Not sure how to start this but I guess I just will start with the twins. Kirk Russell was living in New York City when his twin brother Tom was located in Washington state. This was after Tom was in the army, first in Seattle then later Olympia, where he met up with members of the band Obrador. Early in the 1970s Tom went back to New York to pick up Kirk. He told Kirk to pack his stuff and come with him, which he did. 

Kirk lived in a building at Plum and 4th for a while. He worked at KAOS radio station doing a classical music show. This led him to meeting Vinnie Wright, his first wife, who has remained our dear friend. 

About 1979 I left Colorado and a very active alternative culture in Boulder. I spent a year in Casper, Wyoming and finally landed in Washington state over in Leavenworth. I was there for three years. My contacts in Leavenworth encouraged me to apply for a scholarship to go to Evergreen in 1982. I moved to Olympia and lived out on the campus. I rode a bicycle as my only transportation. At Evergreen I studied painting with Marilyn Fresca, and learned about art curation with Sid White. Sid helped me put together a large slideshow with multiple projectors. 

During that time, I met George Barner who pointed me to the Rainbow Restaurant and Laura May and I became involved with a wonderful arts community that changed my life. There was lots of jazz just like my hometown of Kansas City. I really liked the people at the Rainbow. I got to know a very sweet man who was often my waiter when I came to town after school and tied my bike to a parking sign. His name was Kirk. I also got to be friends with Bert Wilson and Nancy Curtis and, of course, by that time I had met Tom Russell, the other twin. 

The pictures I’ve included here are from June 1984. That’s when Kirk Russell and I were married at 7:00 in the morning at Nisqually Delta with Carl Cook and Laura May overseeing the blessings. Pictures show how unusual and special those that attended are to our love—the laying on of hands was fine!