Posts Tagged With: food

Day 4948: How Things Work

Posted on July 20, 2026 by Ann Koplow

As I’m writing this, I’m listening to a recording of my son giving a talk on how things work in category theory. I don’t understand how things work at that level of mathematics, but I do know how things work in comedy, and my son is actually getting laughs as well as enthusiastic applause.

This is how things work when you’re a parent: your child does things beyond your abilities of comprehension, so you may as well enjoy the ride.

You might know how things work in this blog: I introduce a theme and then include a lot of images without much explanation.

Can you see how things work in my images for today?

Considering how things work on social media, I’ll probably ask a question about favorite cakes tonight.

Here’s what I find when I search for “how things work” on YouTube:

Here’s what I find when I search for “how things work in category theory” on YouTube:

Here’s how things work at the end of my blog posts: I express my gratitude to YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: A Sensible Introduction to Category Theory, books I’m reading/listening to, category theory, cats, food, International Cake Day, July 20 2026, Know How Things Work, parenting, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston | 6 Comments

Day 4788: Surprise!

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, group members gave me a surprise party for my birthday. It was a real surprise because my birthday was last week.

I finished reading the novel A Little Life and was not surprised by the ending. My group members, who have experienced awful traumas (like the main protagonist of the book), surprise me all the time with their resilience and growth.

Do you see any surprises in my images for today?

Here’s what I find when I search for “Surprise!” on YouTube:

Surprise!

Thanks to all who surprise me every day, including YOU.

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: broken refrigerator, coping and healing groups, February 10 2025, food, gratitude, resilience, SNL, The Daily Bitch Calendar, trauma, Twitter | 7 Comments

Day 3638: Four letter words

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Ann Koplow

This blog post will show lots of four letter words. That goal will last from this word to last.

Cats!

Joan, snug.

Tile!

Book.

Food.

Rugs.

Cats’ toys.

This:

Says them: “hate,” “fear,” can’t,” “ugly, “Elon,” Musk,” “MAGA,” “ugly,” “debt,” “poor,” plus more.

What to cast away?

Grin.

Days:

Said, less, more, math.

K. Flay, “Four Letter Words.”

What word ends this blog post?

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: books, cats, food, gratitude, K.Flay, National Days December 17 2022, rugs, The Daily Bitch Calendar, tile, toys, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 2208: Frustration

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, when I was experiencing some frustration, I noticed that somebody had chosen to express that feeling via the emotions chart on my office door.

I wondered, “Who expressed that frustration? Was it a patient or a staff person? Why are they feeling frustration? Are they expressing that frustration to others? Are they keeping the frustration to themselves? Do they know they are not alone in feeling frustration? How do they deal with frustration?” I felt some frustration that I did not know — and probably would never know — the answers to my questions.

However, I can ask similar questions to you, my readers.

Are you feeling frustration these days? Do you share your frustration or keep it to yourself? How do you deal with frustration?

I am feeling frustration with our government, these days. Am I alone in that frustration?

Also, people in therapy have been expressing frustration about their relationship with food, especially during and after the holidays. I suggest that people NOT beat themselves up about what they’re eating– that leads to greater frustration and more eating to comfort themselves.

In addition, last night at a Board meeting, some of us expressed frustration about ageism, and how people — even those who are sensitive in their use of language about other differences — make jokes about age all the time. I remember feeling frustration about this when I was in Social Work graduate school, decades ago. Of course, my frustration with this gets worse as I get older.

After the board meeting, one of the participants shared this video in an email:

Is anybody feeling frustration that I’m taking so long to share my other photos from yesterday?

Are people feeling frustration about any of those photos? I’ll explain the last one — I bought a gelato-filled Panettone for the board meeting. Nobody expressed frustration about that.

Feel free to express frustration or any other feelings or thoughts in a comment, below.

Thanks to all who helped me create this “frustration” post and to you — of course!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, politics | Tags: Ageism, emotions chart, expressing feelings, food, Italian Cafe Gelato, Panettone, the U.S. government shutdown, Tufts Medical Center | 27 Comments

Day 173: The negativity switch

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Ann Koplow

My negativity switch got flipped.

It’s difficult for me to see the positive right now.

My fears, disappointments, “failures,” and — hardest of all — existential isolation are in the foreground.

Hope — which puts the Joie in Joie de Vivre — is hiding.

It’s a beautiful day outside, but I don’t want to go out there.

I know there are reasons behind that negativity switch: recent stressful events and disappointments over the last week or so. I’ve definitely been “fire-fighting” a lot. For example, my son got suddenly ill and needed to hospitalized (he’s all better!!), my big presentation got cancelled, and there have been other challenges, too. Maybe I’m having a hangover from all those emotions coursing through my body: fear, relief, disappointment, anger, love, etc. etc.

Maybe I just need to get outside.

Maybe I just need some water. Or some friggin’ food.

On Mother’s Day last month, there was a point that I was getting cranky and annoyed. My bf and I were starting to squabble about something. My son turned to my bf and said, “She just needs some food. Get her some food.”

While I fancy myself a complicated and intricate organism, formed by a rich, varied, and sometimes painful past, exquisitely attuned to the internal and external inputs of life on multiple levels …

I knew he was right. I ate something and felt much better.

I think I’ll go get a spinach breakfast wrap at Starbucks.

Thanks for reading today.

Categories: personal growth | Tags: cognitive distortions, Depression, emotional hangover, existential angst, food, hope, illness, joie de vivre, negativity, negativity switch, self improvement, self-judgment, Starbucks breakfast wrap | 8 Comments

Day 152: Weighty Matters

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Ann Koplow

Oh, brother. (Oh, sister, too.)

This topic does feel like a weight — on my shoulders and in my gut.

And the topic is …. weight. How much we weigh.

Arrrghhhh!

This is SUCH a loaded topic.

There are so many aspects to it.

Body image.

Self worth.

Health.

Societal messages.

The value of women.

The value of human beings.

Stereotypes and prejudices.

Nutrition.

Food addiction.

Family dynamics.

Advertising.

Food-related politics and policies.

National, cultural, and historical differences in attitudes towards food and weight.

Etc. etc. etc.

(You may want to add to that list, depending upon your experience with this topic.)

Here’s my major point, this morning. All these different thoughts — small and large — floating around in my brain, are inspired by something so trivial … that feels so huge to me:

I weigh more, today, than I ever have in my life.

And it’s difficult for me to feel as valuable and “okay,” once having noticed that.

Which makes me mad, especially since I’ve worked with so many people, over the years, about cultivating self-esteem divorced from appearance, including weight.

So I’m taking the first step, right now, of naming my observation, my confusion, and my reactions.

That’s the beginning of my process — of moving forward, wherever that takes me.

Thank you for reading and witnessing (wherever you are, with all this).

Categories: personal growth | Tags: connection, food, growth, opinion, Personal, self esteem, self improvement, self-judgment, self-worth, weight | 5 Comments