October 14, 2007 – Art Harvest ended Sunday, and it was one of the better weekends of my life. Maria, Mary and Anthony produced amazing poems, dresses, quilts, sculptures, art pieces. Their friends and families turned out, and so did many other faithful readers of this website, and thank you for that. There were much bigger crowds that I anticipated. We had a great time.  I sold quite a few photos to benefit hospice. Izzy and Lenore were great event dogs. Mary made an eloquent plea for people to pursue their dreams at any age. Anthony talked concrete and art for 48 hours, then hauled concrete and art all over the county, then passed out. Paula came up today and it is nice to  have her here.
  I’m not sure I can explain, but this was an extraordinary experience for me. It brought together three great and talented people and showcased that work. Somehow, I felt it transformed all of us. I can honestly say I am a photographer now, however much I have to learn. Photography, which I started doing simply to feed the website, has become an integral part of my life. Another things the dogs and the farm have led me to.
 Anthony is no longer a handyman in any sane person’s mind, but an energetic, articulate and profoundly talented man running a red-hot concrete design and surface company. Go, dude. I am prouder of you than I can say. That was some journey from there to here.
  Ditto for Mary Kellogg. Mary is looking forward to her as yet untitled book, a collection of her poems out next Spring. Maria had a good time showing her striking work, in part because she sat up in the rafters all day, keeping her distance. It has been a privilege to watch her work, and become  her pal and a great friend of her husband Bill’s, another astonishingly talented and loving human.
  I am humbled by the loyalty and kindness of people who read my books and showed up in great numbers and  others who simply came to see my pictures. I am challenged and inspired to better. I hope to always fight to use the gifts I have, and to encourage others to use theirs.
   Raeanne Wright, who is designing photosbyjonkatz.com came by, and she says my photo site (which will be linked to this one) will be up in a month.
  It’s time to get to work on my next book, which will focus on Izzy and the changes he has brought in my life, including hospice work, and this awesome puppy I suddenly have in my life. Lenore is, I think, an unusual dog, and I take seriously my responsibility to train her well, love her much and find useful and meaningful things to do with her. I will be writing about that as well.
  My new book will also deal with my friendship with Anthony, who was diagnosed earlier this year with adult ADD and other tramautic issues and has responded with extraordinary bravery, drive and commitment. And  as often happens, with a remarkable creative outpouring. This weekend was a big turn for him, in many ways. I think even he now understands that he has considerable talents, and that people appreciate his many gifts. I have been taking pictures of  him during this complex process, and I hope to self-publish a small volume of photos that, to my amazement, have recorded in images his difficult and extraordinary year. That is a big leap for me creatively. I doubt I could get that book commercially published, so he and I have decided to publish it ourselves.
By the way, my photos are not available to be sold exclusively by Stephanie Arpey of All the Right Angles in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She can frame or matt them or sell and ship them as prints. My portion of these sales will go to benefit Friends of Hospice, as did all proceeds from the Art Harvest. All the Right Angles can be reached at 518 587 4320. She can sell any pictures shown on the Farm Journal, Photo Journal or Portrait Gallery. I won’t be selling all of the photos on the new website, but will sell some of them. If you have any questions, call Stephanie, who did an amazing job framing and presenting my pictures this weekend. I will not be selling any photos directly, or my self.