Posts Tagged With: U.S. election 2016

Day 1463: Sea Journey

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Ann Koplow

On the last day of 2016, my son — who journeys over the sea when he journeys to school or home — and I journeyed to see the wonderful movie La La Land, about a land near the sea. As we were journeying that day, we heard “Sea Journey” (written by Chick Corea, who grew up in the same town near the sea as my late father).

I said to my sea-journeying son, “I used to play that.” And I thought about the many journeys I’ve taken since I first played “Sea Journey” and wondered if I should journey back to the piano to learn it again.

Since the U.S. election in November, I’ve been on a journey to move near the sea. This sea journey seems so important that sometimes it’s difficult for me to feel peace where I’m living, here and now, away from the sea.

As I often tell others, if you are to journey forward, the first step is accepting exactly where you are.

See? I need to love living away from the sea in order to make a successful journey to the sea.

Ready to see what I saw, yesterday, on my journeys?

That’s Benny (with my niece/travel agent Laura, who books all my journeys), doing his imitation of a sea-journeying seal.

What journeys will you see today?

Many thanks to Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Antonio Sanchez, Steve Swallow, Benny, Laura, Victoria (Laura’s daughter), and my son for accompanying me on recent journeys and to you — of course! — no matter what journey you’re on today.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Sea Journey", acceptance, Chick Corea, chihuahua imitating a seal, La La Land, peace, U.S. election 2016 | 31 Comments

Day 1415: Outrageous Fortune

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I had the outrageous fortune to

wake up in the morning,
see signs of thanks giving,

meet my sister Ellen, who is one of the leading women in my life,

live another day without allergies,

encounter a t-shirt which reminded me of my late father, who had the brilliant idea of renaming a local business “The No Fakery Bakery,”

reminisce with my sister about how my father’s submitting that winning name in the local bakery’s contest many years ago resulted in our family winning free bagels and cream cheese for a week,
breathe free,

realize that people are still singing and acting in the name of love,

meet my wonderful friend Barbara, who is one of my favorite people in the world,

see familiar faces in a local no-fakery bakery that ships all over the world,

spend time breathing and taking pictures on a bench near the Charles River,

see a bumper sticker with my boyfriend, Michael, which reminded us of an experience we had the day after my open heart surgery in September (which I had the outrageous fortune to share with you in this post),

realize that no matter what else is happening to me right now, my scars from all my recent cardiac-related surgeries are healing and no longer need dressing with gauze and tape,

and have another piece of Michael’s outrageous chocolate cake.

During times of outrageous fortune, it helps to realize how outrageously fortunate I am.

Tonight, I have the outrageous fortune of seeing Benedict Cumberbatch in a production of Hamlet at a local movie theater with my friend Kathy, where we’ll have the outrageous fortune of hearing him recite these outrageous lines:

To be or not to be, that is the question:

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them

As I’ve recently said to several people I have the outrageous fortune to know, during times of outrageous fortune I can reduce my outrage with Dickens and with Shakespeare.

I just had the outrageous fortune of finding this music on YouTube in the name of love:

Will I have the outrageous fortune of seeing a comment from you, below?

I have the outrageous fortune of being able to thank all who helped me create this post and you — of course! — whom I am outrageously fortunate to know.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet, Bruegger's Bagels, Charles River, Hillary Clinton, In the Name of Love, Lakota Bakery, Newmans' Bakery, No Fakery Bakery, recovering from trauma, To Be or Not to Be, U.S. election 2016 | 39 Comments

Day 1408: The News

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Ann Koplow

Have you noticed that even when we say “enough,” The News doesn’t stop?

Here’s the latest news: After I posted The News in yesterday’s new blog post, I went to cardiac rehab and told them the news that I was feeling worse and more out of breath after getting a new Implantable Cardiac Device last week. (That device was replaced because of the news from the manufacturer that two people have died already from prematurely depleting batteries, which has been in the news.) When I exercised on the treadmill at cardiac rehab yesterday, the news was that my heart was not speeding up correctly, the way it has been between the time of my open heart surgery in September and my getting the new ICD last week.

How did I react to that news? I had a complete meltdown, because the news has just been coming and coming at me for the past few months.

Then, I got into my relatively new car and drove to the hospital to deliver the news to my cardiologists. It’s probably not headline news that I was crying and upset. My worst fear was that I would hear this news: Your new device won’t work as well as the old one and your only hope is to get ANOTHER new device. That would have been too much news for me.

However, the news I got at the hospital was this: In more unexpected news, the pocket that holds my new device is filled with fluid, which means the new device can’t make my heart with its new mechanical heart valve speed up appropriately in response to new exercise. The news included this: after that fluid is absorbed, the new device SHOULD act the way it was supposed to.

While that news was “good,” I don’t think it was news to my medical team that I had some new skepticism about “shoulds.” Also, the new ICD won’t work correctly until the new and painful swelling and fluid go away, so I need to stay out of work for two more weeks. That might not be great news for my patients.

What’s the news, where you are?

More news: I’ll probably be watching the news tonight, because today is the United States Presidential election.

When I posted my news on Facebook last night, I included this:

I am just doing this to distract everybody from the election. You’re welcome.

What’s the photographic news from my not-so-new iPhone?

More news! We bought a new-to-us vegetable on Sunday, which Michael cooked in a new dish last night. It wouldn’t be news to me if one of my readers knew what that vegetable was (even though Michael and I didn’t). I’ll tell you this news: Michael said the vegetable looked like fractals, and the Wikipedia page about that vegetable said the same thing!

