28 Days!!!

I'm getting closer to the end of the semester, but more importantly, I'm getting closer to my Camino.  Things are coming in that I need for my trip...

The order of the Mass in English and Spanish

My Pilgrim's Passports (I need two, since I will be in Spain for so long).

I'm gathering my things for my trip, and I'm figuring out what I'm planning taking on my trip.  Things will be a bit different this time around as I will be teaching online for the duration, so there are also a few things that I'm going to need to take with me that I didn't the first time around. I'm using what I learned from the first time around and my backpack is weighing in at 13.6 lbs, including everything in the following picture:

The only thing missing is what I will be wearing, and some of my meds.

My packing list:

• one Osprey backpack with a rain cover
• one pair Oofos for wearing after my hike is done
• one fleece sleeping bag and net case
• one silk sleeping bag liner
• one sarong
• one neck pillow
• one massaging ball to help with keeping my feet in fine form
• half of a composition book (for taking notes while grading speeches--I will be throwing away paper as I use it, so that it will be less weight as I go along)
• one lightweight jacket
• one water resistant windbreaker
• one emergency poncho if it really starts raining
• 2 sets of clothing containing:
• one thin pair of socks
• one thick pair of socks
• one sports bra
• one pair hiking underwear
• one short-sleeved running shirt
• one pair of running capris
• one gallon size ziplock bag
• one old-fashioned ice bag (to help keep my feet iced--ice is readily available at the bars and cafes along the way)
• One collapsible water bottle
• 2 journals--One in my backpack, and one in my fanny pack for while I'm writing in it.  I will send it home once the first is full.
•  One quart size ziplock bag full of toiletries: 
• one full bar of soap
• one full size bar of solid deoderant
• one razor
• one toothbrush
• one travel size toothpaste
• one travel size shampoo
• one travel size conditioner
• leftover bug spray from my last camino
• one bottle sun screen
• one comb
• 2 hair ties (in case I lose one)
• one bandana
• One rosary
• One baseball cap
• All of my meds:
• qnasl
• cetirizine
• Allegra
• ranitidine
• singulair
• epi pen
• fingernail clippers
• pocket knife
• shell
• charger for my phone that is compatible with europe
• fitbit charger
• about 12 safety pins
• one extra gallon ziplock bag
• hiking poles

And my fanny pack:

• English-Spanish order of the mass
• one glue stick
• earbuds for my phone
• pencil sharpener
• colored pencils
• epi-pen
• six sharpie pens and a mechanical pencil
• (journal that I talked about earlier)
• Passport and pilgrim's credentials
• 1.40 in euros from my last trip to Spain
• chapstick
• prescriptions of meds
• Passport
• credit card and debit card.
• Sunglasses
• pnone (not shown--it will be my camera/tablet/laptop/ipod on my trip)

I will have on my person:

• my trail runners with orthopedic inserts inside
• one set of clothing (see above)
• my fitbit

It looks like a whole lot, but it feels like not a lot of stuff at all.  My guess is that my skin out weight is about 20 lbs, but I haven't put everything on to check. 

I will be flying out of Houston on June second, which doesn't give me a whole lot of time to be ready for this.  Hopefully, I can get it all done in the time that I have--June second will come whether I'm ready or not, though.  

A poem by a fellow pilgrim...

This poem was found on the Camino de Santiago Forums, posted by William Garza.  I believe he is the one who wrote it, but I really don't know.  As I am inching closer to my own return (37 DAYS !!!!), it speaks of the call to go, and the rhythm of the walk.

Tell me again
Oh Pilgrim fair

Why I Must
Travel the Way?

Why Must i be drawn from afar, to some land..known to my heart
Unknown to my feet
Known to my soul
Yet have never breathed the air

Why..old Pilgrim there
Why does my heart beat in time
In between dreaming..and awake
To the footsteps
To the winds...whispers in my ears
To my footsteps
One by one
Until ime done
To a footstep in the night
That reminds me 
Ime not yet gone?

Tell me Pilgrim
Tell me of far off places
Close to your heart...
Of places close
That have no feel of home.

The long empty stretches
Bereft of steps
Silent but for the whispers to your soul.

The Wind talks to no one there
They're there..all for their own sake?

I think not.

Why must..I
I! Go.

Ultrea
Buen Camino
Que..te Vaya Bien

I have known Freedom
Because I have known cages
I have known Happiness
Because of Sorrow
I have known Life
Because I have seen too much.

Pilgrim
Your days are counted
Get busy Living or stay busy trying.
Surrounded by Infinite sorrow...
You Pilgrim
You Know Joy,

You have stepped out of Chrysalis
And into the winds
You will never be the same.

