April 24 and April 25

We took a drive to Charleois airport and left about 9 AM on Thursday to make sure we could get there. We will leave in the dark about 4:30 AM on Saturday. Checked out where to return the rental car and talked with Ryanair rep who told us we need to be there 2 hours before flight; the flight is at 7:15 AM. Now, if we just don't bobble the directions in the dark. 

On the return we stopped to take a pic of the house we rented in Jurbise from 1981 to 1985. That's it with the silver car in the drive. It was a perfect little house for our family with a big back yard for the boys to play in.

 Nick wondered if our neighbors still lived on either side. Josianne, Ernst and their son, Jean Louis (who was in college at that time) lived to our right. We thought the parents might be dead and the son would live there. They never used the front door, so we walked around back. Josianne, 86 yrs. young was working in the vegetable garden. Nick called out "hello."  We approached and in French I introduced myself.  She remembered us. 

Her husband died four years ago. Her son, Jean Louis, 54 yrs. now, is a veterinarian married to a doctor. They live several houses down on the same street.  She took us over to the house on the other side and Michelle, Stoney's age, was working in her garden. Henri, her husband, was at work. Our boys played with their son, Denis, and daughter, Celine. She invited us in and offered us a glass of wine.

 We opted for a glass of apple juice and had a toast. Of course, they were surprised to see us after 34 years. We have wonderful memories of our years in Belgium. On the way back to Chievres, we stopped at a boulangerie and bought croissants. 

Our son returned from Germany on Thursday and he surprised us by coming  to our room about 1 pm. We were not expecting him until late evening. 

Of course, it was wonderful to see him and spend time with him. We had a delicious dinner on the Place de Mons and the evening was perfect to dine outside. 

Our earlier bed time routine and earlier wake ups several days before leaving really worked to alleviate jet lag. We have had 2 nights of good sleep and are acclimated to European time. 

April 25 -- Zach took us to AFN Benelux for a tour of his work place. He was trained as a combat camera/combat videographer and here he does radio work and tv spots and whatever else needs to be done. He has had to learn a lot as he goes along and he's still learning. It can be stressful but he enjoys living in Europe. Tomorrow he has an event to cover on post. So we had lunch and dinner with him today and said our good-byes. We are very proud of him and grateful for those he serves with who help him as he learns the ropes in radio and tv. 

Au revoir, Belgium. On to France to visit Lourdes...

Random Thoughts - April 23

Nick's pack went in the trunk and mine in the backseat. 

Random thoughts on April 23 while Stoney naps (written at 4 pm Belgian time/8 am Georgia time):

At Atlanta airport waiting to board the train to get to our gate, we saw a couple a little younger than us wearing backpacks. The man had the same pack as me except one size larger. They are headed to the Camino too! Since we won't begin until April 28, we probably won't catch up to them. They were flying to Madrid and we parted ways with a 'Buen Camino!'

About 10 days before our departure date, I needed a new watch battery and went to Walmart. The jewelry counter clerk asked me to wait because she was helping another customer. A woman with a full cart came from the other side of the counter and the clerk began to check her out. I waited about 20 min., looked around a little and decided to come back another day. It is a good thing I was not waited on because I could have been hit by a car driven by a woman who apparently had a seizure as she attempted to park her car. She ran into six cars before she finally came to a stop but only after going airborne over a berm planted with bushes and trees. She sideswiped the entire right side of my car. Cars can be repaired and the woman was not seriously injured. No pedestrians were involved.

Since the repair of our car wasn't finished by departure day, we drove the rental car to the airport and turned it in. Insurance paid for the rental car and we didn't have to pay for a taxi.
Days before our flight there were lots of available seats for stand by. Yesterday we were #9 & 10 on the stand by list with I think 3 after us; there were 15 available seats. All listed stand by got a seat and there were only 2 empty seats when the plane departed the gate. I had a middle seat with Stoney to my left and a young man to my right (also flying standby). A few minutes before we pulled back from the gate a flight attendant asked the young man to move back one row. A woman with an infant sat down next to me. You can imagine my initial thoughts about the next 8.5 hours on the plane. The flight attendant said he would bring a bassinet after dinner to attach to the bulk head.

I'd never seen one but when I looked at what I thought could be attachment points it did not look good for me. The little boy was darling and VERY good-natured. Most babies cry on take off but she breast fed him and he was happy (no ear pressure pain for him). I asked his age - 4 months. I think he was small for his age. She had come last week from Belgium to attend a friend's wedding. I asked if he was her first child. She had fraternal twins and another girl at home. So this little guy was her fourth.

