I was spacing out during Father David’s homily today, I confess.  I was looking out the window trying to figure out if it was still raining.  It has been raining now for days, just lightly but pretty continuously.  It was I finally determined.  Noticed that I couldn’t really detect it by focusing on it.  It was more like a fog where you see it by looking through it.  Or I could unfocus my eyes and see it’s flow.

Was thinking  that is like my focused questions lately as I tried to nail down pilgrimage.  After reading that John O’Donohue piece yesterday and wondering if this thing pilgrimage that I have stumbled into isn’t like the rain that I was trying to see.  The more I try and focus on it the more it disappears.  It is more like a movement than  a substance.  A dynamic rather than a solid. It is a moving situation like the light rain streaming by my eyes.

I can relax my way into it maybe is an idea about it.  Its meaning seems like a wet bar of soup that I try to grab and it shoots out of my grasp.  The harder I try to clutch it the farther it flies outward.  Relax Phil and just be there, Felipe knows about these things.

Walking today at 4 PM.  If it is raining too hard we can retreat to tapas.  Come by if you are in the neighborhood.  Relaxing love, Felipe.

Dear readers, check out the Comments to this blog.  There is always major stuff on there and Cris from Buenos Aires just had some great thoughts.  She was writing about comfort and physical stuff and how at home we focus on gathering more and more and how on the Camino we were happy with less and less.  How happy we were with half of a half an apple was one way that she put it.

Just ran into a John O’Donohue quote on FB :

When you regain a sense of your life as a journey of discovery, you return to rhythm with yourself. When you take the time to travel with reverence, a richer life unfolds before you. Moments of beauty begin to braid your days. When your mind becomes more acquainted with reverence, the light, grace and elegance of beauty find you more frequently. When the destination becomes gracious, the journey becomes an adventure of beauty.

John O’Donohue
Excerpt from BEAUTY

Wow, there is a mouthful, or a brain full, or a heart full or a soulful.  It is answering some of my many questions lately, just synchronistically.  Here I am trying to come up with definite answers to my philosophical questions when maybe what I am looking at in pilgrimage is a process.  We as pilgrims have learned how to live within a process.  It is a dynamic.  Maybe it is the trail in a way bigger sense now?  The ever changing trail that we walk gives us a hint of the bigger picture,  an ever changing dynamic life perhaps.

Yup, that was way enough for one day.  Time to have lunch and get to the shop.  A storm is coming our way according to the weather guy, wind and rain.   Synchronistic loves, Felipe.

Here we are with the first week of post Easter.  Lent was meaningful and most worthwhile but now have the slightly lost feeling when the party is over, and now what?  We have a reentry going on.  Wednesday I was talking about reentry from the Camino with Karen who was here with her sister Robin.  And Robin I feel is 98% talked into going to walk herself soon.

But reentry is something to consider.  It can be no small thing to suddenly be left alone with your memories and not having a handle on how to proceed.   Or perhaps too many ways to proceed.  Well, anyway, not a stable situation.  We are steeping in the richness of our experience and wondering how to integrate that into our “back at home” lives.

My reentry from Spain in the Autumn of 2014 was a huge deal for me that took several months to complete.  This Caminoheads blog had some great writing back in September and October of that year.  It was an amazing and difficult period but worth it in the end.

But here we are almost four years later and working on this reentry.  The best thing that has come out of this week is the idea of “Camino dust”.  And there must be “Easter dust” as well.  It is a notion in my head that occurred after talking with Karen and Robin.  One was freshly back from Spain and the other was contemplating going soon.  So there was this differential happening there between them.

So back to Camino dust.  If I derived benefit from pretending I am on the Camino.  And if we as veterans of walking in Spain can influence someone to go and do that walk.    Then isn’t there something that is being passed around between us that is this inspirational dust that just happens.  There is this buzz, this energy that is palpable.

Can we transport this dust and will it be potent when removed from any props that we have used in the past?    Am I making sense here?    Is it a commodity that just is?   Is it a glow or a glint?   Do we have to go back to the Camino to get more?  Is there some along Phil’s Camino?  Or can we get it from each other?

Well, obviously more to sort out.  Thank you Karen and Robin for your influence.  Off again here in a moment.  Am going to try and visit Kelly today.  He has had a new hip put in recently and is receiving visitors.  OK, the best to you all, love, Felipe.

Exciting things were happening yesterday, some kind of confluence of the old planets I suppose.  Catherine had her book reading and it was standing room only, ridiculous.  Us old deaf guys had to retreat across the street and drink wine.  We were all so happy for Catherine on the birth of her memoir, a milestone but it was way too crowded.  Us old deaf guys included Terry Hershey and Will Forrester both vintage heroes and legends.  We got it all worked out while Catherine read to the full house at the book shoppe.  It was all a win win for all concerned.

Afterward Catherine and Dana and My Rebecca and myself had a quiet dinner and debriefed.  I had French Onion Soup, my favorite at that restaurant.  it was a great way to close out a great day.

In the morning Karen from Chico rolled in with her sis Robin from Seattle.  Karen had seen the Phil’s Camino So Far So Good (the long version) down there in California with Annie recently.  She was all pumped about that and she grabbed Robin and came over to walk.  Karen did the Camino Frances last summer so she was full of that good energy.  Robin is being talked into going which didn’t sound that hard to me.

We talked of hospitality, Camino style.  That still is the one word that I can boil down my Camino experience into, well at least at the present word.  I suppose it could be twenty or fifty other words also.

