your own granola and not eat the Special K brand. It contains SIX different sweeteners! The second ingredient is sugar and it contains high fructose corn syrup. Yikes! You probably like it because it’s extra sweet so I suggest making my granola recipe and if you like, you can increase the brown sugar to 1/2 cup. Well, that’s my 2 cents.