It was difficult for her to eat dinner holding him. When I had finished, I asked if I could hold him so she could eat. She immediately handed him over with no objections from the little guy. What a treat for me. He was a real babbler and we had quite a conversation. When she finished dinner, I gave him back. She said he was ready to sleep. She stood up with him in her arms, then she bent over at the waist almost 90 degrees, placed him on her back (stomach side down) and he did not move while she removed a shawl part of her dress, wrapped it around him to make a sling. She stood up and pulled his legs out to straddle her. She stood and sort of rocked back and forth about 10 min. While she periodically patted his bottom and he fell fast asleep. She bent over, removed the sling and took him in her arms. He remained asleep.
When the bassinet arrived, it stretched in front of me and the middle support bracket went between my knees. My first thought - for the next 5 hours I can't get up to use the bathroom. The attendant said I could trade seats with the mother but that meant Stoney would be seated next to her. I didn't think he'd like that. 

A woman with a vacant seat on the side aisle said I could take that seat so I moved. The baby slept almost until landing. The mother wrapped herself in the shawl covering her head and slept too. It was a quiet night except for the noise of the jet engines. I watched the movie, Philomena. 
The woman I sat next to was from California. She was traveling to Rome for the canonization of the two Popes on April 27th. I enjoyed her company.

We waited in line about an hour on arrival in Brussels to get our passports stamped.
After getting the rental car (much smaller than we requested), we made our way out of Brussels heading South. An open bed semi was in front of us two lanes to the right. A steel beam came loose and I watched in horror as it fell from the truck. I said "oh my God!" My only thought was that it would come through the window of the tiny Fiat 500 and we would die on the spot. Nick swerved one lane to the left, I heard a horn honk from in back of us and we continued on. The truck driver was oblivious to what had happened and continued. I kept thinking about the cars coming after us and whether they would see the steel girder in time to move.

We can't see our son today because he had training and traveled 3 hours to Germany.
We went to bed for the night at 7 pm Belgium time and we slept through the night. 

Departure, Growth and Loss of Security - April 22

The Human Garden --

We are put here for a little space
that we may learn how to bear
the beams of love. – William Blake

 






"How I love people. I love how we root and bloom, how we twine around each other and reach for the light, how as far as we grow in the dark of the earth is as far as we stand in the world. How being human, we are always charged with the vibrancy of a larger presence. How the complexity of our humanity mirrors this larger presence. In truth, we mirror everything living as we climb and stumble our way up the mountain to the cliff of yes. I recognize each person I come across because I am each on any given day. What matters is whether I shun those who bear my flaws or help them up; whether I turn away when this larger presence seems too strong or keep my birth-eyes open; whether I find a way to meet what is incomprehensible and somehow draw strength from it. What matters is if we can make it to the cliff of yes and shout our secrets to the sky till Heaven is the song we choose to sing on Earth." Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways To Listen-Staying Close To What Is Sacred.

As we wait at the departure gate and watch the board for our seat assignment, we are also watching people but  I'm thinking about the gardens I've planted through the years. When sissy and I were little girls, dad would let us help him plant the seeds in our backyard garden.  He did the hard work of readying the soil and we got to do the fun part. The soil in Illinois was rich and dark resembling the picture above. Here in Georgia, we have red clay soil.  I've had gardens in Mississippi, Indiana, Belgium, and Georgia. The soils were different in each place but plants thrived in each with the proper care.   

How will we grow during our time on the Camino? The picture above reminds me that like the little seed that was planted in the ground, we will lose the security of our daily routines, the comforts of our home, the ease of communicating in English and only time will tell what else. But I'm actually looking forward to the temporary losses because I want to grow in the way God has planned for me. 

So, Lord, help us to let go of our securities. You know that in our 44 years of marriage, we have spent time in the dark earth and have grown deep roots;  we have bloomed and twined around each other and reached for the light. Help us to climb and stumble our way along the Camino, up the mountains to the cliff of yes. Help us to recognize each person we come across on The Way and not to shun those who bear our flaws but to help them up. Whenever this journey seems too difficult, help us to keep our birth-eyes open; help us to find our way when we meet what is incomprehensible and somehow draw strength from it. We want to make it to the cliff of yes and shout our secrets to the sky til Heaven is the song we choose to sing on Earth, til You call us home to life everlasting. Thank you for this pilgrimage. Amen. 

Thanks again, Beth for your generosity.  Looks like we are #9&10 and there are 15 seats open. 

