Fabulous Birthdays Through the Years

The most beautiful birthday flowers in the world.

You may have heard that today is my birthday. It's true. I'm 25. Wait, that part might not be true.

Over the years, I'm had some pretty extraordinary birthdays.

Because my birthday is in mid-June, it always fell right after school let out for the summer. Many years, we would hop on a plane on June 15th and I'd wake up at Nana's house on my birthday. I'd come downstairs for a special birthday breakfast with the whole family and then usually off to the beach. I grew up believing the only way to celebrate my birthday was to go on vacation.

My 18th birthday arrived just days after my high school graduation. Nana was in town for the big occasion and I got three of my girlfriends together and we all went into Chicago for lunch and a Wendella boat ride. It was freezing cold (even colder than it was today), overcast and windy and although we were dressed warmly, the wind still made it uncomfortable. Nana asked the Wendella folks if they had any big plastic garbage bags that we could use as rain/wind slickers. It was actually a great idea!

Janet, Cheryl, Me, and Cindy (l-r) on the Wendella Boats using plastic garbage bags to block the wind.
Yes, I gave Sally Jessy Rapheal her glasses back.

I celebrated my 20th birthday at Watervale and because this is supposedly a family blog, I can't describe the debauchery that ensued. Let's just say that it didn't hurt things at all that the Bulls had just won their first NBA Championship.

In 1992, I turned 21 with the help of my good friends Heather and Emilie, and Michael, Scottie, and the rest of the Chicago Bulls. Heather and I spent the day in Chicago at the Bulls Championship Rally in Grant Park and then window shopping on the Mag Mile. After taking the train back to Lake Forest, I drank at The Lantern for the first time. That was also the year Dave surprised me with the sterling silver pendant he made of the two of us. An incredible day.

1993 found me in Washington DC without my friends or family. I spent the day wandering around Georgetown and then watched the Bulls win Game 4 of the NBA Finals over the Phoenix Suns on a date. Of course, the Bulls went on to win their third NBA Championship days later.

I spent my 25th birthday reading the subliminal messages Michael was sending me through his stellar performance in the winning game of the Bulls 4th NBA Championship.

I turned 27 in 1998 and was in Chicago for the Bulls 6th and final NBA Championship. The night before my birthday, Christopher and I were in the stands at Wrigley Field watching Kerry Wood pitch a nailbiter and Sammy Sosa start his home run streak by hitting 3 that night as they beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5. On my birthday, I celebrated with a few hundred thousand of my closest friends in Grant Park as we celebrated the Bulls and witnessed the end of an era. When I arrived back in DC on the 17th, I was surprised by my friends at a party at the rooftop bar at the Hotel Washington.

When I turned 30, Dave surprised me by flying to Chicago for the weekend. My dad also came to town and when I got up that morning, my lawn was filled with 30 plastic pink flamingos! I'm sorry I don't have pictures.

And then there was today. Today was fabulous. Words can't express my gratitude for all the joy and love I felt today. I got to talk to Nana, which was the highlight of my day. I heard from friends all over the country and friends in my neighborhood. God, I love the birthday reminder on Facebook! Emails even poured in tonight from my mom's childhood friends! Local friends surprised me with many delights. And my dad started his new job today.

I have had some amazing birthdays throughout the years, but today was the best. My gratitude list is long and I'm putting my head on my pillow tonight secure in the knowledge of who I love and who loves me. Words can't begin to express how full my heart is tonight.

Thank you.

Guess Who's Having a Birthday TODAY!

It's been awhile since we last played my favorite game "Guess Who's Having A Birthday TODAY!"

Here are the rules . . . . you get one guess. That's the only rule.

Did you guess . . .

. . . Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood who joined the world in 1977?
. . . The late rap star/actor Tupac Shakur (1971-1996), born in Brooklyn, NY?
. . . Golfer Phil Mickelson, born in San Diego, CA in 1970?
. . . Actress Laurie Metcalf of Rosanna fame, hailing from Carbonville, IL in 1955?
. . . Knots Landing's Joan Van Ark in 1943?
. . . Novelist Joyce Carol Oates, born in New York in 1938?
. . . Love Story author Erich Segal from Brooklyn, NY in 1937?
. . . Katharine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post, born in New York City in 1917?
. . . Stan Laurel of Laurel & Hardy fame in 1890?

