JoAnn I'm so very sorry that this is happening and will hold you, Ron and Lilo in my thoughts. When we knew my Father didn't have long we spent some of the most profound times together. We talked about things that he had never talked about, entrusting me with parts of his life he had kept to himself for his whole life. It was a very hard time but now I am grateful we knew and had that time and that he chose to share himself in those ways. Sending all of you strength.

Yes, you MUST write to JoAnn's about this. First, do you think the store is trying to get rid of its stock of McCall's patterns and keep some of the other lines instead? I'd make it a point of saying that in your area, it's not easy to go between JoAnn's stores looking for what you want and they do a disservice to their customers by not trying to accommodate more storage space for current patterns and by not helping you patronize their store. Because likely, if you'd gotten that pattern, you would also have picked up other items like fabric, new thread, ribbon, whatever. There are 2 JoAnn's stores near where I usually go to shop (probably one or two more that I don't know about -- I don't go there hardly ever). I live in a suburban area where things are not nearly as spread out where you live, granted. The 2 stores are maybe 30 minutes apart. But one is a larger, more modern-looking store (not everything cramped together), and I've noticed it has a lot more crafting supplies and seasonal decorations -- like Michaels. Maybe JoAnn's profit is now in that stuff? I am told by a neighbor who does friends' alterations that fabric is not so inexpensive anymore and that fewer people sew clothes (and that younger generations don't want to sew at all). And if JoAnn's website doesn't have the patterns, doesn't the company realize you will shop elsewhere? For a pattern and potentially more stuff, pulling your dollars away from the store? (Even though in your area there may not be an option other than JoAnn's for even a spool of thread.) The second point I want to make is that you should also write to McCall's -- explain the situation you found yourself in, especially the fact that the store didn't have much space for patterns. I know that if I were a manufacturer counting on a store to have good product placement, I would make an effort to work with the store (like maybe providing different ways to physically stock the product -- maybe those bulky metal cabinets aren't the solution anymore). Maybe a McCall's sales rep would be interested to learn that his or her product line was not being stocked and promoted to the best potential. It's always a good idea to write letters of complaint (or compliments) -- you never know when they'll get to the person who cares enough to make a difference. Good luck!

There are many problems. Retail stores have long hired relied on part-time help. Thirty years ago, that worked better. Our local mall hired a lot of high school kids and Airmen's wives. Gas was under a buck a gallon. A Filet-O-Fish and a shake came in under a dollar, too. Many women didn't *have* to work, and worked because they wanted to, and if the job didn't work out, it wasn't a huge deal. Now, if someone is working, it's likely she needs the money. Many retail jobs are seasonal, so people quit when something better comes up. Or they find something in the off-season that isn't seasonal. Or they find that a seasonal job plus collecting unemployment in the off-season is more lucrative than looking for (and traveling to) another job. Gas is near four dollars a gallon, so if you're not scheduled for a full shift, you may feel as if some money is wasted. All this makes it hard to find good help these days. The managers are under the gun to make plan and come in under payroll- so the minimum number of people are scheduled. The problem isn't the the size of the cutting area, it's that there aren't enough people scheduled. Additionally, the number of people who still sew is rather small. Few people will apply for a job in a fabric store knowing nothing about sewing and crafts - and if they get hired, aren't going to be knowledgeable for a while. And to be honest, the work ethic isn't what it used to be, either. The managers are hiring the best people who walk through the door. Who did you contact in the head office? And does McCalls know of Joann's policy? Last time I felt strongly about something, I looked up the name of the president of the corporation, and sent the letter to him, by name. Personnel changes were made in five weeks.

I may join in the next swap. This looks like such fun. Those bunny towels are soo cute. Just don't pair me with Pawprint (Scott) I can't beat his gifts, trust me he's gifted me on a personal note before with teriffic gifts...