Bedlam Farm was a grand stage for big and sweet dreams, many of them realized. For me, none was sweeter than the series of open houses/art shows we held at the farm. It was pretty splendid, there were acres for parking, wide fenced-in pastures for sheep-herding demos with Rose, and the crown jewel, the restored Pig Barn, which we turned into an art gallery for Maria and other artists to show their work. I think the first art show was the pinnacle of my life at Bedlam Farm, one of the best things that happened there.

Nearly 2,000 people came to see the art over two days and to meet, Rose, Simon, see the farm, the beautiful view, the rolling hills. It was by far the most extensive opening up of my life to the people who read my work and shared my life on the blog. Before Maria, the farm was a castle, a fortress, there was a moat all around it.  Visitors were not welcome, there were few. That weekend was the beginning of my opening, or re-opening to life, the sharing of experience. Towards the end of the hero journey, we return to the world, share what we know, what we have.

We put Bedlam Farm on the market more than a year ago, we moved last October to our new farm, and while it is beautiful and perfectly suited to us – we are very happy here – it is not as grand a stage, does not have acres of sweeping pastures, or big and available barns to turn into art galleries and display stages. This was disappointing to me, the open houses and art shows were very much what we were about and what we wanted our farm to be about. The most painful part of my visits to Bedlam Farm are looking at the beautiful Pig Barn Gallery, all gussied up with no art to show. Sometimes I think, I had it all, right there, and somehow let it go.

But that is not true, and I know that. We are doing our open house and art show again. Several times, in fact. The spirit is stronger than circumstance. This will be on a different scale, but with similar purpose and sensibility. Maria knows how to put on art shows and loves doing them. I am pleased to show Red’s spectacular work with me herding sheep and to keep on introducing the social Simon and his “Call To Life” to the world. Lulu and Fanny love to greet visitors, as does Lenore. Frieda will do her best to keep everyone away and fail.

Chickens will still be walking around, barn cats hiding in the barn. This year, we can even all go see Lulu’s Crossing, right behind the barn. We are planning three open houses this summer and one around Labor Day. Our idea is to open up the farm for several hours on a series of Sunday afternoons – the dates and times to be announced shortly. We don’t have 90 acres, but we have a quiet and beautiful 17, and that is plenty. We are not off in the beautiful hills, but right on the road for the world to drive by and see. It works fine. Rose and Izzy are gone, we don’t have a big roomy barn to display art – it is crammed with lawn mowers and tools and hay – but we have plenty of space for Maria to show her work and for people to walk around. The sheep pasture is close by and the donkeys will be mixing with the crowd. It is an intimate old farmhouse space.

I see that the new writer is part of a community, not a world unto himself, he is closer to his readers than writers used to be, the Internet spawns many things good and bad, but one of the good is a sense of community, a new ability to communicate. This is part of writing, and it is also part of being human, two things I am always working on. People used to warm me not to do this, it is dangerous, intrusive, disruptive, they said, all kinds of dangerous and crazy people will show up. That has not been the case. Our gatherings have been warm, nourishing, affirming. I am opening up, always opening up. I trust my readers as they trust me. We might not always agree, we don’t need to agree, we just keep on the path together and try and figure things out.

These gatherings are not about money or raising money. Everybody needs some time off from that. These open houses want to be fun, a celebration of life. It doesn’t really matter how grand the stage is, it matters who comes to see the play. Washington County is a beautiful place to visit and drive around. Vermont is right next door, and the Round House Cafe and Momma’s will offer rest and refreshment.

The open houses are free, and there are no collection baskets or donations for the farm. I might put up a basket for donations to the Hubbard Hall Scholarship Fund, but that is  quite optional, there are no fees or expectations. The open  houses are about connection, nothing more.  If she chooses, Maria may sell some of her artwork, and she might invite another artist or two, I don’t know, that is up to her. We will firm this up in the next day or two, and we will pass on the details. We are thinking about four three-hour open houses here at the new farm. They will all include meeting donkeys (and dogs) watching Red work and seeing some nice art.

This is an idea that wants to live, and it might, in fact, be simpler and easier at the New Bedlam Farm. Dreams don’t really have to die, they just have to adapt. We are not giving up on this one.