This is what my buddy said about today’s post. It’s too good to pass up.

“Pretty sure they prefer bourbon over tequila. Beer if it’s hot out. They tend to relax and slow down when included in the party. I’m sure about that. No toothpicks, though.”

OK, he jumped right on this idea. Love you man, Felipe.

I’ve waking up at four in the morning lately. There must have been some cosmic shift out there that I am reacting to. Anyway I had time to check in with my tumors early today. If you are new to the blog I may have to explain that I have tried to create some sort of positive relationship with my cancer, with my tumors. This has been going on for a while and I have blogged about it. Well OK, and this morning they seemed their usual selves, sort of quite and shy when I saw them.

I better back up my story to last evening. We had a wonderful dinner of chicken, brussels sprouts and yams, a nice winter meal. and during this time we started trying to figure out how our Thqnksgiving was going to work. Wiley and Hanna are going to be out of town. So, who can we invite so it wouldn’t just be the two of us? So, I was getting in this welcoming, holiday, party sort of mood before bed.

One more factor to add to this is that I have been avidly reading Richard Rohr’s blog everyday. If that doesn’t give you a clue I have to say that he is one of the most expansive Christian writers that one can run across these days. So, for days now he has been talking about how God is in everything and everything is God.

“Apprehend God in all things, for God is in all things.
Every single creature is full of God and is a book about God.
Every creature is a word of God.
If I spent enough time with the tiniest creature—even a caterpillar—
I would never have to prepare a sermon.
So full of God is every creature. ”
— Meister Eckhart (13th-14th century German theologian and mystic)

That’s from a few days ago in Rohr’s blog just trying to give you a feel for the flavor of the thing.

So, mix together this expansive state where we search for God in everything with my mood to invite and celebrate with my visit to my tumors and what do you get? What I got was the question, “Am I supposed to find God there?”. Is God there in those little guys like he is in you and me and a caterpillar? This is I admit a strange thought given our mindset of fighting cancer but worth exploring nevertheless.

So I decided to try and invite them on an outing. I started thinking about a day at the beach maybe. That’s where the little tiny beachchairs comes in as they will need somewhere to loll around. Maybe little tiny drinks with parasols for the guys. I know, all this sounds totally crazy. Yes, yes I am thinking that myself but…

Looking for common ground, trying to find the positive, love you, Felipe.

Did I really do a blogpost about doing the dishes yesterday? Well yes Felipe, you did. And I have gottten two great comments on it already. One from Joy who was on our Port Townsend adventure in September and who is a regular reader. Thanks Joy. And the other comment from My Rebecca. Thanks Rebecca. Ah, one would think we could just converse but apparently we have to do it over all this high tech gadgetry. Hmm. But life in the new century I guess. Anyway, I think both ladies were voicing feelings that are common and current with a lot of folks post election.

OK, and my confession, I’m thinking that this will give me some credibility in this conversation, is that I wrote in Pete Caroll on my ballot for president as a protest. Yes, Pete Caroll coach of the Seattle Seahawks Football Team that engineered a win over New England yesterday. Fabulous win over the team that is the gold standard of professional football teams and at their home field I might add. Nice Pete! And do you ever notice how much fun he always seems to be having, that’s what I buying.

Anyway, I trust things will work out for our country after this election. Things are never perfect. Some folks and groups are always unhappy. Some things will change, some things will remain the same. It will all go into the history books just the way it has over the last two hundred and some years. Sorry, but I’m just not in a frazzle over this event. This isn’t where I make my money, have my fun nor place my overall trust.

We could talk more about this if you wish, just comment. I’m here for you. Searching for common ground. Love you, Felipe.

I don’t know, is it just me or is anyone else tired of the post election blues? Geez, is this the first time one side has won and the other has lost. Happens every dang four years people. I’ve pretty much have avoided talking about this election because it is generally a divisive event and this year is a doozy with a cherry on top.

