Wow, finally have a chance to get to write. Pretty much all day traveling, Seattle to Dallas and then a short hop to Little Rock and an hour drive to Hot Springs. My Rebecca and I were here in the seventies and my memory is of something more sleepy and back woods. Seems different now.

Annie is here and we flew together so we had time to catch up. Roni a grad student doing her dissertation on the Camino drove four hours from Tulsa to be here today. Mary Jane a college prof is going to be here with some of her students. Steve of FaceBook fame is driving from Tennessee to be here. All for the screening at three tomorrow afternoon. This is where the action is!

Annie, Roni and I were out this evening soaking up the ambience and cashing in on the free food and drinks. It was hard to find a quiet spot to talk in all the commotion but tomorrow is another day. Off to Mass at 0830 at St Mary of the Springs. In Port Townsend we went to St Mary Star of the Sea.

So it will be a serious, or not so serious, confab of Caminoheads tomorrow. I will let you know how that goes. Looking forward to sharing ideas and laughs. Well time for some sleep. See you later alligator, love, Felipe.

Off to Tacoma this afternoon to see Phil’s Camino on the big screen, Q and A session afterward. Annie is flying in this morning to join me. Tomorrow we are both off to Little Rock. Two festivals in the same weekend, look at us!

There are three things that I am thinking of to get straight with trips like these. I know the festivals are all different as in they have different flavors but they are similar in some ways too, like one giant party. I have to pay attention to get more sleep and take in less food and drink. That’s the balance there.

Second, I tend to project a sort of happy-go-lucky attitude toward my cancer which I think is generally good. I tend to get heavied out by my own situation much less people coming at me to tell me something about their problems. But I don’t want to appear glib. How does one be serious and light hearted at the same time is the challenge there.

Then lastly is something else that I have been working with for a while and that is how to protect myself from an overload of other people’s problems. I want to be open and helpful and listening in general. But how do I know when enough is enough. Helping others is wonderful but is an energy drain. Maintaining this balance is the hardest of the three.

Well, that is what I am thinking about on this gray and rainy morning. I have some chores to do here at the ranch before I turn into a movie star so have to get going. Have to move a tractor and pay bills, stuff like that. So, hoping that you are getting your stuff balanced out there where you are. Keeping everything smooth is good.

Unbalanced love, Felipe.

More on doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs! Apparently we can’t help ourselves once again. Dr Brad came by yesterday to give my Rebecca her yearly home checkup. She did pretty swell and was he put her the category of “Super Undemented”! OK, we’re celebrating, right? Who wouldn’t?

So, tomorrow starts the Tacoma Film Festival here in Tacoma, WA. This is close by for us as it is just off the south end of the island. Annie is flying in, don’t know exactly when. We will be at the 2 PM screening and are doing the Q and A afterward tomorrow, Friday. You can look at their website for details.

Then we are off to Arkansaw Saturday for the Hot Springs Festival. I am really looking forward to this for I know that some great folks are showing up. Am so privileged to be able to do this stuff.

“Super undemented”, what does that mean anyway? Well, I probably deserve a little credit for that ranking, I mean, keeping her on her toes all these years. I’ll get checked one of these days and I will let you know the outcome. I wonder what the next rank down is, you know the A- version?

Goofing around here a minute ago I ran across the very first blog post that I wrote back in May of 2014, a few months before going to Spain. This was a little bit after the idea hatched, the Spain idea. I remember how excited Annie was when I told her it was going to be called Caminoheads. Anyway, here is that first post. It’s kind of fun. I am looking at it like the Marines landing on a foreign shore, this blogishere that was all new to me:

We’re on shore!

May 21, 2014 3 Comments Edit

Caminoheads – It was hard fought and tough on the treasury but we are on the shore and moving inland rapidly. Bullets, beans and bandages will be coming in behind us. So glad that we had so many friends egging us on to get this blog established. We will have fun! We will keep each other inspired! All that and more. That’s all the writing for one day. SJA (St. James Again), Phil.

There is is, the very first one. Marine blog friends Ken and Juan are proud of me, I am sure. Sometime soon or maybe we are there already we will be at the one thousandth post mark. I will have to try and find that out. It’s been an education in any event.

OK, super undemented loves from here at Phil’s Camino, Felipe.

It is such a blessing having people come to the ranch to check in on us. As the rainy season progresses I would guess that there numbers will decrease. It has been a truly busy summer with company coming and going.

People come to talk about the Camino as in Spain or the other Camino our everyday journey. They come to talk about cancer and curing and healing. They come to talk about spirituality, religion, being a Catholic or being something else. They come to talk about gardening and farming, hunting and fishing.

I am always referencing my doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs which is what I call the hyper talented group of people that supports me. We are heavy on doctors, good on lawyers and so far a little light on Indian chiefs. But yesterday a new visitor, Randall, showed up to fill us in on Native American spirituality so although not a chief he is an adopted member of the Lakota tribe. So, we are getting closer on that. Thanks Randall.

Then I heard from a little bird that we may receive a royal visit in the near future. One of my three Angels from Spain is putting together a plan to come. This is Anamaria, the Princess of Viana, the one and only. I will have to get out my sword and armor and shine them up as she knighted me Sir Felipe of Viana. I haven’t seen her for two years and she just got back from a year in Madrid so we will have plenty to catch up on.

I am a luck guy to be in such company. Sometimes it is a challenge to match their energy but I have fun trying. Thanks so much for everyone that has come this past season, it was wonderful. You keep me going and energized with our walking, talking and tapas.

Time to go as I have a full list of things to accomplish today. Light rain and overcast today, rapidly closing the door on summer here. The best to you all, love, Felipe.

