Author: Marianna Crane

After a long career in nursing--I was one of the first certified gerontological nurse practitioners--I am now a writer. My writings center around patients I have had over the years that continue to haunt my memory unless I record their stories. In addition, I write about growing older, confronting ageism, creativity and food.
My memoir, "Stories from the Tenth Floor Clinic: A Nurse Practitioner Remembers" is available where ever books are sold.

Back to Chicago: A Second Chance

My friend Lois and I went back to Chicago a year after she fell, face first, onto a Michigan Avenue street, replacing a girl’s weekend getaway for an overnight at Northwestern Hospital and sequestering in a hotel room at the Hampton Inn for the remainder of the weekend. We both boarded a plane home two…… Continue reading Back to Chicago: A Second Chance

Instant Friend

  We were standing in the same aisle in the gift shop at the Natural Science Museum in Raleigh. She was about my age with two preteen girls pulling at her arms begging her to buy trinkets that were overflowing in their hands. She looked at me and rolled her eyes. “They grow up too…… Continue reading Instant Friend

After Fifty Years

Ernie, my husband, and I are sitting in the living room listening to the heavy rain outside accompanied with bursts of thunder. We are dressed for a dinner out to celebrate my middle grandson’s 21st birthday. My daughter and son-in-law are coming to pick us up. My son-in- law has a Jeep and my daughter…… Continue reading After Fifty Years

Holding on to the Clothes I Love

I’m wearing my favorite old T-shirt today. Although it’s dark navy, it’s comfortable in our current humid and hot North Carolina summer. A picture of Louis Sullivan, a Chicago architect, sits across my chest and under his picture is a script: Form Follows Function. I love the material. It’s gauzy but not too light. It’s…… Continue reading Holding on to the Clothes I Love

Thelma, the Movie

If I watch a movie and am surprised that it’s over so quickly, it’s a great movie. That’s what happened when I saw Thelma in a theater a week ago. When I found out the lead character was played by a 93-year-old actor, June Squibb, and the reviews were good—the web site Rotten Tomatoes gave…… Continue reading Thelma, the Movie