I know that we have talked about our lucky shirts before here at Caminoheads. But today I am wearing a new shirt and maybe it will be a lucky shirt, don’t know yet. Heather, one of my beloved Marauders picked it out and got it for me recently in California. What a great trip we had and I have a memento that I am wearing today.

At the hospital this morning getting Pancho my portable pump back and getting hydrated. So I dressed up just slightly with my new shirt. I think it is fun to dress up just slightly just to show a little positivity, right? Can’t have too much positivity going on.

Steve Watkins is supposed to show up here in a couple hours to get a ride out to the Island with me. He will be with us for a short visit, hurrah. It will be long enough to compare notes and maybe figure out where we are going next. Going next is terms of priorities or thinking or thrust. I see Steve as one of the movers and shakers in this big world wide Camino party we have going on these days.

I have to put a plug in for Steve’s new book, Pilgrim Strong. I will tell you about it soon after I get started on it. Steve is delivering my copy today, I’m so honored. And just finishing up Pilgrimage by Mark Shiver, a bio of Pope Francis, so I need a new book. Not long ago I read Jesus a Pilgrimage by Father James Martin SJ. Do you think I’m in a rut? No way!

Well, got another hour here at the Treatment Center and I can collect Steve and get back to the Rock, the Island, in other words, Vashon. The weather is supposed to be good for the rest of the day, hallelujah. Love you immensely and intensely, Felipe.

There was a FaceBook post yesterday and I shared it. I think it was entitled “The Best Tacos Ever”. Did you watch it? Must have watched it four or five times at least.

I am fascinated by people using their hands. I remember as a kid being mesmerized by the gal in the department store that wrapped Christmas presents for the holiday shoppers. They were so fast and everything was easy and a thing of beauty appeared every time and they were all different. I love going to a restaurant where I can sit and watch the cooks especially those short order breakfast guys. It is like food ballet.

This FB post was maxed out in that category of turning fresh ingredients into the most delicious looking tacos on the beach with just the most primitive implements. Let’s see there was a fire, a knife, a bowl, a fry pan, a mortar and pastel, a wooden surface for chopping and a stone surface for making tortillas. For ingredients the was flour, a cut of pork, tomatoes, onion, garlic, corn, chilies, avocados, salt and must have been some oil.

Maybe it is me but the ability to whip those simple ingredients together with primitive tools outdoor over an open fire was just beautiful, artistic, hospitality filled. I may have to do that in some beautiful setting along the Camino when I grow up.

Just thinking if you are someone that does FB and we aren’t already friends we should be. Please make the happen.

Walking in a moment. We have a break in the rain, how glorious! See you tomorrow. Have a great day, love, Felipe.

Our buddy Sister Joyce called in this morning as I was waiting to meet with my doctor. She just wanted to see how things were going. And they are going well. Thanks Sister Joyce.

And Catalina and I just figured out how to video call with each other for a talk with her class on Monday. She teaches a graduate level class on pilgrimage and Felipe will be working with them for an hour or two. Catalina shows them Phil’s Camino and then we do a question and answer remotely.

Steve Watkins will be here Friday for a couple days. Man, we got people coming and going. Sort of never a dull moment on Phil’s Camino. Catalina will be here the weekend of the 25-26th. And Annie is coming early December.

Something tells me things will slow down when the rains hit. This has got to start pretty quick here. The prediction is that we will have a cold wet winter. Better get the old soup pot cranked up.

Well, we are walking tomorrow morning. Catherine y Dana have a friend in from New Zealand and they will be here for that. We are back on schedule but note this is the winter schedule the afternoon sessions start a half hour earlier:

Monday 0900-1000
Tuesday 1530-1630
Thursday 0900-1000
Sunday 1530-1600

Stop by when you can or comment when you can. Love, Felipe.

Our chariot awaits us here at Ontario Airport. At security I got lucky and got right behind some guy with a coffee grinder that looks like a hand grenade. But we are plenty early so it was just another interesting airport interlude.

On our way home after a wonderful trip. The Marauders were great as usual as were all the people of the churches and schools where we had showings and talks. Thank you Terri and James for our sleeping arrangements and strong coffee. Thank you Loretta and Bruce for the party and cabin stay at Big Bear. Thank you Jim and Tanya for tapas and archery at Lake Arrowhead. Archery at Lake Arrowhead, that’s good Felipe.

All and all I had three Q and A sessions, talked to a fourth and eighth grade class and a half of gym full of high school boys. My Rebecca helped me out at times. They were all challenging in their own way but they all came off well and I had a good time with it.

There are some things that I have learned now that have been so helpful with dealing with these speaking situations. Here are some of them: I don’t take any text or notes up with me. It is better to just know your material and be present and nimble. The audience will tend to lead the talk after a while. I find mentally trying to place myself in the lives of the members of the audience is more productive than rehearsing. Try to be where they are and give them what they need. And asking questions can be so good. It lets them do some of the work and makes them feel a part of the situation. Plus that gives me time to relax and not feel like I have to carry the whole weight of the process.

Then there is a certain Holy Spirit component. I feel like I am channeling sometimes. Not always but sometimes. It is a little scary to me I will have to admit. Maybe it will feel more natural as time goes on.

Well, we are starting our decent. That snow better be gone by the time we get into SeaTac. See you here tomorrow and we will walk at 1530 tomorrow also. Those afternoon Phil’s Camino walks are going to be half an hour earlier now that day light savings time is over. Happy dark half of the year!

Love you, Felipe.

Up early this morning at Big Bear. Oh, now the smell of bacon frying in the air. We are having a good time hanging out with the Marauders. We named them that and it stuck. They have a maximum of spirit and it seems to overwhelm everything in their path.

