Day 3611: Platforms

Platforms seem to be on people’s minds these days, so I checked some platforms for definitions of “platform.”

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My favorite definition of “platform” is the last one, above.

Do you see platforms in my images for today?

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For 10 years, I’ve been using the WordPress platform to blog daily, which has included processing the trauma I experienced when I was in the hospital having my first heart surgery at age 10 on November 22, 1963 (the day President Kennedy was killed). This year, I will do my best to relish cranberries and everything else on that day, which you will definitely read about on this platform.

When I search for “platforms “ on the YouTube platform, I find this …

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… and this:

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Feel free to express your thoughts and feelings about platforms, below.

Thanks to all who visit me on this platform, including YOU!

Day 3356: Lost and Found

Last night, after I had lost my focus and found it again, I asked this question on Twitter:

Whenever I’ve lost my faith in people, I’ve found it again when I connect with well-meaning people on Twitter, WordPress, and elsewhere.

In 2020, we lost our beloved kitty Oscar, but we found more cat-joy again when we adopted Joan in 2021.

Do you see anything else that was lost and found in my other images for today?

It occurs to me that some people have lost a kidney to help somebody else find life again.

Here’s what I’ve found on YouTube when searching for “Lost and Found.”

I’ve found my ability to cry (although I never really lost it).

What have you lost and found?

I’ve found that expressing gratitude helps even when I’m lost, so thanks to all who have found my blog, including YOU.

Day 3354: Safe Zones

As a group therapist, I think a lot about safe zones — how to make spaces safe enough for people to share their authentic selves and to heal.

Yesterday, I saw this right outside our door:

While this indicates the coming of a noisy zone, I’m still glad to see safe zones wherever they exist.

Today is the birthday of my oldest friend, Barbara, who helps make safe zones wherever she goes! Here’s a photo of Barbara and me in a safe zone before COVID:

Do you see safe zones in any of my other images for today?

I think it’s great that Barbara’s birthday is also International Women’s Day and National Oregon day, because she is the international woman who taught me the correct way to pronounce “Oregon.”

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

I believe we are all hoping and praying for more safe zones throughout the world, here and now.

Please leave any comments about this “Safe Zones” post in the safe-enough zone below.

Thanks to all who makes zones safer, including you.

Day 3309: How to express empathy

How do you express empathy? With spoken words? Written words? Facial expressions? Hugs? Other non-verbal communication?

Where do you express empathy? In person? On the phone? In ZOOM gatherings? On social media?

To whom do you express empathy? To family members? Friends? Acquaintances? Strangers?

Sometimes I’m not sure how to express empathy, but I know I feel it every day.

Do you see how to express empathy in any of my images for today?

If you comment, I will do my best to express empathy in my response.

Thanks for all who feel and express empathy, including YOU.

Day 3238: What’s something you’re looking forward to?

Last night, when I was looking forward to my last day of work before my vacation, I posted this on Twitter:

I’m looking forward to facilitating a therapy group today and going to New York City on Monday with my son Aaron. I’m also looking forward to seeing the Sondheim musical Company and Late Night with Stephen Colbert in NYC.

I’m looking forward to sharing these images with you today.

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Now I’m looking forward to pizza and chicken soup for the soul. What’s something you’re looking forward to?

I found this when I searched YouTube for “what’s something you’re looking forward to”:

I look forward to a day when I don’t worry so much about grammar.

I’m looking forward to your comment about this post!

I hope you look forward to my gratitude, because I really appreciate YOU!

Day 3215: What do you see?

What I see is very much influenced by

• my mood,
• how much sleep I’ve gotten,
• what I choose to look at,
• the thoughts that are running through my head,
• the people around me,
• the cats around me,
• the news,
• the weather,
• how the Red Sox are doing,
• how I’m balancing my needs with others’ needs,
• self care,
• acceptance,
• how I’m breathing,
• how open I am to new perspectives, and
• how much I am able to stay in the moment.

What do you see when you look at my images for today?

I wonder what the Daily Bitch sees when she looks at herself in the mirror.