Francis of Assisi, whose feast we celebrate today, experienced radical participation in God’s very life. Such practical knowing of his value and identity allowed Francis to let go of status, privilege, and wealth. Francis knew he was part of God’s plan, connected to creation and other beings, inherently in communion and in love. Francis taught his followers to own nothing so they would not be owned by their possessions.

from today’s blog post of Richard Rohr.

Where you can see PHIL’S CAMINO next:
Friday October 7 at the TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL, 2 PM screening. And yes, the man himself, Felipe, will be there. I will be fetching him coffee, and making sure there are no brown M&Ms, etc.

Sunday October 9 at the HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL in Hot Springs Arkansas. 3 PM, and Phil and I will be in attendance. Special guests include MaryJane Dunn from Henderson University and Roni Kay, from Tulsa. There is even one more, but I don’t want to say until it is definite. Long story short, if you are ANYWHERE in that vicinity, you want to be with us!!
If you are in Australia, you can catch PHIL’S CAMINO at the Heart of Gold film festival that same weekend!

Wednesday October 12, we will be back at the TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL, 4:30 PM.

Saturday and Sunday October 15 and 16, the LA COSTA FILM FESTIVAL

Then I do not have specific times yet, simply because I haven’t had the time to look these up, but we will screen at the YES FESTIVAL in Indiana and the NAPLES FILM FESTIVAL in Naples, FL on the weekend of October 28-30

We will also screen twice at the OJAI FILM FESTIVAL in Ojai, CA on Saturday November 5 at 9 AM and Sunday November 13 at 11:45 AM.
There is one more but I cannot announce it yet. Stay tuned!

I am still fundraising to cover the cost of mastering, designing, printing and duplicating the final version of PHIL’S CAMINO and get copies out to all our original donors. I also want to make the DVD available for sale ASAP. The fundraising effort now also includes raising money to edit an hour long version. We are at about 10% funded right now, and I am grateful. If you are interested in being part of the EXTENDED Special September Fundraiser, you can visit http://www.philscamino.com/ to learn more.

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

I was trying to post a bunch of pics from the Port Townsend weekend that Annie sent this morning but it is not going to happen. Sometimes the inner gizmos of my blog are not properly aligned. Well maybe tomorrow when it is feeling better. In the meantime I need to pick it up and regroup and get my plan B in gear.

Thinking about the end of this week and weekend. Friday Annie, My Rebecca and I will be at the Tacoma Film Festival being with Phil’s Camino. It is in a group of short films which starts at 2 PM that is entitled “Adventure is Out There”. We will be doing a Q and A afterward. It is just something like $10 to see. Check out their website for location. Come join us!

Then early Saturday morning Annie and I are off to Little Rock and Hot Springs, AK. This is the Hot Springs Film Festival where our screening is Saturday afternoon with Q and A after. So if you have any friends down there let them know.

There are always interesting things to do and interesting people to meet at these events. Of course I will be blogging from there. We were in that area ages ago in 1976, Rebecca and I, on an epic cross country trip, whole other story.

So, Annie has a bunch of news here this morning about upcoming events and happenings so don’t miss that. Will post in a moment. And remember that the DVD is out and available. Well, and the first hundred are special signed copies by Annie and Phil.

It’s all exciting as Phil’s Camino roars down the tracks hitting festivals hither and yon. Stay tuned, plenty more to come, love as always, Felipe.

Thinking that it is a pretty decent day outside. Looking forward to being out there soon after my blogging and numerous coffees. I am feeling better also but want to not over do it today till I get up to speed. Pacing, so much has to do with pacing, right?

The weekend has concluded and the Seahawks won and the Mariners lost. I missed Mass but had an hour with Sister Joyce. The chemo kicked me pretty hard but it is subsiding now. The whole thing kind of matches the sky outside, patchy.

Off to read Richard Rohr’s blog and Terry Hershey’s Sabbath Moments. Love these guys, they buoy me up. Check them out and let me know if there are any blogs that you find particularly inspirational.

OK, let’s get the week rolling. This is our precious time that we have been given. Alperfect even if patchy loves, Felipe.x

Stop by:

Monday 0900-1000
Tuesday 1600-1700
Thursday 0900-1000
Sunday 1600-1700

It’s fall and the colors are beautiful and the trail is still dry. Come and walk. Felipe.x

Well, it wasn’t all afternoon, just a little short of an hour. Catherine and I and Sister Joyce, just the three of us. We may have talked about you, hope that is alright.

Back at the ranch Rebecca is reading a book to me, isn’t that nice, yea and a word jumped out at me today, palaver. I liked the way it sounded but beyond the definition is great: prolonged and idle discussion. Wow, that sounds a lot like the dilly dally that we pilgrims perfected on the Camino in Spain. In other words how can we be present and spend time together to the maximum effect whatever that looks like to the outside world.

We covered a lot of ground with our palaver today and nothing seems to be off limits. Maybe a little history, maybe a little gossip maybe just catching up. Sister Joyce and I both have cancer hobbies so that is part of it. But whatever the topic we take time and we are open, that’s important.

I feel immensely lucky to have people like Sister Joyce and Catherine be a part of my Doctors, Lawyers and Indian Chiefs, my support system. I have so much talent to call upon it’s crazy. Yea, one lucky guy.

And I am still deep in my Pyrenees weekend when the chemotherapy side effects are the worst. But it is after nightfall now and Sunday Night Football is happening so what the heck, things are OK, things are manageable. So, manage on!

Well, let’s see what trouble we can get into tomorrow, stay tuned. In the meantime there are miles to walk, wine to drink and palavering can be found. Lovin you guys, Felipe.x