Day 770: Am I blue?

Am I blue?

I have some reasons to be blue, this morning:

  1. More white-and-sometimes-blue snow is piling up around here, in Boston USA.
  2. Mary — whom I was looking forward to seeing, after her return from  a two-week vacation — won’t be coming in today to the hospital where we work together.
  3. I’m going to be the only Social Worker On Call, all day, for the very large primary care practice where I do individual and group therapy.
  4. I’m waiting on some possibly blue-making news from cardiologists of many colors, regarding future surgery on my red-and-blue heart.

I have reasons to be blue, but am I blue?

Am I blue, from the cold?

No, I’m not.  I might be blue from cold, by the time I get to work this morning, but I’m not blue yet.

Am I blue, because I have a very unusual heart that pumps blood in unexpected ways?

No, I’m not. Medical people, when they’ve seen pictures of my heart, have looked at my fingers and toes expecting them to be blue (because of the strange route my blood takes), but I’m always pink (unless I’m outside too long in the !!&#@!!#@!! New England cold).

Am I blue, in any way, this morning?

I shall check in with myself — internally and externally — in this moment.

I have discovered two ways in which I am blue, right now.

Before I reveal those, will it make you blue if my thoughts turn to blues in the recent past?

I saw these blues last night, while Grammys for blues, rock, R & B,  and other kinds of music were being awarded in Los Angeles, California.*

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Here’s a link to the complete list of all the (probably-not-blue) winners of Grammy awards this year. It always makes me a little blue that more musical genres — like bluegrass — aren’t included in the Grammy awards TV show. However, it makes me the opposite of blue (whatever color that would be) to see, this morning, that some of my favorite entertainers won Grammys this year, including:

  1. Chick Corea (appearing in blog posts here and here),
  2. Weird Al Yankovic (appearing in the comment section of this here blog post),
  3. Pharrell Williams (appearing in this blue-and-non-blue blog post AND consistently making me the opposite of blue with his song “Happy”) (including right now, as I’m composing this “Am I Blue?” post),
  4. Joan Rivers (appearing in this here blog post), and
  5. John Williams (whose music appears in this blog post).

As I’m looking at that list of winners of 2015 Grammy Awards, I’m noticing that a Black Jack AND a White Jack might both reply “NO!” to “Am I Blue?” this morning.

Is anybody out there saying, “YES!” to the question “Am I Blue?” … for any reason?

And, am I blue that I’ve gone such a long, slow distance away from those two ways I am blue, this morning?

NO! Here are the two ways that I’m blue, here and now:

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Am I blue that a terrific song “Am I Blue?” was written in 1929 by Harry Akst and Grant Clarke?

I’m not blue that “Am I Blue?” — as performed by Hoagy Carmichael in the movie To Have and Have Not  — is here on YouTube.

Will you be blue if I don’t include more versions of “Am I Blue”?

Ethel Waters sings “Am I Blue?” here on YouTube.

Billie Holiday sings “Am I Blue?” here on YouTube.

Ray Charles and Dick Cavett (who has battled the depression blues most of his life) sing “Am I Blue?” here on YouTube.

Batman sings “Am I Blue?” here on YouTube.

Linda Ronstadt sings “Am I Blue?” here on YouTube.

Cher sings “Am I Blue?” here on YouTube.

Am I blue right now, after listening to such a great song performed in so many ways?  What do you think?

Many blue and non-blue thanks to all those who have ever been blue in any way, including you!


*My son Aaron and I are flying to Los Angeles, California in five days. I am definitely NOT blue about that.

Categories: personal growth | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 57 Comments

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57 thoughts on “Day 770: Am I blue?

  1. I love those blue toes! Here’s some more blue for you from Blue Man Group http://youtu.be/_nLynJnA84I

  2. Oh my to the news of more snow for you. …. so cheers to a timely California trip … but your blue look made me smile.

  3. I don’t got the blues
    ’cause reading you
    makes me all happy and true!

  4. You are blue because you are the colour of the sky!

  5. Love your blue post, Ann. Great blue photos, great blue songs and fantastic blue toes. Blue’s such an expressive colour, I think. I really hope you continue to feel non-blue, despite the cold and snow. Funny how blue can be suggestive of cold as well as lovely blue summer skies. Hope it’s blue skies for you on your California holiday. Soon be spring, then we can think of yellow – as in sunshine and chicks! 🙂

  6. I spent far too many years in those New England winters and I am most certainly not blue down here in sunny South Florida, watching yet another winter storm from a distance.

