Sunday Update

It's Sunday morning and I just finished mowing the yard.
The funny thing happened while we were away yesterday...someone vandalized our front yard by placing Romney (republican) signs in our lawn.... I have a few suspects :-) lol

The weather is cool but sunny, and burning away last night's rain. It's our usual 'clean up' day and getting ready for next week. The girls are up the street playing with their friends and the boys are relaxing doing crafts or playing cards upstairs.

I also finished haircuts for the boys so they do not look like neglected children. Haha!

Next on the list is lunch and more cleaning and laundry.
I can say it has been one productive morning...

Last night I updated the wall map and I think Neve left Leon today. I'll catch up with her when she settles for the night.

The kiddos will draw more as soon as we find out about the region scenery and her activities along the way.

Updating the Camino Wall...

Neve passed the halfway point this afternoon!!  Go Neveo!

So the girls just enjoy helping out with the visualizations...and guess who is supervising?

A busy day for me but....

My dogs have it made in the shade.

I'm working on my laptop at my chess table in the great room overlooking the backyard, and I just so happen to glance behind me to see this.....

Really?!!?!?!?

Another day of innocent bliss..

It's amazing how excited our little ones love getting ready for school. Little L gets upset if he can't carry his backpack like his siblings and lead the pack...

And I also received this in A's backpack today.  It is so amazing.....it just makes a grown man smile.....

A Busy Weekend in both Countries..

Since my last post about taking the kiddos to High Point Theatre, it has been one busy weekend.  We arrived home after 1am and Friday morning was too early for me to get up and get the kids ready for school.  But I managed to do my diligent Mr. Mom duties.  After fixing their breakfast, packing their lunches and setting off for school, I think I have this routine down to a science.   The kids and I enjoy the morning walk with their classmates to the school.  It's a great way to start the morning especially with the cool autumn air that feels so refreshing!  

I knew it would be also busy day since B had an appointment to take her cast off in the afternoon and I had some work to be done prior to picking her up.  But sometime after 10,  I ended up with a major migraine and felt a bit nauseated  that I had to lay down and take some meds to help relieve the pain.  I never felt this bad and all I could think about is how am I going to get on with the day like this....  This was just about the most awful feeling like my head was about to burst and to top it off.... if I laid down, my head wouldn't stop spinning.  Fortunately, after taking a double dos of migraine meds it kicked in and I felt a little bit better.  

So after lunch, I felt so much better and got ready to pick up B for her appt.  She was excited when I picked her up and she told me she and had a wonderful day at school.  She is so loving her class!  At the doc's office, the pink arm cast came off  and was advised that her arm will take several weeks to get back to normal (like straightening it and lifting things).  

Then on Saturday, we had  birthday party to go to...  But before that, I was able to get some early mountain biking time in with a neighbor.  It was nice having some of me time.  Really!   

When I got back it was getting ready for our friend's 5th birthday party.  The kids really enjoyed the afternoon and I was able to kick back and see some of college football and my Gamecock's work over Missouri.... Ha Ha Mizou.. welcome to the SEC!!!

So this morning, I woke up to reading Neve's crazy adventure in Burgos.....  She ended up calling us and explaining the whole thing.  All I can say is...WOW.  Leave it to Neve.... it's never a dull moment..... but it seemed to work out ok...  

 

Romeo & Juliet @ High Point Theatre

What a joy it was to watch this play tonight!!!! Oh my, Neve this was a really, really good rendition of Shakespeare's famous play.

If it is still on when you get back I am taking you. It was humorous and witty in the actors' twist of dialogue. The kiddos truly enjoyed it as well!! B really liked Mercutio because he was so loud and funny. The humor was a bit over her head but the adults in the crowd seemed to relish in the quick pro quo dialogue amongst the actors, especially the Montagues.

This theatre created another wonderful stage setting of the inside city walls of Verona. Similar to The Tempest stage setting, it was ingeniously designed for multi-quick stage changes by a slide of a wall and creative lighting.

I truly enjoyed tonight.

Thank you again for being adamant and encouraging me to take them!

We give it 10 thumbs up :-) from me, R, K, T and B.

Here's a pic of the stage..

Tosantos....

I received a phone call from Neve and she is in Tosantos. From other blogs it appears to be Stage 11. So I think she is on track for stages. She seems very up beat and is enjoying her walking companions.

I'm heading to REI today to complain about her 2L Camelbak, which appeared to be defective. So she had to ditch that and is waiting for a town that sells one. I'm glad she has that luxerious wine glass!!!

