Standing out

One bold sunflower, somewhere in La Rioja

Ah, the wonders of reverse translation

As I typed out my sad tale of Thanksgiving tunafish, I suddenly had a thought about how the Spanish describe this American-only holiday we call Thanksgiving:

Día de Acción de Gracias

Day of Action - yeh, ACTION - of thanks.

Oh, I think there's an opportunity in that reverse translation. What if Thanksgiving were a day to ACT on how darn thankful you felt?

Just a thought.

If I've left you inspired but not quite sure where to act, may I suggest Kiva?

On living far from your favorite holiday

It's not missing Thanksgiving Day I mind.

It's the day after.

Oh, what I wouldn't give for a leftover turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce sandwich. And maybe just a little piece of whatever that is you had for dessert?

So I ate tunafish and worked a full day.
I was very thankful, and that's what counts, right?

"So wait, why did you walk across Spain?"

".....And don't tell me 'to get to the other side'."

E-mail I recently received from a friend in the States, who's clearly known me too long.

But where do I start?

The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.

-Muriel Rukeyser, American poet

Santiago, ankle, frostbite, and all

After 4 or 5 hot, sunny days walking Galician hills by day and consuming vats of caldo gallego by night, I walked into Santiago de Compostela yesterday about 12:45 pm.

Finisterre will wait for spring, maybe expand to a longer coastal walk.

My ankle and the frostbite gained by overzealously icing it (so you all knew those supercold gel packs aren't meant for icing legs, didn't you?) are all but healed.

Santiago feels far more like a beginning than the end.

And what I find I do not have today are words.

Thanks for all the encouragement and comments. I will be back soon.