Early morning I had one of my visions. I was seeing my 3C’s: Cancer, Catholicism and Camino as little puppies rolling and tumbling in the grass. They are brothers and sisters who share the same enthusiasm, the same heart. They have those sharp pointy puppy teeth and they chew on each other sometimes. But they generally play and play and play.

I like the image where somehow my cancer gets invited in to be a part of this. And I am seeing the “somehow” all of a sudden. The somehow is that all three share the same heart or in other words there is only one heart. That’s it, there is only one heart everywhere always.

I am high contemplating this idea – THERE IS ONLY ONE HEART EVERYWHERE AND ALWAYS. That’s it. Love you, Felipe.

Hi, just have a few moments to be with you. Has been busy here at Camino de Felipe. I got Steve Watkins to his airport hotel Saturday evening after a great visit. Then Sunday afternoon Michele from Seattle brought five folks out to walk and tapa. That went well as the weather cooperated mostly and we had a nice walk. Then this morning I was Skyping with Catalina’s class at the Jesuit Seminary at Santa Clara.

I am about talked out but it all was fun. What do I do with half my time but talk about pilgrim stuff. Yea, the next best thing to actually doing it is talking about it, right?

It just must be a rich topic since we spend so much time with it. This must serve to clarify our own thinking. We hear our own thoughts and we listen to that and we refine our talk to be more on message and more streamlined. We listen to other’s ideas and interpretations and gain from that. Maybe we never heard things expressed in that manner before. It’s all good for working things out.

Then we need alone time or down time to process. I had the walk this morning for an hour alone to do just that. So, off to work now. Never a dull moment here in these parts. Miss you, love you, Felipe.

One of the most frequently asked questions when we are out on the film circuit is can you tell us more about the difference between healing and curing that you talk about in the documentary. Yea. We get a lot of varied questions about all sorts of aspects but this sticks in my mind as being common.

I am channeling when I talk about this topic. I credit Dr Robert Barnes for introducing it to me and who knows where he got it from. It seems novel or at least rare. Let me take this opportunity to elaborate on it today.

So curing as I understand it is getting over one’s disease. It is all about the human body. It is all about being free from some limitation in our earthly life. This seems very important when put in the context of a certain way of thinking. A lot of effort goes into this endeavor.

Healing to me in the current way that I understand it is about how we relate to not only our particular human body but to everything outside of it. How we relate to God, to our fellow man, to the natural world and I suppose the man made world becomes important. Are we calm in the storm. Are we at peace with the bigger picture. This is, as I see it, the real challenge in our lives ultimately.

So we see that we can be be cured and miss being healed. And conversely we can be healed without being cured. So, it’s a little tricky. Yea, well maybe we got a little further down the road on this one today.

One of the lines in the Catholic liturgy that is jumping out at me lately is “say the word and my soul will be healed”. Maybe I need to concentrate on asking God for help with things. This is something that we/I seem to forget.

I have a passel of pilgrims showing up today to walk Camino de Felipe. It should be fun. And need to get some work done in the shop beforehand so have to go for now. Thanksgiving loves, Felipe.

Phil’s Camino has its own pilgrim passport as a gift from the lovely California Caminoheads we know as the Marauders. And with a Phil’s Camino stamp. We are looking pretty darn official. Included inside is the 12th century Pilgrim’s Prayer, the ten Beatitudes of the Pilgrim and the Phil’s Camino map so you don’t get lost. It’s beautiful and will be a tremendous memento for folks.

So that’s happening and Steve Watkins is here with his new book Pilgrim Strong. Oh and there he is up and running for the morning. We will grab a bite and be off to my Bible Guys class at 0900.

OK, we are back at the ranch and are just talking. Steve and Rebecca sharing Southern recipes. Steve and I talking Bible stuff and Camino stuff. We still have to walk the trail here but it has been raining on and off. Just a great time for sitting around the fire and gabbing.

So, tomorrow is another day for the blog here. Steve and I need to get outside and see what things look like. Take care for now,love Phil,

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.