On Camino news near, we are opening up another walk “in Spain” right here at Phil’s Camino today.  We have been walking regularly here but it has been just walking without keeping track and linking it to where we would be in Spain if we were there.

So today at 1600 we will hike out from “St. Jean Pied de Port” on the first day of our pilgrimage.  I don’t think that we will get terribly far but it is a start.  So we will keep you posted.

News from afar came in the form of a lovely but short email message  earlier this morning from the Anamaria, the Princess of Viana, one of our beloved Angels.   Kelly, Todd , Jessica and I walked with her and Alida and Laura last year maybe a few weeks earlier than now in August.   The POV has been in Madrid working on a degree and this is her latest news to me:

My soul was asking me deeply to go and walk the camino. So, here I am, on the train to Burgos to walk a few Ks until Leon. Please have me on your prayers this week.

Sending you lots of love.

PoV

Yes, of course, prayers for Our Anamaria.  And prayers for Phil’s Camino and pilgrims near and far.  Walking loves, Felipe.

I’m sitting at breakfast and the house is quiet.  I’m up early as usual.  My Rebecca and all our company are still in bed as they got in here at something like three in the morning, just a few hours ago.  I ‘m working on finishing up my first cup after bacon and eggs.

And there is this little itsy bitsy dot in my vision.  OK, what the heck is that?  Is that in my eye, in my brain, one foot away, twenty feet away?  It’s appearing and disappearing, oh man,  not another new chemo side effect.  Then there are more of them, and I realize they are tiny tiny newborn spiders repelling down off the lamp hanging over the table .  Here we go with Life in the Country or Wild Kingdom, which ever is most.

What if we as newborns dropped down ropes into the Grand Canyon just for something to do on our first morning.  Yea,  I have to shake my head and admire God’s handiwork and admire the bravery of those itsy bitsy creatures.  Let’s see, which part of Mother Teresa’s message would those guys fit into best?  How about, “Life is an adventure, dare it.”

Just a little itsy bitsy message from little old me, love, Felipe.

A little rain this AM, little being the keyword but more than a dust settler.  I should be thankful.  Was talking to my New York State corn buddy last evening.  Mel, was suprised that I was having to water my crop, saying you better be getting $10 a dozen.  Yea close, getting $9.

Anyway, a little rain can put me in the mood to blog.  Just listening to Aretha.  I don’t know about just, getting a little obsessed really.  Got five CDs cooking.  Got three in the ghetto blaster in the kitchen here, one in my pickup and one in Jennifer’s Audi.  Aretha everywhere all the time babies!

Father Tom sent me a Tom Bomb, my words for his awesome messages of trust and hope.  How do I rate my own Padre?  Anyway it was about blossoming in the second half of our lives.  Screw the slow slide into darkness, right?  Well, those are my words.  The basic message is, ” Remember to Live”.   Aye aye Sir!

Well, our big news at the ranch is the impending visit of our daughter and her family.  That’s Tesia, Ramon and little (but powerful) Osian.  They get in on a midnight flight from the east coast which translates to being on a 2 AM ferry back to the Island, what fun.  So you will hear more about that in the next few days.

Talked to Annie last night.  That ‘s always a shot of high voltage.   The movie is marching along.  Still some more parts to round up.  These things take time.

OK, time to go for me.  Have a few hours to baby proof.  Yikes, where to start?!?   Remember to live, love, Felipe.

Last might we had movie night with Our Jennifer, My Rebecca and I.  Midnight in Paris is one of my favorite movies of all time and it is standing the test of time nicely or swimmingly actually.  It’s a Woody Allen.  Some films just go beyond entertainment and this is one of them.

This film’s theme, that incredible personalities are available to us despite time, is tweaking my little brain.  This is the idea behind the Communion of Saints I am thinking.   Once again I am way above my pay grade here but struggling onward with a good heart.   Communing with shining personalities from the seeming past is totally possible I am realizing.   We are beyond woo woo here on this one no problem.

Riding in an open car laughing and conversing with Saint James, Saints Patrick and Brigid, and Saints Francis and Clare that’s where I want to see myself.   There is an empty seat, should we pull over and pick you up?

