CoodeIndigo

'Tis the season to remember those who have died. Here are those on my virtual altar: Daddy (Jack Coode) Mama (Mildred Sharp Coode) Michael McKenzie, my nephew Jack McKenzie, my brother-in-law My cousins:  Vincent, Peter and David Coode, all brothers -- doesn't seem fair for one family to lose so many at such young ages Annelle Shelton Foster Larry Luster Lynne Jones Daue (a dear cousin-in-law) Uncles Joe, Victor and T Coode Uncles Jesse, Tom, Jack and Bill Sharp Aunts Mag, Austin, Sr. D Coode Aunts Dorothy, Ebbie, Frances and Peggy Sharp And their spouses Roy, Bill, Ray B, Liz, Ellen, Peggy, Mary Margaret, Ray D, Billy and Hugh My dear friend Lynn Holmes who was so good to me And now my cousin Margaret Brandt Carruthers, who died yesterday at the age of 61. She had waited a long time before visiting the doctor about her stomach pain, and then was told she had stomach cancer. It metastasized into her spine and she died in the middle of the night, November ...

Last year I downloaded and started using 1SE, One Second Everyday. Since November 1, 2018, I managed to take a brief video or live photo almost every day -- missed a few here and there, didn't bother on days when not much happened -- and now I have this almost 10 minute video of a year of my life. Going to lectures, drinking, sitting in airplanes, going to book group, eating, drinking, looking at trees, listening to live music, drinking ... Watching it, it's clear that was taking 2-3 second videos the first few months, and then I switched to one second live photos the last few months. The change seems a little abrupt. Anywhoo, here it is . Not a bad year. Maybe I'll say more about it later.

This morning I joined several Catholic Workers and others -- about 18 people total -- at the Pentagon for an hour long prayer service to commemorate the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. We prayed for forgiveness for that action, for the 200,000 people immediately killed, the untold number of people who did not die right away but who were affected for the remainder of their lives, for the trillions of dollars that have been spent on the nuclear arsenal rather than on programs that protect and enrich human life, for the damage that nuclear testing has done to the earth, for the fact that humankind now has the terrible ability to eradicate us all. Shadow on the rock by Daniel Berrigan, S.J. At Hiroshima there’s a museum and outside that museum there’s a rock, and on that rock there’s a shadow. That shadow is all that remains of the human being who stood there on August 6, 1945 when the nuclear age began. In the most real sense of the word, that is the choice before us. We shall e...

Seen about 30 kilometers from Santiago: Amazingly enough, we have found ourselves in Pedrouzo, which is about 20 kilometers from Santiago. Apparently this crazy adventure -- the dirt, sweat, sore feet, limited personal items, shared living space, beautiful views, long uninterrupted time for reflection -- will be over soon. Judy to Gina, about an hour ago: "What have we even done? I can't even remember what we DID." Gina: "The first couple of days, I was like, 'Three weeks of this? Are you kidding?'" Camino thoughts: Day one: OK, this will be fine. This is interesting. This is different.   Day four: What the hell have I done. WHEN WILL THIS BE OVER? Day seven: Seriously, how can these people be smoking? Does every European smoke? Day 10: Whose stupid idea was this? Are my feet broken? DO I HAVE STRESS FRACTURES? Day 13: I wonder if I will ever wear truly clean clothes again. Day 20: My God this will never end. I will share a ba...

This statue of a pilgrim at Alto de San Roque looms over the Camino way up in the mountains. We've made it to Sarria, which is a little more than 100 kilometers from Santiago. To receive a final compostela at the cathedral at the end of the pilgrimage -- a certificate with your name in Latin, suitable for framing -- you have to walk those 100k and get at least two stamps a day in your pilgrim passport. (Don't ask me what the rule is about biking into Santiago because I can't remember.) The number of pilgrims on the Camino jumps at this point. We've noticed the newbies -- Gina wants to call them greenies -- and we expect the trails to be a bit more crowded for these last five days. Five days! This morning, Saturday, after we left Triacastela (great albergue, by the way: Aitzenea, run by Manu, who gave me a foot massage Friday evening AND he even hugged us goodbye. He now ranks far above all other albergue hosts), we stopped at a little hole-in-the-wall hippie s...

"This stage represents one of the steepest of the whole pilgrimage but the climb is rewarded with stunning views along the Valcarce valley that will keep spirits high." John Brierley, A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago. Today's view: It's a well-deserved (for Gina and Ellie) rest day in O Cebreiro, an old village (pop. 50) which sits at the top of this mountain. Spirits high, hah. I'm not sure our spirits were exactly high when first arriving but even in exhaustion we could still appreciate beauty. We've just had breakfast and now will search for laundry services, and the rest of the day will be spent lounging. We'll start walking again tomorrow (Friday, June 22) and if everything goes OK, we'll walk into Santiago on Thursday, June 28. It is simply gorgeous up here. Everywhere you turn is another amazing view, green and lush. Tiny towns appear every once in a while; the primary industry seems to be the Camino. Generations...

Happy birthday to Kari Verhulst, and happy Father's Day to those who celebrate it. Special shout out to those who are missing their fathers today -- I see y'all, fellow children of loving fathers who we wish were still around. Here's the altar at the Astorga cathedral where I lit a candle for all of us: So, as the great philosopher Kenny Rogers tells us, you gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. (OK, maybe that was songwriter Don Schlitz.) As I limped into Villar Mazarife on Friday afternoon, I told myself that it was time to take a break. Gina, Ellie and I stayed at the charming Tio Pepe albergue on Friday evening, along with an Italian guy who we've run into before but none of us can remember where. Tio Pepe has a patio out back where you can hand wash your clothes or just sit in the sun, or, if you're as lucky as we are, your Camino friends Margaret and Annette (who were staying at the Albergue San Antonio a few streets over) will pop ...