Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

Zip
19 November

Photo Journal: Zip Gets A Plus At The Vet. His Annual Check-Up. He Didn’t Like It. I Was Nervous

by Jon Katz

Zip got a perfect rating from the vet—A plus. He’s in a wonderful condition, which was good to hear.

We got Zip into a crate (Maria did, and she had to chase him all over the pasture) for his annual check-up with Dr. Roosevelt. He had complete treatment and a meticulous examination. I got mercillessly ribbed by Dr. Roosevelt and the staff. I said for years that I’m not a cat person, but a dog person, and they all rubbed my nose in it, laughing. They said there was no question about my loving a cat anymore.

“You can see it,” she said, “he’s your cat.”

I was anxious but very happy to hear the results. He will be back again in June. She recommended some occasional kibble to keep his teeth as clean as they are. He gets some kibble twice a day. He is fully vaccinated as he was last year.

Maria was heroic in catching him and getting him into the crate. He didn’t like it in there but calmed down when he got out.

Zip rushed over to me when the crate opened up; I held him for a while, and then Maria took over. He did calm down when he saw.

Dr. Roosevelt checked Zip’s teeth. The teeth are perfect, and the gums are a bit red. One day, we may have to have his gums cleaned; for now, they are perfect. She said Zip was in ideal shape and weight, with great eights and a soft and healthy coat.

Tech Cassandra calmed Zip down. He did like the people once he got out of the crate.

He didn’t want to come out of the crate, and when he got home, he rocketed out of the car and up to the top of the woodshed. There’s a cozy blanket or two up there, and I suspect he sleeps in there sometimes.

 

Support My Blog Support the Army of Good Cambridge Food Pantry
Read or Post a Comment
My Spiritual Life
19 November

Mindfulness: A Way Of Transforming Fear To Fearlessness. To Be Alive Is A Miracle

by Jon Katz

I’ve heard about Mindfulness for years, but I paid little attention to it and spent much time in panic. Because mindfulness is such a simple and overused idea, it was hard to imagine how it could help me experience joy and peace.

I know now that this kind of therapy has entered the mainstream of modern medicine; every doctor or surgeon I’ve talked to has urged me to meditate, and skeptical as I was, it was the best medical advice I’ve ever gotten.

My thoughts were a hot mess, always in shambles and distractions, usually drifting to worry. Learning to bring my mind to the moment and hold it there was a profound change for me. I can take it.

I’m a bit embarrassed but also morally obliged to say that mindfulness and the meditation that usually accompanies it have worked surprisingly and effectively to help me experience joy, peace, and, increasingly, fearlessness.

In my lifetime, more people are now anxious than I can ever recall, so I want to write about mindfulness and how it has worked for me. I don’t tell other people what to do – blasphemy on social media -but I will try and share what I have learned, especially now.

The readers of my blog know that I experienced considerable anger in my sudden interactions with people who often had no respect for privacy or decency and sometimes were trying to talk to me. Anger set the tone for much of my life, but mindfulness and meditation made it go away almost entirely.

I got to know myself differently and disliked much of what I saw. I wanted to change.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is being fully present and aware of the current moment without judgment. It involves paying attention to my thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without getting caught up in them.  That is an easy thing to describe but much more difficult to do. It takes practice and determination. The more I tried it, the more I liked it.

 Shrinks says most anxiety comes from worrying about the future. The idea is that if we can learn—usually through meditation—to focus on the now, fear can ease or disappear. I can’t tell you what to do, but this has worked for me in a dramatic and valuable way.

Mindfulness invites us to shift our focus to the present moment, allowing us to fully experience and appreciate the beauty of life as it unfolds.
“Practicing mindful breathing,” writes the Buddhist Monk Nhat Hanh, “helps us experience joy and peace. When we concentrate on our breath, we’re not carried off by thoughts about the past or the future. We’re free of all thinking. When we’re lost in thought, we can’t be present. Descartes said, “I think, therefore, I am,” but most of the time, the truth is more like, “I think, therefore, I am not really here.”
More than any other religion I am aware of, Buddhism has studied and worked on anxiety and fear for thousands of years. They know what they are doing. Most religions I know of do their best to scare the hell out of people so they will follow some dogma or burn.
“When we bring attention to our breath,” writes Hanh, “we’re not thinking about our in-breath, it’s direct experience. We are living the reality that is our in-breath.” Thinking freely is like being a conservative or a liberal – no independent thinking is permitted.
My favorite meditation time is an hour, but I rarely have that much time; I usually meditate for 10 to 15 minutes in the morning. Hanh calls it “touching the miracle of life,” which is my best description. I realize that I am alive and safe, and if there is no trouble when I meditate now, then there is no trouble, period.
Being alive is a fantastic thing. Being present in the here and now, breathing, is a miracle, a transformation, not what I was ever taught to do. I never got to know myself and discovered that while I am not perfect, I’m not so bad. And I can get better.  I never knew that.
Thanks for listening. More to come.
Support My Blog Support the Army of Good Cambridge Food Pantry
Read or Post a Comment
The Cambridge Food Pantry
19 November