Mystery Of The Seed

Photo from Bloominthyme.wordpress.com

"The initial mystery that attends any journey is: How did the traveler reach his starting point in the first place?" ~ Louise Bogan, US poet, 1897-1970

How did we arrive at this place of pilgrimage?  Stoney's short answer -- "My wife wanted to do it and I'm coming along for the exercise and the challenge."

For me the seed was planted in late 2005 when I read a book by Joyce Rupp, Walk in a Relaxed Manner - Life Lessons from the Camino. I found the book when I went to her website and discovered she had written a new book. I think her first book, Fresh Bread, was published in the late 80's and I have read almost every book she has written. I say almost because when I went to her website to provide the link above, I discovered My Soul Feels Lean and it has been ordered. Over the years I have given many of her books as gifts to friends and and on occasion people I've met through hospice ministry, prison ministry (inmates and volunteers) and hospital ministry.

From the Introduction to Walk In A Relaxed Manner she writes: "Seeds of the future plant themselves in our hearts every day." I had never heard of the Camino but from the very beginning of this book, I knew I was in for a treat. "Each of us has a camino, a road of life. This road allows us access to the spiritual richness of those who traveled before us and those who travel with us now. All loving persons we encounter leave a touch of their positive, growth-filled goodness. We can slip into this energy as easily as my hand slipped into the deeply indented print in the marble pillar of St. James Cathedral." I slipped easily into the energy of Sr. Joyce's words and relished each chapter. I folded down many page corners and underlined passages that spoke to me.  At the time it never crossed my mind that one day I would want to walk El Camino but it was a book that I could use in my own camino, my daily road of life. Over the years I have read the book two more times and the passages underlined too many times to count. After finishing it, I loaned it to my friend, Nona, and she really enjoyed it too.

Nona and I have been friends since 1986; we met by attending daily Mass. I would sit next to her. We grew closer when we both became involved in Kairos, a nondenominational prison ministry. We served on many teams over a 6 yr. period and twice a year we went inside a maximum security womens' prison to participate in a 4 day retreat. We returned to the prison every month on a Saturday for a day of reflection. 

So the seed was planted by reading Walk In A Relaxed Manner and watered by meeting and visiting with Nona's nephew, Frank, in the Summer of 2007. He and his wife stop to visit Nona either enroute to Florida or on their return home. Frank was the first person I met who had walked the Camino. He shared his experience and we looked at all of his wonderful pictures. I could feel his joy and excitement as he told us about his journey on the Camino. But walking 500 miles seemed daunting and although I had enjoyed hearing about the Camino, it was not on my bucket list.  I had never backpacked or done any long distance hiking. In looking back now though I can see that the seed had expanded beneath the soil and was beginning to grow small roots.

Nona relaxing before the retreat

As an aside, Nona and I traveled to North Carolina in November of 2007 to attend a retreat given by Sr. Joyce Rupp. One of the desires of my heart was to attend a retreat given by her because her books had given me much spiritual nourishment. In fact,  I considered her a friend I had never met. I didn't actually expect to meet her during the retreat but we bumped into her on the hotel elevator going down for breakfast. Nona introduced herself and mentioned her relationship with Frank and Sue. Sr. Joyce and Frank were friends and had a working relationship as well. She invited us to join her for breakfast. The retreat was a very special time for Nona and me as well as the women from the local church. What a blessing! It's true --"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." ~ Psalm 37:4.

My husband and I began day hiking in State parks in Georgia and we enjoyed it. We have hiked in the Smoky Mountains and twice hiked up to Mt. LeConte to spend the night in one of the primitive cabins. We love that place! In the Fall of 2012 I went on my first and only week long backpacking trip with a group from fitpacking.com.  We began at Amicolola Falls State Park, Georgia on the approach trail to Springer Mountain, the Southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and over the course of 5 1/2 days hiked to Neels Gap.  It was hard work but I learned a lot from the guides and decided I would like to do more backpacking. The roots of my Camino were growing stronger and I think on that week-long trip the seed of my pilgrimage began to break ground and reach for the sun. Yet, I did not fully recognize it.

In December of 2012 I went back and forth between planning to walk the Camino or the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail won out. At 63 years of age I wasn't getting any younger and I decided to plan for a thru-hike of 2,185 miles. I didn't have to leave the United States and if it didn't work out, I knew Stoney would come get me and bring me home. It would not involve a flight to and from Spain and I wouldn't have to brush up on Spanish. However,  I had some trail language to learn ... the story of my hike on the Appalachian Trail can be found here.

