Monthly Archives: January 2025

Day 4413: Exhausted

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Ann Koplow

When I ask therapy patients their mood lately, I keep hearing the same word: “Exhausted.”

I can relate.

I am exhausted by the news.

I am exhausted by the lies.

I am exhausted by the hate.

Do you know who is not exhausted?

Joan.

When, I’m exhausted, my thoughts turn to possible escapes.

The list of daily observances/holidays got very few views on XTwitter yesterday, but I’m too Xhausted to try to figure out why. Here is today’s list:

I’m exhausted worrying about social security among many other threatened programs in my country.

I wonder if the Daily Bitch is exhausted today.

Yep.

Here’s what I find when I search for “exhausted” on YouTube.

I hope I’m not too exhausted to celebrate my 72nd birthday this weekend.

Are you exhausted? I hope you’re not too exhausted to leave a comment, below.

Thanks to all who help me perk up when I’m exhausted, including YOU!

Categories: life in the USA, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: 8 Things That Lead To Emotional Exhaustion, cats, escapes, January 31 2025, Psych2go, Social Security, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 10 Comments

Day 4412: Names

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Ann Koplow

I think names are important. I try to make sure that I spell and pronounce all names correctly.

Names have also been in the news lately. For example, he-who-shall-not-be-named renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America and nameless cowards are actually going along with this.

What names do you see in my images for today?

Here’s what I find when I search for “names” on YouTube.

I hope the name PBS is still recognizable four years from now.

Thanks to all who helped me create this “names” blog post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, January 30 2025, MAHA, PBS otherwords, pot roast, Robin Williams, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Gulf of Mexico, The Stories Behind Food Names, The United States of America, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 4411: What we can’t and can control

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Ann Koplow

In my therapy groups, we often talk about what we can’t and can control.

For example, we can’t control other people’s behaviors but we can control how we react to them.

We can’t control the present USA administration but we can control how we take care of ourselves and others during the next four years.

I can’t control that our cats like to sharpen their claws but I can control what kind of new sofa we get.

Do you see what we can’t and can control in my images for today?

I can’t control what’s on YouTube but I can control what YouTube video I share in this blog post.

I can’t control what comments people leave but I can control how I ask for them!

Thanks to all who are here for this what-we-can’t-and-can-control post, including YOU!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cat-scratch-resistant sofa, cats, Empaths Refuge, happy places, January 28 2025, Simon’s Cat, Stop Worrying About Things You Can’t Control!!!, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The USA administration, Twitter | 10 Comments

Day 4410: Keep Going

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Ann Koplow

No matter what is going on in the world, we have to keep going.

Yesterday, somebody in my Coping and Healing group brought in stress balls for everybody, and I chose one that said Keep Going.

Let’s keep going through the rest of my images for today.

I hope the American Immigration Lawyers Association can keep going, as well as other valuable members on that list.

Here’s a “keep going” video on YouTube:

I love the synchronicity of that Keep Going video showing up on International Lego Day.

I hope you keep going to the comments section to express your thoughts and feelings about these post.

Thanks to all who help me keep going, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: American Immigration Lawyers Association, cats, feelings chart, fish cakes, International Lego Day, January 28 2025, stress, stress balls, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The School of Life, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 4409: Ages

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Ann Koplow

As I gratefully approach the age of 72, I am trying to make sense of the distressing age we are living in.

Yesterday, because I wasn’t satisfied with my first recording of The Age of Nefarious (my new lyrics for The Age of Aquarius), I tried again:

My ex-husband, Leon, thinks that song is one for the ages.

What ages do you see in my images for today?

This the age when a man with the emotional age of a 4-year-old is President of the USA. Hell hath no fury like him and that’s hell for thinking, empathic people of all ages.