We also talked about how we wish that we could give certain people the experience, if that was in our power.  Probably have to win the Lotto for that one though.  But is it possible to win over or pass on “Camino dust” to folks like that without the direct experience of the walk itself.   Isn’t it our inner glow that is that?  Isn’t it Dana so warmly welcoming people to the reading last night while Catherine prepared?  Isn’t it our own personal hospitality that we show to everyone that is that?  We have to think on this.

Off to walk here in a moment, my trail awaits.  Get that glow going loves, Felipe.

Rainy outside and will be for a few days.  My Rebecca asked what I was up to today and I said that I was going to build a big jolly fire in the woodstove at the shop and work on the cabinets for church.  Yea, spring is doing it’s spring thing with the weather here.  One has to adjust to the conditions.

Cris our South American Bureau Chief send a few words in a comment telling us to “Stay Amazed”!  We can do that!  We know about these things.

Today is a special day in that our Catherine Johnson, author of Finding Mercy In This World, has a reading tonight at the local book shoppe.  I am so excited for her.  We are going and will have dinner out afterwards.  We need to celebrate, right?

I had a personal reading for Catherine on Saturday.  I have a book that I have read numerous times, maybe a dozen.  I read her a chapter out of it that paralleled one in her memoir.  Both stories of the hero/leader who in the hardest of times sensed the solution and inspired people to get there.  There is so much talent hanging around Caminoheads it is ridiculous.

Yup, that’s what it looks like here.  Glad that you stopped by.  I am going to start our big jolly fire here in a moment, so stand back!  StayTotallyAmazedLove, Felipe.

Yes, we got a random act of kindness in our mailbox.  Yea, out of the blue a card came with some funds and a super market debit card to our address.  Thank you!

We will find good uses for that.  I am putting some it towards the four grade class party. We were talking of Loretta’s class yesterday.  And I decided to start a little fund to enhance their school year.  So right now I have $21 in the kitty.

OK, here I am at the very beginning of April and I am feeling the pull of the Lourdes trip which is four weeks away.  In terms of treatments, I have one more to go.  In terms of projects, I need to finish and install the cabinets for St. John Vianney’s.  Getting close.

It was a wonderful Easter.  I was much inspired by the whole thing.  But one thing that really got me was the new converts that joined at the Easter Vigil just like I did five years ago.  I am trying to find them all and welcome them personally.

Well, I have an action packed day.  Feeling fairy decently.  Feeling the need to check things off the list.  Love you guys, Felipe.

There is a fourth grade class at St Joseph’s School in Upland, CA.  They are lovingly  being taught by a friend of ours Loretta Bowen.  My Rebecca and I met Loretta last summer and got a chance to met her class last fall.  What a remarkable meetings they were.

This crew is very intent on connecting me with God’s healing power.  They want to see a win for Mr Phil at Phil’s Camino.  Every school morning as a group they pray for me and my situation at 0815 at the start of the school day.  Like right now as I look at the clock thirty some intent school kids are sending out their energy.  You gotta love this!

So on this last Saturday, the between day that we were just blogging about,  I received a big envelope from guess who?  Yes, Mrs Bowen’s fourth grade class.  And inside were thirty some handmade Easter cards.  There were bunnys and eggs and crosses and rosaries and chicks and rainbows and one lone space alien.  Yea, for Mr Phil and Mrs Rebecca.  What a blessing these youngsters are!

I am going to think of something to brighten up their school year.  What if I put a donation can out on Phil’s Camino for the “St Joseph’s Fourth Grade Class Party”?  What if we collected a little cash for their fun.  And I would get to tell their story about how they pray for us because people would ask.  OK!

OK, I am glad that you know about that.  Off we go now for the morning walk.  The sky is blue and the trail is dry.  One lone space alien loves, Felipe.

Yup, Easter 2018!  There was a line in one of the hymns that grabbed my attention, “manna of the ages”.  I don’t know, I wish I had more today but maybe that is enough.

A special day today, may be always feel that and understand that.  Love, Felipe.

The trail is totally dry and welcoming.  Come by when you can.  Want to mention that I will be in Lourdes, God willing,  on these following dates so no Phil’s Camino:

Monday April 30th

Tuesday May 1st

Thursday May 3rd

Sunday May 6th

Monday May 7th

Tuesday May 8th

Thursday May 10th

Otherwise here is the standard schedule:

Monday 0900-1000

Tuesday 1600-1700

Thursday 0900-1000

Sunday 1600-1700

Felipe.x

Here we are balanced between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, two polar opposites.  This Saturday that is in between looks like something empty sometimes, like a blank spot.  Does it have a purpose?  It never did really for me until I stumbled on a notion.  I’m calling it a notion because as far as I know it isn’t exactly spelled out anywhere offically.  It is an idea.  And that starts with as it says in the Apostles’ Creed, Jesus “descended to the dead.”

Yes, and what did he do there?  The notion that I love is that He preached to the multitudes of past eras and offered them His Covenant.  I like to think that is what happened so that no one is left behind for not hearing about it.  It seems a perfect fit in my mind and a sort of puzzle piece that I enjoy putting in place even if I don’t have proof of it’s existence.

And how about Notre Dame’s win yesterday in women basketball.  Catherine and Dana were over yesterday to watch as Catherine is a huge fan of ND.  So they are in the finals tomorrow against Mississippi State.  The finals!  So we have more basketball thrills and chills tomorrow.  Easter and Catholic basketball, that seems a fit.

OK, on my way to do some tilling with the tractor.  Beautiful day here.  Love abounds, Felipe.