My time on the Appalachian Trail nourished the seed of my Camino; the plant sprung up from the earth, was watered abundantly, nourished by the sun, withstood the storms, grew strong and produced the desire to walk the Camino. "Ultimately, it's not about leaving or staying, but opening the door that waits between our soul and the world; the door storms, human and natural, always close and which truth and love always reopen. In opening that door, no matter how often it closes, we are challenged to live the one life we are given." ~ Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways To Listen-Staying Close To What Is Sacred. The door to the Camino has opened for us and we are grateful.

I know I am too wordy but if you've made it this far, you might enjoy this song by the David Crowder Band. When Stoney is so far ahead of me on the Camino that I can't see him, I'll play this song. Maybe it will help me to pick up my pace. If not, I know it will remind me that the Lord's river of grace is flowing through me and I just need to follow Him.

 "I Am A Seed"

Oh I've been pushed down into the ground
Oh how I've been trampled down 
So many feet on top of me
I can't help but sink, sink, sink

Oh I've been pushed down into the ground
Oh how I have been trampled down
Lord I put my trust in thee
You won't turn your back on me

Oh I am a seed
Oh I am a seed
I've been pushed down into the ground
But I will rise up a tree

Oh I can see it won't be long
Till I break free from what I was
Your river of grace flows endlessly
You won't turn your back on me

Oh I am a seed
Oh I am a seed
I've been pushed down into the ground
But I will rise up a tree

I've been burned up in so many fires
From these ashes I will rise
Lord your power has rescued me
For you I'll always sing

Oh I am a seed
Oh I am a seed
I've been pushed down into the ground
But I will rise up a tree

Oh I am a seed
Oh I am a seed
Won't stay long here in this earth
When you rain your love on me
Lord, rain your love on me 

"I will restore to you the years the locust has eaten." ~ Joel 2:25

God is the Friend of Silence

"We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls." ~ Mother Teresa  

These pictures were taken on the Camino by pilgrims who have completed their journey. I'm sure you'll agree with me that they are beautiful.  When I look at each one, I am drawn into the silence of God. As I look at the colors of Spring (notice the differences in the greens), the brilliant red of the poppy, the new growth on the grape vines, the sky (whether cloudy or clear), how the sunlight filters through the forest, I give thanks to God the Creator for giving us such a beautiful world.



 I give thanks to God for giving me eyes that are opened to see this beauty. I give thanks to God for giving me health and the desire to walk in and enjoy nature.  I expect there will be times of silence each day as we walk whether together or alone. I give Him thanks in advance for all that will be on The Way.

We are giving thanks for a friend of 25+ years. On April 2nd, Beth called and booked our Non Revenue Listing. On that day there were approximately 45 available seats on the flight to Brussels.  I think she said there are 2 others listed and hoping to get on this flight. Needless to say, we are excited. As the travel day approaches, I am enjoying the sound of a gentle rain. I went into our yard after a little shower and listened to the birds sing and took pics of our flowers clothed in rain drops.

                                          Psalm 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God.


My favorite azalea --

 Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Flowers#sthash.7RNfKNfv.dpuf

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Flowers#sthash.7RNfKNfv.dpuf

Do not lose your desire to walk

For many years we have been walkers. We both wear pedometers. I have a fitbit Zip which syncs with my phone and uploads to the fitbit.com website; Stoney prefers a low tech pedometer.  The numbers under the Steps column of the graph are miles. The graphs are for the last 3 months. Every now and then I take an off day. Stoney almost never takes a rest day -- it's not in his nature. 

In March we began walking with our packs. This past week we walked 5 consecutive days at our highest daily mileage yet. Kind of test to see how we might fare walking on the Camino day in and day out. We stopped for a coffee break at Starbucks one day, sandwich at a BBQ restaurant another, and an ice cream cone on another day. Stoney likes strong coffee and I think he's looking forward to Spanish coffee. I'm hoping the cafe con leche won't be too strong for me. He jokes that at home I have a little coffee with my milk.

When we talked with a friend (thanks, Mike) who walked the Camino this past Fall, his recommendation was that we "prepare as if the Camino was an athletic event." Having prepared for 10K's and a half marathon in the past, we gradually built our mileage (time on our feet) and that's the strategy we are using for the Camino.  In a few weeks our "boots will be on the ground" -- a nod to lingo Stoney was accustomed to in the Army -- but in reality our trail runners will be on the ground. We know the Camino will be different from walking around town (asphalt and concrete) and different from hiking in State parks (some elevation changes but not mountains); we hope our preparation has been sufficient.

