Feliz Navidad!

 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!  I found this cool banner online - not sure who originally made it but it seemed fitting.

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

What's Goin' On

 

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!)

One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the nesting Albatross and learning about their lives. 

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. 

On the 8th day I went to Oahu to visit my friend, Shelaine Carvalho. She was a very gracious hostess and I loved meeting her family and spending time with her. We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center one day/night. What a great adventure!
More photos...

Shelaine

Shelaine and her twin daughters

We met the King!

At the Luau we were right up front

Our wonderful guide

It was an incredible trip and I'm already saving my money
for NEXT winter!

Today I Saw a Hoopoe Bird!

I took a walk in Barbadelo and saw a beautiful flash of color along the fence line. It was two gorgeous crested birds. One was pecking the ground for bugs and feeding the other. I came back to the Internet and looked it up and it is a Hoopoe Bird!  I found these photos

 On the Internet. Aren’t they wonderful?

Summer's End and Welcome Autumn!

It's been a very busy Summer.  Last year when we put in 4 new garden boxes and a drip system, I had no idea how it would bless us! And the harvest is STILL coming!  Joe canned more green beans and tomatoes today, and made a big pot of vegetable spaghetti sauce, and there's another pile of tomatoes waiting. I think we'll just pop those into the freezer.

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

Hospitalera at San Anton 2016

I'm at San Anton Albergue volunteering until June 12. We have no electricity, no hot water and no wifi and I LOVE IT!!!   I will catch up on blog and photos once I am home after June 15.    Until then, the greatest excitement has been watching this young owl fledge. He has jumped from the nest to the roof on day 1. From the roof to a lower roof day 2. And last night to the ground. We assume mom is feeling him because he looks very strong and healthy and is not crying.  A few photos b

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Finishing Up Summer and Planning A Camino

 

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!

Things are slowing down now.

I pulled up all but one squash plant this week.

I'm getting the bed ready to plant
my garlic, onions, and kale. 

Soon it will be time to prune
the raspberries and blackberries

and then comes time to rest. 

We're going to vend at a Festival over Autumn Equinox.

I've been busy painting mandala stones:

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.

Then I'm leaving for Spain in March.
I'm hoping to be somewhere for Holy Week -
 haven't decided where yet.
Then I plan on walking the Meseta for about a month
to train.
Covid really kicked my butt last year
and then I took a fall in December
and tore both rotator cuffs.
So on the Meseta I can walk short stages
and build up distance slowly.
I can also book pack transport if I need it.
So for now, that's my plan. 

April 28, I will pick up my group of 7 pilgrims
and take them on the Best of Both 24 day trip -
 looking forward to a nice group this Spring!

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.

Soooo... that's all the news for now. 

Take care everyone! 

Love,

Annie