All on a Thursday morning on Vashon Island, planet earth, I think.  Love you, Felipe.

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is life, fight for it.”

~ Mother Teresa

Yup, Jennifer again, my Cancer Camano Companera at it again.  We were doing “God talk” as Pilgrim Farmer Juan would say.  It was about not feeling overwhelmed with our walk, our Cancer Challenge.  About being able to not only function but to thrive in this special environment that we find ourselves.  How can that be?  What does that look like?  Is it available to us?

Of course, Jesus tells us nothing is impossible, but we are not going to do it alone, on our own.  We are not going to do it with our own resources formidable as we think they are.   We are used to improvising, adapting and overcoming to solve about anything.  But there is a certain point that we can’t go beyond on our own, not possible.

And this is the point in the conversation that Jennifer comes up with, ” Well, it’s time that I lasso God.”  Haha, I love it.  I get so used to living in my own brain with it’s own particular sensibilities.  The image, the thought, the vision would never occur to me but really it is totally perfectly beautiful, bold and ultimately useful.  I really can’t get it out of my head.

It boils down to putting God to work for us, although that sounds strange.  Isn’t it we that are supposed to serve God?   We have been told that a million times, literally.  But He is available and willing 24/7 to serve us.  All we have to do is move into that realm of faith where we acknowledge Him and agree that nothing is impossible if we work together.

Well, just insights along the Cancer Camino.   Make the most of today, love, Felipe.

I have the luck to have a connection to this lovely saint.  It was a year ago today, that day, when I was on the Camino de Santiago.  The whole thing really started the evening before when Kelly and I went to a devotional in a small convent.

Born July 16, 1194 Assisi, Italy.  Died August 11, 1253 Assisi, Italy.

Next to me was Clare although I didn’t know it yet.  There were lovely nuns to lead us in praying the rosary.  They gave each one of us a Mary medal which would replace one that I would loose and then I would loose it also.

Born July 16, 1194 Assisi, Italy.  Died August 11. 1253 Assisi, Italy.

So, the next day we would walk together.  And it would be St Clare’s Day.  And this woman was from Assisi and St Clare’s namesake.  All that and I stumbled into it.   And she had an incredible cell phone which was continually ringing even though we were in the middle of nowhere and well wishers would wish her well.

She taught philosophy and history in a school in Assisi.  I learned a lot that day, chief of which was how to meet with St, James when and if I got to Santiago.  So, was she St Clare?

Born July 16, 1194 Assisi, Italy.  Died August 11, 1253 Assisi, Italy.

wishing you well, love, Felipe.

Or why do we stay here?  Why do we hang around when things get bad?  How would we as Caminoheads answer that?

If we start with the idea that we are not in charge of things that would be good.   If we see ourselves as totally unique individuals that would be good.  If we see ourselves living the manifestation of this unique personality that would be good.   Then all we have to do is to do our best to be ourselves, right?

Are we not living (walking) for each other?  Are we not here because we need each other?  Who can do this walk alone?  Who wants to do this walk alone?

The sun is going to set and our day is mostly over.  Some days are harder than others but we persist.    Some days I carry your pack and some days you carry mine.   We persist.  I love you immensely, Felipe.

Last evening My Rebecca and I took in some Shakespeare that presented itself along our Camino.  It was outside on the beach at Point Robinson Lighthouse here.  Light rain sprinkled us,

wind threatened the props, ships went by.

This was put on by the Young Shakespeare Workshop.  It’s a troupe of teens that is something to see and hear.  They do the whole Shakespeare thing from the 1600’s and combine that with pink hair, tattoos and a total relaxation of gender roles.  It is a very appealing phenomenon for actors and audience, both.

Have a sweet day, love, Felipe.

We were off to the hospital to get our portable chemo pumps unhooked today.  I was a little hung over from last night’s dinner party with neighbors and Jennifer was driving and doing the heavy lifting for the both of us.  And At one point I asked her how she was doing and she smiled and said, ” Swimmingly.”

swimmingly – smoothly and satisfactorily.

What a cool word.  Maybe we could hear that more often.  Thanks Jennifer.  Once again, love you, Felipe.