Family
"He's a case," Anne said to the reporter
the summer before last, as I unicycled my ONE WHEEL – MANY SPOKES book tour from
Canada to Mexico. "He's more than most people have to deal with."
That line ended up on Seattle Evening Magazine's TV feature of our 2004 unicycle
trip down the coast. After 15 years of marriage, I know that Anne
knows best, and I believe that she's doing a great job of putting up with her
"case." Thankfully she and our kids are fully supportive of my pedaling
STRAIGHT INTO GAY AMERICA in search of everyday gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered stories and GLBT justice.
Since our marriage in 1990 we've lived in
- Berkeley, California where Anne taught special education and I did my
seminary training for ordination into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Nome, Alaska where I served my first call with Inupiat Eskimo people, and
where KariAnna (11) and Kai (9) started their journey with our
family. Living in the midst of a hunter-gatherer culture remains one of
the most valuable experiences of our lives.
- East Lansing, Michigan where I served a call to campus ministry at Michigan
State University. Together our family led students on service and
learning
trips stretching from the East Coast to the West. The
energy and vitality of college age people continues to be one of the most
hopeful signs for the future of the world.
- Whidbey Island, Washington where we started a self-initiated
"sabbatical." Anne dove more deeply into her watercoloring. I dove
fanatically onto my unicycle and began preparing for ONE WHEEL – MANY SPOKES,
the first ever 50 state unicycle tour. After the ride we returned to
Whidbey for the writing of ONE WHEEL – MANY SPOKES: USA BY UNICYCLE.
- Holden Village, Washington. We returned to the place where Anne and I
first met, a Lutheran retreat center deep in the heart of the Cascade
mountains. Sharing two years at the village helped us realize how quickly
time is passing, what a privilege we enjoy each day that we live, and what
opportunity exists for making a difference with hospitality and compassion.
- Chelan, Washington. This little resort town at the foot of
Washington's longest lake (Lake Chelan) is home since August, 2005.
The kids have found a great school and wonderful friends. Anne is watercolor
painting full-time (www.lakechelanart.com). Lars,
between writing and speaking, is helping authors to share their work online and
set them up with websites that help them promote their writing. (www.americanauthor.com)
Anne's great love is art, especially
watercolor. She helped to lead the craft cave at Holden Village
during 2004-2005. Now in Chelan, she's painting as many hours a day as she
can. Main Street Gallery in Chelan has her work on display.
KariAnna and Kai lived an idyllic life
during our two years at Holden. Imagine a place where the entire community
walks, where no child is dependent on automobile transportation to get anywhere,
where six children make up the elementary school. Every one of them
unicycles. Adults are constantly and positively involved in the
children's lives. Between sports, reading, art, and playing
with friends, KariAnna and Kai put together memories for a
lifetime.
What a surprise when we moved to Chelan, found a house to rent right downtown
and resumed the walking life. Our car is mostly just for play, now.
The little one-bedroom house is actually right next door to school, and our home
is often filled with school-friends. My work is a block-and-a-half away
from home, a three minute walk on slow days.
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