Posts Tagged With: Hanukkah

Day 4381: Enormous Changes at the Last Minute

Posted on December 30, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Regarding USA politics, I know many people are hoping for enormous changes at the last minute, even though that’s unlikely.

The National Day Calendar says that today is the Festival of Enormous Changes at the Last Minute.

Personally, I’m not panicking about that and I am trying not to panic about the enormous changes that are likely to appear after Inauguration Day next month.

Do you see any enormous changes at the last minute in my images for today?

Here’s what I find when I search for “enormous changes at the last minute.”

At the last minute of today’s post, I would like to express my appreciation and admiration for the late Jimmy Carter, who made enormous changes for good throughout his long life.

Thanks to all who help me get through enormous changes at the last minute, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, December 30 2024, electric menorah, Grace Paley, gratitude, Hanukkah, Jimmy Carter, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, USA politics | 6 Comments

Day 4378: Let Them

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Because I let them talk about whatever they want, one of my group members told us on Christmas Eve day about the latest book by Mel Robbins — The Let Them Theory.

We were discussing how to deal with other people’s actions (as we often do) when this group member said, “Mel Robbins writes that we should just let them be who they are and do whatever they do, because they will anyway. Whatever it is, let them.”

“Let them” sounds like the wisdom of radical acceptance. And whenever I say “you can’t control what others do but you can control how you react,” I am essentially saying “let them.”

I know it’s going to be difficult for me to let them do things to my country and the world during the next US administration, starting very soon. My guess is that The Let Them Theory probably has elements of the serenity prayer — encouraging the serenity to accept the things we cannot change (let them), the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Instead of explaining my images for today, I’m going to let them speak for themselves.

If people want to go back to church (or not), eat fruit cake, or visit the zoo, let them.

Here’s what I find when I search for “let them” on YouTube:

If you have some responses that want to come out in the comments section, let them.

Thanks to all who are here for this “let them” post, including YOU!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Artists, cats, December 27 2024, fish dish, Hanukkah, Mel Robbins, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Let Them Theory, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 4377: National Whiners Day

Posted on December 26, 2024 by Ann Koplow

It gives me happiness to share that today is National Whiners Day!

The possibilities ARE endless since I woke up today whining about many things, including a sore throat, the end-of-the-year blues, my weight, the state of the world, the upcoming USA administration, and not being able to find our new Menorah for Hanukkah AND the mouth guard I hate wearing because of my annoyingly clicking jaw.

Before I discovered it was National Whiners Day, I was ready to write a whiners post, in which I planned to discuss how we automatically focus on the negative as a way to highlight and solve problems.

Instead of whining more about that, here are my images for National Whiners Day!

Here’s what I find when I search for “National Whiners Day.”

Feel free to whine about that video or anything else in the comments, below.

Thanks to all who are here for this National Whiners Day post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, Christmas, December 26 2024, focusing on the negative, Hanukkah, memorable gifts, Menorahs, National Days, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, Wordle | 12 Comments

Day 3999: Last questions

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Ann Koplow

For years, I’ve been asking last questions of the day on Twitter. Some last questions get many responses, like this one from last night:

Other last questions get fewer responses, like this one:

I never know which last questions will last.

This is my last question before I reach four thousand consecutive daily blog posts tomorrow: What will I blog about in the future?

I don’t know, but here are my images for today:

Here’s the last question the Daily Bitch asked:

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

The next time I fly, I’ll ask last questions about senior discounts.

Unquestionable thanks to those who have lasted through all my questions here, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: American Chop Suey, cats, December 14 2023, Get answers to your last-minute travel questions, Hanukkah, ice cream, my last question for the day, new countries, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the Today Show, Twitter | 15 Comments

Day 3996: Magic

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Ann Koplow

In my Coping and Healing groups, people can use a magic wand, a magic hat (for choosing what’s helpful), and a magic waste paper basket (for throwing away something toxic). It’s magic to witness the creative healing that goes on in those groups.

Do you see magic in today’s post?

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

Out of my magic hat, I am taking gratitude for all of you!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: books, Brian Miller, cats, coping and healing groups, December 11 2023, Hanukkah, How to Magically Connect with Anyone, latkes, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 3993: Gifts

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Ann Koplow

These days, I’m thinking about gifts.

What gifts do you see in my other images for today?

The Daily Bitch Calendar: the gift that keeps on giving.

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

That TED talk by Darden Smith is a gift.

You are all gifts to me and thanks for being here, now.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, Darden Smith, December 8 2023, definition, Fearing Your Gift, gratitude, Hanukkah, quotes, songwriting, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 3645: No worries

Posted on December 24, 2022 by Ann Koplow

No worries, here and now, because

I’m on vacation,
I’m seeing my son and other beloved family members tonight and tomorrow,
Almost everyone I love is healthy,
I’ve got all my Christmas shopping done, and
Worry never helps. It just doesn’t.

No worries about the images I have to share with you today.

No worries is a bitchin’ goal for many of us.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “no worries.”

