Janet’s Stories – Exploring Generations

When Taffy Cat Adopted Us

When I was in kindergarten, an orange-and-white striped tabby cat showed up in our yard. She sat on the porch with me after school and showed no inclination to leave. I patted her, and she just hung out. My mom told me not to give the cat water or food because then she wouldn’t leave.ContinueContinue reading “When Taffy Cat Adopted Us”

The First—and Last—Thanksgiving Turkey I Ever Cooked

In the late 1980s, I moved from Florida to Massachusetts for graduate school. It was my first Thanksgiving away from home, and I was expecting visitors: my fiance, my niece who was a college student in a nearby town, and one of her college friends. I was determined to do the full meal deal forContinueContinue reading “The First—and Last—Thanksgiving Turkey I Ever Cooked”

The Beauty of an Ordinary Moment in Belarus

I crossed the border between Russia and Belarus at a tumultuous time in the late 1990s. I had a lot to worry about—and to be excited about. I’m amazed at how, so many years later, what stands out in my memory isn’t the dramatic backdrop. It’s an ordinary moment with a student whose name IContinueContinue reading “The Beauty of an Ordinary Moment in Belarus”

The Little Library that Stopped by Every Saturday

On Saturday mornings in kindergarten, I kept a close watch out the window toward the park across the street. A little mobile trailer would roll in, and I’d run to get my mom. The traveling library was here! Evening reading time! Pictured here with my dad, Bill Gillis. Photo by my mom, Joy Gillis EvenContinueContinue reading “The Little Library that Stopped by Every Saturday”

Sixty Miles and Twenty Years

Looking back on the walk that taught me about strength, hope, and community It’s been 20 years since I packed my walking shoes and headed to Tampa, Florida for the Susan G. Komen 60-mile walk for breast cancer awareness. It was a life-changing event for me in so many ways. I’m writing about it nowContinueContinue reading “Sixty Miles and Twenty Years”

How My Mom and Dad Met

I always enjoyed hearing how my mom, Joy Washburn Gillis, met my dad, William Gillis, Jr. My mom’s first encounter with my dad actually happened when she was two years old. They lived on the same street in Little River, in Miami, Florida. She would stand at the window and watch this 13-year-old boy walkContinueContinue reading “How My Mom and Dad Met”

Crickett Kitty and the Blizzard of 1996

From January 6-8, 1996, a massive snowstorm, one of the biggest of the century, covered the Northeast. We were living in New Jersey. As a Miami girl, I was barely used to cold and snowy winters. I had never been through a blizzard like that and didn’t know what to expect. My husband and IContinueContinue reading “Crickett Kitty and the Blizzard of 1996”

Favorite School Field Trips: Miami 1970s

Field trips were a great way to get outside the classroom and see the world. I loved the classroom and loved school. Still do! But I also love to learn, and field trips presented us with new, hands-on learning experiences. And one field trip in particular was just good ole fun, a treat for ourContinueContinue reading “Favorite School Field Trips: Miami 1970s”

English Lessons in a Polish Suburb

The atmosphere was quiet, as I waded through calf-deep snow toward a little apartment on the outskirts of Poznan, Poland. The light through the windows was inviting. This kind of winter was new to me, a Florida girl. The night sky was a deeper blue, as the moonlight reflected off the snow. After spending theContinueContinue reading “English Lessons in a Polish Suburb”

My First Trip Overseas

Traveling Family Growing up, I traveled a lot. My family was very willing to hit the road, visit, explore. And because my dad worked for Eastern Airlines, we got to fly for free anywhere in the United States. We flew to see my sister when she lived in various locations. We also visited family byContinueContinue reading “My First Trip Overseas”