Meet Stephanie

I’m Stephanie Ortiz, a storyteller–like a professional organizer; only I use words instead of boxes. I’ve written fiction and nonfiction since being a journalism major at UNC-Chapel Hill–before there were iPhones, to know a story when it hits me. And whenever I need a muse, there’s always real life to draw from.

Meet Stephanie

I’m Stephanie Ortiz, a storyteller–like a professional organizer; only I use words instead of boxes. I’ve written fiction and nonfiction since being a journalism major at UNC-Chapel Hill–before there were iPhones, to know a story when it hits me. And whenever I need a muse, there’s always real life to draw from.

From the blog

Humoring Cancer – The Healing Power of Laughter

Currently, we can’t laugh about politics. The squirrels wouldn’t find this endorsement a laughing matter. Okay, maybe we’ll let this one slide. The dog is pretty darn cute. But suffering? That’s even more off-limits to joke about than politics. It’s not funny or cute. We don’t advertise our “complaints” on...

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An Anti-Olympic-Worthy Story

Let’s interrupt the inspirational, awe-inspiring Olympic programming for what you least expect: a dream-crashing muse and a quick reality check that not every dream comes true. Don’t get me wrong—I wanted this to be an Olympic-worthy story. I was the kid picked last in gym class, so I’m in awe...

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The Diary Behind The Diary of Anne Frank

I can’t get the Diary of Anne Frank out of my mind or soul. Watching rehearsals and feeling the build-up of the PCS Theater production has given me spiritual healing – saying it’s cathartic seems to trivialize what the Director, the cast, and the crew are all about. ‘The Diary...

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Happy 4 Year Muse – iversary!

I started amuse4mama four years ago, at the halfway point of my life, when I turned 50, to take stock without considering how it would impact anyone else. You know when you ask, Do I want my remaining years to be half-empty or half-full? Half full, no doubt! That’s the...

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Reframing Tragedy–One Hug At A Time

A sunset reminds us that life is beautiful even when we can’t see it. I’m working exceptionally hard on reframing how I view things. I’m battling an all-out war to get these negative thoughts to be positive. I hide it as cleverly as possible with these muses, ensuring that “all’s...

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Psst! Don’t Tell Them Mama Told You

When Stephanie Ortiz, aka Mama, wrote a controversial article that gets wiped clean of the internet for 14+ hours of “housekeeping,” suspicious? Getting censored, if only it means your Philly Flair article on Tigre Hill’s “72 Seconds in Rittenhouse Square” can’t be read by anyone, does something to you. Don’t...

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Hindsight’s 2020!

A Three-Year Reprieve From Cancer & I’m Still Standing It’s my third cancer anniversary, or if we’re going with the BC/AD time stamp (before cancer/after diagnosis), mark your calendars. It’s 3 AD. As they say, hindsight’s 20/20, and in my case, hindsight’s 2020. (That’s the year I got diagnosed). And...

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Hence The Name A Muse 4 Mama But What’s The Point?

I’ll tell you the point; this motherboard’s fried! (Don’t mind me; I’m just arguing with GrammarlyGO!) I’m so over GrammarlyGO. I write something that makes my stomach flutter (in a good way), which means it’s time to release it into the world, post that sucker, baby! And then I check...

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Dad’s The Muse & Howard Eskin’s The Swiftie!

I finally figured out what’s fantastic about being older! We’re multi-faceted–we show all the colors of the rainbow. Unlike when we’re young, and we’re myopic. Think about how boring we were. We’d talk about school, our favorite foods and activities, and that’s about it. We have one favorite color or...

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A Mama’s Love For Taylor Swift

All the albums in italics are part of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. I admit it. Even though I’m way past the age of being a Swiftie, I love Taylor Swift. I saw Red before we even took pictures on our phones at concerts, and 1989 when the girls were too young to go to...

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All Or Nothing? At least it’s something.

Today I’m writing. Grammarly has scolded me long enough. I’ve written zero words over the past few weeks and paid heavily for it. I mean literally. I’ve spent over $400 to keep my blog running for the next three years–I’m paying lots of money not to write. I started a...

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For The Times We Can’t Add Joy To Enjoy

I’m feeling so scattered that I don’t know what to say. How’s that for a start? Yet, amid the broken pieces of my life, I want to do something with my cancer story to help others find joy. It’s the missing ingredient in all of our lives right now. It’s...

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Will The Real Role Models Please Stand?

All my fun crowd pictures are blurry so thank goodness for Photo by PxHere I want someone to hear me; I bet you do, too. But we’re up against a society that’s so loud and boisterous, and everyone’s clamoring for attention. Look at me, Mom, please? None of us look like...

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What I Wish I Taught My Daughters

Driving with my daughters from Pennsylvania to Nashville after Christmas break got me thinking. You know how road trips are. We passed through lots of slow downs, and many playlists, five states and drove through sunny skies, heavy rain, and fog, and somehow the car made it to the music...

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Who Are Your Hall of Fame Picks?

Attending a networking event in the Hall of Fame suite at last week’s 76ers pre-game to honor our Wilt Chamberlain fund scholars got me thinking. There’s that song called Hall of Fame that’s also got me singing about it, too. According to Script/will.i.am, champions aren’t the only ones that can...

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May Our 2023 Be Filled With Frivolity!

