Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

14 November

Cambridge Pantry Art, A New Way For To Capture The Feeling Of Hunger And Need Through Art And Photography

by Jon Katz

This is a new way for me to use my photography and art to capture the feeling of hunger, compassion, and the desire of human beings to reach out to other humans and their needs. I’m learning that art and images speak as clearly as words, and I want to capture them in a new artistic feature called Pantry Art.

In a time of tension, this is a place of pure good.

We read about hunger, but I want to use my art to make more people aware of what it means without violating the privacy of those suffering. Pantries mainly operate out of sight because many people are ashamed to use them. I want to bring the process to light without shaming the people who need it. It’s an awful thing, really, but a beautiful and compassionate thing.

I want to bring the pantry into the light as soon as possible. I thank Pantry Director Sarah Harrington for making this possible.  She carries out Jesus Christ’s plea for all of us to help the people with nowhere to go. The Cambridge Panty is one of those places, founded in religion and practiced in humanity.

Sarah is working hard to bring dignity and color to the pantry and involve the community. She has a huge heart.

Note: Flower Art will appear tomorrow and almost every day. Pantry art will appear every week or so; on those days, there won’t be a Flower Art.

 

 

A local church founded the pantry for everyone who needs it, but the religious feeling is there through signs and feelings. I can’t speak for God, but the pantry is working to provide for all people’s needs.

Most of us take a Thanksgiving dinner for granted if we need it. For people who can’t afford to feel their families take nothing for granted, the pantry gives every member a full meal: turkey and all the trimmings.

 

Sarah is working to bring dignity and comfort to a place that is often cold and uncomfortable.

Food is everywhere:  on shelves, in storage, and in hallways.

 

I love the feel of the pantry. It practically screams of character, feeling, and compassion.

Carol is renovating the food shelves so they are bright and welcoming. She wants them to look like any modern store, not a dark or intimidating place. She’s come a long way.

I love the nooks and crannies of the old building. It was once a restaurant and has corners, shelves, and storage rooms all over the place. I love the feeling of the place.

Many companies donate food to the pantries. It helps, but it’s not enough.

Sarah, in the office she built so newcomers to the food pantry could register with privacy.

14 November

Beautiful Morning, Bedlam Farm, Thursday, November 14, 2024, Come Along

by Jon Katz

Good morning. I’m off to the Pantry to work on my Pantry Art Project. I was getting cold.  I’ve been home all day. I’ve got to pick up dog food, shop, and, of course, blog and collect images for Flower Art. I have a lot to do. Thanks for following.

 

Maria cleans out the pole barn every morning.

Fate on her endless search for fulfillment.

 

I water the calla plant almost every morning.

Zinnia, meditating with me.

14 November

Pantry Support: Help With Holiday Dinners, Cold Weather – Diced Tomatoes, ($14.76, Pack Of 12) Penne Pasta, (Pack of 8, $15.12) Elbow Pasta, (Box, $15.12)

by Jon Katz

Friends, today, Sarah is urgently continuing her drive to provide warm, easy-to-make dinners for the members of the Cambridge Food Pantry. Your quick reply is critical, as this is a challenging season for food pantries. With the farms mostly done for the season, government subsidies reclining, and the holiday season approaching, it’s a tough time for those without enough money – pantries and food banks, too –  for anyone to buy food or festive decorations.

Your contribution can make a significant difference. We can provide them with something warm to eat, something they ask for, something they mess up. Your support will directly impact the lives of those in need.

Sarah has chosen these and other warm foods to meet the cold and the holidays, the most challenging times for those who come to her for help.

Please help if you can. Here are the three items she has none of at the moment but that people know, love, and want.

Thanks.

This is a reminder that you can access the Cambridge Pantry Amazon Food Wish List at any time, day or night. You can browse the pantry list using the links here or by clicking on the green button at the bottom of every blog post.

Thank you. Your support is a miracle.  You are already brightening the holiday season for people who need help but have nowhere else to go:

Sarah’s choices for today:

Barilla Penne Pasta, 16 Oz Box (Pack of 8) – Non-GMO Pasta Made with Durum Wheat Seminola – Kosher Certified Pasta, $15.12.

Elbows Pasta, 16 Oz, Box-Non-GMO Pasta Made with Durum Wheat Semolina – Kosher Certified, $15.12.

Hunts Petite Diced Tomatoes, 14.5 Oz, 12 Pack, $14.76.

 

13 November

Meditation: Like A Pebble In The River. While You Sit, You Rest

by Jon Katz

Please, when you practice meditation, don’t make any effort. Allow yourself to be like a pebble at rest. The pebble rests at the bottom of the river, and it does not have to do anything. While you are walking, you are resting. While you are sitting, you are resting.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

____

I love this description of meditation’s simplicity and liberation of the mind. People often ask me how I meditate and what steps I take, and the answer always surprises them.

“You don’t have to do anything,” I say. “You just have to be and let your mind go where it wishes, no rules, no mistakes, no pressure.”

I tell my students that there is a right way to meditate. Wherever your mind goes is fine.

The image of the pebble resting at the bottom of the river is perfect. Meditation has gone so much food for me, my mind has never been freer.

All of us will be challenged, frightened, and distracted during this time and for the foreseeable future. I want to prepare myself for that in a positive and meaningful way that turns away from anger and fear. Anger and fear accomplish little or nothing.

I need to look inward, not just outward.

This time will bring so many of us together for the first time and for real. It is inevitable that time has never been more open to something new and uplifting.

That will be an uplifting and exciting time; I am waiting for it to emerge; every day seems to bring it closer. In my meditation this morning, I could picture a leader of compassion and vision emerging from the dust and chaos and leading us to a kindler, better place.

Sitting down to meditate, I can see and feel it, which lifts my heart. After this, I will spend some time at the bottom of the river, not doing anything but feeling something tangible and beautiful.

That is not nothing.

 

13 November

Flower Art: I Feel These Images Are Needed More Than Ever. Thanks For Following This Work. The Flowers Make People Feel Better

by Jon Katz

I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty. ”  — Georgia O’Keeffe.

I am proud to see and learn that these flowers have become essential to people looking for a peaceful and safe place to find beauty and safety in these unnerving times. I’ll keep it up, and thank you for appreciating this work.

It’s one of the better challenges of my life, a gift at my age, a challenge for the future.

My dream of the blog becoming a safe and meaningful place is finally becoming true.

Today, I returned to my 105 MM Sigma Macro Lens and Mirrorless SLR-2 Leica. I love them both now and will use them both in different ways. I think he felt neglected. He (or she?) has done beautiful work for me.

I’ll see you in the morning. Tomorrow, I’m home all day except for some time at the Food Pantry, my second home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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