Strange Energies going on in the World

I have been hitting the pool for laps.  This year, so far,  we have had about 50 days over 90 degrees with heat factors between 100 and 110 degrees and we are only 1/2 the way through summer.  We are having the hottest year in history and last year was the second hottest in history.  What a year to decide to work out.  To be honest the heat has finally gotten to me so I am doing laps and packing my home.   The market is slow so I am going to rent my home and go ahead and move.  I need to hit the mountains for some climbing to build those muscles.  So Colorado here I come, the end of August.

The pool has been great and I am now doing about 6 different strokes, swimming with goggles and a nose plug.  Not something I have done in the past but it sure speeds up the swimming.  Weight loss has slowed down, maybe because I am not walking as much but I stay within my calorie allotment and trust it will perk up here soon.

I am noticing as I am typing this that I am having a hard time being positive and fighting to stay light.  Hummm!  Must be some interesting energies around. 

I have connected with a few Camino people that will be walking this fall.  I will be watching their blogs to learn more about the blister thing.  Boy it is a big thing in the books I have of people's personal accounts of their walks. They describe feet covered in blisters, nightly rituals of threading thread through them so they can drip out and dry up.  Then they talk of the pilgrim walk, a sort of limp on the side of the foot so they don't step on their sore blisters.  Then I read of those who don't stop and take care of their feet and all the intense pain they have.  I wonder if when we walk long miles do we lose our common sense.   Or maybe it is a time factor, limited time to accomplish before they have to go home.  Maybe they didn't purchase open ended tickets and have a set date.  Not sure but I am going to have an open ended ticket and plan to stop when my feet need a day off.  I am looking for balance not extreme.  I did extreme all those work years and I never want to go back to that horror story again.

So let's take a look at some more pics of the Camino and close this very stressful day on a high note.  I hope congress gets it soon.  And I wish all of you a grand week end.

Buen Camino
b

Some Awesome Revelations

The more I exercise the more I have pain.  Yup, that is true.  So what do I do with this?  I am not going to give up.  So I must find my way through it all.  I thought of going to a chiropractor but at the moment it is not in my budget.  Then I thought of going for a massage and that too is outside my current budget.  So I have been doing more stretches and limbering exercises.  Come see, come saw as for relief.  But! Sunday (it was so hot and muggy here) I went to the mall to walk.  The first time around I didn't even notice this new store front.  I talked myself into going around again.  Shortly after I noticed people standing outside of a small store waiting to go in.  Then simultaneously I noticed a reflexology chart. They always draw me in as I have learned the wholestic nature of the body and the affect on the body when we work our hands or feet or head. 

As I stood studying the chart, one much better than mine and I wanted to own it, I noticed people getting reflexology treatments.  I saw a price sheet.  I was soon in line for my own treatment.  I must tell you, I want to take these people with me and move them to Colorado with me.  This was THE most amazing treatment I have ever had.  They were Chinese and had studied massage and reflexology like none in the USA.  I was in heaven when I left.  I was not even entirely here as I continued walking around the mall.  Dazed and beaming I wandered the halls.

Yesterday I awoke with much less pain.  I had a restful day talking with my friend in Italy for 6 hours.  How in the world does someone talk for 6 hours.  I have no idea.  It just happened.  But after such a long time in a restful state (I wear headphones when I talk on the phone so I don't have any of the pain of holding the phone for a long time) I began to notice that I didn't hurt anymore.  Within 24 hours after being worked on I was feeling great.  Then  again this morning I awoke to a painless body.  Three cheers for the Chinese massage therapists.  They are genuinely a gifted group.

This message was scheduled to be about the pain and for advice from any of you that had any ideas but I am feel so good now.  Of course, if any of you have any input I would appreciate you sharing it.  There is something else that has happened,  I find myself getting up and immediately starting to do stretches and then on the floor for more stretch type of exercises and then I started doing my Qigong, which I hadn't done in some time.  It is as if all I needed to do was to start down this path and at appropriate intervals new thoughts come to me and I start doing what needs to be done at that moment.  The same is happening with my swimming.  I can't say enough about swimming.  I just never realized how much it really strengthens the body. 