But instead I’m going to write about doing the dishes. By the way, has anyone done them lately? Life goes on and most of life is perspiration, remember? It’s time we started getting on with things and perspire a little. That’s my take but I’m done talking about it.

I’m just going to write about doing the dishes. Hardly anything more basic than that, salt of the earth and all that. Time to go get on with it. The sink is piled high with coffee cups and greasy, yea whatever that is? It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get ready for tomorrow.

We don’t have a dishwasher here at Raven Ranch. We like to get really intimate with our dirty dishes. It’s good to remember this good meal and that good meal and oh yea those tapas, that was fun. And beyond that I am beginning to personally identify with those dirty dishes these days. Just like the hospital where we come to get help to get cleaned up. Or going to a weekly church service to ask for forgiveness and maybe touch the hem of Jesus’s garment.

I’ve come to enjoy my flock of dirty dishes. They all have gone out and done what I have asked them to do for me and in the process have been used, abused and dirtied. Yea, well that sounds familiar to me. And they have circled back to be renewed.

Well, a blog post that is not that glorious maybe but it’s a part of me, of us. I am really calling on us to come together and rededicate ourselves to our tasks at hand however humble we may see them. People count on us and we count on each other.

Forty minutes before Catherine picks me up for Mass, must go shower. Yup, love you as always. So glad that you came. Alperfect, Felipe.x.

!!!!!This is it, what you all have been waiting for! The DVD of Phil’s Camino is out and available! Click here Phil’s Camino Store! and at the top there is a button marked “STORE”. Click on that and you will see the film DVD and lots of other great stuff. Free shipping through the first of the year. Check that out right away!!!!!

See, there is life after an election. Have to run and check in with my nurses and Sis Joyce. Big day loves, Felipe.

I grew up with Doctor Jim in Buffalo, NY. Of course that was long before he was a doctor but his Dad was one and we hung around with him and I guess it rubbed off on one of us anyway. He and my father were good friends as was my mom and Jim’s. I used to call his mom Aunt Marion although we weren’t really related.

Doctor Jim called me on the phone this morning and we talked for 52 minutes. That’s a long time for two guys to talk but it had been a while. It was good and I got a lot of good pointers from him about things that I am up to now. You know I talk to a lot of folks these days and they are doctors or nurses or patients or people in hospice. So, he was helping me with that.

Going back in time my dad was also involved in the medical field. He was an Army medic in World War Two in the Pacific Theater. He was in four major battles till he was wounded on Okinawa. I can’t even imagine what that was like but he helped a lot of guys survive and he did himself. Dad got back to Buffalo in 1946 after his stay in the hospital and married Mom and I came along in 47.

So, Jim’s Dad and my Dad used to talk a lot about things and healing was a big topic with them whenever they got together. I guess some of that rubbed off on me. I have a feel for healing it seems in a sort of medieval way. I’m not a professional by any reach of the imagination but things come to me from the depths of my experience.

Nap time now and then a busy afternoon. Later,love, Felipe.x

Ps – I am taking a two week break from FaceBook.

Was off to the city today for my big treatment and I thought maybe the traffic would be light, maybe a bunch of folks were up late and were calling in sick. But no, worse traffic ever. So, go figure. I guess my predictions were about as good as the official ones on the election.

But here I am in the evening making cornbread to try and heal some of the wounds. So glad the election is over, people were so lathered up this time around. So maybe some cornbread will help out at this point. We made this cornmeal from our corn last summer and it has been frozen in vacuum packed bags so it is all ready to go to bake up. Pilgrim Farmer John will be proud of us, him being the Godfather of Corn!

I am going to visit Sister Joyce at her new office in Seattle on Friday. It is a stone throw from the hospital so it is easy for me to see her. We are working on an article about Phil’s Camino the trail. It is for her order’s magazine, Salt. I’m lovin that, a magazine entitled Salt.

