I’m not sure that these posts have found their way onto facebook. All the links seem to be there but I see nothing! help please!

In USA things get easier after Memorial Day. Monday 30 May is a national holiday in respect for the war dead but in addition this day signals the summer break for schools and the start of long holidays for students and also for the church choir!

I spent the Monday on the Fort Desoto beach enjoying the wonderful weather which was to last the week. This being a holiday there were more people there than I usually find but it was still very pleasant.

On Tuesday I had a meeting with a financial adviser which was interesting but also spent the day planning for the Cantors meeting later in the evening in which I would present to them the schedule of music for the month of June. It is strange that I always seem to be chasing my tail on these planning days, finishing just in time to impress arrivals with all the resources they need!

On Wednesday 1 June we had the last school Mass for a while and the singing was great. After lunch there was a school liturgy review meeting which was a little awkward in parts but largely positive.

Thursday and Friday were days off which I spent at Fort Desoto with my kayak. It was bright sun on both days.

On Saturday 4 June there was a wedding for which I had done some arrangements for the young violinist and myself. The couple had requested some unusual music. One piece called Turning Page caused the most arrangement work . In the event we didn’t need to ‘turn the page’ at all as the couple arrived in place a long time before the end! I had agreed to collect the violinist from her house and act as a chaperone. Unfortunately I had left the address at the office so an additional journey was required!

After the wedding I had just the 4pm Vigil Mass. This was the first weekend of the new schedule without the 5.30pm Vigil Mass. I really appreciated the extra evening of freedom!

I spent the whole of my day off on Monday in the apartment. Tropical storm Colin was threatening and the skies were black. In the throes of the storm the winds were very high and the rains so heavy that visibility was severely restricted. After so much ironing I sat down for an evening of wine and West Wing.

Tuesday 7 June was a work day which I began quite late but started on the tidying of my office which would continue for the next few days. It was interrupted by funerals occasionally but was generally productive.

On Thursday one interruption was my friend and music colleague Marty Purtell who on hearing that after 20 months of being here I really did not know Tampa at all. He decided to drive me around the city for a few hours. We talked shop as you might expect and visited several churches and their staff. The high point for me was playing at the Sacred Heart church, once owned by the Jesuits and now the Franciscans. We lunched at Kojaks rib house before returning to the office.

Friday began with a rare sight of the sun so I headed for the beach until the rain threatened after midday. Later tonight I will meet colleagues for a meal and gossip. We’ve all been so busy that we haven’t managed this for a while so it will be a welcome opportunity to review things.