A rhyme can’t hurt anyone, hey! And it’s a reminder, especially for me, to hold our heads up and go into 2023 with high hopes, adventurous spirits, and joy. And, am I one to talk? I ended 2022 posting so rarely that I got into a once-a-month habit of squeaking...

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Tis the Season To Be Jolly, Not So Sorry

I was telling a friend, then a table of listeners, and then anyone who would listen; I hate the response to difficult news, “I’m so sorry.” Can’t anyone come up with anything better to say when life gives us a rotten tomato? Sometimes life happens. No one needs to be...

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Walking On Miracles

Spending time with my daughter with a backdrop like this–it’s a miracle, for sure! Ever wonder why some people have a life-and-death experience and live to tell the story while others keep having the same old life? Sorry, there is nothing extraordinary for you today. I ask because it’s crossed...

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Don’t Let Memorial Day Pass You By

Last week was Memorial Day–when we honor those who lost their lives in battle, but I can’t shake the image of a veteran on the side of the busy road with the box in front of him, looking just as lost and swallowed up by life. I was late and...

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Drained & Renewed!

Well, not exactly. It kept getting algae and turning green for years, though it made for a great Kermit the frog “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” moment. So we did what had to be done. We drained it of all that might be clouding it up. I’ve been just as foggy....

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Outcasts For Hell Week

No picture this muse. You ask, why? It’s been that kind of week! I finally figured out something huge about myself–I’m a runner. And no, not a physical runner. In that regard, I hate running. But I run from the complex parts of life, especially when all goes to pot...

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Letting It All Hang Out For Some Creativity

The world’s saturated with creators–do we need one more? And if we’re not famous, forget about it, unless you have one million followers on TikTok. Then, by all means, open up your fashion line or singing career, or write that book. We all want to be seen and heard. Somehow,...

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Mrs. C–The Real Deal Behind Billy C!

#36 (3-6) of the Top 75 NBA Series-These stories will appear randomly based on the significance of the number we’re dialing in. Psst! Happy Birthday Mom! One day Alex’s Mom pointed out the number game my parents play with one another: My Mom’s birthday is 3-6, and my Dad’s is...

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Wowing You With Cuteness! (A V-Day Special Q&A)

Or at least these are the questions I frequently ask myself. So why not put in an adorable picture, and call it a Valentine’s Day special? Question: Do you honestly get your kicks out of writing these muses? Answer:  Okay, truth. I love laughing, and my deep hope is that you’re laughing...

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This One’s For Hugh! (Jackman, Of Course)

Hugh Jackman is back on Broadway, and we got to sit five rows from him (explode into cheers here). And speaking of backs, I’m the luckiest girl in the world because I’m married to Hugh Backman, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Back to The Music Man. We...

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Taking Care Of Business Or A Mid-Life Blog Crisis

Every cancer patient has to go back to work–it’s inevitable. It’s also hard work, especially when there’s no paying job to return to. My kids no longer need me to be their crowd-pleaser. You know the drill. The parents see their kid and wave, and then the little kid excitedly...

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Snap Out Of It! It’s The Year of The Tiger

You have until midnight Saturday, January 22, 2022 to win a $110 gift certificate just for commenting on my muse. To be eligible to enter the drawing, comment on what’s your favorite muse and why. Post comments on this week’s video or last week’s index of muses. Your User Guide!...

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Divine Inspiration From My Stocking

Last Christmas, Skylar pulled a letter she had written herself the year before out of her stocking. We all wished we had thought of the same idea. So we got out our pens and paper and wrote a letter to ourselves to be found in this year’s stocking. This year...

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A Custom-merry Christmas Card BTS

I just found out in the nick of time that BTS stands for behind the scenes. Clever for my title, right? Okay, I have to divulge my source here. My youngest clued me into this BTS thing. But enough about abbreviations, every time you receive a holiday card with a...

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A New-Fashioned Thanksgiving: All Care For All

We took a non-traditional approach to Thanksgiving this year–we celebrated a day early. It felt almost as realistic. By the end of the meal, we talked at the table, wondering how all that preparation ended in our stomachs in just under 15 minutes. We swiveled our near-empty glasses and lingered...

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Surviving Cancer Was Easy–Now What?

A friend asked me what was the hardest part of cancer, and without blinking I said, when it’s all over. It might be hard to believe but I’d do any of this past year over and over again rather than have to deal with today. Maybe I’ll come up with...

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Just Another Mischief Night

Remember The Talking Heads “Burning Down The House” and when we all got out toilet paper and shaving cream on mischief night? Even if you don’t, it was the night before Halloween this year, of course, and mom was searching for old traditions. She asked, “With it being mischief night,...

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No Trick, Just A Honky-Tonk Treat

Okay, I’m not in Nashville for Halloween, but I somehow had to fit in our college visiting trip story from a few weeks ago. It’s a real treat. So where were we? I had my last infusion, rang the bell, and went to Nashville the following week. Not that I...

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You Can Ring My Bell, Finally!

September 29th came and went without any fanfare (like a tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it) though I rang that bell anyway. I didn’t plan anything. Why bother? They didn’t have a bell for me when I finished the hardcore stuff–remember the No-Bell Prize? My...

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50 Things We Love Most About Alex

For my 50th, I got all the bells and whistles–a trip to London to go wild at the Mamma Mia party! Meanwhile, Alex’s mid-life crisis comes off like any other day. Alexandra’s the lead in Suessical, Jr., so after today’s matinee, there’s strike; it’s all about her right now. However,...

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