13 More Sleeps

Update: 

The nurses tell me mom is in her final days to a week. For the first time I can remember she rested peacefully through the entire night. 

As rough as our relationship has been, it's been sad watching this strong, feisty little spitfire slowly fade... and I find myself mourning the bond we never seemed to manage. My mind has raced with memories, good and bad. In the end I have realized she did work, in her own way, to be a good mother, and I believe she loved me as much as she was able. She just didn't have that nurturing mother gene and to be fair, I wasn't an easy child. 

I do, so very much, appreciate this wonderful, crazy, adventure of a life that wouldn't have been possible if she hadn't given me birth. Mom ushered me into my life on Earth, so it is only fitting I usher her out.

 I believe we choose our parents and the family we are born into according to the lessons we need to learn to spiritually progress. 

Walking the Camino will give me the grace to meditate on the lessons I learned from her, and try to think more about why I chose to come through her, and what things I need to continue to work on to try to make myself a better human being and mother.

Joe flies home to Portland today. I wish him a safe trip and will be happy to see him - it will be good to have someone to support me during these last difficult days. Joe and his siblings cared for their own mom at home when she passed a few years ago.

Only 13 more sleeps until we leave for Barcelona and so much to do!
Gotta spray my pack and bag, get loose ends tied up here, settle in my house sitter (my good Camino friend Patty Moak), and try to sort out all the COVID related stuff I need to do.

We are remaining flexible BUT our plan is to fly to Barcelona then grab a train to Manresa. This is a new place for me. According to Wikipedia, the houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu.  St. Ignatius of Loyola stopped to pray in the town on his way back from Montserrat in 1522. He also read in solitude in a cave near the town for a year, which contributed to the formulation of his famous Spiritual Exercises. Because of this, the town is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics and their Semana Santa should be spectacular. Joe had a very strong Catholic upbringing and that's how I found out about Manresa. We have been to Montserrat and hope to walk the route from there someday - maybe next year.  But this year, we will spend Holy Week in Manresa, resting and enjoying the Semana Santa activities

The Monday after Easter, April 18, we will train/bus to Zaragoza for day or two of touristing. Then on to Canfranc Station on the upper Aragones Route. We will walk down the Aragones Route beginning April 20 and arrive in Pamplona in time to meet up with our Spring group of pilgrims.

I need this Camino.

See you on the trail!

Annie

Final Packing List for Spring Camino

Annie's Packing List for 2022

Here is my final packing list:

Carried/worn on flight to Madrid:
Backpack - Brize 32L

Daypack -  Deuter 15L empty and inside backpack which is carried on flight

I layer my clothes on the flight to Madrid. It keeps my backpack small enough to carry on. If I get hot, I can remove clothes. If I'm cold, I can put more on. 

PASSPORT
Photo ID (driver’s license is fine)
Credit Card (optional)
ATM Card
Money Belt - mine are sewn into my skirt

Small change purse with about $100 cash for airport food

1 panties

1 smart wool socks

1 merino wool leggings

1 silk undershirt

1 short sleeve shirt

1 long sleeve cashmere sweater

Macabi skirt

1 packet tissues

Shoes - New Balance SL-2 trail runners

iPhone & charger
earphones for airplane movies

Sleep mask and earplugs

Saline spray for my nose

Small binoculars

eyeglasses.

Inside Backpack
Down Sleeping blanket

2 Smart Wool socks 
2 Panties

1 Featherweight Puff Jacket
1 Hiking shorts

1 ALTUS raincoat
1 long sleeve shirt

1 Buff

1 Merino beanie hat 

1 Towel
1 Small packet tissue
1 Ziplock bag to carry TP out
1 Handkerchief
1 Refillable water bottle 8 oz
Tiny container deodorant
1 Travel size toothpaste/toothbrush

1 Ligget's shampoo bar

My tiny pillow

Tiny 3x5 journal and pen 
Brierley's map book

Extra eyeglasses
KT Tape

A few bandaids

A few ibuprofen

Small container of bengay

plug adapter

Credential

I keep my pack weight down to 10% of my body weight

Flip-flops or Crocs - pick up in Spain

Cotton or silk sock liners / pick up in Spain

I bought a new Kelly Kettle last week. It will be nice to be able to boil water and cook without having to buy propane and butane so often.

