What could happen at tapas, right?  It’s pretty organized and ritualized.  Yesterday we had some randomness come in.  And thank goodness for randomness because we can be pretty smug thinking that we have things under control and organized all the time.

It was just My Rebecca and myself sitting inside at the coffee table in  our pretty organized living room.  We’ve been outside for tapas a lot lately but it was chilly and we were in a little bit of a time crunch as she had a singing engagement that we were both going to.   We were clicking glasses and having a great time when this crow swoops in to land on top of a trellis just outside the window right exactly in front of us.  This is odd because crows haven’t been around since the ravens moved in to the neighborhood.  That was my first thought.

But the bird dives off its perch and a few seconds later reappears with a adult garder snake in its beak and the thing is wriggling and trying to get away.  The crow finally subdues the snake and it looks like we could get back to celebrating our day’s successes but no.  Without getting too graphic the hungey victor starts pulling apart the vanquished and devouring it just a few feet from our tapas table.  This turns out to be a little too much for My Rebecca, a little too Wild Kingdom.  This really wasn’t on our menu but so much for planning.

So, then there are two crows, then they disappear and then finally I get the bright idea to get a pic of the situation and I finally took that shot as one of the crows in sitting on the gate post a further distance from us.  Anyway so much for the the gentle, the bucolic, the settled.  We’re talking fresh meat here which is strangely linked to the Tiger book which I am currently reading and blogged about recently.

OK, I am going to water a few rows of plants before walkers show up in a few moments.  A beautiful morning here, love, Felipe.

My good friend Father Tom emailed some material that I just got to this morning with first coffee.  I’ve been calling his forwards “Tom bombs”, as they are heavy, on target and ultimately chock full of good stuff.  Yea, this one I was working on this morning was partially about what should be Catholicism’s view of the other religions that surround us.  Pope Francis had a great quote, “We must never forget we are pilgrims journeying along side one another.”

We can relate to that, right?   And the Camino works like that.  We all not only journeyed along side but we actively helped each other along in all sorts of ways.  We popped blisters, bandaged blisters, soothed, encouraged, intoxicated, inspired, bothered, iratated, underwrote, watched out for, made time for, pushed, pulled and moved each  other along down the dusty trail.  We kept each other going so that we could reveal our personal witness to each other, partially.   Right?

I can tell that I am in good territory when I blog with my vision blurred with tears.  Yes, here we are.  So my take on the Pope’s quote is to encourage, to befriend, to keep judgements to a dull roar and to keep moving.   Thanks, love, Felipe.

I am reading a book that a friend laid on me that has really affected me.  The book is entitled Tiger and is by John Viallant.  Besides loosing sleep because I can’t put it down it’s content has whipsawed me with an upwelling of primordial fears on one hand and energized me with new ideas on the other.  Well, needless to say I am going to take a pass today on writing but I did take some nice pix of My Rebecca’s flowers and random flora.   So excuse me while I do some serious sorting out in my brain area.  Love, Felipe.

New walking schedule:

Monday 0900-1000

Tuesday 1600-1700

Thursday 0900-1000

Sunday 1600-1700

We really need this rain that is watering the corn and sunflowers as I write.  I’m semi soaked as I was trying to walk but retreated.   Wet and blogging reminds me of one evening on the Camino.  Gracie and I retreated to the albergue after the picnic in Viana that the Angels organized.  We were full of wine, bread, cheese and sardines.  The picnic was one of the high points for me, my vision of heaven.  But as we are subject to in this realm the sky opened up, it started to pour and we scattered.   Matthew from the Netherlands guided me back to our sleeping place.

But as luck would have it there was leftover wine and Gracie and I took up the duty of dealing with it.  Blogging, wet and silly in  Viana.   It’s heck being us, love, Felipe.

Along with Jennifer and the change in schedule comes the brand new Sunday afternoon walk here at Phil’s Camino.  The Wednesday afternoon walk has been really popular so we are adding this PM walk to maybe get more folks here.  Of course the 4 o’clock walk slides right into the 5 o’clock tapa hour which may be the big reason for the attraction.   Either way, as long as we talk it will be productive, right?

I am planning on putting in some hours today on my corn, which really needs it.  Have to cultivate and water.  I am so happy to worry over my little corns these days.

So, nothing much happening here today, which is nice.  Hope to talk with you soon, Felipe.

The corn is calling me to get out there and see it today.  It’s nice to worry about it the way I do.  It feels like a worthwhile thing to do.

I’m worn out today, no way around it.  Fatigue from the chemo treatment it is.  Sometimes it is worse than others.  Just have to pace myself and deal with it.

