Ken Norman, our farrier and friend is looking very good, so his wife Eli and their daughter Nikoleni, the Bedlam Farm Fairy Barn Princess. The Normans have been in the hearts and minds of a lot of people since Ken had both knees surgically replaced at the end of December. He is undergoing intensive physical therapy and is beginning to walk with a cane and drive his truck to doctors appointments. Ken has been in enormous pain at times, he does not speak much of it.
Last Friday, Eli fell in the school parking lot and fractured her left wrist in four or five places, she had an intensely painful few days, she is back to see the surgeons this week to see has to be done next. Eli’s fall was about the last thing the Normans needed, they live on a farm in Pawlet, Vt. and have 30 horses and donkeys, many of them rescues. Realizing he would have no income for at least three months, Ken launched a gofundme project shortly before his surgery and many good people have contributed more than $38,000 to help him run the farm and recover and take care of his family.
He had raised roughly $32,000 before Eli fell and since then the fund has raised more than $6,000, he will need every penny of it. A number of the horses need expensive medical care, his equipment needs replacing and there are a lot of mouths to feed at Thornwood. Ken has helped more people and animals than anybody can count, and friends and neighbors have rushed to bring food, hay and help in the barns. Because of Eli’s injury, he will need even more help to get through what is turning out to be a brutal and very challenging winter.
Ken does not want to ask for any new and specific amount of money, as he has already raised more money than he originally asked for. People have given generously and freely, and I would not want to pressure anyone to give anymore, I can say he will use every dollar he gets. This kind of winter wreaks havoc on barns, tractors, vehicles and farm equipment.
Still, the help he has received is more than generous and we were happy to see both of them looking so healthy and happy. They were both laughing about their winter, a season that would have sunk many lesser people. I can sense how much pain Ken was in, and it is good to see him more himself. Ken helped to save Simon, but that was not unusual, he goes all over the Northeast helping horses and donkeys in trouble. It was a powerful thing to see how many people rushed to help him get through this Siberian winter with two new knees and now, a broken wrist.
Maria is interested in one of their ponies, she and Eli are connected to one another, and when the weather improves she hopes to take some riding and horse lessons from Eli, I don’t know what will happen, but I would not be shocked to see a pony here down the road.
Thanks so much to those of you who have helped Ken, it is a powerful thing to see how good people can be when given the chance. We are all connected, we are all one, and this has lifted me up greatly and made me feel strong and grateful to be in this world, which can be so difficult sometimes. There is much Grace in the Norman family, and this grace has touched the grace in so many other people. Just wanted to bring you up to date, if anyone wishes to add to Ken’s fund, or has not yet given, or who has a few dollars to spare, you can do so here. This is the first time Ken has ever asked for help in his life, and he plans to be back at work trimming hooves and saving horses in a couple of months.
Ken is going to be on the tractor in the morning hauling hay to the barn, I asked him if he should be doing that on a stormy and frigid and windy day, and he said “no, probably not.” Ken sometimes feels like a brother to me.