Today I lit up my Kelly Kettle for the first time. Here are some photos showing you what happened. It was a VERY windy day. The wind was really whipping around and I didn't choose the best place to do this. It took about 7 minutes for the water to boil.

At any rate, this worked GREAT and what a simple way to boil water or cook with nothing but a few sticks I picked up off the ground. It did make a lot of black smoke but that's probably because I used junky bark and leaves. This will be a great addition to my van. Also, if I were going to camp on a Camino route, I'd think about buying the smallest, most lightweight version and carrying it along so I could cook and make hot water safely.

My shiny new kettle

Be sure the whistle is pointing DOWN so you don't get a steam burn.

I just built a small fire in the pan using leaves, sticks, and paper I found on the ground. It really was a dirty fire and burned some nasty black smoke. I'll be more cautious what I use next time, but I'm learning.

I had some fat wood so I splintered a small piece to get the fire started.

It was incredibly windy, but the fire took off easily as it was contained in the pan.

I found a piece of 1x4 and splintered it.

This may be what was so smoky.

Fatwood. You can buy this and all you need 

is a tiny piece to get the fire started.

You can also forage it if you're in the forest.

A piece of fatwood being split

I lit the fire. 

It lit very easily.

Once it had just started to burn, I set the kettle on top.

It immediately took off and was roaring.

This is, after all, nothing more than a miniature rocket stove!

I took video but for some reason, it won't upload.

Once the kettle whistled, the water was boiling.

It took about 7 minutes from start to finish.

I think with practice I can get this down to 3-4 minutes.

All in all, I feel this was a purchase that was worth the cash.

I'm looking forward to using it in the wild

or in emergency situations where I need to boil water for safety

or for convenience when the power is out.

Now to get Joe to build the kitchen in the back . . . 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

 Those of you who have followed me a while will remember when I posted the recipe for making laundry detergent. Here is that link:

 Laundry Detergent

Yesterday I made a batch and this time I used ZOTE instead of Fels Naptha. The ZOTE comes in a package, is already grated, and it has a lemony fragrance.  I'm hoping it won't bother my MCS when it is finished.   If you use the ZOTE that is already grated, you only need to use 1/2 the box.  Here is the recipe again:

4 cups hot tap water
1/2 package ZOTE flakes or 1 bar ZOTE or 1 bar Fels Naptha (grated)

1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda

1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

You will also need a FIVE GALLON BUCKET. I've used buckets from Walmart, empty cat litter buckets work great, any 5 gallon bucket.

Bring the water to a boil.

Mix the grated soap into the nearly boiling water.

Stir until it is dissolved.

Add the Borax and Washing Soda.

Stir until dissolved.

Fill the bucket with hot water.

Set it aside overnight to cool.

In the morning you will have a bucket full of jelly-like soap.

Break up the gel with a long wooden spoon, or just stick your arm in like I do and break it all up into liquid again.

Put this in empty laundry soap containers. You will fill them 1/2 with this soap and 1/2 with water and shake well.

Use as you would any laundry detergent - about 1/4 cup per load.

Shake well before each use.

There are several videos on YouTube saying "DO NOT USE HOME MADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT!"     Their reasoning is because of a new fad (which is a very old practice) called "Stripping." They claim you'll get nasty brown water as the hand made soap and dirt is released from your clothes. It's baloney!  If you put your clean laundry in the bathtub and do the "stripping" after using ANY detergent, you'll get the same results, but you're led to believe it's from the home made soap. Just not true. I've used this for years and it has not ruined my clothes or my machine. 

Anyway, the price of this 10 GALLONS of laundry detergent is about $2 - an incredible savings. That bucket will last me at least 6 months.  

Here is the bucket I used this time and maybe you can see how thick the gel is by these photos:

Try it! You might like it!

Love,

Annie