Nice that Pilgrim Farmer Juan checked in.  I was missing his take on things.  His comments add so much to the conversation.

Steve-O is back also.  He has started a new job which is very demanding so his comments are not so common around these parts.  He has great energy also.

And of course Mary Margaret is checking in again to keep us on track.  And we are looking forward to her reporting on her Camino trek later this season.  She is going from Leon to Santiago, the portion that she missed last summer.

And Cherry is in Sydney and being sassy.  She was talking about doing some blogging for the Camino Documentary maybe, I forget the exact details.   She is always good for insights and excitment.

Then Annie will be with us in between her responsibilities.  The film is rapidly approaching it’s flaming crescendo, I have heard.  Everything good on that front.

Maybe we will hear from Anamaria in Madrid.  She is swamped with work but doing well.  Maybe the other Angels, Alida and Laura, will come by.

The conversation is ongoing and vital and important.  We need all of you and more to make this happen.  It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood, love, Felipe.

Dana sent this in to us last night, just like a timely TGIF.  Thank you Dana.

It’s not magic; it isn’t a trick.
Every breath is a resurrection.
And when we hear the poem
Which is the world, when our eyes
Gaze at the beloved’s body,
We’re reborn in all the sacred parts
Of our own bodies:
the heart
Contracts, the brain
Releases its shower
Of sparks,
and the tear
Embarks on its pilgrimage
Down the cheek to meet
The smiling mouth.

~ Gregory Orr ~

(Concerning the Book that is the Body of the Beloved)

Ah yes, laughing and crying simultaneously, a situation that I first encountered on the Camino.  Thanks again Dana, Felipe.

Well, we tried it out yesterday for our chemo treatment day at Swedish Cancer Institute.   We as in Jennifer and myself.  We are both here on Vashon Island and it was just a matter of time before the island grapevine got us together.  And we do what Islanders do when faced with the big city, we car pool.  And actually it is beyond that to a budding buddy system relationship.  We found that we had the same docs and treatment pathway but she was being treated one week and I was on the next week.  Anyway with a little help from folks at the hospital I changed my schedule to hers and now we can team up on it.

Also what is important about this is that I am been doing this for going on four years and have grappled with many things that I can hopefully coach her on.  And visa versa she is seeing the situation with new eyes and coming up with some new angles.   ( just listening to my Soul music and Laura Lee just had a line that might be apropos, “I’m going to slap him in the face with the unexpected!”  Putting cancer in it’s place!). Jennifer is just starting  with chemo and this is a totally freaky prospect.  It’s all so foreign and difficult.  I am happy that I have some extra energy at this point  to help out in some small or large way, who knows.

And with me at this point the endeavor of keeping the cancer to a dull roar is an endurance race at best.   Being able to keep my health in other areas to give me a strong base to work from is important.  And then to be able to keep one step ahead of the chemo side effects and carry on is important.   Then to keep the whole person, me, intacted with the help of prayer and advisors and strong family.  This blog is part of it also.  I have a mission with the Camino and you the Caminoheads to help keep things burning that gives me a focus and helps keep me alive.  Thanks for reading and being here for me and Jennifer.

Yes, but the world is chock full of different realities.  This was just a little glimpse into this little backwater.  Good luck with your struggle where you are.  Buddy system loves, Felipe.

We might be lacking in other areas but putting out and devouring tapas is taken care of. I know that it is almost ancient history but way back in this blog I had quite a bit of material tapa related.  And we are still doing it in style.

Yesterday Esther joined us.  She has traveled the Camino Frances three times and is currently writing a book on the topic for young readers.  Then Catherine and Dana were here to regale us with fresh stories and insights.  They are doing the reentry thing which is challenging and rewarding and we were avidly listening.

So we are walking with the next date being tomorrow 0900-1000.  Hope to see you sometime soon, add to the conversation.  Love, Felipe.

We are barreling ahead, here there and everywhere.  Annie just emailed that she and the music people are getting together today to record a piece that will go over the credits on Phil’s Camino, the movie.  Yea, the movie!  Coming soon.  It ‘s been a long birthing process but a miracle in it’s own right.  Thank you Annie, thank you all, thank you Saint James.

I’ve got to barrel ahead and finish up a job this morning.  We have an afternoon walk and tapas afterward today.  This is on the new walking schedule.  Will repeat the schedule below.  Yea, Jennifer and I will be off for our treatments tomorrow, the buddy system.

Ok, the best to you all.  Get out there and stir the pot, move it all along.  Love your stuff, Felipe.

We walk:

Monday 0900-1000

Tuesday 1600-1700

Thursday 0900-1000

Sunday 1600-1700