Quiz: Are you a dog or a cat?

dog or cat

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 Beautiful Empty Nest is Magically Full

empty nest my ass

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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Six Things I Learned About Grief

learned

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. Read Mine Here

Secrets

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.

Nervous Dog

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?

Who Are the Tall Poppies

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 Alzheimers.

Dreams

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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I Tell You Everything

I tell you everything

I tell you everything because I know you don’t judge me. You aren’t a judger. I just gotta know. What kind of person are you when you’re sick? A. Stiff upper lip. Continues with life with a discrete tissue up sleeve. B. Takes a day off work but returns medicated, slower but still game. C. Sleeps…

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I Have A Story To Tell You That Will Make You Feel Better

Feel

After losing my Thanksgiving Turkey my friend of thirty-five years called and said, “I have a story to tell you that will make you feel better.” I, of course, was ready to hear anything. I had just lost my turkey and my mother has Alzheimer’s. You do the math. So she said: “A year ago,…

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