The Winter Warm Dinner Campaign Continues Today: Spaghetti And Meatballs, Beef Ravioli. No Kid Should Be Cold At Thanksgiving

by Jon Katz

Today, Carol continues her hot and canned food campaign for the coming winter, the holidays, and beyond. These two inexpensive items can make a massive difference to stressed families struggling to get meals they can’t afford.

I only learned recently that many of these families have no stoves for various reasons; many are crowded into small apartments or former motel rooms with no stoves. These foods can keep their children warm and are simple to cook.

Please help them if you can.

I’ve done my homework. Spaghetti and meatballs can be a healthy dinner for kids—especially in the winter—when prepared with wholesome ingredients and eaten in moderation (lots of calories).

Since many pantry families do not have stoves or working stoves and often control their use of heat, these foods have a special meaning for families and children.

They are warm and filling and easy to cook on hot plates.

When people talk about small portions, this is often a luxury pantry and food-challenged families can afford. Meals have to last, they usually need to be warm and/or filling. No pantry or pantry family can afford to purchase high-end organic food, costing up to five times as much as commercial food.

Please help if you can. Here are Sarah’s choices. She is on a drive to store some canned food for the cold weather.

 

Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs, 14.5 Oz Cans, Pack of 4, $4.48.

Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli 15 Oz., 4 Pack, $4.48.

 

 

You can access the Cambridge Food Pantry Amazon Wish List by clicking on any link here or the “Cambridge Pantry ” green food button at the bottom of every blog page.

The wish list is updated daily, and everything is urgently needed. Please browse it if you can, you can decide what you want to donate, and thanks.

 

Support My Blog Support the Army of Good Cambridge Food Pantry
Read or Post a Comment
Beautiful Morning
19 November

Beautiful Morning: How Zip Became Our Happiest Animal And Brightened The Farm.

by Jon Katz

I like to think that all our animals are happy; I know they are well cared for and loved. But Zip has brought joy and connection that has dramatically enriched the farm and given him the happy life he was meant to have.  He’s made us pretty happy, too, as is evident.

I was never that close to a cat until Zip entered my life and enriched it. I love that cat. Zinnia and Fate avoided our cats and had nothing to do with them. Zinnia and Zip are besties, and today, for the first time, he gave Fate a lick on the nose, and she didn’t growl or runoff. That’s unprecedented; it warms my heart.

Fate does not like other animals and has never been near our barn cats.

Day by day, Zip has been joining us for the morning chores, and one by one, he has charmed the donkeys, the sheep (all but one), and both dogs. First thing in the morning, he rubs noses and plays with them – even the severe and grumpy Fate.

He and Zinnia love to reach each other and down the pasture slope. In the daytime, he hangs out in the Pole Barn, has three or four warm places to sleep at night, and has worked heroically to clear the barn of rats, mice, and pigeons. Between hunting and exploring – he loves the marsh and woods and finds time to visit us and make us laugh and smaile.

He always appears when I am taking flower photos outside and keeps me company. I didn’t know a cat would do that. We are grateful for Zip; he is a bolt of sunshine wherever he goes.  He is a prince in the Peaceable Kingdom.

He can hunt, explore, visit, and soak up the sun. He is free and healthy. I am so pleased to give him this life.

He’s even stopped annoying the chickens.

Maria feels the same way. I can’t count the times we give thanks for getting him.

Zip has altered the rhythm and feel of the farm. He’s a floating love story.

We love having him here, and so do the other animals. What a pleasant surprise. He goes to the vet tonight for a check-up and his bi-annual vaccinations. I told a friend that he takes good care of us, and we take good care of him. It’s a great deal.

Besties: Zinnia and Zip

Fate has finally accepted Zip and let him nuzzle up.

My chair has about three weeks to live. It’s slated to burn at our winter solstice bonfire. Could I ask Maria to fix it? Maybe Dan Rogers will come and help me save him.

Fate is taking her guard position. She’s pleased there.

Getting firewood from the woodshed.

Support My Blog Support the Army of Good Cambridge Food Pantry
Read or Post a Comment
‹ Newer Posts
Older Posts ›
Email SignupFree Email Signup