Tag: gratitude
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July 1, 2018: Little Merry Sunshine’s 11th anniversary
Today is the 11th anniversary of the day I began writing Little Merry Sunshine. Eleven years ago, I thought blogging was going to be a fun, new hobby, but didn’t think I’d really have any fans or regular readers. I also didn’t think I’d still be blogging 11 years later, but I am. Go figure.…
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Mister Rogers is the neighbor we still need
I cried seeing the trailer for Won’t You Be My Neighbor? in the theater a couple of months ago, so I knew I’d be emotional when I saw the documentary. I had no idea what I was in for though. I loved Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood when I was a kid. To say he was my one…
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Blogging isn’t sexy, but I love it and ChicagoNow is my home
I began blogging on July 1, 2007 on Blogger because I wanted to create a place on the internet that celebrated what was good in life and I was curious whether anyone would read the randomness that stumbles out of my brain. Even in the halcyon days of 2007, social media and, more generally, the…
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My memories of Orbit Skate Center will roll with me forever
When I learned in February that Orbit Skate Center would close permanently on March 31, I knew I had to lace up a pair of rental roller skates and roll around their rink one last time. I learned to roller skate on my sidewalk with my BFF Mary when I was five. My first pair of skates…
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My top 10 favorite experiences of 2016
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…
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My next chapter is at Bernie’s Book Bank
After a long and winding search, I have officially begun the next chapter of my life as the new Event Manager at Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff. If you’re not familiar with Bernie’s Book Bank, its mission is to “collect, process, and distribute new and gently used children’s books to significantly increase book ownership among at-risk…
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Full Moon Restaurant: Where everyone receives a free Thanksgiving dinner
Do you dine at the Full Moon Restaurant? I first discovered the Full Moon as a first year student at Lake Forest College in 1989 when an upperclassman friend introduced me to this wonderful 24-hour truck stop just north of campus. Since that time, the Full Moon has been my second favorite restaurant. Second only…
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September 11 Gratitude and Memories
We all remember where we were on September 11 and I’m no exception. I’ve written about my experiences of September 11th twice – in 2009 and 2011 – and you can click on those links and read my story. While there are many things I wish to forget about September 11th and the wars that we entered as…
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I received a Pay It Forward and it FREAKED ME OUT
We’re all familiar with the idea of “pay it forward” where one person performs a random act of kindness for another person with the hope that the recipient will be inspired to “pay it forward” and perform a random act of kindness for someone else in the future. We may have seen the movie, probably…
Jessica L Gardner 