I’m teaching a class called Science Grab Bag. I teach science and technology because I find nature and man’s evolving understanding of it fascinating. I enjoy learning how things work, especially nature. I spent 35 years creating software to model and visualize the workings of nature and machines. That required constant learning and discovery, my favorite part. I also love explaining and discussing what I learn with family and friends. What better additional people to do this with than the curious and interesting members of LLC. I first learned of LLC from Steve Camp when I worked with him at NEST. I also worked there with Marilyn Spotswood. When she asked whether I’d be interested in teaching at LLC I thought it a wonderful way to share my joy of science.

I learned about LLC by substitute teaching for the previous Feldenkrais teacher, and decided to take over her class when she left the program. I love how the Feldenkrais Method helps me age more comfortably and that it's a lifelong learning process of neuroplasticity between our brains and musculoskeletal system. I am excited about sharing this learning with others.

I co-host the Creative Writing class. I have always enjoyed writing, especially when I had children and grandchildren. Looking at the little faces, focused on every word, was so much fun as Harvey T. Mouse and other characters ran into snags and overcame. I was a volunteer at the Hunger Intervention Program (that also rents space at Lake City Presbyterian Church) when I heard LLC was also renting space there. I made a beeline to sign up for creative writing. It’s been so much fun becoming acquainted and becoming friends with LLC participants and, in this class, loving and respecting our leader, Vel Gerth. I spent many years as a nurse, both conventional and holistic, and as an inveterate traveler. I learned there is always a story wherever one is or with whomever one is. Often many stories.

I first heard about LLC many years ago while I was still working and raising a family. It was still on Queen Anne at that time and there was an article in the paper that I clipped out and put in the drawer for when I was old enough to come. Finally it was time. By then LLC had moved to Sand Point and there was a quilting class I could take. Eventually we moved to Ravenna and now Lake City. I just keep finding things to make and give away. I’m trained as a teacher, and I’ve taught at various schools as well as local sewing stores. I’ve also taught embellishment classes at seminars and do private lessons. I sew now mainly for several charities and do mostly baby blankets that go to homeless babies or families in transition from homelessness. I call it my work and it keeps me motivated and busy. I’m sure I have more flannel at my house than just about anyone! I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting people at LLC as they are so young at heart and enjoy a good challenge.

Several members of my book club introduced me to LLC, and I began taking classes during Covid on Zoom. At long-time LLC instructor Stephanie Kaylin's memorial gathering, some of us read poems aloud that she had marked in her books as we sat around the patio table, and the idea for this class was born. Reading poems aloud is a wonderful way to share the delight of language and the joy of human solidarity.

I’m a history and geography teacher at Garfield High School. I enjoy sharing the delights of history with groups other than high school students. When I teach at LLC I get to develop interesting new classes and share them with an enthusiastic group of people old enough to have lots of context for thinking about history topics.

I began taking classes at LLC and was blown away by the instructors and the student body. I noticed that there were NO classes just for men, so I decided to start a discussion group...NO THERAPY, just discussions about topics created by the group. What I enjoy most about teaching at LLC is the student body of only males and having discussions that we might shy away with if women were present.

I'm facilitating the Ukulele Song Circle. I'm a retired engineer, now a man of leisure. I've been a music lover since my 4th grade school band, and have played the ukulele since 2018.

A long time ago I was a university instructor in English Literature, and discovered that I loved teaching adults. I am excited to have the chance to do that once more, this time sharing my passion for writing fiction. I learned about the LLC through photography instructor Tom Dempsey, and his enthusiasm for the program convinced me to give it a go!

A friend took some classes and mentioned LLC as a place I could teach. Since I have retired from college teaching I was looking for other ways to use my training. I love teaching, and I’ve now been an instructor at LLC for about 3 years. The students are much more committed than undergraduates, and with more life experience they bring much more to classroom discussions. They make teaching even more rewarding.

The former LLC Executive Director asked if I would be interested in teaching. I already taught some handcraft classes at a local shop and decided to offer a class at LLC that I didn't teach elsewhere. I’ve now been teaching at LLC for 11 years, and what I enjoy most is the student enthusiasm.

As a Veteran I find it interesting to discuss my experiences with others with similar experiences, but seldom have that opportunity. And so I decided to facilitate a Veterans Discussion Group. I have a DOL (Dr. Of Life) from the School of Hard Knocks. I have worked in a variety of technical fields in manufacturing including journeyman machinist, programmer, and manufacturing engineer. Also served in the infantry in Vietnam, been a bush pilot, and paramedic. I am an avid sailor, and have recently started repairing old clocks.

I have studied art and been painting all my life, and LLC seemed like a wonderful way to give this joy to others. I feel anyone can become a decent painter if they put in the time and effort. I love to see the students improving and producing good paintings. I love the atmosphere at LLC and have met the most delightful people here.

