Yes, I have been rather coy about the actual mileage of my trek thus far. Today, being the last day of the first month of this Emerald Hills Camino, it feels like the right time to share now far I have gone. I am halfway home to finding my way home.  When the pilgrims traverse across Europe on various versions of the walk, there is a definite destination, Santiago De Compostela.  This pilgrim is seeking another destination entirely, and while I know the way geographically, it is more and more clear, my journey is all about finding a new way home, a place of peace.
My home for decades was Neal, my children. Wherever we lived, home was at first the two of us, then 3, then 4.  Neal and I knew the kids would grow up and find their own ways eventually, and we had schemes brewing about how we would move closer to them if they left this area or my plan which was to expand the house, build a cottage in the back, and all live within a shout of each other forever (much like the plan in which both of my kids would be vegetarians who never watched TV).  Neal kept gently reminding me that they might not want to live next door to the chickens as adults, I still disagree! When Dylan and Bridget got together, and it was quite clear to all of us that this special person was joining the family for keeps, my family commune dream expanded. And then, so much changed.  What has not changed is how important home is to me, how much I want my kids to always know that we have a homebase, a place of peace and belonging for all of us. 
As I walk and walk and walk, and return home again and again and again, this same/different life feels more possible.
Ram Das wrote a book, "Be Here Now", about being present in your life, using spirituality, yoga, and meditation as ways to be engaged in the moment, not the past, nor the future as a means to live in peace. I am here to say, this stuff works! 
My walks are simple, I breathe, step, breathe, step and somewhere, peace finds me up here in the hills.

During  my triumphant garage clean out last weekend, I unearthed this old/vintage mouse pad, and come Monday, it moved to my office.  Whether or not the cool kids are using these anymore, I care not, I need this energy in my day.
My walks today were long, 12 miles altogether, and every day, the air gets cleaner, my vistas today stretched across the bay, the clarity of the air is quite changed. The hills are so green this time of year, so I took ridge roads today so I could really appreciate one of the unexpected and positive changes, improved air quality as we stay home and out of our cars. The reality of the lost wages, jobs that are part of this pandemic are devastating, my wildly optimistic hope is that some profound changes can come about that will create clean jobs, new opportunities as we move forward. 
So, back to the Dead, my Neal started listening to them when he was in college, and he became a lifelong fan.  I bought the cool t-shirt at the Willowbrook Mall with a "steal your face" logo when I was in 8th grade, and knew I liked the picture, wore this shirt proudly, not actually knowing what or who were The Grateful Dead .
When we started dating, Neal would take me to shows in LA, we would often go with Neal's nephews and their girlfriends. In time, Marty would marry Debbie, Neal and I got married, and Gary and Stacy's wedding happened 6 weeks after we had Dylan, so he attended, too.  In SF, we were far from our usual triple date gang, but attended shows, and for Neal's 50th birthday, had a GD cover band play for hours at our local rodeo grounds! Our kids became fans, and this made Neal so very happy. We still go to Dead and Company shows, with our LA family flying up, and keep this family tradition alive, and I am looking forward to an outdoor show with the Deadheads, at a date TBD.
​Buen Camino!

I have to make a true confession right now, I am not a native Californian, I wasn't even born in the United States, just a bit further East, in England.  My American mother eventually lured my British father back to the US, to the Manhattan adjacent town of Montclair, in the Garden State. I kept going West, and the rest is my story; the one you keep reading and laughing, and crying, and shaking your head in astonishment and incredulity. 
Why do I bring this up? Poppies!   The California state flower is everywhere right now in the hills, and they make me smile still, daily.  As a non native of this area, I didn't grow up among these wildflowers, and I still can't get over the beauty of these local semi-weeds.  The picture on the left is from this very morning, before the flowers opened, August helped me take it as we climbed past Edgewood Park. The picture on the right, taken in the afternoon, shows the difference the passing of the sun, a day, makes.  The petals are open, and making the most of the rays of the sun. In the evening, they will close up, and for a few weeks each year, we get this show to enjoy, and this year, my SAH camino is allowing me to watch these little gems with the attention to their beauty that I might have missed otherwise.  
I got a morning greeting today from my brilliant friend Traci, that just said Happy Day, we have gotten to the point that mentioning the day of the week seems silly.  The connections to my community matter so much, her checking in daily provides a lift, often a smile, I should mention she is witty, and tenacious and kind, so her greetings are gold!  Plus, as much as the flowers on my walks let me know morning, noon and night if I just look, Traci lets me know that she has my back if I get lost in the flowers.

