Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

24 December

On Christmas Eve, A Walk In The Snow With A Snow Dog And A Snow Cat

by Jon Katz

Welcome to Christmas Eve at Bedlam Farm. It started simply and peacefully for me and quickly became beautiful. According to the Weather Channel, it snowed 3 to 5 inches this morning.  It was 24 degrees. I decided to join in the beauty and was pleasantly surprised when two animals—Zinnia, as always, and Zip—agreed to accompany me on my walk.

As you know, I receive a lot of advice, most of it well-meaning and some cruel and hurtful. I tend to ignore it; I’m never comfortable accepting the advice of strangers who have never met me, spoken with me, or seen my home and farm.

I am sensitive to warnings about harming my animals – social media is a drug for alarmists because I love them and take stewardship seriously; I don’t ever want to do them harm. And I am fully responsible for their welfare.  When the temperature got below zero, I worried about the sheep and donkeys and Zip, who has lived outdoors all his life.

When I came out this morning, it was 22 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the WC, and snowing lightly but steadily. Zinnia is a snow dog, so I knew she’d come eagerly. Zip is a snowcat, but he has never walked with me out of the pasture into the woods in a snowstorm. If I ever wondered if he was an actual snowcat, that was gone by the end of the walk.

 

Zip started by rolling through the snow and digging his nose to look for moles and mice. He then went after Zinnia and provoked her into a chasing, barking, and rolling fest. They were both having a blast, and the sight of their joyous playing lifted me, a beautiful thing to watch on Christmas Eve.

Both were conscious of my careful walking on the ice and crusts. They paused to wait for me, kept an eye on me, and came running when I slipped or stumbled.

 

I don’t walk in the snow as much as I once did, especially in falling snow, and walking is one of my all-time favorite things.

I loved walking with these two. Their fearlessness, adventurousness, and joy shone through and into my heart. I’ll walk anytime with them, day or night, in snow, rain, or wind—a special Christmas gift.

 

 

Zip back resting on his favorite fleece.

 

Zinnia and Zip, best pals now, head out to the bird feeder to see if they can scarf up any seeds. They did.

Maria greeted us as soon as we got back. Zip got a hug and kiss.

The Pasture Apple Tree In The Snow

 

Sheep Down The Hill. Zip is a gift all of his own.

23 December

Today, Asking For Refried Beans And Canned Potatoes: Plus A Groundbreaking New Shelf Is Coming In January: A Kitchen Shelf With Can Openers, Frying Pans, And Badly Needed Utensils

by Jon Katz

Sarah’s Choice for food support today:

Old El Paso Traditional Canned Refried Beans, 1 Can, 160z Pack of 12, $15.48.

Del Monte Fresh Cut Diced Potatoes, Canned Vegetables, 12 Pack, 14.5 Oz Can, $17.88.

Plus, an innovative and urgently needed kitchen shelf is coming. “The shelf will have kitchen utensils that people seeking food – including those facing food emergencies – will see added to the pantry,” says Sarah, who is always listening to families in need and learning how to help them in new and innovative ways.

She is expanding the food pantry idea and widening the support and understanding of how people in deprivation support, dignity, and proper knowledge and tools.

These innovations spawn health, pride, and confidence. They remove some stigma from being unable to feed one’s family and provide the tools to be healthy and optimistic. I’ve seen Sarah as a humanitarian working to create a model food pantry, one of the most innovative and empathetic food pantry facilities.

It’s exciting.

(Waiting for the weekly food truck from Albany.)

_______

I am very proud to support her in this new and groundbreaking work. I would appreciate your help moving forward. Those who support this pantry are doing much more than just putting meat on the table.

This new support aims to expand in small but important ways, helping people with hunger issues regain their independence and live without fear, with a sense of power and being heard.

And, as necessary, a life without shame.

I am 100 percent supportive of what she’s doing. She’s added some new items to her Wish List to support a Kitchen Shelf. The idea is to lift people to independence, not shame or ignore their wishes and needs.

Here’s what the new program will look like. It will also be on the wish list, which it already is.

24 Pcs Kitchen Cooking Utensils Set, 446 Degree Heat Resistant Non-Stick Silicone Kitchen Utensil Set with Wooden Handles and Holder, Kitchen Gadgets for Cookware, Kitchem Accessories, Black,$17.99.

Teamfar Cooking Utensils Set of 6, includes Lade Spoon Slotted Turner for Non-Stick Cookware, Non-Toxic & One Piece, Anti-Heat & Non-Toxic and On Piece, Anti-Heat & Non-Scratch, Dishwasher Safe, Black—$ 12.49.

Sarah plans to launch the new Kitchen Shelf in early January. I’ll let you know if you don’t mind. You can check out the above items any time, day or night, and even purchase some early. We’ve brought women’s needs, dental supplies, diapers, and vegetables to the shelves. Sarah is just getting started. You have made this possible. Let’s keep going.

This is another groundbreaker. Anything you can offer can help with the food challenge here and nationwide. The other pantries are watching.

Donors purchasing Amazon items also send messages from Amazon(available on their checkout pages) thanking the pantry volunteers for their work. Sarah is pasting the messages on the wall; I’ll paste them here. It means a great deal to the volunteers.

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