I know you
I know you by your eyes.

They have seen the light

I Remember now
The Call..is why.

Pilgrim on the Way
Dont worry why your there
Be..There...
Spend your Time
Do you understand?
Every moment important
Live fully within your time

Be Blessed on Your Way

While the planning is easier this time around, this Camino feels like a very different prospect than the last one.  In many ways, my last Camino was a search and a prayer for healing and wholeness after my divorce, and this time, there is a joy, a wonder that is inherent in the journey.  

Even in spite of the physical hurdles that I'm working to overcome, this pilgrimage is all about joy and thanksgiving, not mourning and healing.  Maybe that is why I'm going to be travelling in the height of summer, when the path and the vegetation will be at its peak of beauty.  Last time, I walked in the Autumn, when the harvest had been or was in the process of being brought in, and the land was beginning to prepare for winter--still mostly green, but a sign here and there of the winter to come.  I was able to harvest what I needed from that trip, and I am very thankful, but this trip....this trip is full of possibilities and promise.  

I don't know what the fruit will be, but I know that it will be exactly what I need.  

Ultreia!

Stark Raving Terror

Thursday was a weird day for me...I had someone tell me that I should join Tumblr, and in the process, I discovered that there are a lot of people who have posted about the Camino there (I had to choose some stuff I was interested in for my news feed...). Then, I made the mistake of reading the posts of others about their pilgrimages... Which made me really wish that I could go back to the Camino this year like I said I would. So, as a break from grading, I ended up looking at how much it would cost to fly to Spain this summer.

Do you see where this is going? Yep. I booked a flight to Madrid, leaving June 2nd and returning on August 5th. It was really exciting at the time, but now I am confronted with the fact that I haven't really been exercising to speak of, and I just signed up to walk 500 MILES in the space of two months, and I only have 46 days to physically prepare myself. Either this is God nudging me in this direction, or I'm being very, very stupid.

I can handle the lists and the planning and the gathering of necessities for my pack. I can get mentally and spiritually ready. I can swing the cost and the expenses along the way. What I have no idea if I can handle is the physical aspect of this pilgrimage. What if I have to fly home early because of a recurrence of my tendinitis? What if I make my already bad back worse?

And then, this recurring thought also pops into my head: what if I wait and miss this opportunity because all of my problems are worse? Backs tend to degenerate over time, not get better. Something tells me that, if I'm going to be doing anything that requires physical prowess, now is the time, not later.

I just don't know if I made the right decision, and could use a little peace. Barring a clear sign that I am not supposed to do this, I could use lots of prayer for this time of preparation: that I can gain the fitness I need, and that I can finish the Camino without injury. Health is my word for this year, so it would be great if I could gain some health in these areas, too.

I could also use some peace in all of this. St. James, pray for me!

The Year of the Butterfly

Butterflies have a lot of symbolism that is tied to death and re-birth...it is often a way for us to remember the death and resurrection of Christ, for instance.  One website I was looking at mentioned that butterflies are also a reminder of our own bodily resurrection that is promised in scripture.

source: http://in5d.com/the-esoteric-meaning-of-the-butterfly/  I just really like the picture, not necessarily the content of the website...

As is usual for me, the advent of my birthday makes me (some would say overly) contemplative, and as this coming birthday is the big 4-0, I'm finding myself thinking a lot about this coming year and what I both want and where I want to head.  

Usually, this entails finding a theme verse from the Bible, and maybe making a few goals that I want to work on.  Sometimes, it means looking at what I'm doing and adjusting accordingly, or it means scrapping stuff that clearly isn't working.  

This year, even though I have been thinking and praying about it for close to a month, I can't seem to settle on a verse from scripture, but I have kind of decided on a theme for the year....In my mind, this coming year has become the Year of the Butterfly.  

To that end, I've already chosen my journals for the year, and every single one of them has some sort of Butterfly on the cover.  I just love the hope and the joy that butterflies evoke in me, and I also feel like there has been a huge transformation of who I am over the last few years--the resurrection has happened, and now, I must learn to fly.  

 This may also sound a bit crazy, but one of my favorite movies is City Slickers with Billy Crystal.  It has a lot of wisdom in it, and I will leave you with this little gem as I close today:

May we all discover our One Thing.

The Best Laid Plans (PHFR #11)

You know those trees I planted back in November?  Well, of the three I planted, only one is still living--the digdogs destroyed the two that I planted in the back yard.  I'm probably going to have to buy older trees if I want to plant them in the back yard--preferably at a size that the dogs can't chew up.  I actually thought that all three of them had died, since the one in my side yard didn't begin blooming and putting out leaves when all of the rest of the trees in the neighborhood did.

