Patch-ing Up After Loss I woke up today, looked in the mirror and found my estrogen patch had migrated from my ass to my elbow. Sometime in the night my helping hormone swatch decided to relocate. Seriously you guys, my estrogen patch is so well meaning; I’ve been scattered and angsty and I think it’s…
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Quiz: Are you a dog or a cat? And what that says about you. I took a quiz and you can too in a minute. Turns out, if you are a dog it appears that you are a people pleaser, people don’t take you seriously and you have attention deficit of some kind and possibly…
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My nest is empty. Here’s the thing. I wish I had a file cabinet where I’d kept the years memorialized in flat-manilla folders. After the documented year, each tab would have a clever label for quick reference and future nostalgia. 1982-The Nanny Diaries. 1997-Thirty-six hours of labor. 2005 Teen-Sport Hell. This year would read: 2018…
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The Dog Year Chapter One It’s Not About the Breast In the hospital parking ramp, Lucy snuck a glance at a new mother placing her infant into an elaborate car seat. The woman’s husband stood hovering at her shoulder, his hand gently touching her hip. She lingered, gazing at the tiny, beet-faced infant, love fairly…
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Writing in-scene is one of the best things a writer can learn. Here is a terrific exercise for writing in-scene using sense and want. Write the alphabet down the side of the page Write your own autobiography by choosing one NOUN for each letter of the alphabet. The noun should somehow signify one part of your life. …
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I learned a bunch of stuff this month. 6 Things to be exact. I hope you didn’t notice that I missed the January email. On the other, I kind of hope you did. Maybe you missed a word or two from me. Many of you know my dad died very unexpectedly and we moved my…
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No more secrets you guys. You know how they say if you’re not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem? Well, I’m part of the problem. So, no more secrets. What’s your problem this month, Ann? (that’s my negative self-talk chiming in. She’s not very nice sometimes.) I was on Instagram…
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We should talk. Don’t worry we’re not breaking up. Backstory: Many of you know I teach stress management (ok dad, stop laughing). I spent my career studying anxiety and depression so, it stands to reason that I have it pretty much figured out. (Dad, what did I just say?) But, sometimes when you’re standing at the…
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Who are the Tall Poppies and Why You Should Care? I was interviewed by my crabby brother, Ray, about who the Tall Poppies are and he cleared it all up for you. Ray: So, Ann – what is this flower group you put together and why do you spend so much time on it? I didn’t…
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Night Moves: How my mom tricked Alzheimer’s by visiting me in my dreams. [Tweet “Night Moves: My mom visits me in my dreams. How my mom tricked Alzheimer’s and visits the ones she loves”] My mother is probably a lot like your mother: older, loving, and not her younger self. I know when you look at your mother…
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