Back to swimming , suddenly I have started to do more strokes, a variety is now happening.  I began with just one.  This one allowed me to be one with the water and I found it easy to do 40 laps.  It was not a strain as I was totally focused on how it felt to be moving with the water and the laps just flew by.  I began adding another stroke about a week and a half ago.  This was fun and also made new sore points as I was using different muscles.  But, I was enjoying it and continued.  Then suddenly the end of last week I began to add 3 more strokes.  Now I am varying between 5 strokes and getting a much better work out.  Then to add on a new piece, this week end at the mall I bought goggles and nose plug.  this will enable me to do even more strokes.  So off I go tomorrow with my new gear to practice at a new level.

If any of you are in the mind to begin working out.  All I can say is if you start gradually with walking and let it grow on it's own it will really expand over time.  I started in February walking with my gazzele.  Then in April I began walking outside.  This continued until I started swimming in June when the pool opened up for the season.  I am already trying to figure out how I can continue with the swimming in Colorado.  Exercise seems to beget exercise.  It seems to bring about it's own natural flow if you allow it.  I am letting my body guide me.  If it tells me to do something then I do it.  I kinda just get the idea or thought.  It is working out well.



I am packing now.  My belongings are going into storage and I am renting my home.  Unfortunately I am in that middle class situation with my price.  Homes a lot less than mine are selling and homes a lot more than mine are selling but my price range is not selling so I am going to rent.  I will be in Colorado by the end of August, beginning of September.  I would appreciate any good thoughts coming my way as I negotiate with a property manager this week.  This has worried and saddened me much but I am trying to look at this from a bigger picture.  I won't be able to buy a home and will have to rent a one room apartment but I will have income from the house after mortgage and property management fees.  This will help tide me over till I can get a job or jobs in Colorado.   WOW!  what changes are gong on in my life.  It is all amazing and very scary.  this is not where I thought I would be at my age.

There is a bit of the survivor in me and I just know I will survive my only problem is I often get pissed at how I have to survive.  It's that control thing, I want it my way.  Maybe it is an American way, isn't the saying "have it your way" big here.  Don't a lot of businesses use it?  Of Course, we are the king of 'have it your way'.  But for some reason I can't seem to get it my way.  Pisser!  So I have a saying when I get to these places in my life, which I have had many of them, 'With all this horse S..t around there has to be a pony, I just have to dig deeper."  Smile those of you that get it, for others, become a kid again and you will see the humor and joy in that statement.

I want to end today with some pics of July 25 in Spain.  It is the holiday of St James.  It is like our 4th of July but with out the same meaning.  It is the joy of the saint that saved their country from the moors, well I guess it is then just the same, it is about their freedom as well.  I hope you enjoy the pics.

This is the Cathedral of St James in Santiago de Compestella, the end of the walk across Spain, the goal.  I had found some awesome pics I would have liked to show you but they were not allowed to be copied so I am going to put the address below so you can see them.  They are worth the visit.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000775789043

Look for the pics in the middle of the page showing fireworks photos and click to see them all.  If you don't get this till late and more posts have been posted then look for it on 7/26/11 posts.

Buen Camino
b

Can You Help Out?

I would like to share with all of you a website.  They are making a movie of the Camino.  You can watch a trailer of it on the website.  It is a good movie and I would like to se it completed.  The people making it have used up their funds and need help to complete it.

http://www.caminodocumentary.org/

If you are in a place where you can help please use the donation area on the website.  It is always appreciated when anyone is willing to help another.

What People Are Saying

We are very impressed with (Lydia B. Smith's) 23-minute fundraising trailer and her ability to capture the essence and spectacular beauty of the Camino. We urge you to join us in supporting this worthy project.

- Emilio Estevez & Martin Sheen, Actors/Filmmakers

 

This thoughtful film captures the essence of the Camino - the extraordinary camaraderie that builds along the way transcending the barriers erected by society. This film will change hearts and minds and, in the process, help to make the world a better place.

- John Brierley, Author of The Camino Guides, England

You were able to capture the beauty, culture and magic of the Camino in a way that I have never seen before.