So, when I saw this, it made me incredibly

Happy

It is blooming and putting out leaves!!!

Pretty/Real

And, the pollen counts and weather have been cooperating lately, so I've been spending more time outside again.  Have I mentioned before that I love my deck?  I do, and I really want to replace it/spruce it up.  Eventually, I may see about extending the roof so that it is covered and I can sit outside when it is raining, but that is a project for another year. :-)  No one told me when I bought my house that I would perpetually have projects that I want to do on it.  Don't get me wrong. I love my house as is, but I keep looking at things and thinking, "this room would be better if..."  One of these days, I'm going to look around and say, "this house is perfect." At least I hope so!

I'm not sure the dogs like spending the afternoon/evening outside as much as I do.

Of course, having the dogs means that at least some of the things I want to change are because of them...See the scratch marks on the screen door?  At some point, I want to change the screen door and back door to a set that has a built in doggie door through both of them.  Then I don't have to play the "I want out. No, I want in. No, I want out" game that they play sometimes, and I don't have to worry about them when I leave for work.

Compost bin update:  

So, the inexpensive option is not going to work for me... The youngest digdogs figured out how to get into it, and had a grand old time playing in the leaves.  Once they were done, this is what it looked like:

This is actually about 2 weeks ago. They have since spread the leaves around the yard further through play.

So, I'm kind of back to square one, and will probably be buying some wood and power tools in order to build something that is dog proof.  I was really hoping that the cheap option would work, at least for a while! I saw some pictures of a 3 bin system, which look like they might be workable. They better be pretty big bins, though, as the leaves you see in this picture is only half of my front yard, and the front trees have since lost the last of their winter coat (what kind of tree keeps hold of its dead leaves until it grows new ones, anyway???), along with boatloads of what reminds me of the pollen stamens of non-bearing mulberry trees.

Funny

Taking pictures of the animals is always a bit tricky: 

Are they real, or are they Robo-dogs?!?!?

I love this picture except for the eyes--It shows that Ginger is finally warming up to Sassy, and that they could eventually become friends. I keep hoping, anyway. I have other pictures of them together under the table, which is Ginger's safe place, but they are either too dark, or Ginger looks incredibly sad and long-suffering.  

An example: 

See? dark AND sad.

But then they do crazy stuff like this:

I'm really a cat, mom! I promise!

Ginger usually does stunts like this when she feels like I'm spending too much time focusing on something other than her--in this case, it was my computer, as I was working on grading.  

And, when they are just being cute and sweet, it is often so fleeting that, once you get your camera, you've missed it.  I was lucky to catch Ginger cuddling with Bubba, though.

My roommate actually took the picture--I'm quilting in the background.

There is a reason why people should not allow me near gardens: I have the black thumb of death.  The newest proof:

These mini roses were really beautiful before Spring Break, I promise!!!

I thought that making sure it was nice and moist before leaving for spring break would be enough, but this is what I came back to. Thankfully, they weren't that expensive, and I was able to enjoy them while they lasted.  Since I've been here, I've bought 3 plants for my office, and only one is still living--my first orchid died over the summer because I over-watered it while I was working from home, and my current orchid is thriving here in my office.  I may need to give it away before I leave for the summer, or it may be doomed as well!


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The Power of the Word

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, and the gospel is something that is a bit different from normal--as a congregation we get to interact and read part of the story, because the narrative of Christ's passion is broken up into parts, and those of us in the pews become the voices of the crowd.  This is something very powerful for me, and I don't know that I have ever gotten through the gospel reading on Palm Sunday with a dry eye.

The point where I tend to get a little teary is when we must cry out, "Crucify him."  It is a visceral reminder that I am the reason for Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and that I'm always one decision away from denying Christ as Peter did.

Yet again, I am in amazement at the wisdom of the Church and of the liturgical year.  This has been a rough lent, with my discipline and being able to follow through with my Lenten discipline being spotty at best.  However, I'm also so incredibly thankful for the reminder of Christ's sacrifice for each of us, and for this coming week when we finally celebrate our Risen Lord.

Even as the darkest days are yet to come, with Good Friday this week, we don't have to stay there.  As at the beginning of the Easter vigil, when we start with the words, "the Light of Christ," so too can we say with Isaiah, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light!"

May He illuminate our lives and our hearts, and may Lenten mourning be transformed into Easter Joy!

