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This last week I spent time writing my chapter for the Hotel California Writing Project.  Laura from Barcelona signed us up to participate.  It was her brain child I think.  The “Hotel” was our walking (and laughing and crying group) back east of Burgos.  And the “Project” is a series of chapters that are written by “Hotel” members.  Laura wrote the first one and then passed it on, then that person wrote a second chapter to continue the story.  So whenever you got it you had to contend with the plot as established and continue.  I am chapter five so the action was rolling along pretty well by the time I got it.

So, I just got it back to Barcelona and Laura late last night my time.  I don’t know who gets it next but good luck.  The thing is really accumulating volume and momentum quickly like a snowball rolling downhill.  It is really going to be fun to see the whole thing in entirety one of these daze.  Thank you Laura for keeping us challenged and entertained.

I am thinking that this is a sign of an accomplished pilgrim to keep ones fellows along the trail challenged and entertained.  Maybe we can rig up project number two with a little thinking.

Ok, off to Mass and session later with Sister Joyce.  Alperfect here, love, Felipe.

Here we are with a few more days to the celebration of the birth of Christ.  Will we keep centered and on course and remember what is important about this?  Not that easy with all the whoopla that goes on.   How about let’s give it our best shot.

I’m not quite done with my Christmas cards, have a few to go.  I got off a card to Tatiana and family from the Camino Documentary.  She was very inspirational for me along with Annie of course.  Well, they all were.  Great people, great movie.  I got the DVD right here, I’m remembering, and I could watch it any old time.  How cool is that.

Also, have an appointment to see Sister Joyce for forty minutes tomorrow.  I feel like I need talk to her about Christmas and getting ready for it.  I will let you know what  she says on that topic.

We’re still walking and talking and inspiring each other and others.  So, buen Camino!  Keep it up.  Always remember who you are as a child of God.  Everything is alperfect.  Love to you, Felipe.

Here are some great thoughts by our Cherry who I flagged down last minute to do a TGIF.  Let me apologize for being so disorganized.  But with lightning speed Cherry came to my rescue and in the process I came to her rescue as you will read.  It is amazing how we Caminoheads are still experiencing a certain synchronicity, yes?

I’m generally a positive happy person but lately I’ve been a bit down. There’s nothing I have to complain about in my life. And there’s nothing really that’s making me unhappy. I’ve been travelling for 9 months now, not worked a proper job for 10 months and have not had to worry about money either. I’m currently in Scotland being spoilt by my Scottish step brother and his loving family. But still I’ve been a bit down lately.

When Phil asked me to write something for Camino Heads I was a little reluctant. My own personal journal and travel blog hasn’t been touched for a couple of weeks. I haven’t wanted to write much because I’ve not been feeling my usual positive happy self.
So this morning I’ve been pondering on this, my unhappiness and lack of writing. It made me realise that these 2 things where connected. When I’m writing, I’m at my happiest. And the very reason for not writing was because I’m unhappy. This is the vicious cycle of depression.

And today I’m breaking that cycle. I’m going to force myself to write. Attempt some creativity as I don’t want to feel down any more.
Cherry’s insight for today: don’t stop doing the things that give you pleasure when you’re feeling down. Force yourself to do it, although it may seem too hard at first. Be patient yet persistent with yourself and you might just put that smile back on your face.

So thank you Phil for bringing me out. And thank you Scotland for putting on the snow for this winter deprived Aussie. Now I’m off sledding down the hill. And later, I’m back to writing my award winning novel of course.

Cherry with much love in Scotland

My Rebecca says that I should go.  It is a coffee chat meeting of this association, American Pilgrims, that is happening relatively closeby.  I just have to take the ferry off the south end of the island to Tacoma and it is right there.  I really don’t need something extra to do these days but this is a good exception.

I continue to be blessed with many things.  For instance there is a priest from along the Camino that is trying to get a hold of me to talk on Skype.  I look forward to an awkward conversation with this dear man.  I think that our Skype skills are probably matched by  our foreign language abilities.   Things like this are fun and the more effort the more rewarding usually.  Also, my birthday party is coming up Sunday and am planning on trying to get a few friends over and maybe showing “Walking the Camino” and have pizza.   It will be the anniversary of the opening of Phil’s Camino, the trail here and we are still walking.

Thanks so much for reading along as we walk our lives wherever you are at this moment.  It is a small word when we can get together so easily, yes?  Your’re these best.

So I will leave you now to get ready to go and have cafe con leche with some other scruffy pilgrims.  Keep walking, love, Felipe.

Somewhere east of Burgos and west of the Pyerenes I was walking with Gracie and we found two potatoes in the road.  They had fallen off a wagon recently.  They weren’t beautiful really, just two potatoes.  I put them in my pants pocket and I carried them there for four or five days.   I would bring them out when we would dilly dally and we would all laugh about it.