No worries but lots of gratitude for YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, Christmas Eve, cookies, Festivus, gratitude, Hanukkah, Letting go of worry, National Days December 24 2022, Simon Webbe, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 17 Comments

Day 3256: How do you make decisions?

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Ann Koplow

As someone who can struggle making decisions, I am very curious about how others make decisions.

One of the reasons I struggle with decisions is that I’m a high Perceiver according to the Myers-Briggs test, which means I feel more comfortable collecting additional data rather than making a decision.

So I’d like to collect some data, here and now. How do you make decisions when

you are definitely out of your depth?
you get conflicting data from experts?
there can be considerable costs (monetary or otherwise) if you make a wrong decision?
you secretly wish the problem would just go away magically?
you tend to catastrophize worst case scenarios?
you’re afraid of getting trapped on a path you can’t escape?
you distrust your ability to figure out who and what to trust?
you wonder about people’s motives?
there is so much miscommunication and misunderstanding among humans, that it’s difficult to get to the “truth”?
you don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings or otherwise cause them trouble?
you have trouble asking for help?
different people give you very different advice?
you would much rather be focusing on situations within your comfort zone?
you’re not psychic and can’t predict the future?
you feel like you don’t belong in the role of decision maker?

Right now, I’m having trouble making decisions about what to discuss in this blog post! Should I write about my struggles with decisions regarding getting the repair work done on our home? Should I share my problems deciding about next steps related to Joan the cat’s recurring ear infections? Should I discuss the kashmillion decisions I make every day, with varying levels of comfort?

Well, I’m making the decision to share these images.

How do you make decisions about which of those National Days to consider today?

How do you make decisions about which of these videos (which I found by searching YouTube for “how do you make decisions?”) to watch?

How do you make decisions about what thoughts and feelings to express, here and elsewhere?

I have no trouble making decisions about expressing gratitude, so thanks to all who made the decision to visit this blog today, including YOU!

Categories: life during the pandemic, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “Before You Decide: 3 Steps to Better Decision Making”, “How to Know If You’re Making the Right Decision”, “How to Make a Decision”, Hanukkah, Matthew Confer, Mel Robbins, National Days November 30, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The School of Life, trout dish | 7 Comments

Day 2165: Brace yourself …

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Ann Koplow

Brace yourself …

… for the unexpected, because it’s another day!

Yesterday, I braced myself for being late by foregoing my usual walk and jumping on a shuttle bus that runs between where I park and where I work. When the bus driver saw that I was bracing myself with my ukulele, she asked me to play for the passengers. I looked around and told people to brace themselves for my singing an original song called “Hidden Thoughts.” I braced myself for possible annoyance, disapproval, and/or lack of attention from the riders but, instead, the passengers looked up, smiled bracing smiles and even braced themselves to sing along! As more people got on the bus, I braced myself with more confidence and sang my latest song, “I Left the House Before I Felt Ready” (which I’ll be bracing myself to sing at an Open Mic in two days). The reactions seemed 100% positive, which helped me brace myself for the rest of the day.

Brace yourself for more photos from me:

Brace yourself for my final photo, which shows what we did when we ran out of Hanukkah candles yesterday (and were unable to find any replacements at our local store):

I’ll brace myself for your reactions to seeing birthday candles in that Menorah.

Brace yourself for the day’s musical selection, from Howie Day:

Brace yourself for more bracing thanks from me to all who help me brace myself for the new day by writing this blog and — of course! — to YOU, for reading it.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Brace Yourself", birthday candles in Menorah, broiled salmon, cell phone messages, Chanukah, expect the unexpected, Hanukkah, Howie Day, original songs, performing songs on a bus, Snowman Poop | 20 Comments

Day 1457: Steadiness

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Ann Koplow

During this time of the year, I need steadiness. Where does it come from?

A cup of herbal tea, in the evening, provides some steadiness.

Yesterday, we had the character and commitment to take down the little Christmas tree, which has been looking rather unsteady.

We also had the character and commitment to go to the supermarket, where I had the steadiness to take these pictures:

Then, while the cats demonstrated steadiness …

…. Aaron and Michael had the character and commitment to make latkes,

… and I had the steadiness to eat lots of latkes with applesauce AND sour cream.

Today, I have the steadiness, character, and commitment to provide individual and group therapy at work.

But first, let’s go with a ready and steady music video.

As I was watching that video of Ready, Steady, Go by Paul Oakenfold, I was remembering a question my steady son, Aaron, asked me yesterday:

When you had your open heart surgery, did you ask them take a picture of your heart?

Before Aaron left for college in September, I had expressed the commitment to ask the doctors at the Mayo Clinic to take a photo of my very unusual heart when it was ready for its close-up on September 21. I decided not to, because I wanted them to focus on the steadiness of the delicate procedure.

I guess I don’t need to see my heart; I’m just enjoying the steadiness of every beat.

Do you have the steadiness, character, and commitment for one more photo, today?

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Chanukah greeting cards, Charlie Brown tree, Hanukkah, latkes, open heart surgery, Paul Oakenfold, Ready Steady Go, taking down the Christmas tree, Yogi Tea | 29 Comments