Snuck into the studio barn and got a sneak preview of a corner of Maria’s Mother
quilt (no backing on it yet). Don’t know the price    [email protected] for info.

June 1, 2008 – Maria is going into business, making quilts and other in her studio barn at Bedlam Farm. On many winter nights, Mother the barn cat comes to visit Mother, and sits in a chair by the wood stove while Maria reads “Ode To A Cat” to her, the poem by Pablo Neruda, and Mother purrs contentedly. It is one of the magical images and happenings at the farm. So Maria is making a quilt inspired by Mother and she has incorporated the entire text of the poem into this beautiful artwork. I am proud such a thing was conceived on the farm, and thrilled that Maria is sending her own signal by moving towards an art-based business, a lifelong dream of hers. Go, girl. I call Maria my “chum” and we are great pals, yakking for hours in the barn, sharing our work with each other. How lucky I am to have a chum like that.
   Anyway, Maria is showing the quilt at the “Hospice Journal: Stories and Photos From the Edge of Life show at Gardenworks next Sunday (2 p.m. 518 854 3250) but I bet the quilt will be long sold by then. Cat lovers are even more rabid than dog lovers, and this is true art.

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Had an intense Hospice day. Visited with Warren who wants to come to Gardenworks next week – some of the photos are of Helen – and also visited a dying woman in Vermont who sad she didn’t want to leave the earth without meeting Izzy. She is not in Hospice, but I am glad we went. A powerful trip. I’ll post about these visits later (Warren and I did another poem about Helen called “The Day” about a photo he took of her a decade ago on their hill.)