North Carolina and NOT NYC

North Carolina is full of deciduous trees and the fall colors extend for miles and miles. Flying in was an amazing sight.

After business in Raleigh and Greensboro, we were to go on to NYC for a conference on business continuity.

However, it was postponed for 2 weeks due to pending hurricane Sandy.

Looks like it might be a real one - watching - it is supposed to hit NYC! Strange weather.

Being just before election time, this can effect things. We shall see. God is sovereign and I am content with all things - except lies. Bold faced lies.

I have always hated lies and how people blindly believe lies.

Like I said - I am content with all things because I know where my hope lies.

We got our Ford Fusion upgraded because it smelled like cigarettes - to a convertible bright yellow Camaro. HAHAH Isn't this a cute pair of cars? ------------------------------------->

Tabata

I just walked 140 miles in 9 days in Spain with a backpack.

I COULD walk - no real pain - minor aches.

My nephew had me do a 15 minute TABATA workout.....in North Carolina....on business.

I am dying - really.

To raise my arm to scratch my nose - PAIN.

Walking down curbs, my thighs nearly give out.

When I laugh my abs are tormented.

This could be the start of something good....or not.

http://tabatatraining.org/ if you dare.......

Pack, UnPack, Pack, UnPack/Politics

I am behind. My backpack from my 140 mile walk in Spain is still in backyard to make sure there are no bugs in it. There are still 125 tracts inside too, along with the really cool German rain poncho I bought in Pamplona.

My suitcase is in my room, still waiting to be emptied from San Diego.

Tomorrow at 4:30am I leave my house to go to North Carolina then NYC again. The fun thing: I am meeting up with a Camino buddy who works in Manhattan....we will find some strange foods to eat. There is a NON Kosher restaurant, but it won't be open when we need to eat - so we will explore Chinatown to find some strange dim sum.

I think I prefer backpack to suitcase for sure - but they don't do very well with business attire.

In my 7 days home between San Diego and this trip I went to 2 soccer games, a pumpkin carving contest at Molbak's (Andrea WON!) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
work, church, and met with a customer from out of town for wine tasting, dinner, and discussion.

Today is my jammy day.

Tomorrow I start again.

OH - and I catch the debates on their reruns late at night since I miss them live. People are so mean - the hate speech is appalling.

I found this quote that sums up my vote for President:

“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves..." 

and just now "“I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them, 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy: 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against: And 3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.” John Wesley, October 6, 1774"

And one more from someone I know who served in Iraq more than once: "So I guess Obama doesn't realize that when I went to boot camp we learned bayonet techniques and half my company in Afghanistan were issued bayonets. The military also uses horses and donkeys as pack animals today."

I will try....with all my might.

Life is great.

No More Looking Like Lance Armstrong

After a few weeks looking like Lance Armstrong in my pink shirt and baseball cap, I moved into the real world again. 

A photographer at the American Bankers Association conference took several pictures of me and sent them to me - how nice of him.

 I have proof I can clean up and not look like Lance.

I work for and with my nephew. He is my boss, I am his auntie. I say Auntie trumps boss.

HALLELUJAH!

My wonderful hubs recovered my pictures!!!!!!

After 45 minutes on phone with tech support for my phone, telling me the files are GONE, I tried one more thing - a software recovery thingy. No good....nada.

I went to bed sad - so sad.

After I was in a deep deep sleep, hubs came in, showed me my phone, and said "Don't touch this, but is the one of your missing pictures?" YES YES YES!!!!

Oh praise God - I am elated beyond words.

Now to organize and post. YAY!!!!!

Memories - Old

CANNOT believe this - all of the ten day walk, all of the photos - are GONE for nine of the days.

Gone - on my phone camera - from 9/30 - until 10/8. Unreal.

Tried recovery software after being told by phone tech that the photos are gone.

Bad SD card apparently.

SO the old old old fashioned way is how I will remember this once in a lifetime trip.

I know there is a reason for everything.

Tearful Day Ten - Goodbyes, Injuries

This morning we did not have to get up at first sound. The first time in ten days that my pack did not need to be quickly stuffed and ready to roll. I must say, it did not feel right at all. I layed in bed and watched an Italian man march by In hi undies to the shower, preparing for his day. There were sounds of crumbling plastic bags, teeth being brushed, and shoes being fastened.

