Tag: family

A ceramic Christmas tree from Nana taught me I was an adult

A ceramic Christmas tree from Nana taught me I was an adult
Nana was an old-fashioned woman. She was devoutly God-fearing, believed divorce was a sin, and had definite ideas of gender roles. She also had a strong tendency to see her grandchildren as small children no matter how old we got. Birthday cards from Nana were often ones more appropriate for a 7-year-old, but she sent... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
July 18, 2018 at 10:25 am • 

Sammy Gardner: February 24, 2012 - July 4, 2017

Sammy Gardner: February 24, 2012 - July 4, 2017
Sammy Gardner was born in Chicago on February 24, 2012. He was one of three kittens, two boys and a girl, born that day to a mom I’ve never known anything about. When he and his siblings were found by volunteers from the Illinois Animal Rescue within a few days of their birth, their mom... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
July 4, 2017 at 10:59 pm • 

My top 10 favorite experiences of 2016

#1 The year began with the Totally Fabulous Jessica party thrown by Tim and <a href="http://www.norpieswalltowall.com">Michael</a>. Yes, it was simply a party to celebrate ME! Joining in on the fun were Christopher, Wendy and Geoff, and <a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/organizing-with-erin">Erin</a>. Thank you all for spending an evening honoring me! Y'all have no idea how the memory of this evening carried me through some dark moments this year.
As 2016 quickly draws to a close, I need to stop and reflect upon the joy I felt this year. In fact, especially this year. By just about every measure, 2016 was a difficult year for many people. Generation X lost many of our pop culture idols; a presidential election went wonky at the last... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
December 31, 2016 at 3:13 pm • 
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The Gardner Family Cookbook: The best Christmas gift I've ever given

This photo was taken at our 1987 family reunion on Sanibel Island. I'm in the back row, fourth from the right in a green dress.
I love Christmas. I love the traditions. I love going to church at Christmas. I love the family time. I love the holiday parties. I love sending Christmas cards. I love receiving Christmas cards. I love picking out the perfect gifts for the people I love. And I love receiving gifts. When it comes to... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
January 14, 2016 at 8:45 am • 

Happy birthday Dave!

Nana was so proud of her second grandchild and first grandson, Fall 1974. Pictured: Nana, Dave, and me.
Happy birthday to Dave, the greatest brother in the world! I love being your big sister and having you as my best friend. Please join me wishing Dave a very happy birthday in the comments. Want to know more about Dave? Check out these posts: Dad, can I have herpes?, April 2009 Happy birthday Dave!,... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
October 5, 2015 at 1:57 pm • 

My childhood walked out the door at our garage sale

This lamp and switch plate were in my nursery. They were handcrafted and painted. Do they even make them like this anymore?
As I discussed earlier this week, my mom and I recently held a garage sale. It was fairly successful, but a bit difficult in ways that previous garage sales haven’t been. Prior garage sales have been about getting rid of excess items. With this sale, however, my mom, brother, and I decided to purge items... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
October 2, 2015 at 3:21 pm • 
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What are your family traditions?

What are your family traditions?
My dad is the second of five children born to Giff and Peggy Gardner – Giff, John (my dad), Jeff, Kathy, and Ray. When we moved to Chicago from Ft. Myers, Florida in 1975, the entire extended family lived in the Chicago Area and we got together regularly. I have vivid memories of family dinners... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 16, 2015 at 5:22 pm • 

RIP Feline Companion Fred Gardner, Unknown - March 11, 2015

RIP Feline Companion Fred Gardner, Unknown - March 11, 2015
It is with a heavy heart that I share that my dad, John, just said good-bye to his faithful feline companion, Fred. Fred was a very loving kitty who my dad rescued in the early 2000s. He was all black and loved his belly rubs. He also enjoyed long walks through the neighborhood on his... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
March 11, 2015 at 3:32 pm • 

Livingston Gifford Gardner, June 8, 1916 - January 11, 1995

Livingston Gifford Gardner, June 8, 1916 - January 11, 1995
Twenty years ago today, my paternal grandfather, Livingston Gifford Gardner, died. It wasn’t unexpected. Grandpa had been sick for as long as I could remember and we’d gotten a call in early December 1994 saying that doctors gave him about a month to live. Although he’d been sick for close to 20 years, I can’t... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
January 11, 2015 at 11:25 pm • 
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My lumpectomy was easy-peasy

My lumpectomy was easy-peasy
NOTE: If you haven’t read the first two installments of this unexpected series, My first mammogram saved my life and Respect my coping skills and I’ll respect yours, I encourage you to read them. It’s not necessary to read them in order to understand what’s happening, but they will give you more context. My Needle... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 10, 2014 at 3:03 pm • 
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    A native of Chicago's Northwest Suburbs and resident of the North Shore, Little Merry Sunshine comes by her name honestly. The story goes that as a child, she was always so happy that she even slept with a smile on her face. Her mom nicknamed her Little Merry Sunshine. It stuck, along with her insatiable desire to focus on the good in the world and to leave it a little better than she found it. She does this by sharing her passions and dreams, what inspires her, and maybe you too, and furthering the discussion about how we can listen to our better angels. You can reach her at LittleMerrySunshineCN[at]WowWay[dot]com.

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