Donuts and Red Shoes...Embracing Jiggy Day

It's Jiggy Day...and I am eating freshly glazed donuts for breakfast and wearing new red shoes.


Because anything red ALWAYS reminds me of my girl...but especially red shoes!

 My heart generally surges and then constricts on Jocie's birthday...causing joy and pain simultaneously.

I find it incomprehensible that my youngest daughter would be 22 today and even further unfathomable that this is the seventh birthday we have celebrated without her. 

The inability to make new memories is one of the cruel realities about losing someone very close to you. As friends and family age...she remains forever fixed in time. A beautiful rose oblivious to seasonal changes or passage of time.

This beautiful rose will always be 15.

I see so much of Jocie in the world around me...like the antics of her teenage brother choosing Hello Kitty for his senior year backpack.

Or downloading the photos from my camera...to find these gems waiting for me! Harassing mom used to be a favorite pastime of Jocie's.

Certainly Jocie would have been on the top of this boulder rockin' the Warrior pose with her siblings.

And she would be completely supportive of this behavior...

as well as this nonsense!

When Jocie was this age she liked sugar, shoes and shopping...

and hated having her hair fixed each and every morning...which completely describes Olivia.


Playing with crazy lovable Kenya always reminds me of Jocie, because she picked her out of that litter of puppies the day we brought her home. Kenya being the most hyper pup...I remember Jocie exclaiming, "See mom, she acts just like one of us!"

Sometimes I wish I could sneak just one new memory out of the past...

one moment I've forgotten.

Something ridiculous that Jocie said...

or even better...a breathtaking mother daughter memory that belongs to just the two of us.

So today my friends I have a wish for you,

or shall I even make it a challenge!

Do something extraordinary...

or even ordinary today,

with someone you love,

doing what you love...

and photograph it, sketch it, journal it,

just document it in some way. Record that memory and tuck it away for safe keeping. Trust me...you will be so happy you did. Happy Jiggy Day to all our friends and family!

A day for Jiggy

Jiggy Day...

the day my angel girl would have celebrated her 21st birthday.

 Our family tries very hard to embrace this day with feverish fun and a little bit of nonsense.

Cass surprised her kiddos with brownies for breakfast. Olivia was hesitant at first and then devoured one and then another.

 If you ask Henry...he knows exactly who his Aunt Jocie is and where she lives..."She lives at Heaven!"

The grandbabies are growing up celebrating Jiggy Day. It's a special day that will help them always know about the Auntie they never met.

We spent the afternoon eating pasta, frolicking in the park, and finishing off our fun with chocolate chip cookies from the bakery!

Watching these two in the park, I wish with all my heart that Jocie was here sliding down slides with them, and soaking up adventures. I know she would teach them how to be a little bit naughty...just to annoy her sister.

The day is always a range of emotions for all of us. We laugh, we cry, we miss Jocie immensely. Living in LA, Dione has to face the day alone...so she made homemade cinnamon buns for the attorneys in her law firm to celebrate the day.

While picking up large Diet Cokes at our local McDonald's drive-thru on my way home, I bought lunch for some unsuspecting patron in the car behind me. The cashier asked what she should tell the driver when he pulled up to the window, "Just tell him Happy Jiggy Day!" I'm sure they had no idea what that meant...

With Jiggy Day drawing to a close, we visited the cemetery where a very large pink balloon caught the evening rays of sun and my heart felt the warmth of Jocie's spirit.

And finally, because Jocie was kind of a carnivore...a steak dinner with Chet, the girlfriends, and Lindsay's hubby Alex. Their iconic red lipstick is a tradition on Jiggy Day!

One of the things I love about Jiggy Day is how our friends and family embrace the day with us. You absolutely must see the blog post from my sweet photographer friend Aurora and her beautiful four-year old daughter known as The Wee One. I am so thrilled to have met Aurora. She is such a sweet friend and a fabulous Mamma. Here is how The Wee one spent Jiggy Day. And don't miss the video at the end...it is simply adorable. I love you Aurora and The Wee One...thank you for remembering Jocie and sharing Jiggy Day with us!

And most of all Happy Birthday to my gorgeous red-head daughter Jocie. I miss you more than I can almost stand. I know your 21st in heaven must have been a fabulous party.

Twenty

It's Jiggy Day.
Today Jocie would be sweeping gracefully into her twenties. I wonder what her twenty year old self would look like. Sometimes passing a stunning young adult red-head I think I know. I miss her...as much today as the day she vanished from my arms. Although there are a million, here are twenty things I miss about The Red One.

