Time to catch up. One weekend I looked after Winston, finding different free little libraries – one had toys for kids and another had toys for dogs! Julie and I also got out for a 12 mile walk from downtown Benicia to Benicia State Park and back in preparation for our Camino trips.
Before my weekly volunteer stint at SPARE I stopped by a fiber arts exhibit at a local senior housing complex and was blown away by the fantastic work displayed. While I was there I heard a choral group singing Beatles songs – seems like an active, fun place. Speaking of active and fun, on one of my walks on the trail near work I saw a woman about my age, dressed all in purple roller blading with a huge smile on her face. I love it!
My sisters Christina, Michelle and I went to a live taping of one of my favorite podcasts, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, at Sonoma State. It was a lovely night, we sat out on the lawn, there was a bit of smoke from the fire at Salt Point State Park on the coast. It was great fun, so cool to see in person the folks I hear on the radio every week, lots of laughter and friendly folks all around us. The next day, Michelle and I hiked from Pantoll up to the top of Mount Tam. While it was cold and foggy down below, it was beautiful and warm on our hike, in fact we were very grateful to be walking downhill in the afternoon!
That weekend I volunteered at one of the rest stops for the Marin Century bike ride, sorting out recycling, compost, and landfill. It brought me back to my Avon Breast Cancer Walk crewing days. It’s been pretty warm here, so to escape the heat, on Sunday Heather and I took her dog Miloh out to Doran Beach in Bodega Bay. It was perfect weather, sunny, but not too hot. It felt so good to walk on the sand and in the water. Afterwards I introduced Heather to Spud Point Crab Company and their delicious clam chowder. When she got home, she realized she had left her wallet there and was thrilled to find out a couple days later that it had been turned in with all the cash still inside! There are lots of good people in this world. Later that day I went to a dance and music performance called ‘Emily and James’ where they put the works of James Joyce and Emily Dickinson to music and dance. It was beautiful, I was so impressed with the talented performers.
On one of my hikes around Walnut Creek I found a ‘poet tree’. So creative! I also went to the Gratitude Cafe in Concord for the first time, getting some work done with Isabel and a new staff member. It’s a fantastic spot with good coffee. I’ve been busy with both my jobs, still learning a lot at Livingston Law.
It’s been an up and down time for my extended family. One of my second cousins just had full-term twins and they are all doing well. But my relatives in Spokane are dealing with the impact of the devastating fires there. Unfortunately, my aunt’s care home burned to the ground, she lost everything – clothes, photos, a beautiful painting of my grandfather that she loved. Luckily they all got out fine and have a place to stay. It’s been especially challenging for her kids, my cousins. Their dad passed away unexpectedly last year so there’s been a lot on my cousin, Rebecca, in particular. Since we don’t live close by we decided to purchase a variety of gift cards for my cousins so that they could treat themselves during this scary time. Hopefully the firefighters will be able to get it contained soon. It is scary to think how long it might be until we get enough rain to prevent some of these wildfires. Maybe we’ll get lucky and have early rain this year.
I’m starting to come down with a cold, so I’ve been taking it easy the last couple of days. When I was out running errands, I discovered a beautiful, colorful walkway in the Strawberry Village Shopping Center with positive words about friendship.
Michelle and I are getting very excited for our trip on the Camino. We decided to take a bus from Madrid to Porto so we could see a little bit more of Spain and Portugal. I’ve been reviewing the detailed information provided about the Camino, the places we’ll be staying, things we want to check out when we are walking, and what to expect. It is going to be a fantastic trip!
I’ve been reading some great books lately. One was A Different Kind of Power, an autobiography by Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand. She is such an amazing woman! I highly recommend learning more about her. The others were two by Catherine Chidgey, my ex-husband’s cousin, who has written several books. I read The Axeman’s Carnival and The Book of Guilt this time. I enjoyed both of them – her books always have an unsettling edge to them.