Author Archives: Ellary Allis (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“Kern River” by Merle Haggard

An old man looks back at the river of his youth

Locals call it the Killer Kern. The Kern River, nestled in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield, California, takes lives every year. A warning sign at the mouth of Kern Canyon reads: “Danger. Stay Out. Stay Alive” and … Continue reading

Posted in Expressive Music | Leave a comment

The Elly App for Cancer Patients

The Elly app functions as an audio companion for cancer patients

The Elly app, released in January 2020, is designed to function as the “world’s first empathetic audio companion for people impacted by cancer.” The aim of Elly is to provide a comforting and consistent resource for patients experiencing heightened anxiety … Continue reading

Posted in Something Special | 2 Comments

Answering Services for the Funeral Industry Overwhelmed by the Pandemic

Answering Services for Directors has been swamped during the COVID-19 pandemic

For 40 years, Answering Services for Directors has exclusively served the funeral industry.  In 1972, Martin and Barbara Czachor decided to start a telephone answering business for local companies in the area surrounding their hometown of Glenolden, Pa. They are … Continue reading

Posted in Something Special | Leave a comment

“COVID-19 Helpers” by Beth Bacon and Kary Lee

Winner of Emory Global Health Institute's COVID-19 e-book

“COVID-19 Helpers,” an e-book about the pandemic by Beth Bacon and Kary Lee, is one of the best resources out there to explain COVID-19 and its accompanying emotional roller-coaster of anxiety and fear for children. The book is the winner … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Leave a comment

“the oboe in Handel’s largo from Xerxes as elegy,” by Quan Barry

A poem about childhood memories, music, and loss

Born in Saigon and raised on the north shore of Boston, poet and novelist Quan Barry is the author of four poetry books and a recipient of the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize.  Her second book of poetry, “Convertibles,” published … Continue reading

Posted in The Next Chapter | Leave a comment

Friluftssykehuset – Oslo University Hospital’s Outdoor Care Retreat

Providing accessible nature therapy to young hospital patients

Adjacent to a lush forest and the Sognsvann Creek, the Friluftssykehuset (Outdoor Care Retreat) was built just 100 meters from Norway’s largest hospital — Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet. Originally developed in collaboration with the Department of Psychosomatics and CL-Child Psychiatry … Continue reading

Posted in Soulful Expressions | 1 Comment