I am very fond of Helen Golden, even though I know very little about here. One day I hope to sit down with her and learn more. She lives in New Jersey, she had read most of my books and almost all of my blog, so she knows much about my life and accepts it, the good and the bad.

I sense she has had a lot of experience with life, good and bad, she seems sensitive and  especially loving to me. She comes to every Open House, and sometimes I run into her at the Round House Cafe. She makes it a point not to speak to me – she would say “bother me” – unless I invite her to come and talk.

I tell her that we  have moved past that, Helen is now like family, we hug each other and are always glad to see one another. When she comes to the farm, she loves to see the donkeys and watch the dogs, and she says there is something about the place that is calming and uplifting to her. She says the nicest thing about my blog, and also about Maria and her blog and her art.

My guess is she is a working class person who has worked hard all of her life and still does. As I said, even though we see one another several times a year, and it is always a pleasure, I know nothing concrete about her. We have never had the time to really talk to one another, Open Houses are frantic and filled with people and activity. I tend to like the Open Houses in June because there is more time to talk to people.

She always comes up with a friend, they spend the day and sometimes stay over at a local B& B. I have the sense that she is not married, and sometimes, I think I see some sadness in her eyes.

A writer’s life is curious, because a lot of people know something about me, but I never feel I know a lot about them. There is never enough time or space to do that. I think Bedlam Farm is important to Helen,  perhaps in ways I do not yet fully understand.

People often assume I am too busy to want to know about their lives, but I always want to know about their lives. Helen Golden is important, I wanted to give her a signed copy of “Dancing Dogs,” and Maria wanted to give her a potholder. She was shocked.

It was our way of thanking and acknowledging her, because although she may not know it, she is as important to us as we may be to her.