Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

20 November

Beautiful Morning At Bedlam Farm. The Sky Says It All

by Jon Katz

I looked out the bedroom window at dawn and saw that rare and beautiful sky, the sun coming up and bouncing its light off of just the right clouds. This is rare, and I rushed outside with no shoes or clothes because I knew I only had a minute before the sun would rise over the clouds and turn them red or blue. I have been running out for a while now. I wanted you to see this before I left. It’s a good omen for me, a sign of good things.  I think Lulu was in awe of the sky as well. It was cold.

I hope you have a meaningful day.

19 November

Sarah Scores A Big Award. The Cambridge Pantry Was Voted The Best Non-Profit In The County In Front Of 1,000 People

by Jon Katz

Sarah Harrington and The Cambridge Food Pantry Won A Big ward tonight, which could help raise donations, local attention, hunger awareness, and financial grants. There was a lot of competition.

It was a significant affirmation of the beautiful work she and her amazing volunteers have done this year to help the pantry modernize and use tools like the Internet (people like me) to advocate for it.

The Pantry Board of Directors President, Pastor Jim, a shy and quiet man who has done tremendous good, accepted the award with her. I got a wicked cold today and wasn’t sure I would make it, but it was worth a trip to the Christ the King Center in rural Greenwich. She got the award early on, so I made it all the way. I was eager to see the winner.

The overwhelming response from the community was a key factor in this achievement. Hundreds of county residents nominated individuals, and over 1,000 people gathered at the meeting hall, demonstrating the community’s integral role and unwavering support. This widespread backing is a testament to the pantry’s remarkable work and the impact it has on our community.

It’s a big deal in our country. Everyone follows these events, and Sarah has scored another victory for hunger awareness and the Cambridge Food Pantry. Sarah is determined to make the Cambridge Food Pantry the best food pantry in the country.

Tonight, Sarah has brought us all a step closer to her vision. Congratulations, friend. We are all proud of your achievement and inspired by your dedication to making the Cambridge Food Pantry the best in the country.

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.

 

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.
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