- Ana Ramiro, Press & PR Manager, Tourist Office of Spain

An excellent reflection of the spirit of the Camino. The Camino is with you. You deserve to achieve your purpose.

- María Rosa Ventulá, Pilgrim, Spain

 

Thank You

There's an even higher Mountain in the Last third.

I have been reading about walking the Camino for 10 years now.  I know, that is a long time.  But the last time I was ready to go a family event kept that from happening.  It was one of those things you just can't miss.  Now  I am preparing and determined I will make it work for next year.  There is something about walking 500 miles all by myself in a foreign country where I do not know the language.  It is scary yet exciting.  Actually it scares the s..t out of me, but I want to do it anyway.  I always wished I had a different more empowering childhood and I wish I had known about Woodstock and I wish  I attended.  Even thought I am not that wild it would have been an awesome experience even for just a day or two.  I remember many years later sitting in Grant Park in Chicago listening to the Dali Lama.  He had a profound affect on me but putting that aside, being in that huge park with all those people and the singers, the guitar players, etc I soared from all the excitement, or maybe it was all the indirect smoke I was breathing.  Whatever it was, I had a grand time and felt so alive.

I have missed out on so much of life just because I was brought up to be afraid of my own shadow.  I have fought this fear all my life.  I can tell you I am finally on the other side of it and that is one of the reasons I want to do this walk.  I want to prove to myself that I can do this.  I can deal with the pain and exhaustion myself.  I can deal with having to find a place to sleep every night, myself, even if I have to sleep outside.  I can deal with trying to find food everyday and I can figure out what to drink with the meals since I don't drink much alcohol.  In the books, all they talk about is the bottle or two of wine they drink every night.  And how they start out on the trail hung over the next morning.  Not my thing.  I love a good drink now and then but every day is out.  I can do this and I can still have fun and make friends, sober.

Keeping in mind all my reasons for walking this walk, I am finding myself creating a greater confidence within.  As my body gets more and more fit a new feeling is overcoming me.  One of youth.  In one's youth you do not know the concepts experience bring.  You are still sitting in that invincible place.  As one grows older they see more and more happenings in life and all these happenings seem to create little road blocks in the mind.  There are new synopsis that are created.  They are protecting synopsis.  Without even realizing it they slowly begin to take over and your life is run by these new synopsis.  With the renewed confidence I am feeling from my body I am beginning to believe I am invincible again.  Or maybe it is really just a renewed sense of "I can".

In the beginning the only big challenge I read about was walking over the Pyrenees.  Everyone speaks of the unbelievable pain and exhaustion they experience from this first day.  It has disturbed me.  My weakest point is my lungs.  As a child I had tonsillitis or pneumonia every year in February.  This happened until I was 15 when my mother finally allowed me to have my tonsils removed. This weakened my lungs.  Then it was all the thing in college to smoke so of course I started to smoke. I eventually gave that up, but walking up hill has always been a bit of a challenge.  Wha la, fear of walking over the Pyrenees.  As I continue to read and prepare I have come to realize that if I would just do lung building exercise I will have no real problems.  Yes, I will be tired but I will be able to do it.  Now that I have over come this obstacle and have decided to begin climbing mountains this fall to strengthen my lungs, I have found out that there is an even higher mountain in the last third of the trip.

It is the mountain that gets you to O'Cebreico.  I have decided to show you the ascent via pictures.  Enjoy your trip to the top

As you begin your ascent out of town

Continuing but still not knowing haw far it really is

Getting the idea but still more to come

And it goes on

Rounding a corner you come to a new sign, bikes on the right and walkers on the left.  Hummmmmm

Then the trail gets really exciting

And it just continues, just in case your ankles aren't sore enough yet

Finally the top - legs like rubber and ankles screaming you drag into the Albergue

 I hope you enjoyed your walk up the mountain.  Have a great day

Buen Camino
b

Walking on Coconut shells?