Thanks to all who are here for this ages post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, different ages, eggplant parmigiana, inspiring biographies, January 27 2025, Lin Yutang quote, Republicans, The Age of Aquarius, The Age of Nefarious, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 4408: Spells

Posted on January 26, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, my husband Michael and I saw the incredible Esperanza Spalding, who referred to some of her amazing songs as “spells.”

I understood why she called them “spells” because they were magical and healing.

Here’s “12 Little Spells” by Esperanza Spalding.

There are good spells and bad spells. Right now, the USA is under the control of people casting bad spells, which I hope does not spell unrecoverable destruction.

Do you see spells in my images for today?

Thanks to all who are doing their best to cast good spells, including YOU!

Categories: life in the USA, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: 2025 calendars, “12 Little Spells”, esperanza spalding, insomnia, January 26 2025, Mialisa Hair Salon, things that are healing, Toad Hall Appreciation Day, Twitter, vegan spaghetti | 4 Comments

Day 4407: Healthy Relationships

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Today’s Daily Bitch Calendar is about healthy relationships.

Healthy relationships do take work and I understand why they sound exhausting to the Daily Bitch.

However, unhealthy relationships are MUCH more exhausting, so I’m very grateful for my healthy relationships, especially during unhealthy times.

One of my healthy relationships is with my husband, Michael. He is staying mentally healthy with 24-hour, 7 days-a-week news blackouts. Before the 2024 USA election, with its unhealthy results, part of our healthy relationship was commiserating about the news. In order to maintain our healthy relationship these days, I need to restrict my conversations with him and use other outlets (like this blog) where I can discuss my reactions to the news.

Do you see healthy relationships in my other images for today?

Here’s what I find when I search for “healthy relationships” on YouTube:

That reminds me of something I often share about maintaining healthy relationships: The secret to life is three things — Show up, be gentle, and tell the truth.

What are your thoughts and feelings about healthy relationships?

Thanks to all with whom I have healthy relationships, including YOU!

Categories: life in the USA, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: belly laughs, cats, communication, FEMA, news blackouts, politics, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the January 25 2025, The Number One Rule for Healthy Relationships, The School of Life, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 4406: Bullies and Heroes

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Ann Koplow

I’ve been thinking about bullies and heroes this week. It’s been challenging to find the heroes along the bullies, who tend to get the attention and the press coverage.

Let’s see which bullies and heroes show up in this blog post.

I wonder what I’ll find when I search for “bullies and heroes” on YouTube.

What are your thoughts and feelings about bullies and heroes?

Thanks to all who showed up for this bullies-and-heroes post, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth | Tags: “Bullies & Heroes” by Ray Saito, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, calling people out, cats, how to deal with bullies, Immigrants, January 25 2025, Mikhail Baryshnikov, personal heroes, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 13 Comments

Day 4405: Unacceptable

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Ann Koplow

It’s difficult to practice radical acceptance when so many things are unacceptable. I know I’m not alone in believing that many actions of the new USA administration are unacceptable.

How do we deal with the unacceptable? The first step is naming it.

Here are my other images for this “unacceptable” post.

Pema Chodron talks about accepting that we never finally have our shit together. However, we’ll need to have our shit together well enough to combat and survive the unacceptable all around us.

Here’s what I find when I search for “unacceptable” on YouTube.

Now I’m hearing new words for the song “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole.

What are your thoughts and feeling about this unacceptable post?

Thanks to all who helped me create this unacceptable post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, eggplant parmigiana, January 23 2025, Lemongrab, Nat King Cole, Pema Chodron, radical acceptance, synonyms for hate, the current USA administration, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 14 Comments

Day 4404: How do you feel?

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I saw my wonderful Primary Care Physician, Dr. Laura Snydman, for my yearly checkup and she asked me many questions including “How do you feel?”

I told her I feel well physically (now that I have finally recovered from RSV) and I feel terrible about the state of our country.

She noted that my blood pressure went down after I sang my new song The Age of Nefarious for her yesterday and we both felt good about that.

How do you feel about my images for today?