XOXO, Andi https://movingandshaking.blog/
Author: Andi Brown
I was born in 1951 and raised in Providence, RI. I retired in early 2022 from a long and successful career in fund development, helping nonprofit organizations secure the resources they need to fulfill their missions.
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in July of 2021. I am attempting to box and dance the disease into submission despite being horribly uncoordinated. I'm a graduate of Colgate University and live in Brookline, MA, not too far from my adult son and daughter. When not “moving and shaking” I can frequently be found writing fiction, or with knitting needles in hand, eating chocolate.
Is it Work? A Job? A Hobby?
How do we define what we do all day? When does a hobby become a job? (I'm talking to you lucky folks who get to make a living at what you enjoy doing most in the world, every day). Have you ever heard an interview with an actor? I think more than any other profession, …
Podcast Focus Group
Hello blog followers! I’m close to having completed one draft episode of my podcast “Shakin’ it up with Andi - Parky Conversations." I want it to be the best it can be when it launches, and for that I’m inviting some smart, insightful people - I'm talking about YOU - to join a focus group. …
Pretend I’m a car
And I’m broken down (pun time!) into body parts. The metaphor ends here, I’m sorry to say, due to the fact that I know zilch about cars. The engine is to the carburetor as the windshield wipers are to the blank. See, I told ya. Zilch. But it’s probably a poor analogy - car to …
Thanksgiving reruns
Holiday greetings! And I’m taking a break. So you won’t be bereft in the absence of content, here are links to a few of my greatest hits. Keepin' it Real. I skip Passover due to all-over misery, and it's okay. Fun with Hallucinations Self-explanatory You have Parkinson's. Now what? Singin' in the Rain And here …
Thanksgiving bonus
Non-Parkinson’s division My family's wonderful Thanksgiving hosts, my sister and her husband, have invited us to celebrate this year with a fun added feature. They've asked all of us to bring our favorite food for others to try. It can be a go-to dinner party favorite, a preferred TV-watching snack, Bubbe's babka or Grandma's apple …
When am I?
This has happened enough times that you’d think I’d recognize it immediately when it occurred again. I’ll give you a hint: it’s a favorite PD topic, rhymes with leap and Bo-Peep. I’m talking about you, you of the irregular REM cycles and the oh-so-annoying insomnias and the maddening restless legs— SLEEP! I was rudely awakened …
I have Parkinson’s – Now What?
Reminder: I am not a physician or health care provider of any kind. Please speak with someone who didn't almost flunk freshman bio before embarking on any treatment or exercise regimen. You've gotten the diagnosis you've been dreading. Your neurologist hands you a bunch of prescriptions: Take one and a half of this every four …
An Invitation. No Thank You
I’m off to Parkyland. A vacation this is not. About three years ago, I received an invitation to a journey I had no desire to embark on. "No, I'm good" I told Mr. P, as I contemplated my impending retirement filled with novels to read and write, trips to take, language skills to improve...you get …
Bams, cracks and soap, oh my!
Perhaps you think I’m referring to some weird sort of arsenal. The crack is some kind of baseball bat-like weapon, which you use to crack someone’s ribs, or head, or other delicate body part. Hmmm, I don’t think so. The bam? See “crack” above. And how might one deploy soap as a weapon besides the …
Moving and Shaking 