A few of us on the net have been having discussions on how to take care of our feet with all this walking.  It is not as if walking a lot automatically gives one blisters but instead it is the repetitive daily walk. Walking 5 to 6 hours at average speed or 6 to 8 hours at slow speed day in and day out is the part that makes it difficult.  With the onslaught of cars we just don't walk as much as we used to.  Bedroom communities and suburbs have made it impossible to be able to walk for short errands etc as was done in the past.

Then we add our lifestyles.  Here we go with that statement that you said you would never say when you matured, when I was younger, (there I said it) we walked to the movies, to the soda shop or just into town to do whatever.  Sometimes we would take a bus to the next town and wonder around there.  We didn't have malls and everyone lived within walking distance to most things. 

I remember the flight to the suburbs.  It all looked like such a great idea.  Maybe it was for larger cities that put in public transportation into the city.  They had cute little towns all around a central shopping area and easy access to the trains into work in the city.  But as time has passed the little towns of the nation have grown and the public transportation has not.  So, wha la, we drive everywhere.  There is no easy way for me to get to the south side of the town with public transportation.  So I drive and this means I drive all over the south part of town as now I have my car, instead of public transportation and walking.

I used to do a lot of walking as a kid but as I moved further and further out I just naturally acquired an appendage called my car.  This new appendage got all the exercise while the rest of me just lazed around and let it do the work.  It is in great shape.  It gets it's oil changed, lubed joints, new tires, tune up etc while my body was taken for granted and the inevitable day arrived where I noticed the changes.  I was so lost in the fog of modern life that I couldn't seem to find my way out.  I, as well as many, got caught up in the quick fixes.  Trying and trying to find the answer to this growth that just seemed to have a life of it's own. 

It has taken me decades to finally get it, cut off the appendage.  This idea came with many new feelings.  Is it safe for me to walk on the streets?  Well in some places it isn't and here in Charlotte it is becoming less and less safe.  The cars think you are playing bumper cars with them if you cross the streets.  The old game of getting points for bumping off people on the road is coming true here.  Then we have the shootings and ....  On and on go the fear thoughts at the return to walking. 

One day I cut off the appendage and headed out, scared.  Yes, scared.  I didn't know if I would be mugged or run over by a car or or or.....  The thoughts went on and on until one day, after nothing had happened, I began to feel better and better about being out.  It doesn't help to have the news people constantly say "don't go out walking on the greenway without someone else, safety in numbers game.'  I am aware as I walk but I am walking.  It's funny, I know I will be safe in Spain but I do not feel safe here in America.  Sad.

So back to taking care of my feet now that I am out walking again and need to take care of them.  For long haul walking there are many suggestions.  One of which has always had a yuck factor for me, Vaseline all over your feet and between the toes.  OOOOO!  That doesn't sound too cool to me.  but the more I read about people doing this and saying they don't get blisters when they do this the more I am thinking of trying it.  The newest thing is  Toesox.  Many of you may have heard or seen these things as I understand they have been around for yoga.  Well they are now all the hit for long walking.  Many are swearing by them. 

I haven't tried the vaseline yet but I will be trying my Toesox as soon as they arrive.  They just amaze me.  Read what they say about them: 

"Our poor little toes and feet have been crammed into shoes and socks that don’t allow them to move freely and stretch. While you're exercising your body and wearing athletic shoes, exercise your feet™ in ULTRA Sport ToeSox running socks.
Two things cause blisters - moisture and friction. Eliminate these two elements and your feet are blister-free. The five- toe design of ToeSox running toe socks prevents skin on skin friction, while the Cocona® fibers of the ULTRA Sport running socks provide the most superior moisture wicking technology."

What are Cocona fibers you ask?  Well read this:


"Not only do these running socks with Cocona® natural technology provide evaporative cooling for the feet, but the fibers become odor resistant.
Combine the moisture wicking technology of Cocona® with the vented knit top of the ULTRA Sport ToeSox, and you'll find your feet in the best running socks to keep your feet cooled as the heat and moisture are able to be released."

