Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

29 May

Flower Art Special. These Flowers Are All From Our Pastures, The True Story Of Bedlam Farm

by Jon Katz

Today’s flower art photos are unique; every one is a flower grown on our farm and collected by Maria, who then turns them over to me for photo taking. I see these beautiful and individual flowers as natural and pure, a creation of nature without human assistance.

Maria gets to do her thing—walking in the woods and studying nature—and I get to do my thing—learning how to take flower photos with emotion and feeling, experimenting with magical colors. We both are telling the story of Bedlam Farm, and every photo is a dream of its own.

I love that this also brings Maria and me together without compromising our creativity or independence, the real story of the farm.

She picks the flowers; I photograph them. I love farm wildflowers, their simplicity, and their diversity.  They are not polished, but so very real.

This bouquet Maria brought me today is tiny, two or three inches wide. But the pictures take us inside their community, and nature always makes things look large.

I’m so grateful at this point in life to find this passion during a time when passion can fade. The flowers are potent; even the trolls, critics, yentas, and busybodies who patrol the Internet have nothing bad to say about them.  The haters can’t find any way to hate them.

Our flowers have done the impossible; they shut up the peckerheads and the cruel and mannerless. Bless them.

I also love that the flowers are all grown here, and they are all wildflowers, the art of nature.

I’ll continue searching for ways to capture the souls and meaning of flowers; they have certainly impacted me. The wildflowers are coming up; I will have them for a while. I also have flowers in the garden bed, and some are cut. I’m learning all the time, experimenting, changing, and mixing.

I see flowers as a community, not just a wedding decoration or something to stick out of a shirt or jacket pocket.

Once again, I will have enough left to post them daily through next Spring.  The flowers will always be here as long as I am here. I’m signing off now. Ian McRae is coming over to play chess. I have to get some popcorn ready. I intend to whup the lad.

 

 

I always look for a centerpiece flower, a king or queen surrounded by followers.

I’m drawn to how these flowers complement and share the stage.

Sunshine and light

I love the sunlight in my pictures.

29 May

Chronicles Of Zip, Bedlam Farm Journal, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Popcorn Fight, Zip And The Hens

by Jon Katz

We had some popcorn left over last night; Maria left it outside for the chickens. When we went to the car, Zip had moved in on the popcorn, and the chickens held their ground. She stepped in to referee, fending Zip-off with one hand and offering popcorn to the chickens with the other.

Zip often chases the hens away when they get too close to something he wants, but this is the first time the chickens haven’t run. They all got some popcorn. Some things are worth fighting for, even if you are a chicken. Zip decided it wasn’t worth a fight.

Zip, on excellent terms with the donkeys, follows me into the pasture when I open the gate for the sheep to graze.

I sometimes put the flowers on the back porch table to take their picture. Zip likes to keep me company but stays out of the way and never gets in front of the flowers.

 

Zip decided to take a nap under my chair while I was working. It’s good that I looked down before I got up.

Zip always wants to know what’s happening everywhere and anywhere.

29 May

Good Lives! From The Army Of Good Today, Another Truck Full Of Food

by Jon Katz

The food keeps coming; every bit will be used and gone soon.  If hunger is growing, so are love and compassion. This is the true America I know, and it is speaking loudly and with empathy and heart. This lifts the spirits of the families struggling to feed themselves, the spirits of me, and people all over the country. They are watching us and cheering.

This is the real America.

(Above The Cambridge Pantry Board President, Pastor Jim Cramer, and his wife Geri with the pantry’s Memorial Day float.)

Please don’t forget the pantry’s food requests for today, Wednesday.

The requests are for Beef Gravy ($1,67) and Liquid Dish soap,$7.44.), both inexpensive and very popular. You can browse the Wish List here; it’s updated daily.

Thank you.

29 May

Suddenly Alive Again, Introducing My Body To My Mind

by Jon Katz

For much of my life, I was worried about the future, among other things. I know many people who are lost in worries about the future and suffering regrets about the past. I was wallowing in fears and fantasies, anger and resentment; I began to understand that my mind was not connected to my body. They didn’t know one another; I was too busy worrying and planning.

I never really thought of the two as one thing; the mind always seems to work independently. It was in meditation that I began reconnecting my mind to my body. I had never spoken to my body or listened to it.

Two days ago, I was stung by a bee as I tried to fill the animal’s water tank. Meditation, breathing, thinking, and facing some truth.

It hurt and itched severely. I couldn’t sleep.  This morning, I meditated, closed my eyes, and felt different body parts calm down. My breathing slowed.

The itching had stopped when the meditation was over and had not yet returned.

Was my body responsible for this change, and how? I don’t know. But the itching stopped.

I believe the human spirit—mine, anyway—was fractured as long as I was cut in half, separated into two parts,  the mind running amok without the body. I kept reading that bringing the mind back into communication with the body was the only way I could be truly alive once again.

For me, it was true. I do feel alive again. People have noticed.

With little or no worry, I am free and happy;  I feel whole and secure. I can’t say I can explain this yet; I can only say it was true. I am at home in the now. Some call it mindful walking and mindful breathing. I don’t know what to call it.

29 May

Sarah’s Choices For Wednesday, May 20, Beef Gravy, $1.67 And Dish Soap, $3.49, Two Favorites

by Jon Katz

Today, we are able to provide inexpensive food and cleansing products to the customers of the Cambridge Food Pantry, all thanks to your support. Your donations, both on the Pantry’s Amazon Wish List and beyond, are making a significant difference. If there are other items you might like to donate, you can see the updated list here.

I enjoyed seeing the food you sent in response to the pantry’s call for help. The shelves are full of the things people miss and want. I keep saying thank you, but those are the best words I can come up with. You are angels, one and all.

Today’s list is one of the simplest and least expensive yet. Take a look. All the items are gone or impossible for the pantry to get.

 

 

First, Campbell’s Beef Gravy, 10.2 Oz Can, $1.65

Ultra Dish Washing Liquid Soap, $3.49

 

 

A banana from the food pantry’s Memorial Day parade was a great success.

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