Over the years we've walked a lot of miles around town. People we don't know even honk at us; we consider it a thumbs-up. From time to time, someone will roll down a window and make a comment:

"Y'all sure walk a LOT!" 
"I see y'all walking ALL OVER this town"
"How many miles do y'all walk every day?"

However since walking this past month with our packs, we've gotten the most interesting comments/questions/looks:

One guy said "Y'all running away from home?" 
From a guy on a bike "Are you training for the big one?" (We thought he might be referring to the Appalachian Trail). 
"Boy, where you go'in?"
Yesterday, as we walked along a highway, a man slowed his truck and said "Where you headed? (I thought maybe he was gonna offer us a ride in the back of his pickup - thinking back to my time on the Appalachian Trail) and then he said "Are you training for a hike?"

When hearing our reply that we are going to Spain to walk 500 miles across the country, the looks we receive are priceless and usually followed by quite a pause as they process the info. An older guy in McDonald's replied "just thinking about walking 500 miles makes me tired; glad it's you doing it!" Another person said "You must be crazy!"  Young people think it's "Cool". Most people wish us well.

Colossians 1:10 -  so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Letting there be room ...

"Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all. When there's a big disappointment, we don't know if that's the end of the story. It may just be the beginning of a great adventure. Life is like that. We don't know anything. We call something bad; we call it good. But really we just don't know." ~ Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times





 One year ago I was sitting at home after coming off the Appalachian Trail. I had slipped and fallen on icy rock coming down from Cheoah Bald and twisted my ankle. At the time I was very disappointed and wondered if it was the end of a hoped for thru-hike. Was it bad luck?  Maybe ... but I got into rehab with a physical therapist immediately, avoided a terrible snow storm that descended on the Smoky Mountains and made hiking very difficult and dangerous; I participated in Holy Week services and Easter Sunday at my home parish. So in many ways the fall brought much good into my life. On April 6th Stoney drove me back to Stecoah Gap and I returned to the Appalachian Trail wearing an ankle support (just in case).

As I write this blog post,  we are definitely in that place where we need to let "there be room for not knowing" as we count down the days until we begin our pilgrimage on the Camino Frances (the French Way on the Way of St. James) enroute to Santiago de Compostela.

 I was really surprised when we received our Credencial del Peregrino just a few days after I applied online. Coming from California, I expected it would take longer. When Stoney brought in the mail and I saw the envelope that contained our pilgrim passports, my heart skipped a beat or two (not really that unusual because I have thousands of irregular heartbeats each day for which exercise is my prescription rather than medication).

The letter from the American Pilgrims on the Camino began:

"Dear Friend of the Camino, 

We are very happy to provide you with your credencial del peregrino for your upcoming journey on the Camino de Santiago. The Camino has existed for a thousand years, and you are about to become part of its legacy.

The credential identifies you as a pilgrim traveling on foot, bicycle or horseback, and it must be shown when you register in the albergues in which you sleep along the Camino ..."

As I read the letter, the words "You are about to become part of its legacy" caught my eye and took me back to the Appalachian Trail. Day after day as I walked, I thought about all those who had walked the path from Georgia to Maine. Most days I walked alone although a few people would pass me and on a rare occasion I would pass someone. It was a solitary and quiet walk. Some days I was lonely but most days I enjoyed the solitude...and experienced the companionship/ the legacy (the gift) of the Appalachian Trail and all who have walked it. I met a man from Texas hiking part of the AT last year. His trail name was ..... wait for it .... Tex.

He had completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail some years ago and completed the Camino. I don't remember how the topic came up, but he said he thought I'd enjoy it and my husband probably would too since he wouldn't have to sleep in a tent. That's Tex relaxing at Mother Marian's -- not too far off the Appalachian Trail. We sought refuge from two days of heavy rain on the trail. 

The Appalachian Trail's legacy is recent  when compared to El Camino de Santiago. The first section of the Appalachian Trail was opened in 1923. Myron Avery was the first to hike the trail end to end in 1936 although not as a thru-hike. In 1948 Earl Shaffer was the first to complete a documented thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. 

We are preparing to walk a path that has been in existence for over a thousand years. We will experience and become a part of the legacy that began during medieval times. I wonder whether any our relatives from Ireland, Sweden, Germany and England have walked it. Will we be following in their footsteps?  

From from the back of the Credencial del Peregrino:

Live In The Moment

Welcome Each Day - Its Pleasures and Its Challenges

Make Others Feel Welcome

Share

Feel The Spirit of Those Who Have Gone Before You

Imagine Those Who Will Follow You

Appreciate Those Who Walk With You Today