Julie’s got two wonderful, active, wild, and loud children: Sierra, 11, and Sawyer, 8. Despite Sierra’s chronic and serious health challenges (rare genetic disorder, kidney failure, kidney transplant, and recently cancer and now kidney and heart failure), the entire family manages to embrace life fully, laugh a lot, and gather as much joy possible from each moment.

See Sierra at CaringBridge here!

Greetings from Bangor, Maine! I moved here last year with my husband of 19 years, Chris, and our two daughters, Hannah (age 14) and Josie (age 11). It’s been an adventure and lots of fun! We love being so close to the ocean!

Since 1982 I’ve explored several different paths. I went to Macalester College with the plan to become a writer, but switched to an art major halfway through. After graduation, I worked various jobs in addition to being a freelance artist. I painted murals and other commissions, designed jewelry, and published a few illustrations, amongst other projects. Then I veered into theatrical work. I designed and built costumes for the Theatrical Costume Company in Minneapolis and costumed many shows for various community and professional theatres in the Twin City area. It was a fascinating field of work!

Now I’m back to my original plan of writing. In 2002 I graduated from Vermont College’s MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults program. While working on novels for teens and a collection of poetry for middle graders, I’ve also taught creative writing at Academy College in Bloomington and worked at The Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul. Now in Bangor, I’ve found another independent kids’ bookshop, The Briar Patch.

I work there and await word of a contract on one of my books! P.S. Most folks call me "Annie" now.

I attended UMD and U of M, where I studied International Business for a short time and then interior design.  I’ve been self-employed for over 20 years.  (Still can’t believe it’s been that long.)  I had interior design, decorative painting and business coaching businesses and now am working part time for my husband’s counseling practice and focusing on painting and teaching contemporary highly textured painting.  I’m very happy to be painting again.  You can check out what I’ve been up to at www.karinrush.com.

Well… um… Mark went to college and then grad school…  He became a bureaucrat doing geographic information systems work for the DNR and then the Metropolitan Council (yawn…)  OK, he really likes it, but whatever.

He has two teenagers that make life wonderfully exciting, interesting and occasionally challenging.  Soccer, cross country, bike racing, sub woofers, my space, cars, girl and boy friends, blah, blah, blah…  Brings back some memories.

His daughter started guitar lessons a few years ago, so he pulled his old acoustic out of the attic and began playing again after 18 years.  He can now be seen occasionally performing for his fellow Unitarians (yes, those oddballs that Garrison Keillor makes fun of).  For Mark, life is good.

Bio to follow!

After graduating from high school, I attended Rasmussen Business College
where I took a two year course in Travel Management and Computer
Programming. In 1984, I went to work for the Department Store Division of
Dayton Hudson Corporation where I held positions in Training and
Development and Executive Development. I worked at Dayton Hudson for nearly 13 years, spending my last 7 years with the company as a Corporate Meeting Planner. While working at Dayton Hudson, I enrolled in the adult education program at the College of St. Thomas where I took evening courses for four years in pursuit of a degree in English. I left Dayton Hudson in 1996
after taking a position as Trade Show and Convention Specialist for an
upstart database marketing company based in Shoreview. After 18-months of
jumping around every convention center in the country, I found my dream job
with Securian Financial Group (formally Minnesota Life Insurance Company)
based in St. Paul. I am currently the Director of Meetings and Conference
Management and have been with Securian for nine years. In my position I am
responsible for the overall planning, development, implementation and
marketing of company-wide recognition and incentive programs and I have
overall responsibility for company-wide business meetings, board meetings,
domestic conventions and international conferences. My department also
assumes full responsibility for the management of industry association
membership and awards facilitation. My job takes me all over the world and
I feel so fortunate to work for such a wonderful company! MORE

After high school I went to college and then changed to a technical school.  I worked at an ad agency in Minneapolis for a few years and then went to work for Delta Environmental consultants.  My husband and I both worked for them and made the move to Utah for the job.  I went back to school and attended the University of Utah in 1990 and graduated in Organizational Communications in 1995.  My focus was Human Resources.  I obtained a job as HR Director and IT Manager at a Luxury Lodging company Park City and worked there for almost three years.  I went to work for Stein Eriksen Lodge as their HR Director 6 ½ years ago and love my job.  There is never a dull moment.  I love to travel and am fortunate that I have been able to do some traveling for work to Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, England, and many other areas.