Taking a break

July is my month for taking a break from church stuff. Except for emergencies, I do my best to avoid talking about church matters to any of my folks here on the island. It can't completely be avoided, of course, as we see each other at the grocery store, at local restaurants, and at weekend festivals, which are numerous here in the summer.

As a parttimer, I don't really get vacation; I have to give it to myself. And for the past four years, I have declared July to be my month "off". Folks are very good about observing this and it helps that the Whidbey congregation goes on hiatus during July. Next year it might be trickier, as once we're in our new building, I imagine we will strive for year-round services.

It helps to go away for part of the month, so tomorrow I'll catch an early ferry and take highway 2 up over the Cascades and through Wenatchee to Moses Lake to spend the Fourth with my sister and her family. I'm taking that route to avoid Seattle rush hour traffic tomorrow morning and to see some scenery I haven't enjoyed for a long time.

So I don't know when I'll be back on the blog. I'll be able to check email and traffic on the blog, but I may not feel much like writing anything. I'm looking forward to seeing Joel the Neff and his lovely and talented wife Christina, both of whom comment at Ms. Kitty's periodically. And time spent with my sister is always a pleasure. She and her husband will come back to Whidbey with me on Sunday, after I preach at the UU Fellowship in Wenatchee.

I hope your Fourth of July is terrific; I expect mine will be. Maybe I'll have pictures!