I discovered LLC while looking for a mentor I had lost contact with, Otto Reinert, now deceased, who taught for many years at LLC. I connected with him and took a course and then connected with other instructors and eventually started teaching my own courses.

My bridge-playing friend Cecile Disenhouse long extolled teaching at LLC, so I gave it a go! She was right that volunteering my enthusiasm to the LLC community is mutually beneficial. What I enjoy about teaching is that sharing expertise with others nicely sharpens my social and technical skills. I most like interacting with curious students, sparking creativity, and making a meaningful difference in the community.

I've been a member of a book club for several years with many members active in LLC, who encouraged me to consider participating. Having recently retired as the Dean of the Valparaiso University Honors College, I'd love to get back into the classroom and talk with others about my favorite poets and writers.

I’ve been teaching at LLC, off and on, for over 4 years. I have a great deal of respect for the mission and work of LLC, and I love the vibrant community. What I enjoy most about teaching here is the curiosity, energy and humor of the students. I have a Bachelor’s and two Master's Degrees - one in Literature and one in Social Work, with an emphasis on urban planning. I spent 10 years as a teacher and 25 years as an urban planner. I’ve travelled to 51 countries and all continents.

I've lived in many different countries, love to travel, read and write, and enjoy meeting fellow travelers, readers and writers. I just started teaching at LLC and I’m guessing that I'll get as much from the participants as I give. The sharing of ideas has always been incredibly energizing for me, be it a book club or a political discussion group or just a chance conversation as I go about my daily life.

As a young boy, I yearned to develop a split personality. One would be Superman, with all the benefits that embodiment provided, and the other his alter ego, the star reporter Clark Kent. While I didn’t become Superman, I did get to spend most of my career in a rich mix of reporting, writing, and teaching. I love to write, a passion that led me to volunteer as facilitator of the Life Stories group, which I joined three years ago. The weekly sessions have provided a safe space in a warm, supportive environment for each of us to share the stories we write for our loved ones and for future generations. Whether funny, sad, nostalgic, or exciting—and sometimes very personal—we know our pieces will be heard and commented on by friends.

Teaching is in my bones. I taught political science and history for 32 years at a community college near Chicago and then taught in the senior adult program at the college until I moved to Seattle. As soon as I got here I began looking for a place to teach. By sheer luck (or perhaps divine guidance) I found LLC. I love all that I learn from the people in my classes.

Teaching at LLC is a golden opportunity to pursue my profession in a thoroughly enjoyable setting. What I love is the freedom to examine and discuss the literature I most treasure with enthusiastic and quite intelligent adults.

A lifetime learner myself, I have always been interested in adult education. LLC promised me that the excitement of learning and discovery persist at an advanced age. I love that moment in teaching when the joy of learning leads to insight, even revelation, as the learner re-arranges somehow her or his thinking. This does not happen with everyone, but when it does happen everyone in class knows--and shares the spark. Even the mature adult is still transforming. My field of expertise is Holocaust history and literature--a subject that is both personal and academic for me. I am also a generalist who can teach the great classics. Who knows, perhaps I'll end my LLC teaching career with a class in medieval quest romances!

I taught at LLC years ago and was happy to return in the fall of 2022 to teach a cooking class. I am now teaching a class on grief and loss. I am a trained hospice volunteer, facilitator of grief support groups, and trained coach. My public presentations and private consultation related to end-of -life and grief have helped increase knowledge and understanding for people dealing with loss… It is far better to learn and address about these topics as we age and support others through these most natural and significant life processes.

I have delved deeply into the literature and history of Mexico. Journalism turned out to be my calling and I worked for a statewide newspaper in Wyoming until retirement. I moved to Seattle in 2014 and have been taking LLC courses ever since. The class discussions in Bill Taylor’s and Stephanie Kaylin’s classes inspired me to share some of my own perspectives on Mexican history.

I am an attorney. After retiring in 2017, I was able to devote time to improving my bridge skills. That's when I started taking a bridge class at LLC and met so many fun bridge players. Then, the previous bridge teacher asked me to take over for him when he decided to retire at age 92! The students and staff at LLC are wonderful.

My friend Joan Karkeck told me about LLC long ago, and for the last five years or so I've been taking classes here. What an impressive group of people, and what good discussions we often have! I'm hoping to give something back by sharing some of my favorite writers and books with the rest of you.

I enjoy group discussions on topics such as current events, book reviews and activities. I decided the idea of teaching or facilitating a discussion group on the Sunday edition of the New York Times was an excellent opportunity to get involved and meet with people having similar interests. I enjoy listening to students’ perspectives on topics resulting from their diverse experiences in life.

