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.

PEOPLE WHO NEED PEOPLE

I had one of the best Christmases ever. Maybe it was because the grandsons were older and less frenzied about what Santa left under the tree. Or maybe because Ernie and I said don’t give us “things” or “stuff,” just experiences, as presents. Or maybe because my son brought his significant other for the first…… Continue reading PEOPLE WHO NEED PEOPLE

GUN CULTURE

It seems fitting to re-post what I wrote last year after 20 children and six teachers were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Let us not forget. When we were traveling in Ireland this past October, our Irish tour guide told us that Ireland did not have a “gun culture” as…… Continue reading GUN CULTURE

OCEAN, ASHES AND THE N.C. WRITER’S FALL CONFERENCE

The third weekend in November I attended the North Carolina Writers’ Network Fall Conference with my long-time writing buddy, Marilyn. She brought along her husband, Pete, in a double Ziploc bag. On Friday, after check-in, we stood out on the deck of our room at the Holiday Inn Resort at Wrightsville Beach taking in the…… Continue reading OCEAN, ASHES AND THE N.C. WRITER’S FALL CONFERENCE

WAITING

August, 2007 I’m anxiously awaiting the results of my daughter’s ultrasound. Last night,she dropped off our two grandsons so she and her husband wouldn’t be late for the early morning test. Rather than call us with the news, she will tie a pink or blue balloon to the mailbox. At seven and four years of…… Continue reading WAITING

WHAT DOES AGE HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

I made an ageist comment. It didn’t seem ageist at the time. I was sitting in the second row of a packed room at Flyleaf Bookstore in Chapel Hill as Pat Schneider finished reading from her new book, How The Light Gets In. I came to hear Pat for two reasons. One, I wanted to…… Continue reading WHAT DOES AGE HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

WRITING RETREAT

“Something looks back from the trees,/and knows me for who I am.” — American poet, Jane Hirshfield.  I spent five days at Wildacres in Little Switzerland, North Carolina at a writers’ retreat: The Powerful Narrative lead by Carol and Bill Henderson this past September. My good friend, Lois Roelofs, flew in from Chicago to join me. Without phones,…… Continue reading WRITING RETREAT

GETTING ON THE BUS Part 2 of 2

During the first week, after I wrestled with the monitor to find a comfortable position in bed, I settled into sleep. My heart, booming loudly in my ears, jarred me awake. I pressed the record button and the monitor gave off a high-pitched sound and began taping. As instructed, I lay still. When the whining…… Continue reading GETTING ON THE BUS Part 2 of 2

GETTING ON THE BUS Part I of 2

The first night in a hotel room in Estoril, Portugal, my heart, flipping about in my chest, jolted me awake. Thump. Thump. Thump. Silence. Then a rush of horses’ hooves clopped on my ribs. Trying to ignore my heart’s gymnastics, I tried to go back to sleep but the Mariachi band playing under my ribs…… Continue reading GETTING ON THE BUS Part I of 2

WHITE AMARYLLIS

In my last post I wrote about the trauma surrounding my cancer diagnosis. In spite of mostly negative consequences of living as a “cancer survivor” there were a few positive occurrences. For example, meeting special people I would have never encountered under normal circumstances. A month after my mastectomy I joined a cancer support group…… Continue reading WHITE AMARYLLIS