Breaking the 180 barrier (PHFR#10)

Monday morning was the first time I have weighed under 180 lbs. in a really long time.  I was kind of expecting to not keep the weight off, since Sunday was one of those weird food days when you end up accidentally missing a meal or two.  Amazingly, I'm still under 180 lbs, for which I'm really thankful. It also makes me

Happy

177.8 lbs.  This dress is actually a little loose, and only another 5 lbs until my next stitch fix box!

I'm also really happy that I'm doing well at sticking with the GAPS diet.  I tried another new recipe this past weekend, and am glad I did: Parsnip Fries.  Of course, after I made them, I realized that it actually wasn't GAPS legal, so I'm thinking of trying this with carrots instead of parsnips as some point. As an added bonus, you can actually buy carrot sticks already cut up, so the prep time would be way shorter!

They got a little brown...but the ones that aren't burnt tasted really good!

I followed the recipe, but the fries ended up burning.  I'm wondering if the size of my oven has something to do with that--I have an apartment size stove, so the half-sheet pictured is the largest cookie sheet that will fit in my oven (there is less than a half inch left of space all the way around).  I'm wondering if having the sides of the oven so close to your baking dish make the cooking go quicker.  Or, maybe it is just that my knife skills aren't uniform enough.

Yep, this is my oven. Cute, isn't it?

I've about come to the conclusion that I really need to take some cooking classes so that I can be better at the prep part of cooking.  I have a pretty good handle on what spices and flavors go together, although I tend to be a little boring in that department, but uniform cutting and presentation are not my strong suit.

I'll never compete for one of those cooking shows, but I would like to make the process of cooking less tedious, and I think knowing some of the prep skills would be helpful.

Pretty

So, the evening of the Parsnip Fries, we bought a rotisserie chicken for dinner, and added some leftover butternut squash.  I have to say that the picture of dinner is definitely close to food porn.  I don't think I've ever been that good at taking a picture of dinner before. Maybe it is because I'm actually using my camera instead of the camera on my phone.

See the steam rising from dinner?

One of the other things I'm currently working on is adding more liquids to my diet--my real problem is that I don't particularly like drinking plain water.  This is why I usually resort to drinking carbonated or mineral water most of the time.  However, I'm also trying to economize on my grocery bill, so I've been looking for ways to do so.  Here is my solution:

Cucumbers!

I'm liking the taste, and, since I have the reusable aluminum bottles from when I worked at UTEP, I didn't have to make any kind of investment to create this solution.  I just have to be careful, because, when I drink from them in class, I'm incredibly tempted to crunch on the cucumbers while I'm teaching!

Funny

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL this last week, and it is fun to watch everything bloom.  In an effort to lower utility bills, we have been opening windows and turning on ceiling fans in an effort to refrain from turning on the A/C just yet.  The dogs are taking it in stride, although they will sometimes peer through the windows of the screen doors.  

Even though it is getting warmer, they are still vying for who gets to snooze on the quilt I'm working on, though.  I'm going to have to start another quilt immediately after this one is done in order for them to continue to have a place to sleep!

Ha-Ha, Bubba.  It is my turn!

Real

One of the side-effects of moving to central TX and all of the wonderful, glorious green is that I'm really struggling with allergies.  I've been told by both my dr. and several friends that this area is notorious for being bad for people with allergies--we are in the middle of a valley, so pollen blows in, but it doesn't really blow out.  Since coming back from Christmas in the desert, I have had 2 rounds of antibiotics for bronchitis, and I'm currently on steroids.  I'm really hoping that the steroids help...otherwise, I may have to do antibiotics as well.  

I'm thinking that opening windows is not the best way to economize.

I'm also starting to realize that, when you don't like fish and you can't do dairy, figuring out what to eat for Fridays in lent is a struggle....I did curried lentil soup last week, and will be making meatless split peas this week, but I'm running out of ideas for what to eat.  I have a feeling that at least part of my weekend will be used to look for some interesting vegetarian recipes.

Split peas soaking so that I can throw them in the crock-pot tomorrow.

Lastly, one of the easiest breakfasts on the GAPS diet is eggs: fried eggs, scrambled eggs, veggie frittatas, etc.  I may become an egg if I eat very many more of them!  So, today, I had a bowl of fresh strawberries for breakfast.  They tasted really good, but they didn't stick with me for very long.  I was already feeling hungry again by the time I had been at work for 30 minutes.  So, I'm going to need to think of something else to have for breakfast, or at least think of some sort of supplement to fresh fruit.

Any ideas are welcome!

Breakfast this morning.  I love the contrast of the blue with the red of the strawberries.

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