Those are good guesses and they were all born today, but they are all wrong.

The correct answer is ME! It's MY birthday today! Yeah!

Do you know what else happened today in history?

. . . In 1996, the Chicago Bulls won their 4th NBA Championship by beating the Seattle Supersonics in a 6 game series. Ah, the good old days.
. . . In 1980, "Blues Brothers" premiered in Chicago.
. . . In 1933, the FDIC was created.
. . . In 1903, Ford Motors incorporated and Pepsi Company formed.
. . . In 1893, Cracker Jack was invented.

Here are some fun birthday pictures of me . . .

This was my third birthday in our house in Ft. Myers, Florida.
It's my favorite birthday picture ever.
Check out that smile. Those hands on my hips foretell of my semi-bossy nature.

This was my first birthday picture.
Even then, sleep was important to me.

What Brings You to Little Merry Sunshine?

One of my favorite things about my blog is checking out my Site Meter site stats and learning what brings you, my loyal readers, to Little Merry Sunshine.

Quite a few of you find me by doing Google searches for "little merry sunshine," "wheeling township food pantry," "arlington heights," "Marshall Field's" and a variety of searches for information on the current local elections in Arlington Heights and I'm incredibly grateful my blog appears in the results for all of these search terms. I'm also grateful to my blog buddies Monkey Muck, Gourmet Goddess, Boxer Rebellion, She's An American Girl, Living Oprah, Ellen of the Tenth, and Fran I Am for their links and the readers who find me through their sites. I could never write this post without showing proper appreciation to Chicago's Best Blogs for the new readers they've sent me. Truly it's an honor being one of Chicago's Best Blogs.

But many of you visit LMS as the result of some more interesting Google searches . . .

An employee at one of the country's largest banks and recipient of tons of bailout money, spent some valuable work time searching "I get off on you getting off on me" and found my post iPhone, Therefore I Get Off.

Numerous state employees in states such as Nebraska, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana (on state time!) and folks at some very esteemed higher education institutions have visited LMS as the result of searches for "stripper poles" (finding I'm Gonna Install A Stripper Pole!)and "prostitute names" (finding The Name Game).

People from all over the world searching for "AK-47" find my post What Were They Hunting With That AK-47?

More than a few folks are curious about "pregnant women wearing braces," which I find interesting since there are no pregnant women on this site. Really. No woman on this blog is pregnant. I swear.

Many of you are searching for food pantries in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and it's my wish that you're doing these searches because you want to donate, but probably some of you need some extra help these days. So this gives me a good opportunity to say to everyone: Donate to your local food pantry. They desperately need your help. The demand is greater than ever and if you set aside just a couple items each week, in no time you'll have a full bag of groceries that will really help someone. That someone could be your neighbor or your best friend or someday it could be you.

Many of you seem to be interested in recycling and tax credits for greening your home and installing solar attic fans. Visit my brother's website, Crystal Skylights. He'll take great care of you.

However you ended up here, I truly thank you and I hope you come back often. Without you, I'd just be talking to myself.

Guess Who Is One of Chicago's Best Blogs!

ME!

Little Merry Sunshine is one of the newest blogs listed on the Chicago Tribune's Chicago's Best Blogs site! Scroll all the way to the bottom to see me.

According to CBB, "An Arlington Heights native, Jessica Gardner shares her thoughts on local news, activism, politics and sports."

I'm so doing the Happy Dance over here!

Seriously, this is the coolest thing to happen to me all day. Oh, heck. It's the coolest thing to happen in weeks!

Thanks Chicago Tribune!

More Things I Know for Sure

To follow on last night's theme of "things I know for sure," I have realized a few more today . . .

I know for sure that Annie was right. The sun will come out tomorrow. Sometimes literally and sometimes figuratively. And sometimes it takes more than just one day. But it always comes back out.

