Day 1517: My own experience

My own experience is that I am the expert on my own experience.

That is my own t-shirt, which I’ve experienced owning for two years. I own that I enjoy the experience of wearing that t-shirt to appointments with my  own doctors.

Yesterday, my own experience included talking to Josh  from Liberty Mutual who is now managing my long-term disability claim. Josh started off our conversation with, “You’ve had quite the year, haven’t you?” My own experience is that Josh has had good experience dealing with disability claims.

My own experience has included all this:

My own experience is that pictures can tell a story.

Ann Judith Koplow …

… has been having lots of feelings lately.

But because she’s with the King of Cheeses …

… who is silly, honest, and kind …

… she’s going to be okay.

My own experience is that Jimi Hendrix is one of the most amazing guitarists that the world has ever experienced. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at “Are You Experienced?” and a rare live performance:

 

What is your own experience of today’s post?

My own experience is that I’m grateful to all who helped me create it and to you — of course! — for sharing my experience, here and now.

Day 1498: It’s not over until it’s over

I’m still not over the New England Patriots’ unprecedented come-back win last night in the  Super Bowl, which reminded me of a lesson I’ve learned over and over again:

It’s not over until it’s over.

It’s not over until it’s over, despite experts saying “It’s never been done before” and quoting numbers demonstrating the extreme improbability of the task.

Earlier in the day, I  was reminded of that lesson over and over again when I drove over to Boston and walked over to Chinatown to see an old friend who finally  became a father when he was over 60 years old.  As we talked over the past, we discussed how I had my first and only child when I was well over 40. The opportunity of becoming a parent was not over for me at that advanced age, despite my having a congenital heart condition.

My posts aren’t over until I show how I’ve recently snapped photos, over and over.

Sundays aren’t over until my boyfriend and my son, who is over in Edinburgh, cook a meal together by communicating over the phone. Last night, they both cooked a super bowl of soup which we ate while watching the Super Bowl.

My blog posts aren’t over until I share music  …

 

… and express gratitude, over and over.

Day 1494: Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day!

Groundhog Day is my birthday.  Can you guess how old I am today? Here‘s a hint:

While there are many things out there on Groundhog Day 2017 that are making me afraid of my own shadow, there’s still a lot of sunshine.

Do you see shadows or sunshine in the photos I took the day before Groundhog Day?

Happy Groundhog Day to all my readers and Happy Birthday to me!

Day 1462: A cup of kindness

For auld lang syne and for new times ahead, let’s take a cup of kindness, dears.

Here‘s Auld Lang Syne, with cups of kindness from Scandinavian Soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø:

 

Any cups or kindness in my other photos from yesterday?

In case anybody was wondering, there will be another sequel to The Year of Living Non-Judgmentally. That is, I’ll be blogging daily in 2017, sharing cups of kindness with you all.

For all your support since my first post on January 1, 2013, thanks from the bottom of my heart.

Day 1454: Original

In all the original posts in this original and daily  blog (which I originated on January 1, 2013),  there is not one post with the word “original” in the title. Until this original day.

Originally, I was going to start today’s post by showing you these two original photos.

My boyfriend, Michael (who is original in many ways), loves Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, so when we were in the original city of Quincy Massachusetts yesterday, we stopped there for a coffee break.  It’s not exactly original, but one of my presents for Michael is a gift card for Dunkin’ Donuts, which he can use at any of their locations, original or otherwise.

Do you see anything original in my other original photos from yesterday?

I feel free and brave enough in this land to mention that I originally thought tonight’s combination of  Christmas Eve and Hanukkah Eve was an original in my lifetime. This article (which was originally written in 2005 in  Houston, Texas)  reports that the overlap is not so original.

Here and here are some musical greetings for this totally original day of December 24, 2016.

 

Though it’s been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and many thanks to you!

Day 1452: Winter Wishes

Usually, when it’s winter, this blogger for all seasons wishes she were in a warmer place.

This year, my winter wishes include accepting and loving exactly where I am.

I wish for all my readers that same acceptance of exactly where you are, because that is always the first step to moving forward to where you want to be.

Some other winter wishes for this winter’s day:

• my son has an easy flight home from Edinburgh,
• my therapy groups at work are helpful for people,
• there’s no ice on the ground so I can safely drive and walk around, and
• I get a fabulous haircut.

