Author Archives: Ann Koplow

About Ann Koplow

I'm a clinical social worker at a major teaching hospital, specializing in group therapy.

Day 5030: Joan

Posted on October 9, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Joan, our cat, has many fans on social media.

Since the day the USA started bombing Iran, I’ve been sharing a daily picture of Joan on Twitter. Yesterday’s picture of Joan got the biggest response ever.

As usual, Eric Yake had a wonderful response to Joan’s picture.

Here are some of my favorite Joan/Eric pairings.

Eric says he plans to publish a book of Joan photos and give the proceeds to my favorite charity!

Almost all of my images today are about Joan.

Here’s the video of Joan I chose to run when you listen to my song “I Left the House Before I Felt Ready” on Spotify.

Thanks to Joan, Eric, and everybody who is here for Joan now, including YOU!

Categories: cats, original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Eric Yake, I Left the House Before I Felt Ready, Lessons Learned, my daily dose of vitamin K, October 9 2026, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | Leave a comment

Day 5029: What Matters

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Ann Koplow

As best I can, I try to include what matters to me (and others, I hope) in this daily blog.

What matters to you in my images for today?

https://twitter.com/YakeEric/status/2107880270431191448/video/1

The Daily Bitch is very clear about what matters to her.

Here’s the wonderful TED talk I find when I search for “what matters” on YouTube:

What matters to me, here and now, is expressing my gratitude to YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats and other creatures, David Brooks, Halloween decorations, my blogging streak, October 8 2026, spaghetti and meatballs, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter, What Really Matters TED talk, You Matter to Me Day | 3 Comments

Day 5028: Anxious

Posted on October 7, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Here and now, I’m anxious about an upcoming insurance review, a group workshop I need to give on October 17 (when I’d rather be at a No Kings protest), making mistakes, and many other things.

I was anxious when I wrote this song:

Now that I’ve listened to that, I feel a little less anxious.

Our cat Harley is much more anxious than our cat Joan.

Can you tell I was anxious when I captured the images in today’s blog?

The Daily Bitch and I both watch TV when we’re anxious.

I hope you’re not too anxious to leave a comment, below.

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

Categories: group psychotherapy, original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “It’s Hard to Get Sh*t Done When You’re Scared Sh*tless”, cats, monkfish dish, No Kings Protests October 17, October 7 2026, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Singing Therapist, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter | 5 Comments

Day 5027: Stories we like to tell

Posted on October 6, 2026 by Ann Koplow

In therapy, we talk a lot about the stories we like to tell. I encourage people to tell the positive stories about themselves, since we tend to remember and focus on the negative.

Do you see stories we like to tell in my images for today?

Apparently, the Daily Bitch isn’t interested in listening to the stories we like to tell.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “the stories we like to tell.”

Colleen Georges likes to tell stories similar to those I like to tell.

Thanks to all those who are here for the stories we like to tell, including YOU!

Categories: Narrative Therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Boston transportation, cats and other creatures, Colleen Georges TED talk, healthy meals, October 6 2026, Re-scripting the stories we tell ourselves, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 5026: National Storytelling Day

Posted on October 5, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I told stories about storytellers, unaware that today was National Storytelling Day.

On National Storytelling Day, I’m working on improving my storytelling here on this blog, looking for ways to make both the text and the images more readable. In the meantime, I’m close to getting full credit for my continuous streak of daily blogging since January 1, 2013.

Because my storytelling here isn’t as clear, well-formatted, and interesting as I would like these days, I fear I may lose some readers. That fear won’t stop me, however, from storytelling on National Storytelling Day.

The Daily Bitch is telling another interesting story on National Storytelling Day.

This is the first thing that comes up when I search for “National Storytelling Day” on YouTube:

Thanks for all who are here for the storytelling on National Storytelling Day, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: 2025 National Storytelling Festival, Alton Chung Olio, cats and other pets, delicious meals, Le Madeline Restaurant, October 5 2026, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter and Bluesky, WordPress Happiness Engineer, World Pet’s Day | 6 Comments

Day 5025: Storytellers

Posted on October 4, 2026 by Ann Koplow

As one of the storytellers here on WordPress, I’m figuring out, here and now, how to tell today’s story.

Last night, I saw one of my favorite storytellers, Kathy Griffin.

I have a story to tell about that last photo. Before Kathy Griffin came on stage last night to tell her stories, we were repeatedly admonished about not using our cellphones during her storytelling. However, when she was telling stories about performing in Minnesota, she asked us to turn on our phones to record ourselves chanting “Fuck Ice!” five times. The people who hadn’t turned off their phones were ready to record that chanting but I wasn’t; it took too long for my phone to power up. However, I did snap that photo of a brave storyteller before turning my phone off again.

Several people kept using their cellphone during the rest of Kathy’s storytelling, but that’s another story.

I think Kathy Griffin is great storyteller because she fearlessly tells the truth about herself, celebrities, politicians, and the state of the country.

I’m a storyteller who communicates with words and pictures, so here’s the rest of the story.

Here’s what I find when I look for storytellers on YouTube:

I also find this:

Thanks to Kathy Griffin and everyone who is here for this storytellers post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Boston Theatre District, cats, Celebrity Encounters, GMA, great storytellers, Kathy Griffin, October 4 2026, Talk Your Head Off, the South Shore of Boston, the Wilbur Theater, Twitter and Bluesky | 5 Comments

Day 5024: Unknown Blessings

Posted on October 3, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Last night, when Michael brought me my tea, I got a message about unknown blessings.

Because I have been feeling anxious about a very action-packed October, I’m very glad to know that unknown blessings are on the way.

Let’s see if there are any unknown blessings in my images for today.

On Virus Appreciation Day, a virus can be an unknown blessing.

Here’s what I find when I look for “unknown blessings” on YouTube:

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Ben Bochner, cats and other creatures, Fuji Sushi, my daily dose of vitamin K, October 3 2026, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter, what makes people smile, Yogi Tea quotes | 6 Comments

Day 5023: Less Than Perfect

Posted on October 2, 2026 by Ann Koplow

It’s the end of a less-than-perfect work week, including Less than Perfect Day.

In my less-than-perfect Coping and Healing groups, we’ve been discussing dealing with the world and ourselves being less than perfect. We are always less than perfect and perfectionism gets in the way of realizing that we are still enough.

I did a less-than-perfect insurance review for a patient this week and I am hoping to still get her the therapy services she needs.

This daily blog is less than perfect and I am working with a WordPress Happiness Engineer to try to make it better. “Happiness Engineer” seems like a less-than-perfect label, but all labels are less than perfect.

ChatGPT is less than perfect and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Time to share my less-than-perfect images for today.