Back this summer while I was in Dubuque, Iowa at the film festival there I was lucky enough to get a tour of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the BVM) Motherhouse. I fell in love with the Sisters and they apparently fell in love with me because they want an article for the Salt about things Camino here on Vashon Island. Yes, we will do it!

So that’s pretty much it for us here. Sorry I didn’t get this out to you this morning but I left behind my IPad on my trip to the city. But I got a lot done on my Don Quixote book today. Amazing what I can accomplish when I don’t check on FaceBook.

Love you as always, Felipe.x

Just heaps of gratitude for My Rebecca, family, friends, associates. And to my doctors, nurses and friends at Swedish Hospital. And to Annie and all my film buddies. And to Kelly, Rick, Maryka and all my Camino buddies. And to Sister Joyce and Padre Tomas for prayers and everything you do. For my patient Bible Guys and my church buddies.

So, I lose an email once in a while, or bounce a check or forget something important. Or maybe I am slow on something that should be fast. Yea, but it all somehow seems to happen in a semi semblance of order, sort of. Be patient.

I guess I am getting in the Thanksgiving mood, seems like. Off to town now to pay some bills, plunk my ballot in the box at the library and shop at the IGA. All pretty exciting! Enjoying fall, love, Felipe.

Dear Caton ~ I know that I am two thousand miles away from you and your family, me being here in Seattle. It was last month, October, that I was there in Hot Springs. It was warmer than Seattle and the trees hadn’t started to wear their fall colors. Annie and I were there for the film festival. Your lovely Mother drove us from the hotel door in Hot Springs to the airport in Little Rock on our way back home. As we drove east into the most magnificent sunrise we got to know Lisa and learned of your story.

It sounded grueling then, all the procedures that you had been through in your ordeal with your cancer. And I know that you have been through more since then. Please if you don’t mind I would like to salute your bravery. I have cancer too but mine even though it sounds bad in the language of the doctors is something less bad in my reality. Somehow it is lazy enough to be out maneuvered, or porous enough for it’s strength to be diluted or maybe disorganized enough to be stalled. I am trying to put it in terms that we use everyday instead of doctor language. Anyway, I have been successful in eking out some years of life from my stage four. Sorry, doctor language there, from my dire straits maybe.

That’s my story these days. I have been granted some time, some precious time. And I feel a need to be with you now, to let you know that you are loved and being held by thousands of pairs hands that are not visible. All is well even though things in general have seemed strange since you left your familiar basketball court and your friends there. We all are holding the Universe steady for you in some inexplicable way. We all expect things to go well for you. You be steady just as the Universe is steady for you.

I am off to do the things that my day requires. Later this afternoon I am meeting with my spiritual advisor, Sister Joyce. She is a very wise person that always understands and always makes things right. We will speak of your bravery. Thank you Caton for letting me know you, we all make each other’s lives richer. Only love to you and your family and friends always, Phil Volker.

You were so much on my mind this past weekend! I was delighted to accept another award for PHIL’S CAMINO this weekend, this time at the Ojai Film Festival. Ojai is a small art-centered community about 2 hours north and west of LA, so it was a chance for my husband and I to drive up for the weekend. As I was there, I told him that it reminded me of Vashon Island in a way. Lots of independent spirits, artists, and free thinkers. So think of it as Vashon in the desert! Anyway, they absolutely love PHIL’S CAMINO and we won the jury award there. I will be back there next Sunday at 11:45 when we screen again.

The big Movie Monday news is that the DVD release is planned for this week! I hope to start selling it on this Friday! We are working hard on the cover, and will have it sent to the duplication house as soon as it is done! I had wanted to do some sort of DVD release party, but haven’t been able to plan that as of right now. Who knows, perhaps I will get that in gear through Sr. Rose and her place. Always so much to do!

Annie O Neil
Director/Producer: Phil’s Camino www.philscamino.com

Co-producer and Pilgrim: Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago www.caminodocumentary.org

Author: Everyday Camino with Annie www.everydaycaminowithannie.com

310-403-4228