My favorite memory from the glory days of the Seinfeld show, is George's father, screeching for "Serenity Now!
The fabulous irony of this cry and the self recognition of my demands for peace, freedom RIGHT THIS MINUTE, continues to strike a chord with me.
Over the years, my cool yoga friends would talk about their 10 day silent retreats, or their months of study in India, and boy oh boy I wanted that experience, but, never quite enough to make the time, make the effort.  But, this Plan B walk is turning into a right fit journey for me. 
I wandered last week into a meditation garden at a local church, and found this extended version of the Serenity Prayer hanging from a wall. This prayer forms a key belief in 12 Step programs, and with attention and intention, has helped me process so many parts of my life. 
As my daily walks have slowed me down, and let me find some peace in my life, it does help to reflect on how much  and how little control I have on my life.
My life's journey as a sister, wife and mother has given me many, many moments, years, decades to understand that I sometimes drive the bus, sometimes am  the passenger.
I so much wanted to be in charge when Neal got sick, to find a cure, to get my husband well, and no matter how hard I pushed, how hard he pushed, after months and years of gruesome treatments, surgeries, clinical trials, with nothing working, we, both, in the same moment, and at different ones, had to look for a way to know we couldn't fix this, and moved to the hardest and easiest part of our lives together, knowing we had each other, not much time, and were as in love with each other as we had ever been. This was and is the serenity that helps me daily, and when I walk, and reflect on this man, the life and lives we created together, I have time to practice being at peace. And I will miss Neal Richard Ben Nachman Gorrin for the rest of my life. 

Today, I walked near, or through, or around many of the parks that are in the SAH radius!  
To start the day, I did my best to recreate one of the Camino rituals, cafe con leche and a bit of bread for breakfast. I headed out the door, down the hill, and ambled the now seemingly short distance to our local coffee store, which has a walkup service now ( the things I have been learning on my walks do come in handy). I ordered a latte, hoping this was close to the cafe con leches that I have been missing. I should disclose that I rarely drink coffee, and my order was based on the belief that latte, and leche mean milk so they are the same. Yes? Si? The coffee place was out of food, so I went across the street to the gas station, fully living the glamorous European dream, and purchased a protein bar, which is no bolillo with butter, and even 12 hours later makes me sad to recall, so I will move right along with my tale of a little walk through the hills.
First stop was Glenwood Park, a tiny neighborhood gem, where Marjorie D and I would stroll the kids, and watch them climb and slide while we planned our next adventures for our best friends, best neighbors families, which just keeps adding members to this day,
Onwards, and definitely upwards to Stulsfaft Park, the location for many summer camp adventures for the Redwood City campers!  The highlight of camp for the parents was the Friday "show" where campers and counselors sang, danced ,and entertained all of us, the songs and dances were handed down week after week, year after year, and I was walked through the park, I kept hearing. "Everybody Frankenstein, What's That You Say", and in a last ditch effort to keep my dignity, I did NOT do the accompanying dance.
From there to Barkley Field, a newer park, the land was donated by local residents, and is now a soccer field, but, well, not exactly now, but was, and, will be again.
I cut through Canada College, and zigzagged to one of the entrances to Huddart Park, a county park that is very, very beautiful, with redwood groves, and hiking trails for miles, it is very closed, so I waved, turned around and took a stroll up Canada Road, all the way to the Filoli House and Gardens, a historic, preserved mansion and exquisitely tended grounds.
My girl gang and I have a yearly tradition of attending their Christmas event, my daughter's 4H group once created a petting zoo for an Easter party on the property, and, having watched Dynasty in my youth, I had some familiarity with the house ( to be clear, it is the house that was featured in the opening credits for the show).
As I turned for home, I paralleled Edgewood Park for quite some time, and great glee, found the way home, after 18 miles of fun today.  My takeaways from this epic ramble? Using sunblock both back AND front is now a priority, one water bottle, however sentimental is not enough( I left August home for this day,he did not suffer from my oversight), and it feels really great to rest with your feet sticking up after walking for hours ( there is a yoga pose, legs up the wall which describes my evening so far). 
And to all the wonderful friends and neighbors I saw along the way today??  You are the highlight of this endeavor, when I squeal like a schoolgirl when we pass each other on the trail? That is 100% sincere, and I will not/can not change my level of being thrilled to see you!  
Buen Camino, and good night.

