Well finally my sabbatical has begun and what a week of great weather to start lets hope it last!
In my first week off I turned forty while on holiday in Wales with the family. There was no noticeable difference, apart form the fact that I started to like jazz and ended up downloading Quincy Jones on iTunes. According to other male friends who have also reach the big 4-0 this is quite normal. Great!
In my first week off I turned forty while on holiday in Wales with the family. There was no noticeable difference, apart form the fact that I started to like jazz and ended up downloading Quincy Jones on iTunes. According to other male friends who have also reach the big 4-0 this is quite normal. Great!
I have also reached my second target and lost 3 1/2 stone and am now back to the weight I was when I got married going from a 42inch waist back to 36inches and feel much better for it. Who says a mid-life crises isn't a good thing.
On Sunday I was given a send off at the end of the Pentecost service at St James Bourton to mark my pilgrimage to the shrine of St James Compostela. Both my colleagues gave blessings Canon Edwin for the car and Revd Anne for me and ample Holy Water from the font was sprinkled as we had just had a baptism. I also revealed the name I have given the car ‘Rocinante’. This was the name that Don Quixote another mad Spaniard gave his horse and as Spain is my mothers home land and I’m also slightly mad it seems an appropriate name. The word Rocin actually means work horse or nag but the suffix ante means previously or before so Don Quixote gave his horse this name to symbolise that he was no longer something ordinary but now a greet steed worthy of a knight.
Believe it or not I can claim knightly rank as in the Middle Ages the clergy or priests were considered the knights of the church and Bishops its princes. So Rocinante seemed even more appropriate and I hope my adventures are as exciting as Don Quixote’s. Though I'll probably be chasing wind turbines rather than wind mills in this day and age. I did warn you I was mad!!
On Sunday I was given a send off at the end of the Pentecost service at St James Bourton to mark my pilgrimage to the shrine of St James Compostela. Both my colleagues gave blessings Canon Edwin for the car and Revd Anne for me and ample Holy Water from the font was sprinkled as we had just had a baptism. I also revealed the name I have given the car ‘Rocinante’. This was the name that Don Quixote another mad Spaniard gave his horse and as Spain is my mothers home land and I’m also slightly mad it seems an appropriate name. The word Rocin actually means work horse or nag but the suffix ante means previously or before so Don Quixote gave his horse this name to symbolise that he was no longer something ordinary but now a greet steed worthy of a knight.
Believe it or not I can claim knightly rank as in the Middle Ages the clergy or priests were considered the knights of the church and Bishops its princes. So Rocinante seemed even more appropriate and I hope my adventures are as exciting as Don Quixote’s. Though I'll probably be chasing wind turbines rather than wind mills in this day and age. I did warn you I was mad!!
So I’m blessed and the car, I'm liter, the route is planned, all the items I need have been readied I have even had a trial run of packing them into the 7 and they all fit not forgetting the amazing £3800 which has been raised for LRF. I’m now itching to go and few final tweaks and a polish of Rocinante and the pilgrimage can begin.
Good luck Richard, safe journey. Hope you're crossing was a good one or at least safe.
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