A new life...

Greetings! November is here and the rains have returned to the Pacific Northwest. Our Oktoberfest season has come to a close. We had a lot of fun travelling around to such places as Okanogan, WA; Odessa, WA; Bend, OR; Hermiston, OR and Laurel, MT. We got to hear some great bands and spent several miles in the comfort and luxury of our 1992 GMC conversion van.

Change is afoot at Scandinavian Central. First off, I'm going to be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from December 27th through mid-March performing in "The Polish Diva from Milwaukee" at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. It's going to be a really fun production. They're putting me up in some house and paying me quite well to do it. The funny thing is that I'll be playing a Polish character. They're actually hiring a Swede from Seattle to play a Polish accordionist from Milwaukee.

There's a more far-reaching change coming very soon as well. My sister is currently renting a house from my grandparents down in Graham, WA. (For those of you not from the area, Graham is 12 miles south of Puyallup in Pierce County.) I grew up down there and attended Bethel High School before moving to Seattle to attend college. My sister has decided to leave Graham and return to Nevada to further her education and be nearer to our mother. That leaves a vacancy at the house she's renting which is soon to be filled by my family. Danna and I and the two kids are moving down there in December. This means that I'll be further away from Seattle and many of the gigs I play. It also means we'll be able to raise our kids out in a rural environment where they can gain some important skills and learn to do things outside. These are all good things. It will also greatly benefit Danna's education as she'll be able to attend PLU and complete her Music Ed degree a year sooner than she otherwise would. It will also be less than half the cost of Cornish. These are all good things.

I'm somewhat mixed in my reaction to this change. I'll be happy to be nearer my family. I'll be happy that my kids can grow up in a good rural setting where I can make them clean the horse pasture. I'm excited to go back to farming and raising large quantities of fruits and vegetables. I'll miss being a part of the cultural life of the city. I'll miss being close to everything.

Mostly, I feel like the prodigal son, returning to the family home after failing in his life's pursuits. I wish that this year would have been more fruitful for me. I wish that the bands I used to play with were still going and I could still support my family with my life's passion. But, ever the duty-bound husband and father, I must now put those trifles away and return to my former life as a farm hand. That will be best for the majority of my family so that's what I'll do.

We'll see you all next spring with some new gigs!