Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

14 July

The Day-After Shock: Flower Art, Flowers To Make You Smile And Think Softly. Letting Go. Negalla, Love In The Mist

by Jon Katz

Several good people told me the flower below is called Nigella, or Love In The Mist.

I love the name; I love the quirky flower, an oddball if you can ever call a flower that.

it captures so much of what I want in my flower photography, but not all the time.

This is a time to go inward and strengthen what is inside; outside voices hold nothing for me. Anger bounces off of me.

I’m patiently waiting for someone I want to listen to and learn from. I don’t need to watch the same thing over and over again. I’m letting go.

 

Much of my life now centers around letting go, which is the path to peace of mind for me. Getting stuck on the past or failures and disappointments brought me a lot of unhappiness and anxiety. To me, it became the garbage dump of my consciousness. I needed to clean it out. I needed to let go. To do that, I had to figure out where this trouble and pain came from.

The more I did that, the easier it was—and is—to let go. Now I can just be me, take it or leave it. To me, good Jon Katz and wrong Jon Katz make life precious. I can bear almost anything but being a predictable bore.

I’m trying to make the Good Side bigger and bigger. It won’t be easy.

I’m not seeking sainthood or the approval of the billions of computer users on the Internet. I’m seeking my own approval. I’ve let go of many grievances, sorrows, and recriminations. I’m done with others telling me what to think. It’s true; I really don’t care what strangers who know nothing about me think about what I think.

I’m lighter. I know who my friends are and who they are not.

This is a sign-off tonight:  I’m done blogging for the day. I had fun with flowers today; come and see.

I’m bracing myself for heat all week. The vegetable garden is drying up. People everywhere have been going through this; we haven’t until now. We will one day need a new and deeper well.

Those maligned scientists have warned about this for years; now, there is no escaping the truth. I won’t think much about it today; there is too much beauty around me.

I’m not thinking of yesterday either; I get it. I know what happened. I don’t need to see it again 100 times. How can the brain survive without harm?

Nothing is new to say, and we are expected to hear nothing for days, months, and years. I won’t do that to my consciousness. I know they have a lot of time to fill it out and many ads to justify, but they won’t be filling it out with me.

 

 

New flowers I find and bring home.

Flowers in our gardens or the forest.

 

Sometimes, the most miniature flowers are the most beautiful. These flowers, similar to the head of a pin, are shy about being photographed.

 

 

I feel like a painter sometimes, mixing up colors. I love the look and feel of wildflowers mixed with cut and garden flowers.

 

Wildflowers, haunting.

The sun lights up my flowers.

Sunset, the other end of the day.

14 July

Farm Journal, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Garlic Garden, Fate Waiting, Zinnia’s Hot, Lily’s Are Glowing. Afternoon Report

by Jon Katz

For the first time ever, the vegetable garden is so dry that many of our vegetables are not growing this year. Welcome to the new world. We got a reprieve, but reality made its way to the farm. Over the past few years, we have been moving slowly toward being self-sufficient. We grow our own herbs now and throw almost nothing into the garbage. We are eating more and more vegetables, beans, and different vegetables and fruit (which we do buy).

This has evolved, but as climate change comes to our part of the world, we installed solar panels. use a compost toilet upstairs and letting our lawns grow naturally around most of the house. Maria is the guide and inspiration for this, I am deeply into it. Less is more. A lot more.

 

 

Above, Garlic bulb,  coming insight for us to eat with our meals. (Maria In Her Garden)

 

Fate will sit out all day waiting and hoping someone will take her to sheep again. She never runs off or moves, she just waits,  even in the extreme heat. Fate is unique; I’ve never known a dog like her. She is the perfect border collie for us an oddball outsider who has her own rules in life.

This heat is too much for Zinnia; she’s a winter dog at heart. She can only stay outside for a short while.

 

 

Lily in the light.

14 July

Feel Better Instantly. Let’s Put Some Good Out There. Sarah’s Request, Creamy Peanut Butter, Crunchy Peanut Butter, Colgate Toothpaste

by Jon Katz

What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love.” — St. Therese.

Sarah and Super Volunteer Tracy (above photo(  had a booth at the farmer’s market this morning.

It felt like the whole town was raising money for the pantry. A collective spirit is what makes a community strong and a country united.

It’s not just a moment; it’s a movement. The Compassion Revolution can start right here. Seeing the town coming together like this for a good cause was heartwarming. We were all together.

Every booth offered free ice cream to anyone who donated to the pantry. I woke up needing to do some good. Donating to the pantry did it for me; I recommended it to anyone who needed a lift. We are lifting the lives and morale of people who need a hand.

What the pantry needs today, the shelves are empty of them:

Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter, Made with Roasted Peanuts, is Great for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches and Snacks.  (Pack of 12), $33.24.

Colgate Whiting  Toothpaste with Mini Strips for Bad Breath Helps Fight Cavities and Whitens Teeth (Pack of 4), $10.65.

Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter, 16 Ounces, (Pack of 12)m $37.44.

 

I got the now familiar SOS late Saturday after another record-breaking day of visits to the Food Pantry for people needing help.

Message from Sarah: “Next week’s items are peanut butter (both kinds), canned chicken, and toothpaste. We are very cleaned out right now. The lady products were a huge hit. Thanks to the Army of Good.”

Tomorrow, I’ll be promoting the canned chicken. But I’ve put up a link for those of you who prefer to contribute regularly. Your consistent support is making a significant, indescribable difference.

Canned Chicken, it’s on the Monday list, but I’m jumping the  gun; some people like to:

 

StarLost Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5 Oz (8 Pack( Canned Tuna Fish, Wild Caught, Gluten Free, Ready To Eat, Perfect for Salads, Keto Meals, and snacks, with 20G Protein &90 Calories per serving, $7.98.

Every time you smile at someone, it is an act of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” – Mother Therese.

14 July

The Washington County Dairy Princesses Raise Money For The Food Pantry At The Farmer’s Market

by Jon Katz

Every year, Washington County chooses its Dairy Princesses, and I am always happy to take their photo. Some people ask me shyly if I moved to the country in such a remote place. I always reply this way: the city was remote to me, but I feel I’m in the heart of the country right now.

These are all farm children; they work hard, care for their animals, and help their families run their farms. This is the Washington County equivalent of the former Miss America Pageant.  They spend very little time, if any, on Social Media. They are too busy feeding and milking the family cows.

I love their warmth, pride, work ethic, and smiles. Everyone knows what a barn cat is, another reason to love them. They will all appear again at the County Fair in August.

They all appeared at the Cambridge Farmer’s Market to raise money for the food pantry, and they did a great job.

14 July

Sunday Morning, Bedlam Farm. Take A Look. You’ll Feel Better, Guaranteed….

by Jon Katz

It’s warm today, getting hotter. Looking through the heat, all I see is love and beauty.  In Many Different Ways, We Are All To Blame. Above, Maria’s garden.

Fannie gets a leg check and a butt scratch.

 

More wood is on the pile; Zip is making it his headquarters in the day. He loves it in there.

 

 

 

Merricat in the shade.

 

The gang is there.

 

Wanting a treat at the fence – apples falling from the trees.

Waiting for leftover fruit and vegetables.

My Garden Bed, Sunrise.

 

Blogger on the porch.

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