Mary Kellogg is a special person to us, there is no one  like her in our past, our present, or our future. Maria and I were very much alone when we met, we had no families around us or close to us. Mary is an angel who came to us to show us the way back.

Her light is always upon us.

Mary has always been family to us, from the first.

When we met Mary, we came together to produce our first creative project, it was called “Art Harvest,” and it featured the work of four artists who were coming out with their art, one was Maria, one was Mary. I was a third, with my photographs.

Mary Kellogg brought Maria and I together, we published her first book of poetry, My Place On Earth. Her book included the first photos I had ever published outside of my blog, they were brownish and grim. Maria edited the book, put it together, and I remember her bursting into tears and telling me she could never do it, and I told her she could, and she did.

Maria was 80 when I met her, she is 86 now, still talk and proud, but slowing. She comes to every one of our Open Houses to read her beautiful poems, she has published three books, we are hoping for a fourth.

Her poems are elegiac, evoking independence, memory, love and meaning.

When I fell in love with Maria, the first person I called was Mary, I wanted her approval, I wanted her to know. “Oh, my,” she said, “how wonderful. She’s such a good girl, she will keep you in line.” Mary was so happy for us we drew the strength to be happy for ourselves.

Helen Golden, a friend from New Jersey who graces us with her presence at our Open Houses, took this photo. It shows the two of us standing behind Mary just before shee got up to read her poems. She needs assistance getting up from the chair, and then sitting down, but she asked to stand alone when she read her poetry. “I can stand up, you know,” she said, her blue eyes a bit ablaze.

Mary lives on a 30-acre farm on the top of a winding road, she lost her husband Dick some years okay. She loves being alone, she loves being surrounded by her family. She loves  her small farmhouse, her gardens. Her beloved cat died a few months ago, she is mulling getting another. I hope she does. Mary means so much to us and Helen’s very beautiful photograph captures our feelings for one another.

She and Maria are especially close, they loved one another from the very first.

This is a circle of love, of life. Mary symbolizes everything we care about and stand for – love, faith, courage, independence, encouragement, creativity, a life fulfilled. She is the most radiant spirit, and this cellphone photo captures our circle of love. You can, in fact, reach out and touch it.