What do you see when you watch Sting sing “Every Breath You Take”?

What will I see in the comments section, below?

What do you see when I end every blog post with gratitude for YOU?

Day 3203: When and where?

Last night, when I had completed a very long work day (including facilitating two remote therapy groups where we discussed COVID, family issues, the past, the present, and the future), I tweeted this:

When somebody asked about my answer to that question, this is where I went:

When and where did I capture the other images in today’s blog?

We now know where the Daily Bitch is going, but we don’t know when.

When you looked at those photos, did you notice that Joan is now getting breaks from the cone? When her skin problem is healed, she’ll be where she needs to be to be totally cone-free!

I just took that photo in the room where I’m blogging.

Regarding the when and where of most of today’s photos: Yesterday I went to CVS and Marshall’s where I bought an ace bandage and a baby onesie for Joan. When Joan is without the cone, she prevents her skin from healing by licking where the problem is. When we tried the other solutions , Joan let us know where she is on this issue — she definitely prefers the cone!

This is the song that takes me back to when I was young and where there were transistor radios, a different kind of cone (ice cream), the sun, and the sea.

When and where might you leave a comment?

When you get to the end of my blog posts, that’s where you find my gratitude.

Day 3099: Tell me something good

Yesterday I posted this on Facebook:

Tell me something good because

• I‘m doing a workshop about my Coping and Healing groups today and I have pre-presentation jitters,
• I have to make a difficult speech in a business meeting today,
• bad things happen to good people,
• good things happen to bad people, and
• Michael discovered yesterday that there’s a leak from our shower to the outside of our home, which can’t be good.

Tell me something good you see in my images for today.

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“Tell Me Something Good” is a great song by Chaka Kahn.

Tell me something good in the comments section, below.

I tell you something good at the end of each blog post by expressing my gratitude to all who help me blog every day, including YOU.

Day 3029: Talk

Let’s talk about today’s title, which is inspired by this …

… and this:

Let’s talk about my other images for today.

Let’s talk about my trip to Nashville. I hope to

• meet up with my friend Jenn who lives six hours away,
• meet up with fellow blogger Christopher Waldrop,
• explore new places,
• enjoy great food,
• perform some of my original songs at open mics, and
• be around people without fear.

Here’s some talk about the best things to do in Nashville:

Please talk to me about Nashville (or anything else) in a comment, below.

As always, I talk about gratitude when I end each of these daily blog posts.

Day 2551: Kind of a Big Deal

It’s kind of a big deal

• that Michael and I are getting married tomorrow and
• that my kind and kind-of-a-big deal niece Julie gave me this t-shirt for Christmas:

  It’s kind of a big deal that Julie wants to use the lyrics I wrote four days ago for her 10th annual Women’s Getaway Weekend on March 21 & 22 in New Hampshire.

It’s kind of a big deal that

• The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally is still going strong here at WordPress after seven years of daily blogs,
• my boyfriend/fiancé/soon-to-be-husband Michael  supports me in so many ways  (including being my substitute blogger after my open heart surgery in 2016),
• my therapy groups are thriving,
• I’m President of the professional organization that’s been sustaining me and many others for decades,
• I’ve performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (and may be performing there again next year),
• I gave a speech at the 45th reunion of Harvard’s class of 1974,
• I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life,
• I no longer worry about bragging and many other things I used to worry about,
• there’ll be a Presidential election next year in the USA,
• my son’s girlfriend will be visiting us from Jordan after the first of the year,
• my son will read every post I’ve written after I’m gone and (I hope) realize this blog is a love letter to him and many others, and
• YOU use your precious time to read this blog.

It’s kind of a big deal that I took all these photos yesterday:

It’s kind of a big deal that I won that book at Michael’s family‘s Yankee Swap.

Here’s somebody else saying “I’m kind of a big deal.”

Here’s a big deal number from a big deal musical:

If you leave a comment, it’s kind of a big deal because YOU are kind of a big deal.

It’s kind of a big deal that there’s so much I’m thankful for this holiday season.