Delimanju and I lazily got ready for a day unlike others. We decided to roam the town looking for other pilgrims we have met along the way to say Buen Camino to them.

We found a herd of them - many wounded and injured. At this stage, there are medical stations being utilised by many pilgrims. My friend from Hawaii is a total tendon mess, was at hospital for hours yesterday, and is to be off her leg for at least two days...she will taxi to next town.

David, from Seattle,  is experiencing severe pain In his Achilles tendon, but will trudge on slowly. I told him of the "secret" doctor from Ireland to talk to if he sees her in next town. She helped many but did not want to be official Camino doctor...lol.

Ed from Australia has infected blisters and is taking a rest day. Many people  are staying in Burgos two days to recuperate before continuing on. These people have a month or more off work to do the entire Camino.

Spanish Chinese friend must quit due to his knees.

My own ankle is three times normal size - an inflamed tendon.

We had one last coffee with about 15 people, and hugged through tears our deepest goodbyes.

Then Delimanju and I walked around in tourist shops feeling so strange. We planned how we will meet again in Seattle. I gave her my headlamp to she has to come visit me.

We packed my bag, and went early to where  my bus would take me to train to Barcelona. We ate potato chips and drank vino tinto no frio from my bota.   We once again declared how God brought us together for His purpose. I prayed for her -that she will be the Light of the world. She will continue for more than one more month.

When the bus came, we panicked. This is really goodbye. We sobbed our goodbyes.  So strange that I leave my Camino experience with same tears as I came, but for different reasons. 

No words can begin to describe what I have experienced these past ten days. I can say with confidence that He Who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it in Christ Jesus.

My hip - I won! It was merely stiff in the cold mornings. There were many people who had friends with hip replacements, who were going home to tell them about me.

Six hours on train to Barcelona, where I will spend 3 days. Watched first season of Downton Abby on IPad. People thought I was nuts bringing IPad with me. I think my pack was heaviest.

Day Nine Camino Cardnuela to Burgos

Day Nine Camino

Since there were only the two of us in room this night, we were free to open the windows all night for fresh air and sleep in as we like in the morning. AHHHHH such a gift. We also could turn the light on instead of use our headlamps.

The walk today had to be the most boring scenery and was next to road all day. The sunrise always provides a welcome greeting.

We stopped for coffee and I had tuna empanada. The Burgos region has yummy empanada. It is fascinating walking through the regions and noticing the different foods.

We reached our final destination around 12:30 and checked in to. Monastery Albergue. We had met up with  a Spanish friend, who was friends with Juan, a Spanish man from Malaga. We heard Juan was ill, which made us sad because we wanted to see him again :(

For five days we anticipated getting to Burgos to eat paella, a famous Spanish rice and seafood dish. We had been told a certain restaurant who serves it. It was amazingly wonderful, and as we ate we reminisced.

  We are both grateful to God for bringing us together and allowing us to meet. We talked about our expectations and how God did something different. 

 

I had planned to hand out 250 tracts, but instead we were able to share our deepest hearts each day, And develop a deep spiritual connection. We cried at having to part ways. I told Namjoo, who I nicknamed Delimanju (because there is a brand of Manu in Korea named that) that she is so much like my dear Maki! I really want Maki to meet her. I shared how Maki came to the Lord. Holding back the tears was difficult. 

After a great lunch we took a tourist choo choo to see city. This is a huge city, unlike the little villages with no Internet or even buses!

We did go to tourist office to see about if walk  two more days.  It won't work because buses don't run Sundays and the other village has no bus. I must stop walking today. My ankle is swollen too, the tendon is inflamed.

Our Spanish friends told us we must try Mortilla, a pig blood dish.

WITH SANGRIA

  One more item we were told to try is their lamb - DELICIOUS!

As we were coming around a corner to go back to Albergue, we saw JUAN! He was with friends.  A lovely visit was had...Juan is a police officer we found out, and a very kind man. We said our goodbyes sadly.

Delimanju has decided to take a rest day tomorrow, and my bus to train to Barcelona leaves at 2:15, so we will have a few more hours together.