I know for sure that sometimes I just need a good friend to shake some sense into me, figuratively, not literally.

I know for sure that there's more than one way to look at everything. It's all in how we choose to spin things.

I know for sure that I'm loved.

I know for sure that nothing ever really gets accomplished when I get stuck in my head.

What I Know For Sure

Earlier today I wrote about how I am feeling overwhelmed. In the process of writing that post, I flipped over and read Kittens Farting Rainbows, a new favorite blog, and couldn't believe my eyes as Bergsie put many of my exact feelings into words. But she ended her post in a postive way, which I couldn't figure out how to accomplish. She ended with the things she knows. And I thought that might be the perfect cure for what ails me today.

Without further ado and in no particular order, here is partial list of the what I know for sure.

I know that Betsey and Ross are always eager to snuggle with me when I'm feeling down. They're not fair weather cats.

I know for certain that true love is out there. I haven't found it yet, but it's there somewhere. I just have to keep looking and being hopeful.

I can always count on my friends' Tweets to make me giggle.

I know that my purpose is greater than just being someone's daughter or sister or caregiver.

I know that there's some music that makes me dance and lifts me up and there's some music that makes me sad and cry. I have to stay away from the latter.

I know that I have the capacity to be a great mom. Whether that's in the cards for me or not, I'm not so sure. If it's not, I have to find a way to channel those energies.

I know that hard wood floors beat carpet any day.

I know my failings only too well and work everyday to overcome them.

Sometimes I stumble, but the only way I can recover is to get back up and dust off my knees. There's simply no other choice.

I know that when God closes a door, he always opens another one. My job is to find that door because sometimes it's hidden.

I know that most of what happens, the good and the bad, is what I choose, whether consciously or not. I am in control of my life and I can change what I don't like.

I know that every situation presents me with opportunities to learn and grow and be better.

I know that I'll keep being presented with the same lessons over and over again until I learn them.

I know that second chances don't come around very often and when they do, I have to explore them. I don't often get to find out the answer to the question "What if . . . ", but every time I've gotten to find out, it's been well worth it.

I know that the Cubs are bound to win the World Series . . . one of these years.

Favorite Moments of 2008

After reading Ellen of the Tenth's favorite moments of 2008, I have been inspired to reflect on the year and write my own. Like the sexy men post, these are in no particular order.

Certainly no "favorite moments" post would be complete without mentioning November 4, 2008. I've never been so proud to vote in my life. It was a sunny day and I felt hopeful from the moment I woke up. Standing in line, waiting to vote for now President-elect Barack Obama, I was proud to be American. (Note: This was not the first time I was proud, but it's a moment of pride that stands out.) I was proud that we have a tradition of orderly change of power in our country. I was proud of where we'd come since Martin Luther King stood at the Lincoln Memorial telling the world of his dream. And even though the candidate was African-American (and in spite of Sarah Palin on the GOP ticket), I felt, for the first time, that it's possible for a woman to become President in my lifetime. The soundtrack I heard in my head all day was inspiring.

Fast forward a few hours when I was standing in Grant Park with my dear friends Tim, Tony, and Colleen and we were part of history. We weren't close to the stage and we couldn't see anything not broadcast on the jumbotron, but we were there. We were there when Barack won the presidency. And damn I was proud. My heart was overflowing with joy and I don't think I ever got to sleep that night.



This year I also went back in the water at Watervale. I got over my fear of kayaking and faced the icy waters of Lake Michigan like a woman. My brother Dave pushes me out of my comfort zone and I'm always a better woman for it.

2008 also brought me quite a bit of professional success. I was selected to join the Board of Directors of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce and asked to be the co-chair of the Professional Women's Council. Being introduced to the Professional Women's Council as the co-chair for 2009 (and the chairwoman for 2010) was a moment of pride I'll never forget. And I'm sure it will be the same when I'm inducted to the Chamber Board in front of the entire Chamber in January.