TheAs judge, jury, and solo participant, I have the great honor of naming AND being the winner of this storied event.
Honorable mentions to all who sent in items for the hunt, you will actually get mentioned in about 30 seconds of reading, or 2 inches of column space.
Best part of this adventure? Going at a different pace, being attentive to the micro climates, even within this never far from home base hike. The other best part? About halfway through the hunt, my dear friend Mary D set up a refreshment stand for me and my boy!  We visited at a safe distance, Mary is one of those rare and special friends who just digs in, finds a way to make the world a better, kinder place, and her laugh?
Her laugh is infectious, unique, and signals that more fun is on the way!.
The FASAHCSH play by play:
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From my dear friend Susan, we met as freshman at USC, and both moved north, she went all the way to Washington state, while I stopped a bit further South.  She asked me to find two heart shaped rocks, the first one was easy, super cute, the next I didn't find until the last miles of our walk, and while not quite as whimsical, was a welcome find!
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Ok Lisa, I didn't make it as far as Long Beach or the Golden Gate Bridge, so I am giving myself artistic/poetic license, and found Emerald Hills Stonehenge for you! 

For my lovely Cousin Louise!  She asked me to find butterflies, and for some odd reason, I decided that this was the impossible request. Turns out, Louise gave me quite a gift with this request, as I noticed the wildflower fields in nearby Edgewood Park, slowed way down, and noticed masses of butterflies flitting (that is what they do, right?), now my photography skills were not able to capture this living art show, but my eyes were so very pleased!

How about this Mary?  A genuine Emerald Hills boulder!
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My workout buddies, Ellen and Jane had a special request, they are also avid walkers, so this was a genuine challenge!
This freestyle, modern sculpture, driveway gate is carefully hidden near a hard to find spot in the hills, and was worth the hike! 

I was supposed to find a guardian robot on my hike, I remember it from years of walks, Mary asked me to find it, and guess what?  It is gone, replaced with an ice cream cone holding creature with gorgeous eyelashes!  

Firetruck Mailbox, oh yes!!!  
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See what I mean??  Mary provided a frosty glass of iced tea, a full bowl of water for August, snacks for the hike, and a clear road map to a scavenger hunt item that I would have never found!
​My work is done for the day, I have walked 194 miles since starting this adventure, Buen Camino my friends!

 So far my list is list looks challenging, I will be looking for:  two heart shaped rocks, thank you Susan!
my friend Lisa in Long Beach, or maybe the Golden Gate Bridge, I will find inspiration to fulfill this quest
butterflies for Cousin Louise, 
Emerald Hills rock, I may have a head start on this!
A robot guarding a home, of course, this is the Silicon Valley
A fire truck mailbox. ( is it too much to hope that this will be at one of our fire stations?)
A man's head wearing a tri-corner hat, hidden behind a deer proof gate, hoping it is not Ruth proof, thanks Mary!
A particular sculptural gate, nestled up in the hills, TY Ellen

I am sending out ONE more request for items for this hunt, there is plenty of time to try to stump this chump!

