Of all the things in my life, I am proudest of creating and fighting for Bedlam Farm, a place of love, exploration, creativity, learning, and growth.
The farm tore my life apart and nearly ended my life. It was worth every minute. I am so proud of what it has become.
The farm led me to many things, including this blog, my marriage to Maria, my spiritual life, my growth and change, my love of working with dogs, my therapy dog work, my work in hospice, the Mansion, and with the refugee children.
She is very much responsible for the vibrant and growing spirit of the place. I think often that every one of my flower photos is a love letter to her.
That’s why they are so beautiful.
That’s a powerful list. I am not shy or reluctant to say Bedlam Farm has been a place of growth and change, the most significant being Maria Wulf, my wife, a fiber artist who, for some reason, fell in love with me and agreed to marry me – one of the happiest and most meaningful days of my life.
She is touched by the joy of life, a passion for discovery, a hunger to learn, a love of animals, a brilliant artist, and a determination to grow and keep growing.
For the first years, I was the spirit and soul of Bedlam Farm, along with my dogs. That has changed. I am proud and happy to say that Maria is the soul and spirit of Bedlam Farm; now, she brings an energy, curiosity, and energy that I can barely keep up with but helps keep me vital and alive.
Today, she came rushing into my office as I wrote, happy and excited, holding what I first thought was bird’s eggs.
“Potatoes,” she said, “from our vegetable garden.” This is her vegetable garden; she thought of it, planted it, and cared for it. We will soon have this potato with our dinner and cauliflower, tomatoes, kale, and garlic.
I will never fully understand what I did to deserve the gift of this beautiful human being in my life. She has brought so much to me and the idea of Bedlam Farm.
My fantasy for a peaceable kingdom has come to life beyond my imagination, and I have her to thank for it. People often tell me I am lucky to have her as a partner and companion. I know. I knew long before they did.
You are lucky to have each other, you 2 parts create something bigger than would be separately.
…and Maria is blessed to have you, as I am sure she knows.
I love this picture
Hands holding the abundance of life.
Wow!! What a beautiful love letter. Such an expression of love is akin to a Shakespearian sonnet. Well done Jon! Love is at the root of everything.
I just love this post. We harvested our garlic last week, and our potatoes are going strong…I think this might be our best crop ever! It’s such a good feeling to ‘pick your own’.
Your marriage is a classical example of one + one= three. You are a lucky devil, Mister Katz.
Thanks, Gossamer; personally, I don’t believe much in luck or lucky devils. We both believe in hard work being rewarded and dont generally trust fate. We spent years getting to know one another and worked hard on our friendship and then on our marriage. There are no accidents in good marriages.
I do appreciate the thought. But I think Maria would agree that we are both very fortunate to be together.