Monthly Archives: July 2022

Day 3471: Unknowns

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Ann Koplow

When I write notes for therapy sessions, I document people’s stressors, and those stressors often include “unknowns about the future.”

People have always dealt with unknowns, but unknowns these days include

when the pandemic will end,
what other diseases will emerge,
how people will make it to their next paycheck,
the future of democracy,
whether injustices will ever be satisfactorily addressed,
the planet’s response to climate change, and
who and what will survive.

No wonder so many people are stressed by unknowns!

For some unknown reason, I still hold out hope for the future. Maybe it’s because I have to, in order to face unknowns here and now.

Do you see unknowns in my images for today?

Roller skates are not unknown to me but that Jefferson Starship lullaby is. Sometimes, unknowns can become knowns almost immediately.

What are your unknown (to me) thoughts and feelings about unknowns?

It’s probably unknown to you how much I appreciate your visits here, but I do my best to let you know!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: animals, “The Baby Tree”, Jefferson Starship, little lending libraries, modern day stressors, National Days July 13 2022, salmon dish, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Yogi Tea | 8 Comments

Day 3470: What cheers me up

Posted on July 12, 2022 by Ann Koplow

What cheers me up includes:

blogging daily,
people I love,
work I love,
knowing I’m not alone,
cats,
games,
positive reframes,
group therapy,
self care,
good weather,
fond memories,
making new memories,
learning new things,
reconnecting with an old friend, and
finding out what cheers up other people.

What does NOT cheer me up is doom-and-gloom news, including some unasked-for news alerts on my phone I’d like to block.

Done.

Taking action cheers me up, too, and so does sharing photos with you.

National Simplicity Day and Cow Appreciation Day are both cheering me up, here and now.

Music cheers me up and here’s some great music from somebody with different colored eyes:

What cheers you up?

Thanks to all who cheer me up, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “Let’s Dance”, cats, David Bowie, gratitude, group therapy, National Days July 12 2022, Progress Pride flag, social media, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Longwood Medical area, the news | 18 Comments

Day 3469: A picture is worth a thousand words

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Ann Koplow

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is today’s blog post worth?

In honor of All American Pet Photo Day, here’s a picture that’s worth more than a thousand words because it was taken by my husband Michael, whom Harley trusts and loves.

Here’s “Every Picture Tells a Story” by Rod Stewart.

Feel free to post pictures or words in the comments section below, because they’re all worth a lot to me.

Thanks to all who help me share pictures and words on this daily blog, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Every Picture Tells a Story", animal minds, “You Are a Complete Disappointment” by Mike Edison, National Days July 11 2022, National Pet Photo Day 2022, Rod Stewart, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter, Yogi Tea | 13 Comments

Day 3468: Lights in the darkness

Posted on July 10, 2022 by Ann Koplow

There are lights in the darkness, even when they are difficult to see.

Do you see lights in the darkness here and now?

People on Twitter and political cartoonists are lights in the darkness.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “lights in the darkness.”

Somebody on Twitter answered my question about lights in the darkness with “Matteo Lane” so here he is:

Thanks to all who are my lights in the darkness, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: C.S. Lewis, cats, Jonna Jinton, Light in the Darkness - Swedish Lucia Traditon, Matteo Lane, National Clerihew Day, National Days July 10 2022, P&D Indian Street Food, Terry Pratchett, Twitter, veterans | 10 Comments

Day 3467: That is the question

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Ann Koplow

I unquestionably ask a lot of questions, in real life and on social media. People on Twitter have suggested that I compile the questions I ask there into a book. What’s a good title for a book like that? How about “That is the Question”?

Do I even want to write a book? That is the question. Here’s a list of possible book titles I started this morning:

Which of those titles sound like a book you’d like to read? That is the question.

Which of my images for today might be in a book titled “Pictures Worth More Than a Thousand Words”? That is the question.

How are you going to celebrate National Dimples Day and National Sugar Day? And what does that double asterisk mean? That is the question.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “that is the question”:

What are your thoughts and feelings about this blog post? That is the question.

How should I express my gratitude to all of you today? That is the question and here is the answer.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “The Question is What is the Question”, book titles, brainstorming, gratitude, local fauna, National Days July 9 2022, Scooter, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter, Ukraine | 12 Comments

Day 3466: Recognition

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Ann Koplow

My blog posts — which get a satisfying amount of recognition — often start with a definition, so here’s a definition of recognition.

Because of my work as a group therapist, I often think about the importance of recognition. Everyone needs some recognition, especially recognition of one’s authentic self. Also, in order for us to survive, there are injustices that need recognition.

Do you recognize recognition in my images for today?

Do chocolate with almonds, collector cars, and freezer pops need more recognition?

Here’s “Santé” by Stromae, deserving of much more recognition.

In recognition of all who help me create this blog every day, thank you!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: birds, daedal cat, Gun violence, musicians, National Days July 8 2022, Santé, Stromae, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter | 15 Comments

Day 3465: Resignation

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Ann Koplow

The word “resignation” has two different meanings.

When I looked up “resignation” just now, the definition page coincidentally included a news story about resignations.

I look at the news with resignation lately and do you see resignation in my other images for today?

If I search YouTube for “resignation” I’m resigned to finding mostly videos about Boris Johnson’s resignation, so here are two tunes I was listening to yesterday.

What are your thoughts and feelings about this “resignation” post?

I’m so grateful to blog every day for you, so there are no plans for resignation here!

Categories: definition, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “A Remark You Made”, “I Gotta Try”, Boris Johnson, Michael McDonald, National Days July 7 2022, Noom, passible, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Weather Report | 15 Comments

Day 3464: How bad can it be?

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Ann Koplow

How bad can it be if I start my daily blog post by quoting The Daily Bitch?

How bad can it be when I’m wishing that someone WOULD come from the future to stop us from widespread destruction, injustice, and greed?

How bad can it be in my other images for today?

How bad can it be when it’s National Hand Roll Day?

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “how bad can it be?”

How bad can it be when I have wonderful readers like YOU?

Categories: life in the USA, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “How Bad Can I Be?”, cats, Dr. Seuss, gratitude, National Days July 6 2022, National Hand Roll Day, salmon dish, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Lorax, the South Shore of Boston | 17 Comments

Day 3463: A good cry

Posted on July 5, 2022 by Ann Koplow

These days, it seems like it’s always a good time for a good cry.

When there’s yet another mass shooting of innocents in the USA by a young man with a weapon of destruction, I don’t know if a good cry does any good.

Yesterday, before I asked that question about a good cry on Twitter, I attended my neighborhood July 4th parade in the USA, unaware that a similar event near Chicago was about to be transformed into a scene of cries and carnage.

That’s Francis and Etta, two wonderful children who watched the whole July 4th parade with me. I’m having a good cry right now thinking about all the wonderful children who’ve been traumatized over the years by gun violence.

While I’m having a good cry, I’ll share the rest of the images I captured yesterday with my good readers.