Everyone is excited that tomorrow we will be attending the theatrical play, Romeo & Juliet at the Highpoint Theatre. It's a quaint theatre that Neve takes the children often to. I had promised her that in her absence I will bring them. Going to operas and plays are so much fun for the kids!

I'll report back how good it was tomorrow night!

Anniversary in a Church Bell Tower

Earlier today, Neve and I FaceTime'd and she is sleeping tonight in Granon's church bell tower with several other Pilgrims. This was definitely one stop she was looking forward to while planning it all out. So here she is.... Of course on our Camino Wall 😃

Happy Anniversary!

It's 9:46 pm and 3:46am where you are..... So.....

Happy 13th Anniversary!

Although you are 4726km away, you will always be close to my heart and to our beautiful children's hearts! Today is one special day in our lives that bonded us together and allowed us to experience wonderful treasures in life!

As you venture out to your next city on the Camino, I hope your cup refills as the morning sun shines over the hills and the wind lifts away all your burdens throughout the day.

Can you feel the love from across the Atlantic Ocean? Just think that everytime you feel a sudden breeze, it is our love and encouragement for you to complete your Camino!!!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!!

We love you and we do see you everyday on our Camino wall map :-)

Children's Wall Map

I'm an idiot... I tried to swap pics to show the whole wall map and it did but it changed the publish date. So if this entry is out of order it is actually from 9/16....

Last night I finally put up the Camino Wall Map for the children to visually see where our Peregrina has traveled.  She started from Saint Jean Pied de Port (on the far right in France).  So as we get more updates from her, the map will eventually be populated with more cities and scenery pics.

Today, she arrived in Ventosa (28 km from Viana).  She had walked further then the group she was with yesterday and had left them to reach Ventosa.  She seemed very exhausted when the kiddos had a brief conversation via FaceTime.

Mamá, descansar bien!

Buenas Noches, peregrina! 

One Week...

Today is 1 week since we left our Pilgrim (peregrina - in espanol) at RDU for her unknownst long-long trek to her even longer Trek.

I knew this morning was going to an early one for me, but I was pleasantly surprised to get a FaceTime call right after 6am from Neve.  She was in the midst of a Spanish festival in I think Lorca.   From what I saw, she appeared to be in the center of town and we could hear a band playing and people were wearing white outfits and red scarves. (Pretty much like those videos of "Running of the Bulls").   She was excited and called in hopes too see her 2 little girls for the first time in a week.   Fortunately, those little squirrels were getting dressed as I was preparing breakfast and packing their lunches.  They were so excited to actually see and speak to their Mama!  I'm sure the feeling was mutual from the excitement in Neve's voice and her smile.   Although the FaceTime call was short, it made the little girls' day brighter than the rising sun.

After the call, my kitchen resembles a small mess hall as I line up all the food, milk and prep everything for the day.   Then as the kids pile in, one by one, I encourage them to finish everything before packing the dishwasher.  Next was making sure everyone is dressed appropriately for the morning cool air that will burn off later in the afternoon.  Then we piled in the car and stroll to our neighbor's house a couple blocks over so we can all walk to school together.  This is another part of the day that the kids love.

Everything went smoothly and yet I knew in the back of my mind I also had a full plate at work to deal with.  

Work was, well... work...  The same grind different day with a different wrinkle, but somehow easily ironed out after some ingenuity and reasoning.  My work is like a puzzle I need to piece together and I am the cohesion that help keeps it sticking together.... Some days the glue is thick and some days it tethers...  Today was a thick glue day.  (well in my mind)   I feel all is working pretty smoothly and have 1 less task to deal with.   Hooray! 

SO I'm up alone again and about to retire to the East Wing (<-- this one's for you Neve).  I hear the crickets again, Boo (our white Anatalyan Shepard) breathing heavily as he sleeps behind my chair,  and can see some flickering stars in the dark sky.  It's been pleasantly quite and peaceful since tucking the kids in after 9:30-ish. 

I'm sure Neve is about to venture out for breakfast.  Maybe a baguette with some fresh cheese, OJ, and a fruit... that's what I envision based on our past Eurpean travels....  

So Neve: 

I hope your next trek brings you the more excitement and intertwine you with newfound endearing companions (peregrinos y peregrinas).  Just keep in mind that their stories, backgrounds and conversations are just as exciting to you as yours is to them.  Kind of like that Julia Roberts movie we watched prior to you leavig (Eat Pray Love) .....yea yea - it's a chick flick but it does relate how differnt people are interesting yet have common things/interests/etc.. that may bond them closer.