Day Eight Camino Villa Franca to Cardnuela

Day Eight

 What à Glorious morning. This stupid iPad corrects words so Bear with me. It also adds caps and other weird things. My cell phone switched to Korean yesterday too! 

THE morning was Amazing beauty though à forest. Namjoo and I walked Five hours with  22 year old from Argentina. Hè didn't speak  much english but we tried Spanish.  At one point hè stopped by à creek and said "fish". We both ran to him, looping for fish. Not even enough water for fish. Hmm.. Hè pointed further away and said "peesh peesh...I need to peesh" He had to piss!!!!! LOL!!!!!!! 

Today was varied hills, mountains, and crazy winding through country sides. We are so so happy to be in a four bed room with own bathroom! So far, no one else is in our room. We feel like queens.

We ate all of our leftover foods on a beautiful balcony, overlooking valley. We spoke for hours about how Namjoo searched for God in convent, and He revealed Himself to her. She is a modern day Martin Luther. God has some thing for her and I am excited to see what it is. 

Walking you may see people you have not seen for days, and meet new ones along the way.

My dilemma currently is that I will reach my 135 miles tomorrow in Burgos...early. Do I continue on or go back to Barcelona And become a normal person once again? I am jealous of the people who can go the entire 458 miles in one trip, and I would love it! Even If I can eek out a few more towns, I am thinking that is more valuable than going to be a tourist. I have tomorrow to decide.

This town has no cell phones for locals, no Internet, and not even a grocery store! It is perfect timing to rest and relax. My tendon is aching today in right foot, and hip is super stiff but I feel amazing.

This will post a day late.

Today is my daughter's 16th birthday and I am really missing her!

Day Seven Granon to Villa Franca

I cannot even believe that this was Day Seven walking. I did 28 kilometers Today, getting à late start at 8am! We did arrive at THE most beautiful Albergue at 2:30.

One Amazing thing about this is that you will see people you haven't seen for days and suddenly be together.

 


Today our new Italian friend met up with us in time for check in at same albergue. I tell him his is better singer than Andrea Bocelli. We had à dinner table for pilgrims meal. Our table had Australian, Chinese, Italian, Argentinian, Korean...wonderful.



Today I hit à new low....I can now shoot snot rockets. As I was explaining to My buddy, I said I can teach others now that I have THE science down. I said "It's not rocket science".   then we figured out how that sounded .....get it? It's snot rocket science".....

Good night

Day Six Najera to Granon

Today was more solo than most days. THE landscape was walking through acres and acres of hay fields, sheep flocks with good shepherds (not on cell phones), and mountains much like eastern Washington.


All Day you meet people you may have not seen in days, and stop for coffee and snack, sharing stories. We walked 30 kilometers today and stopped in the Tiny town of Granon. As my Korean friend and I approached the first Albergue, we were so so excited to see that it is an old old Church that is hosted be volunteers. They Will prepare à community meal for us at 8:00 Tonight. After we dumped our backpacks on our sleeping pad (no beds, this is an ancient monastery) we went to kitchen to eat our crackers. À Spanish man was there who offered us wine, cheese, bread, and chocolate. I found this YouTube of the place we stayed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k7P8_lXH3k





I really slept on the little mat on the floor - it was great!

I AM at bar (coffee) for free internet. The language on my iPad keeps correcting my words to some weird foreign language....super annoying. I learned that it is due to i.p. Address.

.

So at 6:00 we (37 of us) met in kitchen to prepare supper. It was à great time of itself. There was à special mass and pilgrim blessing from THE priest, which I skipped.












In order to get our dessert from THE bakery we all went to bakery, in street, and each country had to sing à song. We were only country singing harmony.....Row Row Row Your Boat.  There was Japan, Korea, China, Italy, France, Spain, Canada, Hungary, England. It was à blast.






We returned and ate together.

Long discussion with à former Catholic turned atheist.

In getting onto our mats, we were next to Italy man, who we nicknamed Andrea Bocelli After hè sang. There was THE most Amazing loud snoring and we all giggled for àn hour. THE Italian would count between spells, as If it were Thunder and lightning.

Blessed Day.