We have tickets to see the Prado again,
That's getting close!
I'll do my best to blog as we go,
Join me on my quest to make life joyously simple again -
I am walking with my friend, Paula, for 3 weeks before picking up my group.
We made a plan.
Then we changed it.
Then we changed it again.
I THINK we have a plan now.
What I know for SURE is that we leave for Madrid on April 9 and after a couple of days there we go to Barcelona to see the Family Sagrada, which is finally finished.
From there, your guess is as good as ours.
Will we walk from Montserrat?
Will we walk the Madrid route?
Or will we hop up to Logrońo and walk the Meseta?
Stay tuned!
In April/May 2024, both Joe and I will be taking a group of pilgrims on the Camino. We're very much looking forward to being in Spain again! I've been busy making reservations and let me tell you, it's going to be a BUSY season! Many lodgings are already booked up for Spring!
I plan on leaving early, around 9 April, for Spain to do some training. My friend, Paula, is going with me and we'll walk half-stages for a while, slowing increasing distances until I pick up my group in Pamplona.
The last time I walked the Camino, I didn't get sick until I returned home and just a few days after my return, Covid hit. The illness itself wasn't bad, lasting only maybe 3 days, but the long term affect has been awful. It really kicked my butt and my stamina seems to have flown out the window. So it will be interesting to see how I do on the trail. That combined with the Oregon rain won't make it easy to train here, so my plan is to do light weights and walk when I can here at home, but do most of my training on the trail in Spain.
I had a quiet Christmas this year. We agreed not to buy gifts for the adults and I have to say, I missed opening presents. Isn't that funny? There's really nothing I need, but since I was in Hawaii until the week before, I didn't even get out my tree and decorate, so it didn't feel like Christmas to me. Next year, I think I'm going to decorate and buy gifts, needed or not. I miss that.
My eldest son and his family did come to Dallas and we had a nice breakfast at my youngest son's home. Hiathan was home from Annapolis and it was so good to see him.
Joe has left for the desert for the winter and my plan now is to clean and organize the house then get on a routine of diet, exercise, and Spanish.
Wish me luck!
Annie
It's been a few months since I've posted so I thought I'd catch up.We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
My middle son and ex-husband (the boys' father) came from Georgia and my eldest son brought his family from Portland. We met at my youngest son's house for a traditional Turkey dinner.Soon after, I took a two week vacation in Hawaii.
My Camino friends, Paula and Gil, invited me. I spent 7 days in Kauai. It was my first time and it was absolutely GLORIOUS! We had so much fun!
The sunrises at breakfast . . . |
Beautiful beaches |
Museum Visit |
Feather Lei |
Waterfalls with Gil and Paula |
Shaved Ice! |
Malasalas (my grandmother never filled them!) |
This male got up to let us see his egg. |
More sunrises |
Gil, Ollie, Frank, and Paula |
Coffee and cake at the Lodge |
More sunrises |
Sadly, I missed the turtles but everyone else saw them |
Breakfast at sunrise |
Relaxing |
The FOOD was sooo good! |
We went tubing! |
Warming our feet by the fire. |
Shelaine |
Shelaine and her twin daughters |
We met the King! |
At the Luau we were right up front |
Our wonderful guide |
We're heading out to celebrate Autumn Equinox with my youngest son and friends starting Thursday. A friend of ours owns a large piece of property and puts on a fantastic Festival for Fall. This year we decided to vend again. We used to go to festivals and vend some years ago, but since MCS, Cancer, Mom's fall and death, life just got in the way. We have boxes and boxes of stock to sell - so we finally dug it out and signed up to vend at the Fall Equinox Festival.
I had a deer skull I found in the desert one winter - I decided to paint it and try to sell it. I saw one at an art show this year and thought, "Hmmmm.... maybe I could do that!" So I did. Not a great photo, but it's basically painted and decorated with flowers. It's a little creepy, but it IS almost Halloween! Hoping someone will buy it.
I nearly finished up the last of the stone mandalas today - put the shine on them. I made a few mushroom mandalas. They're cute, like fairy houses.
Tomorrow I put on their felt bottoms and get them packed up. Besides these things, we'll have lots of quartz, citrine, amethyst, flags, and just tons of "stuff" I'd like to get rid of. I'll take a photo of our tables once they're set up.
I washed the van today and tomorrow will be packing day. We'll take a lot of food we've freeze-dried which will make it an easy camping trip.
I got my Autumn garlic in the mail this week from Territorial Seed. I can't plant it until mid-October, so I put it in the cool-house until then. When we return from our camping trip, it'll be time to start cleaning out the garden beds for the winter.
I will be leaving mid March to volunteer on the Camino. I had accepted a post on the Primitivo at Grado, but had a change of heart and requested one on the Camino Frances at Najera. I'll go wherever they need me in the end, but hoping to get Najera. It's a larger albergue with 48 beds but it's right on the section of Meseta I want to walk.
I'll volunteer for 2 weeks, then walk the Meseta before picking up my group end of April to walk from St. Jean Pied de Port. I think both Joe and I have wonderful pilgrims in our groups this year, and I'm really looking forward to walking with them and getting to know them.
Health-wise, I'm doing ok. My torn rotator cuffs still hurt, some days more than others. I'm looking forward to a shot of cortisone in October to hopefully calm down the inflammation. If I'm still in pain after the Camino, I'll look into surgery.
My beautiful Norway Maple is dropping her leaves - I can't believe it. Wasn't it yesterday she was budding? The wild turkeys have decided she's a good roosting place. I enjoy watching their antics, as long as they stay away from my blackberries! lol!
I guess that's all the news.
I hope you all have a Blessed Autumn Equinox.
Stay safe and happy and warm and loved!
Annie
Well, the garden has been producing like mad!
Joe has been busy fermenting pickles
and canning tomatoes and beans almost every day!
The blackberries are giving me
a giant bowl every two days.
The golden raspberries just keep coming.
I popped a canteloupe seed
on top of a compost pile just for fun
and it grew 8 giant, sugar-sweet melons!
Joe's sunflowers are huuuuuuuge!
It's been a VERY productive year.
Vegetable Beef Soup |
Awesome canteloupes! |
These were volunteer purple potatoes |
Green Beans |
Every day is a jeweled surprise! |
Maybe I can make a little cash for my winter trip.
I'm hoping to go to the desert in my van this year either after Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Michael's sister will housesit for me,
which makes it easier.
I'd like to fit in a 2 week hospitalera volunteer position
if I can find one.
I contacted Rebekah today and hope to hear back.
It will be nice to be back on the Camino.
Love,