Everyone at that point in the journey was intent on shedding weight to make things easier or maybe we should say possible.   I remember seeing a beautiful feather drift down in front of me and refused to pick it up.  I don’t need to carry another thing but yet I still had the spuds.  There always was this thought that we were going to sleep out some night when the albergues were full.  And the potatoes would come in handy, maybe.

Then finally somewhere near Burgos we decided that we could plant them next to the trail and that would be the fitting conclusion for my little pom de terres.  So that is what we did.

A nice little story, don’t you think?  It’s all in how you look at it, love, Felipe.

Well, yesterday with all my worries about it’s outcome, turned out pretty well except for one detail.  I wound up taking the ferry and driving into the University District of Seattle because it was the only church that I could find that had a mid day Mass yesterday so I could fulfill my obligation.  It is a beautiful church and it was a beautiful service and I as usual got all wrapped up in it (wrapped up in it, nice) and as a result left my faithful lucky hat in the pew.  You know the red one!

So, this morning I called my faithful friend who lives a few blocks from there and he found it and just called back a minute ago that it was in his possession.  Not that a night in church was a bad thing and not that losing my old hat would have changed our walk.  But it is good to be reunited.  Anyway, thanks to my friend, Captain Phil for the successful mission.

OK, off to hit today’s trail.  May you find something lost, love, Felipe.

I have a big day today and maybe in the past I would be afraid but now somehow the day seems crawling with possibilities, alive with potential.  Then right on top of these two giant things that are happening a  good buddy reminds me of something that I have promised to do a while back along the trail.  Sure, no problemo!

This morning one of the editors and a photographer from Northwest Catholic Magazine are coming out to get some pics here at Phil’s Camino.  It looks like the rain may hold off.  The publication is doing a story about my recent conversion and the ancient pilgrimage and maybe a little about my cancer hobby thrown in.

Then this evening I am appearing on a local radio show panel talking about suicide.   Suicide is a big topic in our community as we have had a rash of it over the last few years.  I wore a braclet for a young man that took his own life and who I knew.  I wore it accross Spain.  Two other members of the panel are the local school superintendent and a local mental health professional.  I am supposed to be the  “gun guy”.  Everyone and their brother beats up on second amendment advocates and here I am volunteering for this.  Hmm.  I am definitely getting braver in my old age.

Then actually, there is one more big topic which is that today is a Holy Day of Obligation and I am supposed to be in church at some point today and guess what, the two services available on this island for me today are at the same times as my other engagements.  Yea, when it rains it pours.  Love you all, Felipe.

Mary Margaret has gotten back to me with a translation of Alvaro’s thought way back in August.  These sentiments are very complimentary toward our crew.  Thanks Alvaro, we liked you too.

MM wrote: Phil, Alvaro was a great fellow in every way, wasn’t he? Big guy with a big heart and a big laugh, too. He wrote: “Today was a very special day on the Camino . Meeting these people and sharing great moments with them shows you the authentic meaning of life.”

Spreading the positive energy, love, Felipe.

Right now at the moment I feel 180 degrees out from Spain, from Caminoing along in the heat.  Yesterday,  I worked on sending out Christmas cards to people that I touch with my business.   It’s a special time of year coming up.  But somehow at the moment I am caught half way between these two worlds, Spain and here.    Yea, linking them up would be the trick.  “Heat Wave”, the great oldie, just came on and is playing right now for me on a CD.  That sounds like my Spain experience to me!

In shortly over an hour I will be at my bible class studying the parable of the feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6.  This is where Jesus and his disciples fed the huge crowd with five loaves and two fish and had more in leftovers than when they started.  Yea.

And here we are in this time of year waiting for the yearly coming of Jesus who came two thousand years ago  to show us the Way.  We are waiting for the winter solstice to mark the beginning of the season of light and warmth.  The season, the Heat Wave is coming!  Hang on, love, Felipe.

I got to spend an hour with our Sister Joyce yesterday.  I don’t know how I get to hang out with such quality folks as SJ.  And, and, and she has a bobble head rendition of our beloved leader, Pope Francis,  on her desk.  A bobble head pope is a concept that could stop you in your tracks and there he is to greet you as you walk into SJ’s.

SJ bills herself as a spiritual advisor.  As a new Catholic I have questions.  And then I have other questions about this and that.  And then I have things that I bring to her that are truly knotty.  You know, those “who are you gonna call?” questions.  And I feel like there isn’t anything that I could say that would shake her.  She’s been around the block eight times before me.  Is that reassuring?

I’m back, was out walking the Camino.  The bird feeders needed attention, so I did that.  Everyone is hungry this time of year.  And it’s pretty out in a rainy sort of way.

So, the important thing to know about SJ is how truly joyful she is.  She will be talking heavy stuff and her brow takes a particular topography but always the sea clams afterward.  And my hour is up and I am on my way recharged.  I hope that is not to wearing on her.

Yup, so remember that at this moment somewhere there is a Pope Francis bobble head in action.   I think that Bobbling along must be similar to Caminoing along.   Pope Francis is saying yes continually with each bobble, yes?  That just occurred to me.

Yes love, Felipe.