    • It makes me less blue to think of you in enjoying the sun in Florida, Sheila. I think I am reaching my “too many years in those New England winters.”

      When I look into the future, I predict less snow for me.

      In the meantime, thanks for the warmth of your comment!

  7. NotAPunkRocker

    I’m blue (feeling) with blue fingernails today. Nice to know my polish choices coordinate, right? 🙂

  8. It’s much better to be blue than cyan– cyanosis. Which I’ve never had but I’d be cyan if I did. Heee heee heee!! Vivas Los Angeles!!!

    • Thanks for the pun, the laugh, and the cheer! Great that you cyaned yourself in here today. It’s always wonderful to see you, blue or not.

  9. I love the blue toes too Ann – that’s my summer go-to look, that or silver! ❤
    Diana xo

  10. Loved the Grammys, too! And the wonderful Sam Smith thanked the man who broke his heart for the inspiration leading to his 4 Grammys last night. So being blue can lead to very good things down the road. I bought the deluxe version of his Lonely album on iTunes even before he won his last two Grammys. Listened to his poigant lyrics on my Flip2 as I made vegan coleslaw for lunch. Love your blue toenails! Planning to do something similarly wild next week before our trip to Florida. Cheers! And all the best for happy news about your heart. 🙏 🌞

    • Wonderful point about Sam Smith and turning the blues into pure gold. I noticed that in his speech, too. Thanks for your kind hopes for me and I hope you have a wonderful time in Florida (with wild toenails).

  11. Do you remember the Blue song? (http://youtu.be/68ugkg9RePc?list=RD68ugkg9RePc)

    Do you remember Picasso’s blue period? Sometimes beautiful things come out of blue. Sometimes, I feel the blue and the red happen together, and it feels purple. I like that, too.

    • I DO remember that song, Eli. We used to sing it when my son was younger. What fun! And what a great purple-y pleasure to see you here today.

  12. You blue me away with this post, Ann. I’m just sitting here doing homework and now I have all these great blue songs to listen to, thanks to you.

  13. Sunshine Jansen

    Hoagy Carmichael playing anything — hell, just hearing his name! — is guaranteed to push my blues away… Great shade on the polish! I have a Rimmel marine blue that looks a lot like that; makes me happy any time of year. ^_^

  14. Funny coincidence, just before reading your blog, I read one by “Serendipity” about the movie Casablanca, and I replied with a mention of To Have and Have Not….Cool! Now I’m not blue either, even though I just got in from shoveling the foot of snow off my deck.

  15. Gene Phillips

    A wonderful post to take me back in the swing of reading your blog, Ann. When I get home, I’m going to listen to every version of “Am I Blue” you posted. Like my Madison friend, Sunshine, I am a fan of Hoagy, and…well…there’s Lauren Bacall right there and seeing her never makes me blue.

  16. ROSEMARY CLOONEY ~ “I GOT A RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES”

  17. You could also be blue if the dye in your sheets ran and you broke out in a sweat during the night and woke up blue or someone put blue dye in your shower head and you ended up blue ok that is all I have about blue although I do like the colour………just saying

  18. Hmm, I am wondering about this too. I think I am blue every morning 😦

  19. Blue, my favorite color, especially the darker hues.

    Blue, feeling blue, can take the wind from my sails and cause me to withdraw; the opposite of what I need to be doing when I’m blue.

    Moody Blues, one of my all time favorite groups from the seventies.

    Blue skies = Sunshines way of kissing our face and reminding us that Life is good.

  20. You are true blue, Ann. Five day to California! Lucky you.

    Those cardiologists better get back to you soon. Yikes. One could get the blues …

  21. California bound in 5 days. Nothing Blue about THAT!

  22. Pingback: Day 771: When it’s cold outside | The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally

  23. I’m wishing you all things rosy. Blue happens to be my favourite colour, and I’m lucky, it’s a long time since I felt blue.

    • Am I blue that I missed this comment when you made it, Hilary? Maybe a little, but the opposite of blue to see it today!

  24. I am on the beautiful blue Sea of Cortez. It is full of healing energy, so I’m sending you some! You would LOVE this blue!

    • I must have been blue if I missed another great comment from you, Emilie. So glad to see these beautiful blues of yours today.

  25. Pingback: Day 774: What’s the right thing to do? | The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally

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