Bits of This, and Bits of That

This phased retirement plan seems to be working.  When I'm working, I still get excited about each phone call and each set of 'beeps' from my PDA, wondering where I'm being sent to next, what challenges the next job will bring me.  And when I'm not, there's the lovely relaxing start to the day - well, most days, anyway - knowing that my time is my own, and the day can unfold around whatever I choose.  The only downside is that there are no exciting journeys to report here!

Take this week, for example.  When I made my plan last autumn, I determined that I wouldn't be working during Holy Week, so I could take a full part in all the church activities that mark this special time.  But most of these are in the evenings, so my days have been free.

The special events began on Sunday evening with a showing in church of the Mel Gibson film 'The Passion of the Christ'.  In a small but worthwhile gathering, I was surprised to be one of only two men watching it, and found it just as moving, if not more so, than the first time I saw it some years ago. It wasn't until I'd had breakfast the following morning that more mundane things began to signify in my mind, like the impending visit of an engineer to fix my door intercom which wasn't working.  By the time he had come and gone - with complete success in his mission - there was just time to do some shopping before lunch, and little time after that to do anything else before it was time to cook my tea.  Yes, 'real' cooking is one of my aims in retirement and, starting as I am virtually from scratch, it's plain and simple first, so this week it was toad-in-the-hole.

Tuesday was a more business-like day, and apart from a break for lunch, it was spent researching and reporting some family history records for an internet acquaintance in California.  Wednesday was equally solid, sorting out bank statements and investment reports following the end of the month, and effectively my business year as well.  By Thursday I had the last details to enable me to spend virtually the whole day finalising my business accounts, and setting up my ledgers to begin recording the new year when it begins the week after next.  It's certainly an advantage, as well as a satisfying step backwards, as it were, into my former life, to compile my own accounts.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings there had been a simple meditative service at church; last night I took part in an informal meal there, not exactly a copy of the Last Supper, which was a Passover meal, but an event intended to convey the atmosphere of fellowship and togetherness that must have been an element of that original occasion, where the Christian tradition of Holy Communion had been instituted.  About fifty were present yesterday evening, perhaps a few more and, although in a completely different way, I found it as moving as the film on Sunday.

Today there was a simple service in church and then as many as wished walked into town to join with people from other churches for a walk of witness through the town centre.  During the afternoon was a quiet meditative hour reflecting on the significance of this whole week in our Faith.

Alongside all this, I've been making the final preparations for my first 'real' outing in the motorhome.  Gradually, over the last few weeks, some of the many cupboards have become filled with the essential bits and pieces to provide life's necessaries; today there is at last a sheet on the bed, and I've gathered together so far as possible, my normal luggage, and those things of which there's only one, that will have to be transferred from home to motorhome before departure.  Tomorrow will see the final shopping expedition and, if all goes well, I shall be off on Sunday afternoon.

All I want now is that fine sunny spring weather I've been counting on!