A little update...

It's been a wild few weeks.

The senior minister at the church where I work is taking a family leave of absence, which has vaulted me into worship and pastoral care roles at church. Here are some of the fruits of my labor:

"Our Determined Hope"
(June 17, 2010)

"Harvest Time"
(July 4, 2010)

You can listen to the sermons by clicking on the link on the left side of the page. 

We've also started chicken- and house-sitting for Rob and Lee while they are cavorting around the country on their Great American Road Trip.  It is a joy to mow the lawn and do the watering.  I'm not being facetious.  I really enjoy doing these things. 

AND, Megan and Brad spent an adventure-filled week with us that included things like...

... axing crabs on a chopping block.  This was after we went out on the Puget Sound in Kevin and Nancy's boat, the Frankie R. (namesake: Francis Regier/Horan, our great aunt and Grandma Donna's sister).  We pulled up the pots Kevin had set early that morning, coincidentally the opening day of crabbing season, Dungeness in case you're wondering.  Then we selected the biggest ones, took them home, killed and cleaned them, grilled them, and feasted on the succulent white meat. 

... visiting the cloud enshrouded Mount St. Helens.  It's prime Bigfoot country out there, and we think we may have seen traces of the elusive Sasquatch.  We never did see the top of the mountain, though. 

... a trip to the majestic and freezing cold Pacific Ocean.  It was Brad's first ever glimpse of salt water, and we experienced childhood once again, collecting pretty rocks and sand dollars on the beach. 

The trip also included obligatory trips into the kitschy tourist shops in Westport and the traditional purchase of saltwater taffy.









... and finally we had the pleasure of seeing the Kansas City Royals beat the lowly Seattle Mariners.  It was fun to be in Seattle and see Kansas fan gear, including a few folks in Jayhawks t-shirts. 







All photo credits to Megan, who no doubt will be adding some of her own blog updates about the Kohlman's adventure to the wild Pacific Northwest. 

In other news, it appears that summer sun is here to stay in Seattle.  Finally.  One squash is growing in my container garden, and the tomato plant is poised for summer abundance.  I have two containers filled with fallow land after the carrots and lettuce have been eaten and the vegetable waste plowed under to return some nutrients to the soil, maybe.  We're accepting all suggestions for summer grilling that doesn't involve meat (Jamie's a vegetarian), because it's simply not healthy to be using the oven or stove in this hot weather, living without air conditioning above a garage and all. 

Tomorrow we have more relatives coming out for a visit and in a week and a half, people will begin to converge here to celebrate Jamie's ordination as minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  Then I'll be taking 16 youth on a mission trip to the Yakama Christian Mission, and THEN we'll be headed to Kansas and Arkansas for summer vacation the first week in August.  Good times.