• Those astounding freckles that tell the story of her life
• Her cat noise "Reeer" in response to parental chastising
• Giggles from her girlfriends sleeping upstairs
• Shopping with her at Anthropology and Nordstrom and Juicy and Buckle, and everywhere else
• Her easy and contagious laugh
• The way she picked up Izzy the pooch and carried her around like a baby.
• Our conversations 
• The way she bounds down sets of stairs
• Her ridiculous requests
• The nonsense that always follows her around
• Her long gorgeous red hair with highlights in every hue
• Skiing with her...sigh...
• Her larger than life presence in our home.
• Those long toes...usually with black or green or gold painted toenails
• Her mischievous antics
• The way she teased her baby brother relentlessly
• Her voice...oh how I miss that voice.
• Pairs of outrageous high heels left by the back door
• How she talked me into buying a pack of gum whenever we were out.
• The sister trio...The Brown One, The Blonde One, and The Red One

A close friend sent me a thoughtful note this week that resonates so deeply...

"Jocie is a super hero. We may not have met her in person (the way we've never met C.S.Lewis or Bach or Joan of Arc) but she inspires us, she has changed our family for the better."

Happy Birthday angel, I love you to the moon and back.

Gettin' Jiggy With It 2011

How did you spend your Jiggy Day...here is how The Garlick Press spent ours!

Traditionally, Jiggy Day begins with breakfast at Angie's restaurant and girlfriends. I imagine this Jiggy Day breakfast tradition will carry on for years...someday to include spouses and children!

All of these beautiful girls have started their freshman year of college...I'm just so proud of them!

Then it's a quick stop for roses and giant bags of candy...why giant bags of candy you ask? I don't know...it just seemed a good idea at the time. The agenda on Jiggy Day is whatever makes you happy and feel good!

After meeting up with our favorite little people Olivia and Henry...we pack EVERYBODY into the car and head out for a day filled with adventure.

We always visit the cemetery...it's a source of peace and comfort for all of us.

Olivia was fascinated by all of the items left by friends and family. We delight in finding wonderful surprises left for our girl.

Shhh...babies sleeping in the car...

Be very quiet.

Arriving at Beaver Mountain, the ski resort is under a blanket of fall snow and colorful leaves.

Bundling up babies and Daddy...

and Mama too!


Knowing when we left home, there was most likely snow at the top of the mountain...I encouraged everyone to dress warm and wear good hiking shoes. I knew we would most likely have to hike at least part of the way up to the monument. Apparently everyone listened to me but me...these are my open clogs...awesome for hiking in snow!

Olivia wriggled and wiggled out of her daddy's arms wanting to play in the snow.

Autumn weather likes to tease us here...throwing in a little early winter just to keep us on our toes.

As expected, we were able to drive most of the way to the top of the ski resort. But once the snow got too deep, we had to hike the rest of the way.

Nature is so incredible.

Baby girl Olivia could have sat in that snow all day and played and played...she loves snow!

And finally...a glimpse of Jocie's monument at the top. 

If you have a self-timer on your camera...you must learn how to use it, as I love this photo. Only the addition of lawyer girl would have made it better. Missed you Dione!


And it was so cold at the top...the chill in the air reminded me of ski weather.

By the way, it snows nearly every year on Jiggy Day...so I wouldn't plan an outdoor event on this day if you live by The Garlick Press.


Papa and Henry carefully make their way back down the steep summit trail to the warm car parked below.

I imagine Henry has no idea why we are at the top of a mountain in chilly weather...but someday he will!

It was Cassandra who suggested we attempt this adventure today...even though the snow and cold temperatures put the kibosh on our picnic at the top!

With inches of snow already on the ski slopes...Chet was getting pretty excited just thinking about using those new skis of his waiting at home.

Papa and Olivia attempt to make snow angels. It was hard for Olivia since she was basically wearing a sleeping bag...Baby in a Bag!

Told you she loves snow!

And while we were off hiking to the top of the mountain...girlfriends Sid, Lindsay, and Autumn had other plans for reaching great heights to celebrate Jiggy day.

They jumped out of an airplane! Can you believe that? Seriously...are they the most amazing girlfriends or what?

After their skydiving adventure, the girls couldn't wait to come tell us all about their high-flying antics through the clouds.

Jiggy day was a completely full day...with a few tears, but mostly tons of love! We basked in each other's memories of Jocie and celebrated a girl who celebrated life every single day of hers.