What helps you deal with the news? For me, it’s the power of love (also a song by Huey Lewis and The News):

The news would be good for me if you leave a new comment, below.

My final news is that I have new gratitude for all those who helped me create this new post and for you (and I hope that’s not news to you!).

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: adult congenital heart disease, CCTGA, dealing with the news, enough news already, Huey Lewis and the News, mechanical heart valve, St. Jude device recall, The Power of Love, U.S. election 2016 | 63 Comments

Day 1407: Enough

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Ann Koplow

As if other people aren’t asking you enough questions these days, I have another one for you:

Do you ever feel like saying “Enough”?

This morning, when I woke up sore from my third surgical procedure in 45 days, facing one more day before the U.S. Presidential election, adjusting to another time change, looking at more than enough new emails in my inbox, having enough things to take care of today, not having enough energy on stairs, and recently receiving this mailing from the Mayo Clinic …

… I said to myself, “Enough!”

If, at this point, you don’t have enough information about what I’ve been going through lately, you could read some of my recent blog posts. But, honestly, I don’t know if you have enough time to do that.

Now, I know I have enough things to be grateful for in my life, but sometimes I wonder whether we give ourselves enough time to just stop and say, “Enough!”

Have I written enough to make my point?

Because this post isn’t random enough, I want to tell you that I recently told my boyfriend Michael (who is more than enough for me) that if I ran for President of the United States, I thought this would be enough of a platform to get me elected:

Enough with the time/clock changes! We’re going to pick one and stay with it!

Enough with advertising holidays before we’ve gone through the most recent one! For example, no Thanksgiving advertising until after Halloween, and no Christmas advertising until after Thanksgiving!

Do you think that platform would be enough to get me elected? If not, I have more than enough other ideas (including ENOUGH WITH THE UNASKED-FOR UPDATES TO SOFTWARE FOR OUR DEVICES!)

Let’s see whether I have enough new photos on my iPhone (which, by the way, has a cracked screen because it’s taken enough abuse from me):

Do you think there are enough cat photos on the internet? And if I haven’t given you enough information about the photos above, Michael conducted another cooking lesson with my son Aaron (who’s far enough away in Edinburgh) via phone last night, making enough delicious vegetarian chili for us.

There’s enough music on YouTube, including these two songs (here and here):

I certainly spent enough time dancing to that first song in discos, decades ago.

As if this all weren’t enough, WordPress is having trouble saving this post. Will I have enough time to publish it successfully before I have to leave for cardiac rehab?

If you have enough to say about this “Enough!” post, I hope you know enough to comment, below.

And, yes, I do have enough gratitude for all those who helped me create today’s blog post and to you — of course! — for having enough time and energy to visit here, today.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: 'Enough is Enough", Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer, CCTGA, Eli Young Band, living with a heart condition, my platform for President, time changes, U.S. election 2016 | 50 Comments

Day 1399: National ___ Day

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Ann Koplow

In my nation of the United States of America, EVERY day is National Something Day.

If today is National Skepticism Day where you are, check out this link.

Yesterday, I saw signs for two out of the three National _____ Days listed for October 29:

Today — which is National Candy Corn Day, National Speak Up for Service Day, and National Publicist Day — I am speaking up and publicizing all the other corny photos I took (in order) on National Cat Day, National Oatmeal Day, and National Hermit Day:

As you can see, we gave our cats some toys for National Cat Day, and they celebrated like they do on any other day.

In anticipation of some upcoming national events here (including Halloween and Election Day), here’s “National Brotherhood Week” written and performed in the 1960s by our national treasure, Tom Lehrer (who is still alive on this day):

Finally, what day would you like today to be? I’m speaking up — candidly, cornily, and publicly — and declaring today National Gratitude Day, as I express gratitude to all who helped me create this post and — of course! — to all my readers.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, staying healthy | Tags: National Brotherhood Week, National Candy Corn Day, National Cat Day, National Day website, National Speak Up for Service Day, PetSmart, Summer Shack, Tom Lehrer, U.S. election 2016 | 25 Comments

Day 1395: The Choice is Clear

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, the choice was clear that I needed to take this picture:

It’s clear that nobody should choose to try to clear that barbed wire fence. Also, the choice is clear in the upcoming vote of the next U.S. president. But is the choice ALWAYS clear?

As I chose to write yesterday, when the choice is NOT clear, that can be painful. This morning, I choose to believe that unclear choices, over time, will become clear enough for me to choose well enough.

The choice is clear! I clearly need to trust my ability to choose, even if it takes me some time to clear my way to the better choice.

If I asked you to choose a favorite from the 30-something other photos I chose to take yesterday, would the choice be clear? And if the choice isn’t clear, what will you do?

Yesterday, the choice was clear for me to post that last photo on Facebook with this caption: “Scarred for life and happy about it.”

Because I’m going to see An American in Paris in a Boston theater tonight with my friend Barbara, my musical choice is clear today:

If you’ve chosen to read my blog before, it’s clear that I choose to end each post with thanks to all who help me create it and to you — of course! — for choosing to join me, here and now.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: acceptance, An American in Paris, Choices, decision making, Fresh Pond in Cambridge, gratitude, Halloween, letting go of fear, open heart surgery scar, recovering from open heart surgery, U.S. election 2016 | 28 Comments