The community at LLC is vibrant, engaging, and one that I admire. I found everyone to be welcoming and encouraging when I took a watercolor class here a few years ago; this is a community that I am happy to join. I have practiced yoga for many years, and teach gentle yoga. Yoga helps me find balance for my body and mind in this ever changing world. It is a pleasure to share gentle yoga at LLC.

I love everything about teaching at LLC-- reading and thinking about the upcoming class, preparing the course book and powerpoint images, making new connections among ideas as the material shapes in my mind. But most of all, I enjoy connecting with the curious, enthusiastic, well-stocked and gracious minds of our class members.

Fall 2021 will be when I teach my first class. During the spring quarter I took two LLC classes. I very much enjoyed the interaction with everybody involved, facilitators and fellow "students." This is such a wonderful environment that I know I will very much enjoy teaching at LLC. More than I have, when I taught college and graduate students? I do not doubt it at all.

After I retired from clinical practice as a psychoanalyst, I was looking for community and a satisfying volunteer opportunity. A friend told me about LLC and suggested I apply. I began teaching "Jung and the 2nd Half of Life" in spring, 2016, and I now teach a creative writing class. I enjoy the community that LLC is -- being with people who are life-long learners! Whether teaching classes or taking classes, it is invariably interesting, challenging and fun.

I have been a student at LLC since last century after retiring from teaching Nutrition at UW. I loved getting a chance to take classes completely outside the sciences. I was woefully deficient in literature classes and loved the political discussion classes and finding a community of 'Seniors' who chose not to drift. The social aspects were important to me as well. I taught Nutrition at the University of Washington. Before that I was involved in volunteer activities teaching Nutrition and Food Science to the people who would teach mothers how to feed their families. It was important for me to understand how their food customs might be changed to provide a healthy diet.

I learned about LLC from my dear friend, Marianne LoGerfo. As a result, my wife and I have taken a number of LLC courses offered by Marianne, Bill Taylor, and others. I will teach “Perspectives on the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament”. I am looking forward to discussions of Bible related issues and questions with smart people with a wide array of religious beliefs and experiences

I decided to teach at LLC because it was an opportunity to share what I love with engaged, interested and warm people. I’ve now been teaching for seven years. I enjoy the interaction with class participants, and I love the Q&A!

I was a regular in the Current Events Class at LLC, and leapt at the chance to become a discussion leader when the previous facilitator took a sabbatical. I like the people you meet in the classes, engaging with them In thoughtful conversation, and learning things from their perspectives, background and life experiences. I love the fact the class hates to skip a week, and so we often get together between sessions.

I first took a writing class when the LLC was still on Ravenna. Over time, the class no longer had a teacher, but we wanted to continue because we valued the connections that grew from listening to stories of other lives, and because it was great to have an audience for our own stories. I became the "facilitator" of the class. I love the way each person's story is unique. On the surface we may look similar -- "older adults" -- but our lives are wonderfully diverse. At the same time, we often find common ground that gives us impetus for our own writing.

I began teaching at LLC because I wanted to contribute to my local community. I enjoy presenting to seniors who are engaged, enthusiastic, mature (in the intellectual sense), and have a wide field of interest. I’ve now been teaching at LLC for 21 years!

I graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in Filmmaking after a lot of video work in high school. I spent time in LA producing and editing films like "Masters of Success" with Ed Asner. I have taught at the Northwest Film Forum and Cornish, among others. I believe in education for all ages and that is what LLC offers. I enjoy the chance to teach students from young to old. It brings me much joy and satisfaction.

Five years ago, I started taking classes at LLC. What attracted me was the open discussion format, unlike all the lectures in college and graduate school. After enjoying a variety of classes at LLC, I realized I would like to teach one myself, on building relationships. Years ago I discovered I have a gift for helping people connect with one another. Examples range from community organizations and personal counseling to various small groups, including mens’ groups, where there is a surprising amount of personal sharing. I am convinced we need friendships and social relationships for a healthy and fulfilling life.

I heard such wonderful things about LLC from a distant relative who described it as “The Harvard of Adult Education.” I feel honored to join such an august institution to teach the History of Baseball. I have been a baseball fan since early childhood. My first World Series was when I was five with Mel Allen calling the Yankees vs. Giants in 1951. It was also Mays’ and Mantle’s first, and DiMaggio’s last. Being a fan led me to a love of box scores then to career stats and baseball’s history. My baseball library is probably not as big as Cooperstown’s, but it’s impressive nonetheless. I’m hoping all of us have fun learning baseball’s history and sharing our own baseball memories. And, if there’s a few arguments along the way, I’ll make sure no one gets thrown out of the game.

