One of the (many) things I adore in my husband is the fact that when I get downstairs at 6 in the morning, the coffee is already made. (He also cooks, he is the best father on earth, he keeps my brain sharp with his requests for editing manuscripts, and anyhow the guy rocks. Just saying.)

6:30 So I tumble back upstairs, coffee in hand, grab the computer, fire up spotify and read the news and do the tasks left over from the day before. Yesterday that meant editing the 300 photographs taken at a fund raiser for Boom Arts, a local political theater company, putting them into drop box and posting a blurb about the event on FB. I have volunteered for this group for a number of years and continue to be impressed by what they pull off, bringing so many different directors to town. Check out their upcoming events here: http://www.boomarts.org

Ruth Wikler-Luker, the force of nature behind Boom Arts, talking to Tim du Roche

They always have the best drinks…

8:30 drag myself to the shower, make some phone calls to Germany where it is approaching supper time; do the laundry, clean the kitchen (he cooks, I clean, perfect arrangement for coming up on 35 years).

10:00 Walk the dog. Some person in the neighborhood had the glorious idea of tying little teddy bears to lamp posts at a height where dogs can get to them but not take off with them…. I prefer my daily wildlife less teasing. Saw a harrier hawk during that walks as well, right here in SW PDX.

12:00 Get my equipment together for another photoshoot. Planned parenthood has its annual luncheon at the Hilton downtown. Key note speaker is Dr. Willie Parker, the sole abortion provider in the state of Mississippi. Get ready for a role model. Modest, courageous, deeply committed to his faith. He had graciously agreed to be interviewed by my friend Jan Haaken who is working on a documentary about abortion providers here in the U.S. and in Africa. I am dying of heat in the small hotel room where we set up, spotlights blazing. That is forgotten in his presence and absolut ease with my being in his face, making multiple portraits, trying to talk to him to get more natural expressions after the initial awkwardness is over. Not forgotten is my double take when I see the police guarding him all the way up to his hotel room where we meet, as if the pro-life protesters might be lurking in some corner of the Hilton elevators.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23771/abortion-ministry-of-dr-willie-parker-0914/

Apparently the Planned Parenthood fundraiser was a huge success – I wonder how one could slice the pie so that some lesser known, political, LGBT-oriented clinics in town would also get donations. With the big organization under political attack, the donors are flocking to it. The daily struggle for survival of the smaller community-based reproductive health care providers sort of falls by the way side.

3:00 pm Write my blog, infuriated by the news of the day; tears come when I go through the archives of my camp memorial photographs.  I once had this project, long abandoned because it was too hard, to photograph the views that inmates would have seen as their last glimpse of the outside, and then the first view of what awaited them in the compound. Given where the camps were built, in open spaces in nature, the outside was often incredibly beautiful, woods filled with bluebells and wild primroses (Buchenwald,) pastoral lake and village roofs glowing golden from the sunset (Ravensbrueck), fragrant pine forest and purple heather (Bergen Belsen,) to name a few.

4:00 Walk the dog. The dog walks me, strong, determined little fellow.

5:30 Dinner with friends at a new Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood, our second visit, the food fabulous. I try to be adventurous (everyone who knows me and my history of always eating the same dish once I found one I like: don’t laugh) and end up with something that burns my esophagus on first bite. Husband to the rescue, we switch dishes, everyone is happy. Told you, he is the best.

8:00 Fall asleep before my head hits the pillow.

Not accomplished: ironing, making art, finishing writing the talk for the exhibit opening, writing emails to my sister who is wondering why I am not responding to her questions.  And sending out this appeal:

https://www.sisterdistrict.com   These folks get the help of blue states citizens to support races in red states.

“We are thrilled to announce that the Sister District Project is officially supporting Stephanie Hansen for Delaware’s State Senate seat in District 10.

Off-cycle state legislative races don’t often get much attention, but we love this race for a few reasons. First, it is strategic—it will determine whether the Delaware State Senate flips red or stays blue. Second, it is winnable—this seat was won in 2014 by just 267 votes. And finally, it is happening right now—the special election is on February 25.

We’re asking all Sister District volunteers to support this race. While Sister District will be assigning different Sister Races to different local teams for future races that we support, this Delaware election is happening in just a few weeks, and we need all hands on deck.”

Well, there is always Saturday. 🙂