"Cocona® technology utilizes recycled coconut shells (not husks) that would have gone to landfills. Suppliers convert the coconut shells into activated carbon, primarily for the air and water filtration industries. The particles that are too small are made even smaller. These active particles and proprietary minerals are then embedded inside man-made fibers like polyester and nylon. This natural technology™ provides the ultimate in evaporative cooling and odor management. Since the technology is permanently embedded into the fiber, they will retain or even improve their performance over the life of the product."

Coconut shells!  Hummmm!  What an interesting thing I will be putting on my feet.  If I were a bit sillier I probably would draw a pic here of me walking on coconut half shells.  Ha! Ha! so funny. I have my pair on the way and I will let you know what they feel like and how they work.  I am looking to release my hot spots on my heals and help with my Achilles  tendon area.  I have found a great exercise that is really working.  It takes a stair and an up and down movement while I deep breathe.   

The next thing to consider is the procedure that is recommended to take care of blisters that make it all the way through all our planning and technology.  It is to simply thread a needle (clean one) and poke it through the blister leaving the thread hanging out of the in hole and the out hole so all the fluid can drip out along the thread.  This is supposed to keep the raw skin underneath protected and the fluids out and is supposed to facilitate easy healing.  Rather than the horrid feet I read about that are loaded with upwards of ten or twelve blisters all broken, raw and infected.  Yuck!

This adventure in life just keeps getting more and more interesting.  It is a good thing I don't scare easily.  But I must confess I do have an unusually strong belief that this won't happen to me.  Sly smile her, more like a devil smile, for I will probably have my own share of problems walking the Camino but I will be as versed as possible on how to take care of all these great adventures that are coming my way.

I got in my laps yesterday but today I am cleaning as I gave away all my plants (except one huge ivy in my bathroom that I am going to try and move).  We are back in the heat factor of  over  100 degrees along with the typical humidity and dew point.  It is so hard to walk in this weather but when you add the bad air quality here it gets damaging to the body.  I did it one day and it took 2 days to recover from it and I only did about 4 miles that day as I noticed the air quality and difficulty in breathing just standing still.

Have a glorious day.  I will close with a pic along the Camino:

Buen Camino
b

If I was a super hero I would be .......

Just a bunch of short walks this week end.  Still working on my diet.  It is much better.  I was eating raw and loved some of the changes that happened with it.  Realized I needed to temper it for two reasons.  One, I need more with all this exercise.  Just by adding in a small amount of organic grass finished meat and a bit of sprouted bread and wha la, life is good.  The second reason is because I want to release some weight and it wasn't happening with all raw.  I was hungry all the time and eating too many calories.  With me walking 17,000 to 23,000 steps 4 times a week and still no weight loss.  Da! too many calories.  Now that I have added back a bit of good meat (organic grass finished only) I am now losing weight.  I have found my balance.  This makes me eating more of a Paleo or Primal type of diet.  Lots of greens, fruits, vegs and a small amount of organic grass finished meats, no dairy, legumes or grains.  (My cheat is a bit of sprouted grain breads).  The raw is the same except no organic grass finished meats.  

I have found another problem with my feet and found a cure.  Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!  I am so excited to have decided to prepare for this walk in advance.  I am finding all sorts of little challenges and solutions.  If I was on the trail I wouldn't have this kind of availability of information and time to make changes.  I would be suffering with great pain and blisters etc.  I am sure when I do walk there will be plenty of things for me to deal with but I am hoping I will be able to eliminate too much physical damage as I am 63 and don't have 20 or 30 years to fix things like so many young people who just go out and walk and go through so many real physical problems.

I am reading about the different Albergues and some of the etiquette.  It seems many get up at 4am to head out early.  But we are all in one huge room sleeping right next to each other.   There is no way that one can sleep through all the noise and the head lamps shinning around the room.  I am wondering how well I will feel when I have to be out by 8am and I am still tired.  I get my best sleep from 4am to 7am and really miss this if I don't get it.  This will be my first challenge on the trail.  I am thinking maybe I should try to change my bio clock before going.

Here is another interesting thing I have discovered.  People arrive before the Albergue opens and they line up their backpacks waiting for it to open.  Now for those of us who don't walk as fast and don't leave as early, we have to take what ever is leftover or continue walking to another town for another albergue.  This is something I am wondering about.  Maybe this will be my "feet full of blisters".  I have learned in my reading that no one really just walks the Camino and has no problems with life or physicality.  You will get to read all about it here.