After five years of taking wonderful classes at LLC and four years on the Board, I finally thought of a topic that I love to talk about and will enjoy sharing with others - my lifelong hobby of hiking in the mountains and long distance walking trips. I look forward to facilitating a course with Tom Dempsey, who will also be sharing his vast hiking experiences and outstanding photography

I’m a well seasoned therapist in private practice, a philosopher, Shakespeare fan, sailor, music lover and amateur guitarist. I teach Adlerian Psychology at Antioch University, and have taught at innumerable forums, workshops, and conferences over the years through the Puget Sound Adlerian Society. Winter 2023 is my first foray with the LLC.

I’ve been teaching poetry at LLC for 3 years. I love the camaraderie between the wonderful women in the class and the beautiful poems we present, some of which are our own. I also love our explorations together, and how themes unexpectedly emerge in the work we share. The leadership of the poetry class has been passed from one beloved poet to another. Martha Prothro passed leadership to Elhri Larsen, and Elhri passed it to me. The class is for poetry lovers and poets. Some of us have shared poetry together since the class began 15 years ago. Others come and go. We teach each other.

I was taking an art class at LLC and make the connection that there needed to be more physical types of classes offered. since I was certified in Rosen Movement, I offered it and the rest was history. I love the enthusiasm of the students.

My dad gave us a family motto: Don't Do Anything Stupid. It was pretty straight forward and summed up most precautions the parental units could think of. So, after working in Asset/Liability management with Wells Fargo & Bank of America for a little more than 10 years, and settling into being a full time mom and professional volunteer, I decided my mission in life was to keep anyone I knew from doing stupid things with money. Unintentionally anyway. I mean, you don't want to look at my fabric collection. I took the courses to become a Certified Financial Planner and wound up teaching the Finance portion of the program at South and Central Seattle Colleges. I found I liked teaching. Meanwhile the LLC was moving into my church building and I thought it would be interesting to put together a course teaching financial ideas to non-financial people. The response was positive at that time, so I thought I'd try it again. The goal of the class is to help nonfinancial people become better consumers of financial information by acquainting them with the ideas, language and beliefs of the people who would be advising them. Understanding where "your money guy" is coming from, will help you know whether they are doing their job well or selling you a raw deal.

I was taking a ukulele music theory class at LLC three years ago when the director wandered in to see if anyone could take over the uke song circle. I have spent my first four years in ukeland actively participating in song circle groups on the west coast and the midwest; I volunteered to lead the group at LLC and had a wonderful year before covid changed things. I'm happy to be back leading the ukuele song ensemble. Three years ago, I discovered, on Youtube, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy in a concert at Royal Albert Hall in London. The uniqueness of the event was that 1000 audience members brought their ukuleles along and played along! I found a uke score for the Ode in the key of D and joined in the fun and have advocated for ensemble playing in large groups and small ever since.

I teach classes on climate change. I have a background in the subject as well as many years in the areas of science and technology. I am passionate in helping people to understand and deal with this existential threat. The thing I enjoy most about teaching at LLC is interacting with members of the class, answering their questions, and learning from them as well.

After I retired from 32 years of teaching and moved to Seattle, I thought I was done with teaching. But I was introduced to LLC and found the students to be so interesting and appreciative. Our discussions about the classics are lively. I enjoy getting to know and spend time with other older adults who are interested in literature and history and music, and just good to be around.

I got involved with LLC as my neighbor, Nancy Baron, had been a member of The New Yorker group and had raved about it to me (I had not even heard of LLC until that point several years ago). I enjoy meeting like minded people whom I would never had met otherwise! I'm a 60 year reader of The New Yorker and am facilitating the group in honor of Stephanie Kaylin.

I've always thought of making music as an activity that anyone should be able to participate in, so when I took my first ukulele class in 2018 I was taken with the accessibility and the fun factor of the instrument. In 2019 I took all of the uke classes being offered at LLC. The pandemic and returning to work has kept me from being able to attend LLC classes since then, but I've kept in touch with the friends I made playing uke at LLC and have continued to make music with them. Now I'm happy to be able to share my love of music and my love of the ukulele once again with the LLC community, this time as a facilitator! My musical history includes co-hosting a weekly guitar song circle at the Kenmore Senior Center, and playing rhythm guitar in a community band in Edmonds for eight years.

I was invited to teach at LLC by another instructor who was impressed by the LLC students in her classes. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about topics I was interested in by exploring them along with motivated students. I have learned so much myself from preparing the classes that I teach. Collaboration with Theodore Deacon has been very rewarding.

Fall of 2021 will be my first term with LLC. I don't really teach...I like to tell stories from my life's experiences. We all have extraordinary stories to share. My work experience is over 50 years of house building and shelter...my field of expertise is finding laughter and joy in life.