Maria and I went to visit Mary Kellogg at the Holcomb Adult Resident in Granville, N.Y., today, we brought her some copies of her new book of poetry (her fourth) titled This Time Of Life. She was very happy to see this book in print.

Mary is 89 now, and she and her family have decided that this is not a good time for her to return to her beloved farm. It is a painful decision for Mary, who lived on the farm with her husband Bill, and then by herself for nearly 30 years.

Mary was a powerful symbol of independence to us, and she had – has -a Thoreau kind of love of nature, she knew every bug, deer, flower and bird that came anywhere near her farm, and was generous to the squirrels of her hill.

The poems in her book, now https://www.amazon.com/This-Time-Life-Mary-Kellogg/dp/1726431983/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1537221562&sr=1-1&keywords=Mary+Kellogg+this+time+of+life&dpID=31CW4JSH9KL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch – continue to explore her favorite themes, accepting life, nature, life on the farm and character. I asked her if she might try to write some more poems for a fifth volume, she said she would try.

I’m going to read from This Time Of Life at our October Open House – Columbus Day Weekend – Saturday and Sunday, 11 to 4. Mary says she will try to be there.

The Open House is getting exciting. Maria’s Belly Dancing group is coming to dance on Sunday, the shearer is coming on Saturday along with a bunch of gifted poets – Amy Herring, Jackie Thorne, Mary, and Carol Gulley.

Plus Maria and eight very talented local artists, the Schoolhouse Studio will be crammed with imaginative and unusual art, many people do their Christmas shopping here that weekend. And Bud, our new Boston Terrier, is coming on September 29, he will be here for the Open House.

It is emotional visiting Mary,  she so misses her life, but she also accepts that it was getting difficult to be living alone. She says the people at the adult home cook wonderful food and take great care of her. She fell and broke her hip a few months ago, it is healing well.

Mary’s spirit is proud and strong, and we very much hope to see her at the Open House. If Mary says she wants to do something, she usually does it.