I am taking a day off and going to see Harry Potter today.  I am a magic fan.  I also love those kung fu movies where they fly through the air.  That is my dream.  If I was a super hero I would be one that can fly and move through time with ease.  That being said, if I wanted to check out the Camino I would just fly through time and be there in a minute.  Awesome superpower. 

Buen Camino
b

Walked in the Rain for the First Time

I have been telling myself I needed to experience walking in the rain.  But like all things like this, I kept putting it off.  Yesterday was the first time it hasn't been boiling hot since winter.  I seized the day and headed out.  As I stepped out of the garage I decided to grab my umbrella, just in case.  I checked the weather and it said scattered showers but didn't show anything on the radar.

I hadn't been walking more than 30 mins and the sprinkles started.  Soon it was raining, that lovely soft rain that has always looked a bit inviting at times.  I discovered I didn't mind it at all.  I reminded myself that this is nothing like a torrential down pour where one gets soaked and stays soaked while walking for many miles.  This experience is yet to come.

I did make the decision to get off the trail as the rain continued and I headed into the local area.  The green way is a bit forbidding when it is raining and you are the only one there.  I continued to walk in the rain rather enjoying myself.

I ended up walking 5 1/2 miles.  It would have been longer but a neighbor stopped and wanted to give me a ride, very insistently.  I decided to come in out of the rain.

All in all my first experience walking in the rain was good.

Have a great week end

Buen Camino
b

The Swimming is improving, I am getting stronger

Tuesday I swam 40 laps for the first time, Wednesday I headed for the pool again but only got in 3 laps before a thunder and lightening storm started.  Back again on Thursday.  Yesterday I did 40 laps again.  This time I pushed myself to go faster.  Tuesday it took me 70 mins to do the laps.  Yesterday I did it in 63 minutes.  I was very happy with the change.  I didn't really have any sort of schedule or thought process regarding my swimming.  I started just to use other muscles than the ones I use for walking, realizing that the body is holistic and if I don't train the whole body then one day I will have problems, especially when I start asking it for much more than I am now.  As I am swimming ideas come to me and I start doing them.  I guess I am getting into that inner knowingness or guidance.  It is working.  I was amazed at how well I swam faster and harder.  We will see where this all goes.

Yesterdays post I put on a facebook page for American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC) and immediately got some great advice and help for my achilles tendons.  Out of all the info I thought to seek out a product I have had for some time.  It is called Triflora.  It is a Natural Homeopathic Analgesic for arthritis, rheumatism, tendinitis, simple backaches, stains and sprains.  A health food store owner recommended it to me many years ago for pain from walking 5k and 10k race/walks.  I had forgot all about it and it was just in with my stuff out of sight.  I pulled it out and put it on my left heal, the one that hurt the most, before going swimming.  Within 10 mins the pain was all gone.  It came back by bed time.  I put it on both heals and woke up this A.M. without any pain.  Usually I wake up with pain and have to stretch it out and walk it out.  Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.   Homeopathic things are so great.  I keep finding wonderful things and have been for years.  I hope this will keep me from having to wear the boot at night.  Now I must find some more of this great product.

It just seems that I get supplied with all the help I need as I move on down this road to health and well being.  I do appreciate all my readers.  You are a great bunch of people.  I hope to see some of you on the Camino one day.

Today I am going for a walk.  The weather cooled off so out for a long walk today.  I think I will walk to a friends and visit and then go to my shopping area.  One of these days I will take on an even longer walk, like 12 miles but it will probably happen without my even planning it.

Short one today, I want to get out and see how this day turns out.  Thanks for being around and reading my blog.  I will end with a pic form my Camino resources.  Blessing to  http://onthecamino.squarespace.com/picture-gallery for allowing sharing of your pics.

Buen Camino
b

Looking for some help with my heals actually my sore Achilles tendons..

