I just walked in the dark down the road to the labyrinth,
trying to settle my Christmas dinner deeper down into my stomach. I am keeping
more fit this winter.
I saw a star fall down.
It´s been a very full day. The neighbors came over after Mass for a champagne toast and
snacks. A pilgrim was at church, so we
brought her home with us. She was alone for Christmas Eve, but not now for
Christmas day. She´s from New York City. She doesn’t speak Spanish, but we made her welcome.
We ate an enormous pan of lasagne with fennel seeds in the
sauce. Wonderful. (there is no ricotta to be had here, so I subbed-in
smashed-up cottage cheese and mascarpone…wow!)
Greens from the garden, and some
Caldo Gallego from Maria de la Valle.
We drank dark red wine from Valdeorras, a gift from Laurie up in O
Cebreiro. Joaquin and Luca, Maria and
Nancy from New York, Oliver and Paddy and me. Christmas. No presents, but lots
of gifts.
It seems a lot more than average numbers of people are sending holiday greetings this year. Times are scary, maybe we feel the need to hug a little closer...
There are some fine people in my life.
We got a tree this year, a plastic one. It is very jolly, it
makes me happy.
I am working on a book for AP, another sad and harrowing
story. Kim has started production on “Furnace Full of God: Love and Death in a
Camino Village,” my newest book.
Paddy is well, considering. He´s had a bad cough for months
now, the doctors can´t figure it out so they simply say “wear a scarf,” or
“don´t have ice in your gin & tonics.”
Paddy is sure this is going to kill him, but he´s been saying that stuff
ever since I met him. He is slowing
down, and he cannot see so well, and he can´t always hear what´s going on, or
maybe he´s just not listening. He is still dearly beloved. He got a beautiful new black hat for
Christmas, and he won an enormous basket of goodies in a lottery draw at the
local tavern. What more could he ask
for?
Oliver is here with us again this
winter. He is a great help to us. The
house stays much cleaner when he is around, especially as I am working many
hours on manuscripts.
Peaceable Projects is quiet these days since the Ditch Pigs´
big gig in Portugal. I hope in 2019 to get the Memorial Grove better marked, identifiable and accessible. I meet in late January with FICS members who
usually know who has pressing projects we can help with.
So there is plenty to do now, and the future is wide open. And this year has been excellent, if a little
hard on our hearts… Harry Dog and
Jean-Marc Kitty both went off to A
Better Place, and left big holes in our household.
I am very privileged. My stomach is full, my house is warm,
my neighbors are friendly. I can walk out in the dark alone and watch a star
fall, and know I am loved.
Thank you all for making me so very, very rich.