What are your winter wishes?

Yesterday, on the first day of winter, my wishes included taking all these photos:

 

That last photo reminds me that one of my winter wishes for people in my therapy group yesterday was accepting ALL your feelings.

Here are some musical wishes for the season I found on YouTube (here and here):

My winter wishes also include that you comment below.

Good wishes to all who helped me created this Winter Wishes post and to you — of course! — no matter what your winter wishes, here and now.

Day 1447: Life is short

Yesterday, the wonderful Kathy at cardiac rehab said to me

Life is short

when we were discussing my long-lived wish to live the rest of my short life near a beautiful body of water.

Whenever somebody says

Life is short

I agree with that person, even though I’ve lived  much longer than most people expected I would.

To me,

Life is short

means

• seize the moment,
• don’t waste time,
• do what you love,
• spend time with good people,
• enjoy yourself,
• don’t settle for less,
• take care of yourself,
• be mindful,
• balance your needs with other people’s needs,
• do what works,
• accept and experience all your feelings, and
• appreciate the here and now.

What does

Life is short

mean to you?

Here are the pictures I took yesterday when I was seizing the moment, not wasting time, doing what I loved, spending time with good people, enjoying myself, not settling for less, taking care of myself, being mindful, balancing my needs with other people’s needs, doing what worked, accepting and experiencing all my feelings, and appreciating the here and now:

Because life is short, I won’t keep you much longer, but here’s a short song with lots of life.

Short thanks from this short person to all those who helped me write this short post and — of course! —  to you, for improving my short life with your short visit, today.

Day 1432: Indicators of Poor Outcomes

Because I was born with a very unusual heart, there have been many times when I’ve read that I have “indicators of poor outcomes.”  These indicators have included

• a  severely leaky valve,
• switched ventricles,
• atrial fibrillation,
• heart failure, and
• one that I read about yesterday online, which I’m blocking at the moment.

Are there any indicators of poor outcomes for this post, yet?

Just before I started writing today’s blog, a dear friend who has the same unusual heart condition as me wrote that she had recently read online about “a big indicator of poor outcomes.” That indicated to me that I should write this to her:

I’ve had lots of indicators of poor outcomes. That indicates, to me, that there are lots of poor prognosticators out there.

Last night, in a therapy group, people talked about indicators of poor outcomes, including the recent U.S. election.  They also talked about indicators of better outcomes, including humanity, mutual respect, activism, connection, charity, and kindness towards others.

Are there any indicators of poor outcomes in my photos from yesterday?

It would be an indicator of poor outcomes if I didn’t share music with you. Here‘s what’s playing on my radio as I’m writing this post:

One portion of that march is an indicator of this outcome:  my sharing a photo that another dear friend posted on Facebook this week:

No comments from my readers would be an indicator of  poor outcomes for me and this blog.

My gratitude for all  who helped me create this post and for you — of course! — is an indicator of good outcomes, here and now.

 

Day 1429: Peace

While I thought I might name today’s post “Pick Me Ups,”

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… or “Shadows,”

 

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… or “We’ve Got it All,”

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… I’ve decided, on this morning of my return to work after a two-month medical leave, to go with “Peace.”

 

 

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Peace be with all who helped me create today’s post and peace be with you, my dear readers.

Day 1427: PTSD

Because I’ve experienced several traumatizing events in my life, starting when I was a child, I have been given the diagnosis of  PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

However,  I also have Psychological Training for Surviving Disasters AND  Pretty Thorough Skills for Durability.

When Practiced, Those Suffice Dependably.

I am now Prepared To Share Different PTSDs I’ve been experiencing recently:

• Post-Thoracotomy Stress Disorder
• Pacemaker Transplant Stress Disorder
• Pain Tolerating Stress Disorder
• Physical Tasks Stress Disorder
• Painfully Taking Stairs Disorder
• Political Talk Stress Disorder
• Post-Trump Stress Disorder
• Pre-Trump Stress Disorder
• Presidential Terror Stress Disorder

To relieve my various PTSDs, yesterday I Photographed These Scenes Deliberately:

 

 

 

 

Do you have Photographically Tired Stress Disorder or any other form of PTSD now, my Patient, Terrific, Stupendously Dear readers?

Here‘s a PTSD song by Joe Bachman:

 

Peace, Thanks, Sincerity, and Devotedness.