*** And make sure you add their info into your Contacts in either your iPhone or iPad....
Live it up and have fun!
Its' only been 1 week... WOW!

Over the Hump

It's Wednesday night here in NC, and my little Village is working it's way to sleep.  I hear a cough in a room from my daughter as she tries to fall into a slumber.  The fall weather has started since the weekend and it is currently 61 degrees.  I've had the windows  open since the weekend and I think the shift of the much cooler air has made the little ones start to sniffle and cough a bit.  The house is almost all quiet with the exception of crickets chirping outside and the woooooshing sound of the dishwasher churning in the kitchen. 

I can finally collect a moment to myself... no more grocery shopping, no more separating the girls because one first wanted the owl lunchbox and the other didn't mind the little kitty one... and then a split second later it's vice versa..., no more reading through each book bag to see what homework is needed for tomorrow, no more checking homework,  no more dinner to make, no more food to be served, no more cleaning up, no more brushing little guy's teeth, no more reading books to anxious ears, no more taking the dogs out.....
..... no more nada....  .....just me, myself and I...  It's like a Calgon moment, but I know my fatherly duties and refereeing will just recycle again early tomorrow morning.   

But...... this is- getting over the hump Wednesday.

I just read Neve's first update to her blog today and her caption, "the Camino will provide", really has deeper meaning and promise.  It's a very optimistic vantage point that allows ones' soul to see more glimpses of hope.

I can truly relate......   It's been almost 1 week since Neve started her Pilgrimage, and I feel very comfortable with my early mornings and late nights tending to my little Village.  Amongst all the personalities and comotion that may resemble a bit of chaos, I reflect back to an innocent time called, childhood.  (I would try to remember how it was being a kid and then watch them act the same way.)

I truly enjoy hearing the excitement in my 2 daughters' voices as they go into great detail of their day at school.  Their brown eyes grow so wide like owls and after every sentence, their dimples get deep as craters as their smiles grow ear to ear.   As I listen intently, my mind reflects on how innocent childhood is with no worries but what is going on here and now.   As they finish up, next in line are my boys who are excited playing with a simple bucket of soapy water outside with string tied in a 12" or more circle.   They are playing a game of who can make the largest bubble and gently handle it on their hands or blow it up above their heads the longest.... Now these bubbles are really huge... about the size of a beach ball! 

Again, it's these times of innocence that smacks me in the face to realize there is nothing to stress over, get anxious of, or feel overwhelmed.  I'm learning to take a step back and breathe more...just breathe....  I'm referred to at work in geek laymen terms as being multi-threaded and multi-tasking to a point that it seems like I'm always in constant motion with this or that task.   I don't mind being busy.   As you can tell I am used to it :-)   But, I am really learning to just pause..... and once in while take nice easy deep breaths, which in turn allows my thoughts to clear and see more of my surroundings with wider eyes. 

When it comes to my Village, I need to take off my work hat and leave the worries of servers, programs, scripts, data, documentation, errors, & politics all outside.   And all I need to do is tend to my little Village...... just listen to their conversations amongst each other and their ideas or current thoughts of what's going on around them.  It is their innocence and peace I enjoy.....    These times are the glimpses of hope that makes me excited to start my mornings and see and hear my Village's hustle and bustle.....

I guess I am over the hump.....

Buenos Noches Peregrinos!

Pamplona & 9/11

I received another email today around 12:52 pm (local time and 6:52pm Spain time).  She made it to Pamplona and is staying at an Alburgue Casa Paderborn.  She states it's run by Germans and is very quaint and appears nice. 

Around 3:00pm, we had FaceTime and she was in good spirits.  I think she is getting the hang of it now.  ;-)

As for the home front, the boys and I observed the 911 Presidential speech at Ground Zero.   It's amazing how 11 years had passed and yet feels like it just happened.   We share respects to those who have fallen here on US soil and abroad and to their loved ones!

I also walked the other children to school this morning and we all enjoyed the cooler fall weather.   Low 60's in the morning and highs of upper 70's during the day.

I'm settling into a routine now and have enjoyed the time with the family while working from home.

It's dinner time and ready for a relaxing evening.....

FaceTime

This afternoon Neve sent me an email and a text that she was in a small custodial town called, Zubiri.  Her final destination for the day was to be Larassoana, but her fellow Pilgrims walked ahead and reserved the last bed in Zubiri.

