Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

8 October

Ian The Shearer, Ian My Chess Partner, Ian The Friend. He’s A Young Man Now. And A Creative One …

by Jon Katz

I feel a little like a father watching his kid grow up. When I met Ian five or six years ago, he was shy, uncertain, and unhappy.

None of those things are true now.

He is our shearer, one of my closest friends, and now, my weekly chess partner. Of course, I used to beat him regularly; he’s destroyed me in the last three games. I keep explaining that older men rarely beat young men at chess, but he keeps laughing at me. We will play next Tuesday; I’m a glutton for punishment.

Ian has blossomed, to say the least. He is smart and knows it; he’s even learning to write code.

A poet in a poet group, he’s played his guitar in a local brewery, and he’s thinking—quite confidently—about his plans for the future. For now, he’s working for a slate roofing company. He is fit and strong, strong enough to wrestle a sheep to the ground. Ian is impressive in just about every way, and I am happy and blessed to have him as a friend.

Ian has realized his worth and is building his own life. He is a pleasure to talk to; we fight and laugh all the time. When one gets old, I see that young people usually stay away—they don’t like to dwell on the future. I told this to Ian, and he told me he doesn’t know that I am old; if so, he said I am the youngest old man he knows. I admit it feels good to hear that.

We smile every time we see each other. He and Maria have bonded together. She loves listening ot his poetry.

I relish the evenings when he comes over to talk. We are somehow in sync. I feel like I’ve known him for a long time. He had to stop shearing last night when it got too dark; he’s coming back next week to finish shearing three of our sheep and maybe clobber me in chess again. Maybe not.

Last night, he came wearing the Irish uniform for sheep shearing. He’s as strong as he looks.

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7 October

Flower Art, Monday, October 7, A Day Of Experimentation, Imagination. What I See In Black And White.

by Jon Katz

“I often painted fragments of things because it seemed to make my statement as well as or better than the whole could.”

— Georgia O’Keeffe.

Me too; the world of flowers is much too big for me to grasp, and that’s why I also go for fragments of things. They are comprehensible to me, and I’ve found what O’Keeffe found – people pay more attention to the fragments than the whole of things, which they are usually too busy or distracted to see – they are too familiar, they have become ordinary.

People get bored with the ordinary. They go right past it. When they see something new, they stop and look. I always felt that people loved flowers but often didn’t see them. I was one of those people. I took the idea from O’Keeffe and her work – see them individually, and some people will take notice.

Ian McRae, our friend and shearer is coming this afternoon to share three of our sheep. I’ll take some photos, then we’re feeding him. I’ll check in tomorrow, hope to see you then.

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Animals

7 October

Portrait, Bud. He Is A Busy Dog, A Guardian Angel

by Jon Katz

Bud has been with us for six years; he was a wreck, sick, and so savagely abused it cost $1,000 in vet bills to get him released to us. He was near death, terrified and trembling when we picked him up.

Maria took the photo below of Bud in my arms for the ride home. He never opened his eyes or stopped shaking.

Bud is our fierce guardian. He pinned down our rat until we caught it, and he patrols every inch of the yard and Maria’s studio for hours every day to keep rodents of all kinds out of the farmhouse.

He takes protecting us and the farmhouse very seriously. Boston Terriers are like that.

He never stops chasing the Amish wagons off from the front of the house or barking when any other dog dares to come close. He alerts us when bikes come by as well and stalks our chipmunks all day, usually to little avail. He does better with moles, which he eats.

He’s a tough little guy outside, a lovebug in the house.

Photo by Maria. Bud in my lap on the way to Bedlam Farm from the rescue truck.

He’s done a great job. His favorite sleeping place is in my lap, especially in cold weather. He is a fierce guardian outside and a sweet and loving companion in the house. It is a joy to see him so happy; it was worth every bit of the money and the work to heal him. He goes right into Maria’s when he can’t get into my lap. He is always welcome there.

Savagely abuse by people (at first he hid from everyone) he loves everyone he meets or sees now, he is all love when it comes to people, not to moles.

What a pleasure to give a wonderful dog like that the love he deserves. It is one of the most satisfying feelings there is.

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The Cambridge Food Pantry

7 October

Bless You. See What You Did. Thanks From The Volunteers And Customers Of The Cambridge Food Pantry: You Are The Gift That Keeps On Giving. Thank You

by Jon Katz

A million thank yous, Army Of Good, from Sarah Harrington, the Executive Director of the Cambridge Food Pantry, the heroically dedicated volunteers, the hundreds of families who come to the Pantry every week to help feed their families and children, and everyone who believes in helping neighbors and comforting those who are struggling and have nowhere else to turn.

Your support is invaluable, and we are deeply grateful for your contributions.

This is another triumph for good, for the teaching of Jesus Christ and so many other leaders, and for the excellent and generous spirit that speaks to the heart of America. We help those who need help.

This afternoon, the volunteers wrestled, busy unpacking and distributing the foods you sent that arrived today. The Amazon truck was loaded.

“This means so much to us and our guests,” said Sarah in this message. “It is a game changer; you have all made an enormous difference and brightened the lives of many struggling people. Thank you so much.”

These photos were just taken this afternoon. They show the Army of Goods’s response to requests for help in getting coffee, breakfast cereal, warm and healthy soups, and beans all in time for the distributions on Wednesday and Saturday and for the children’s backpacks to be distributed this Thursday.

Sarah says more is coming, according to Amazon messages, and I hope we make it clear how appreciated this is and how much of a change it has made for these families and their children.

For the first time, we have enough cereal to last several weeks. The joy and relief on the faces of the families when they received this staple item was palpable. Your contribution is making a real difference in their lives.

Coffee, a rare commodity on our pantry shelves, is the most challenging thing to keep in stock. Your donation of this precious item is unique and valuable, so we ensure we have it for a week or two. It’s a small but significant miracle for our guests. God Bless You.

You can browse the Cambridge Pantry Amazon Food Wish List anytime, day or night, by going to this link or the green button at the bottom of every blog post. The list is updated constantly, and everything on it is needed and wanted.

The pantry is unique in one way—guests have a say in what they receive; it’s not a take-it-or-leave-it place. You are helping to preserve the morale and dignity of people struggling for sound footing.

Sarah’s vision is to be the best food pantry in America. She’s on the way. You are helping her get there.

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