We are off to Lake Arrowhead later this morning. Jim the Spanish teacher at Damian High School lives there and we will be visiting him. He set up an archery range there in his yard after his visit to Raven Ranch. So we will check that out. Maybe I have a pic of Jim that I can put up.

The sunshine is just breaking through the clouds and breakfast is served. Will be back to you tomorrow of course. Just a last minute thought that I am so grateful that everything is going so well on our trip. The best to you, love Felipe.

Thank you to the women’s group at St. Peter and Paul’s Church, Heart of Mary for a great event this morning. We went to Mass at 0700 then Adoration, breakfast and Phil’s Camino the film. Then after the film we had a great question and answer session.

Thank you Holy Spirit for the help on the talk. My Rebecca said I did fantastic and she is a hard grader. It was fun for me so it must have been good, right? That was my last engagement for the weekend so now it is all fun and games.

We are driving now in the mountains going up to Big Bear. Loretta and her husband Bruce have a cabin up here so it is going to be the second big Marauder get together. Then tomorrow we are off to Lake Arrowhead. This is all new territory to me so I’m happy.

We are getting close to our destination so I will sign off for now. Oh, 5000 feet. We are at 6800 now. So, see you tomorrow, Felipe.x

That is every school day morning thirty nine 4th graders at St Joseph’s school in Upland pray for Mr Phil. Really? Yea, this is Loretta’s class and we were there with her today meeting the kids. What a dream class. They sang a song for me and each made a heart shaped card for Mr Phil.

We had a few minutes also with the eighth grade class who had seen Phil’s Camino. They were a little more formal than the fourth graders but enthusiastic. They will graduate hopefully at the end of the year and then be at the local Catholic high schools. That’s when the boys and girls separate.

So we were with the sophomores and the seniors at Damien High School, the boys. We showed them Phil’s Camino in the gym and then I got to speak to them for half an hour. This was another case of grace under fire for Felipe. It was a little daunting but I was all over them with tales of pilgrimage and sage advice. I really have to admit that I impressed myself with my skill and energy with this one. I may have potential in this field.

So we are off work for today. There is a big party at Loretta’s for her friends and us. This is most all of the Marauders and some extras I think. Carol my handler is here also to be with us. Right now relaxing on the patio of where we are staying and resting up for this upcoming shindig.

I was talking with Carol at lunch saying that I really have been impressing myself with my handling of these audiences. I don’t mean that bragging but just matter of factly. She said something that was helpful and clarifying. She told me that it is best when you are just yourself. Don’t try the be someone else. Maybe that is what is happening that I have finally arrived at me.

Yea, ok. So, I have to remember moderation tonight at the party. Food and drink are easily had so slow down. And over the days sleep is hard to come by so get as much of that as possible. For Felipe these junkets require some management.

Well, I think that we have covered it. Time to get ready. Miss you, love, Felipe.

In the true spirit of wining and dining we were treated to wonderful Italian lunch by the Marauders which included wine. I AM trying to gain weight, as you know. Right now just here being with you and let you know what is going on.

We had a nice showing this morning at Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas. About fifty folks tumbled out of morning Mass and into coffee and pastries with Phil’s Camino. Did I mention I was trying to gain weight? So I did a good Q and A session for the fine folks. That was the first of the engagements that we signed on for. We will be back tonight at the same place for an evening session if you are in the neighborhood.

Having so much fun with the folks here, well we knew we would. I don’t know what to add to that really. It just happens or it doesn’t, right? People have the chemistry or they don’t. It’s good here.

OK, I have to get back in the saddle and continue on into our itinerary. Thanks for being here and keeping up with us here at Caminoheads. Loving you once again, Felipe.

Getting my mind ready for the Marauders, that’s what I am doing sitting here on the 737. Clearing the decks for five days of California adventure. I know that we will be in good hands there and have a good time, no problem.

I have been so many engrossed in things back home that it will be good to get away and come back to it with a fresh mind. Maybe have a fresh perspective. Maybe problems will seem less thorny.

Just looking over at My Rebecca, she is just across the aisle. She is napping out over there wrapped up in her knitting project. It’s got needles sticking out of it, somebody could get hurt. Man, how did she get on board with those? I had to ship my Leatherman tool home from security and it cost me thirteen bucks. How many planes have I tried to sneak that aboard?

Let’s see, Loretta is picking us up at Ontario Airport and we are staying with one of the Terri’s. We don’t have any engagements tonight. So, I hope there are some baseball fans involved in this
operation as this is the day of game seven for the Astros and the Dodgers. Nothing better than a game seven!

Here comes the flight attendants recycling all the junk from us passengers. Catherine was talking about this the other day, how much effort the airlines were putting into this effort. The little pudgy red haired flight attendant guy is sweating from the effort. OK, Eric!

I’ll have to admit that I have been, what’s the right word, not as enthusiastic as I should be about recycling. But two things happened recently that have affected me. One was our ride aboard the environmental patrol boat out of Tacoma early in October. One thing that the captain was talking about was the amount of plastic particles in the seawater, too small to see but there. That was enlightening. And then I saw a thing on Facebook about a Minke whale that had died and was autopsied and it was full of plastic bags. Yuk, something wrong here.

Well, OK, enough of that. The sun is shinning out the window of the airplane and the view of the mountains of California is spectacular. It think a plane with a glass bottom would be cool.

Feels like we are descending, yea! One really has to work hard at making traveling fun any more. I mean it’s funny but not really fun. I’m starting not to make sense, time to go. Love you all, Felipe.