Day 1757: Don’t take it personally

Don’t take it personally, but I’m reusing a photo from two days ago to start off this blog post.

Don’t take it personally, but I’ve personally blogged about personalization — the cognitive distortion of taking things too personally — several times before (including here, here, and here).

Yesterday, my niece Laura

(on the left, next to her daughter Victoria) told me that people might take it personally when I recently blogged about a get-together at my place next weekend, because I hadn’t invited them.  I told Laura, “Don’t take it personally.  That’s a gathering for a professional organization of group therapists.”

I hope Laura and Victoria don’t take it personally that I didn’t take a better picture of them yesterday.

Don’t take it personally that I personally took all these photos yesterday and you’re not in any of them.

 

 

Actually, don’t take it personally that I said you weren’t in any of those photos and you are, because you’re my ex-sister-in-law Deborah (who appears in several portraits above and who designed and built another beautiful home for sale), Cher,  Audrey who works at Pet Life, or Harley the cat.

Don’t take it personally that I have to rush and finish this post before I go to work.

Don’t take it personally that I’m using Michael Brecker’s tune “Nothing Personal” again in this blog.

Please take it personally that I’m thanking everybody who helps me create these blog posts and — of course! — YOU.

 

 

Day 1731: The Beet Goes On

Yesterday, beets went on my salad at lunch.

Then, I posted that photo on Facebook:

This is what I’m having for lunch on the 7th anniversary of my first contact with Michael, which was a message about how we both disliked beets.

Here’s the first message I sent to my boyfriend Michael seven years ago after I saw his OkCupid profile, which was hilarious and adorable and quirky and  mentioned his dislike of beets.

I also hate beets.  You actually didn’t use the word “hate.” You were much more diplomatic.

Ann

Michael didn’t miss a beat and wrote back:

Well, you have to be diplomatic in public forums. I mean, you never know who’ll have a disturbing passion for beets or something and send you psychotic messages for the next seven months. Between you and me, I detest beets.

Since then, we’ve grown fonder of beets and of each other.

Let’s celebrate our anniversary to the beat of some music and photos!

 

 

I’m looking forward to many more beets, beats, delicious meals, sunrises, and sunsets in the future.

Thanks to Michael and everyone else who contributed to every beat and beet of this post and thanks to YOU — of course! —  for staying to celebrate our anniversary.

 

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.*

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:

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!

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