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,Today I am asking why is there a street lamp at the end of my very quiet, sparsely populated street?  There are very few street lights in this area, and as Auggie and I headed home from our rather short walk today ( two walks today, totalling 5 miles) we went to the end of our street and found this.
So, with no further build up, I want to review some of the stranger things we have seen lately.
1. Deer, now up here we are used to seeing them, over the years they have gotten bolder, and in the past weeks? Mid day? Deer walking in the middle of the road. They don't panic when they see us,  they seem to want to say a drawn out  "What's up" as we pass by, basically at the appropriate social distancing space, which is wrong.
2. I will pass up the low hanging fruit of chuckling at people with their pets in strollers, that will be me, August will need a larger version than the common ones seen here and there,mark my words, when he can't walk much, he will be pushed!
3. Cars skidding around curves, seriously, where are we going anymore?? I remember when Neal said to me, don't run to an emergency, now, I thought it was a macho, pretty Joe Cool thing to say, and he was both of those things, in the most charming way possible. Eventually, it became clear what he meant, and how right he was. Skidding into any situation doesn't give you or anyone in that space time to observe and take stock of what the crisis entails. With my starry eyes in the early years, and with respect and admiration over the decades, I saw Neal handle medical, family, personal highly charged events with a cool head, and compassion for the people who were involved. There were so many reasons to love him, and his wisdom was and is a guide for me. 
Back to the speedy cars!  Really? Is your run to Sancho's for dinner a matter of that much urgency?  
4. Dinosaurs, I will have to follow up with a picture or two, but EH is chock a block with whimsical LARGE dino sculptures, now I do love these, but, there is one, in a far flung corner of many of my walks, that is so cleverly hidden in the brush, that EVERY single time I walk by, I am startled AGAIN.  And because I am so aggravated with myself for being fooled once more, I just refuse to take a photo of this prankster, he/she/they have fooled me one too many times to get space in my Plan B Stay at Home Camino Emerald Hills!

Doug, the original dinosaur, dressed up for Easter 2020!
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Every element needed for a long walk was present in my life today. The weather, sunny, and warm, an afternoon with no work responsibilities, feet feeling fine after a couple of low mileage days, and, always, August ready to go with absolutely no advance notice needed.
We headed for Woodside today, our family lived there for years, there are wonderful trails, and it seemed like the right destination for us. I may have mentioned that August the Doggest is not a delightful canine when he sees another member of his canine family,  I am happy to report that on our rambles today, he did not blink an eye at the horses, pigs, deer, goats or alpacas we encountered. Yes, all within our daily stroll.
My goal for today was to walk to the Woodside Historic Store, we used to live around the corner from this living history museum, and I had high hopes we could rest for a few minutes, refill water bottles, and head back home from there.
On our way, we encountered the lovely offering pictured above, art for our troubled hearts,offered freely. I will look up the FB group Signs of Sentiment to find out about this project. 
Well, the resting part? YES!  The water part? NO!, the water fountain at the historic store was taped off, turned off, so we took a few photos, and headed back to the center of town, where we were able to fill our bottles, August drank from a hose, which is too funny not to mention, rested again, and then, for real, headed home.
In total, we hiked 14 miles today, and as we were turning the corner for home, we came across a happy, laughing young family, out for a scavenger hunt ( you knew I had to bring this full circle, I just took my sweet biffy time).  Mom had a list, and the kids were finding items,and this just looked like fun.
SO, this weekend, I want to go an a scavenger hunt, but I need help, could anyone who has read this far, do me a solid, and send, via FB or any other manner, an item that I must find for my Emerald Hills, Stay at Home Camino Santiago first annual Scavenger Hunt?  Please keep in mind, I will be taking pictures of found items, and will share them through this blog!  Ready, set, go...... 

I probably wouldn't have seen these signs in Spain, but my Plan B hike is providing me with many moments of bliss, and far fewer wine based meals.  
So my Plan B bonuses, include, but are not limited to:
1. Walking from and returning to my cozy, clean home every day. My own bed, hot and cold running water, fresh towels, and most important, a renewed appreciation for home.
2 Being able to walk with August!  He is not great on a leash,
and too big to pick up and scold, but when I have a day that I need motivation to get moving, there he is, reminding me that an exercised Boxer is happy Boxer. 
3. Seeing friends along the way!  This whole Shelter in Place thing has thrown quite a monkey wrench into the all of our social lives.  I am all in for social distancing, wearing a mask when indicated, hand hygiene, but I miss my family , I miss my friends. But here's the thing, when I walk around the neighborhood that has been our home, where we raised our kids, the friends we have made along the years are out, too!
We continue to observe all the social distancing protocols, but we stop, chat, catch up on all types of happenings, and connect.  In these uncertain days, seeing Roger and Donna, Betsy on her crutches, Laurel buzzing by on Lakeview, brings me the certainty that we are in this together.
With love and wishes for your Buen Camino.