For the second year in a row, I was #1 in sales in my area in Mary Kay. I was also named Miss Go Give, again for the second year in a row, in our area. This is a really big deal and the highest award in all of Mary Kay. The Miss Go Give Award is awarded to the consultant who most emulates Mary Kay's principles of working by the Golden Rule, and caring and sharing through her business.

Early in 2008 I was asked to join the Alumni Board at Lake Forest College. I remember when that phone call came, I really felt like I'd "made it." I remember being a college student there and feeling very much like an outsider. I received a ton of financial aid and it seemed like everyone else was from an uber-wealthy family and attended boarding school. I was never quite sure I belonged there, even though I had a great experience and made some of the best friends I've ever known. My education and lessons I learned at Lake Forest College have served me well and now through my service on the Alumni Board, I am able to give back in ways other than just writing a check.

As part of my volunteer work for the College, I was the chairwoman of my 15th Year Reunion Committee. Our reunion was in October and a huge success. I remember standing in the back of the almost over-crowded room watching people reminiscing, renewing old friendships, and making new ones. Yes, I had a committee and they worked hard. But I know that my leadership played a huge part in the success of the night. I'd be lying if I said that night wasn't a favorite moment of 2008.

Finally, after all the writing I've done about it, probably my favorite moment of the year was "my book." Well, okay, it wasn't MY book, exactly. But I did have a small (very small) part in The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer. I loved that he mentioned me in the Acknowledgments, which was a huge surprise. And then when Brad was in Chicago on his book tour, he called my mom to wish her a happy birthday as he signed a book for her. She's a huge fan of his and was really touched that he personally called her.

As we move into 2009, I am filled with hope that President Obama will lead us into better economic times before millions more people lose their jobs and homes. I am hopeful that we are able to finally provide all Americans will equal rights in every area of their lives and that healthcare becomes a right and ceases to be a privilege. I am hopeful that as a nation, we will come together and support our new president and that the hatred will subside. Personally, I'm hopeful that my business continues to thrive and that Mr. Right and I finally meet.

Here's to 2009.

"Pay-to-Play" Now Standard Operating Procedure at Little Merry Sunshine

In light of recent political developments, Little Merry Sunshine is announcing the new "Pay-to-Play" policy that will take effect immediately. While I understand you may feel this is unfair, please understand that I am only taking my cues from the politicians we all admire the most - Illinois Governors Rod Blagojevich and George Ryan - and times are tough all over. I'm simply looking out for #1 - Me.

What exactly is the Little Merry Sunshine "Pay-to-Play" policy? I'm so glad you asked.

The "Pay-to-Play" policy entails you showering me with gifts and me writing favorable blog posts about you.

That's pretty simple.

I've even provided you a list of acceptable gifts - all of them cost less than $1 million.

I'm also pleased to announce that two bloggers are already on board with this policy and have recently gifted me - Dr. Monkey von Monkerstein and Gourmet Goddess!

Congratulations Dr. Monkey and Gourmet Goddess! You are hereby awarded the distinct honor of being my favorite bloggers for today!

Dr. Monkey showed his love with a spiffy postcard of a 1960s roadside motel and wrote me a special Thanksgiving note!

Gourmet Goddess sent me a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure! I can't wait to use this and have pretty tootsies again!

Thank you Dr. Monkey and Gourmet Goddess!

Possible 3rd Party Candidate - October Surprise!

This is HUGE!

We all knew there would be an October Surprise in this election and I know what it will be!

Thanks to grassroots organizing - community organizing, if you will - there is a new 3rd party candidate!

You can watch the media frenzy over this new political superstar by clicking here.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on this new candidate in the comments.

I think it goes without saying, but I'm withdrawing my support for Obama in favor of this candidate. Will you join me?

I Want My Own Country Too . . .

Growing up, my dad used to tell people I was going to be the first woman President. I probably won't end up as the First Woman President of the United States, but I don't see any reason why I can't become the ruler of my own country.

As the man in this video shows, it's actually quite easy.

The first step seems to develop a name for my country. Next, I'm going to establish that I, and I alone, am the Supreme Ruler of my country. After that, our first National Holiday will be my birthday.

Sorry about the commercial. It's the Tribune's fault.