Once upon a long-long ago, before I became a nurse, I was a potter. Well, clay artist, due to the fact that my throwing skills were never much.
But anyway.
I graduated from the University of New Mexico with a BFA, ceramics emphasis. I also had a minor in European Art History, from Humboldt State.
I moved from Albuquerque to Portland to be an artist, and to be a part of the OPA (Oregon Potters Association). This was the early 90s, and the OPA was the biggest, most badass, organized group of clay artists in the US. I joined right up and got involved to the point of serving on the board for several years.
This was a huge group, with many active community members, and our board meetings were often very animated. One year, in the midst of a long discussion about how much of our budget to allocate towards a new computer for the use of our (justifiably busy) newsletter editor, I pissed somebody off and was called a Luddite.
At the time, I was in my mid-twenties, single, and still cared about what people thought of me. I was super embarrassed about being called out for my lack of appreciation of the inevitably looming need to keep up with the modern world.
Now, I cheerfully advertise my self as “The Luddite nurse with Slightly-Amish tendencies.”
It took me years to give up my flip-phone, and I refused to learn how to text until I became required to do so for a job.
Recently, I tried something fancy: I was midway through my 30 minute commute, and had a few ideas I wanted to jot down for my blog. I remembered that my son told me I could use my smart phone to record notes, or make a list.
I started by asking Siri to make a note for the title of this particular blog. What I got recorded instead of “Routines And Extremes,” was something like: “Routines and Extra Cheese for the Blog…”
Pretty close, actually. But still.
But I can’t tell you what other brilliant nuggets I may have hidden in my phone, because it just died today. I have a new one coming, but I also had some awesome new photos that I didn’t have a chance to back up on my desktop computer. I don’t know what all I’ll be able to retrieve when the new phone arrives.

So dammit, the whole original point of this particular blog is tied up in the dark whole of cyberspace.

Here are two photos that I do have, which I suppose in some way can serve to illustrate what I was going for….

Routines:
We’ve been doing a lot of bowling. It’s our new favorite family activity. We rarely have time when we are together, so sometimes it’s just the boys, sometimes it’s Harrison and a friend, sometimes I’m able to go as well.

Extremes:
Part of living with Crohn’s disease, for me, means taking a low-dose oral chemotherapy that messes with my immune system. I have to have labs drawn about every 3 months or so, and I am a notoriously difficult stick. This week, was an extreme example of a blood draw gone bad. But, I decided to have some fun with it.

When life gives you lots of pokes, #makeart

Then I thought maybe I could fancy myself up a little bit by making my hair match my bruise-art. (Purple is the new black: It’s very slimming.)