Once there, she found a local restaurant with free Wifi and finally had a chance to use her new iPad3 with FaceTime.  I was working on my laptop finishing up a conference call and was able to chat face-face with her while she sat at the bar.   My 3 sons were able to visually converse with her without any pixelation degredation or lagging voice to video interference.  The sound was clear, until it began raining over there and all the Pilgrims started piling into the restaurant chatting and began singing songs.... It reminded me of the time Neve and I were in Southwest France and started hearing the chants and songs of excited soccer fans from our tent in the wee early morning hours (excuse me... 'futbol' fans)

She introduced us to about 6+ Pilgrims and they all looked in great spirits.  It must be a rush to have various international people congregate to fulfill a common goal that thousands of people have done over a 1000 years.... How exhilerating!

I can see why her spirits were up, especially after that jaunt over the Pyrenees Mountains.  She didn't even mention anything about her feet or blisters.... (I'll give props to those hybrid crosstraining/running Brooks shoes that she opted for over her hiking boots!)  Although, I did notice  her nose was a bit shiny red from 3 days of sun.   (Note to Neve:  use that nice full brim hat from REI and more sunblock :-)

The FaceTime worked like a charm and she was fully enlightened about my homeschool itinerary for the boys and how everyone was doing sans Mama.

She said the earplugs worked like a charm the night before. Actually, she said it worked so well they she slept way late and they had to wake her up.....

Dormir bien, mi cansado peregrino!

Roncesvalles

Today we received several emails and texts from our American Pilgrim.....

She was under Pierre umbrellas drinking refreshments in Roncesvalles with free Wifi.  She wrote last night's alburgue was an old prison.  She was aware of the tired Pilgrims who snored, but witnessed it first hand so much that she slept outside. haha

Tonight she is Roncesvalles as the 'wife of the Alburgue'.  She is sharing a 4 bunkbed cubicle room with a Father and son from Montana and her new friend David from the UK.    She noted that there is a strict 10pm lights out and will venture out in the morning.

She declared that yesterday's walk was the most difficult one thus far... (her first real day ;-)
So hopefully she will rest up for her trip to Pamplona.

For the home front, juggling weekend work and Mr. Mom duties is quite a handful but manageable since the kiddos are sooooo understanding and wonderful.  They miss their Mom but have occupied themselves making love notes and drawings for her return.   I provide them with a nightly update of what I receive from Neve and they are fully aware of her where abouts on her pilgrimage.

We are slowly cleaning the houseday by day and I am working on the yard in my 'free' time......

hopefully we'll get an update in the morning since she will be 6 hours ahead.....

1st Contact

I finally exchanged several texts from Neve this morning.  She is near St Jean  Pied de Port and is getting very spotty cell coverage to send texts.  I think her first day is to recuperate from all the air travel and shuttling to St Jean Pied de Port.

I am currently on the phone trying to confirm her return flight back on Oct 20th with AA from CDG to RDU since they had changed her initial reservations on flight out. It's such a mess but I know Neve will not be able to confirm this while trekking through Spain.

On the home front, the kiddos miss their Mommy and know where she is today.  They are all in good spirits and we will be tracking her movements when we get status updates from her.

Just an update:  I managed to get AA to issue her ticket for Paris-London-RDU at 07:40am on Oct 20th.  now we need to get the Iberia flight from Santiage de Compostella->Paris pushed for Oct 19th.

She is in Orrison tonight..... Sleep well Mama!

First Day Sans Mama

This morning I received a text around 6am from Neve that she finally made it to Orly and is about to fly to Biarritz.  It was brief and she noted she was exhausted (understandingly). 
Her next leg is to get to St Jean de Port for her opening chapter of her journey on the Camino.

This morning, home life was very busy.   Although I was up until 1am working, I managed to get the kiddos up and ready for school. 

It's definitely going to be a transition to work virtually from home and be 'Mr. Mom'....

Departure

We just left Neve as she checked into her gate (1pm) for her leg to JFK and then to Paris.....

Safe travels Mama!!!



 

So this day has been an almost a traveling disaster for Neve...  The afore-mentioned flight was changed to a Delta flight to Boston that would depart 1 hour later (3:15pm).  But due to severe lightening delays, it never even took off.  So she had to transfer again to another flight going to La Guardia and then take a chauffered car to JFK for the 9:10pm flight to Paris.   I just got off the phone with her and they are working out her ticket still to Paris....

 

It definitely hasn't been a smoothe send off to the Camino, but if she makes this flight, she still has to get to next connection from Orly to Biarritz then to St Jean Pied dePort.

 

Whew... I knew it wasn't easy traveling, but this is a whopper of a day!  Hang in there Mama!

 

The night before takeoff!

Here's a cake we got for Mom!