WOW my Achilles tendons are giving me some PPAAAAIINNNNNNNNNN!  I am looking for anything you all may know to help them.  I guess this means I need to do some sort of exercising or stretching to build them.  I have started to stretch them more and am walking barefoot and with flip flops to help exercise them.  But they are definitely paining me.

The first time this happened to me was after a 10K several years ago.  Took some time to heal.  But it did.  I have not had any problems until now.  Help!!

A great thing has happened.  I can squat down and my heals stay on the ground and I can hold this position for a short time and then move up without any support needed.  Just my legs.  Really awesome as I had lost this ability.  I am happy to have it back, means my legs are getting stronger again.  So what I need help with is strengthening my Achilles tendons.  If this helps, I can feel something pulled or sore all the way up through my left leg, like one long muscle in pain.  It is on the back of my leg.

Went to do my laps yesterday but got caught in a thunder and lightening storm.  So didn't happen.  Will head out today to try and make up for it.  I do like the fact that by doing two different strokes I am working so many more muscles swimming.

Great news.  I believe I have found my , just right, eating and exercise routine.  We will watch it closely for the next 4 weeks and if I continue to lose weight then I know I got it just right for me.  I tweaked my diet a bit and it seems to be making the difference.  One of the ways I know this is working is because my son came into town for a few days on business and we went out to dinner.  He took me to a top of the line Steak house (Sullivan's).  We had a great meal.  I compensated the day of the meal by saving 1/2 my calories for the dinner.  Then the next day I cut my calories short by 200.  This A.M. I weighed thinking I would see how much damage the meal did and how much I would have to work off and discovered I had gone down another 1/2 lb.  Now that was a shock and a delight.  I finally feel like a success in action and that it is only a matter of time till I accomplish my goal to get rid of this extra weight and get back into shape.  Yeaaaaaaaa!

If any of you have done body repair and rebuild please share what ever you did.  I am an open book looking to add to  my knowledge.  It seems I keep learning more every year but it is not always easy to discover what is just right for me and what I need to ignore.

So let's move on and talk more about this great trail I am about to do.  I think it is so exciting to walk down the trail that so many people of the past have walked.  Like St Francis of Assisi, Charlemagne and many many more.  The Knights Templar were charged with keepiing the pilgrims safe along the way.  This road has been actively walked every year for the last 1000 years.  It had been walked before that but the years were sporadic.  In historical days it was a very common practice to go on a pilgrimage.  One would set out form their home and head towards Rome, Jerusalem or Santiago.  Over the years Rome and Jerusalem have gone through some turbulent times and Santiago became the safer place to travel.  It is said that the bones of Saint James the greater, one of Jesus disciples, are buried there. People would go for absolution.  For forgiveness of sins so they could get into heaven.  I am sure there are still people that walk the Camino to Santiago for just these same reasons today.  But in keeping with our modern culture, the reasons for walking have changed.

Many walkers will make the trip in times of turmoil in their lives.  Maybe a loss of a loved one, having no direction in life etc.  It has even been used for curing criminals.  In past times (not aware if they still do this) criminals were forced to walk the Camino instead of going to jail.  They say this walk under the Milky Way heals or changes one.  Many a criminal has walked this as their penance and has come back a reformed person.  So the reasons for walking are as varied as are the people that walk it.  The most notable thing is that it is safe to walk, even alone and even as a female.

Europeans walk way more that Americans.  It is not uncommon for a European to walk out of their front door and walk across Europe to Spain and across Spain to Santiago for their needs.  The sheer numbers of people on the trail have grown over the years, doubling in many cases.  It is said that in holy years upwards of 200,000 people walk the Camino.  It has become more and more popular.  And, the amazing thing, people speak all kinds of languages and don't always know Spanish or the languages of those around them but they all seem to get along and seem to have found a way to communicate.

I will close with some more pics of the Camino.  I hope you all have a great Thursday.

Since I am talking about sore feet today I thought a pic of a pilgrims troubles would be appropriate.  I am hoping by this prep that I will be able to avoid most of the troubles I read about.

These are some of the markers one follows to find their way.  They can be anywhere as these pics show.  Therefore, one has to be very attentive to stay on trail, especially in the city.

Buen Camino
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