Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

18 February

My First Two Video Day Ever: I Rushed Out To See The Sun After Days Of Storm

by Jon Katz

I was excited to see the sun for the first time in days. It was 12 degrees, but the sun made it worthwhile. I grabbed the camera, slipped on my winter bathrobe, climbed into my Amish boots (very hardy in snow), and rushed outside into mountains of ice. I got stranded for a bit, but Maria came out to save me (she has fantastic radar for my stupid decisions). I did get the video and retreated to the farmhouse.

(Above. Nothing gives Zip more fun than tearing through the snow and catching moles or mice scurrying to find food in or after a snowstorm. He approaches the mate, rubs and licks the snow from his paws, and then resumes the hunt. Zinnia was waiting for him, and the two tore off to play tag and hide-and-seek. They are besties and they love to play together in the sun.

Zip photo sketch

Sun and shadow

The dogs love to rush around in the snow (not Bud), and when they tire (even Fate tires), they love to come inside near the wood stoves and sleep. I take a nap with them every afternoon.

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18 February

A New Weekly Video: The Story Of Us: We Talk About Our Work, Our Love, Our Farm, Our Animals Every Week On Friday. Here’s A Taste

by Jon Katz

As we focus on our blogs as a safe space in a sometimes turbulent storm, Maria and I started a weekly video, “The Story Of Us,” about our marriage and lives on Bedlam Farm.

We’ll be candid and open about how we live, how we have resolved problems, and how we identify them to keep the marriage strong. Of course, we will talk about the animals and our creative ideas and values. Lots of you have asked about our relationship. I hope you’ll get your answers here. We are excited about it. Friday on the blog, posted sometime in the morning. (The animals always come first.)

This is a taste; we hope to have it up and running on each of our blogs on Friday. Please take a look; this will tie in with our ideas about a sanctuary here free of politics, fear, and anger. See you Friday I hope.

Note: Maria does not give me the finger in the photo above; she moves her hands around when talking. I don’t wish to upset the Yentas, but if they think my old thermometer reading is flawed (and exaggerated), they’ll go nuts over this. And no, I certainly will not change it or fix it.

Maria is way too polite to give me the finger, if necessary; she’d much rather slug me.

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Flower Art

17 February

Flower Art, Monday February 17. Photo Painting. Join Me In Dream Land, I’m Obsessed With My Yellow Callas, Soon To Die

by Jon Katz

For most of my life, I felt loveless and misunderstood. The issue wasn’t why I had no love in my life but whether I could generate love and understand myself. Love is a profound gift; it makes me feel fantastic, and the people around me often pick that up. True love is like that. Loving one person fully opens the door to learn to love and be loved by others. It is contagious; it spreads.

It felt like an empty cup filled with something beautiful and uplifting in the heat. I felt light. I knew that once I thought I could love—Maria taught me that—I could do it immediately. When I opened to it, it happened. I didn’t have to wait. The old cliche is true: Love is better than power, fame, money, or success. It is success. Fear and anger melt away over time. Rage and hate do none of the things that love does.

These are the last Calla photos (until tomorrow, at least) that I’ll focus on. These yellow ones took me over, and they are beginning to weaken. I have bulbs coming for the Spring, and my friend Sue at the Cambridge Florist is always looking for more. In the summer, I can grow my own in the garden bed. I have never been tired of taking these photos. They inspire me. It’s a kind of life that makes me feel wonderful. This week made me really love the Spring.

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Maria

17 February

Maria And The Joy Of Sheep. Come See Her Never Before Seen Fiber Wool Laboratory In Our Farmhouse. . Be Amazed. I Was.

by Jon Katz

Maria has a secret studio and office upstairs that has never been seen by outsiders or me more than once or twice. I was amazed when I entered the room upstairs in the farmhouse and saw a room bursting with her love of sheep.

She collected wool from her beloved sheep a few months ago and went to collect it from the fiber mill a week ago. She’s already sold all but a few of her beautiful skeins. Now, on to a room full of wool for other things going up for sale – dryer balls, a few skeins left, roving, and rug yarn.

This is a labor of business, but if you know Maria, it’s a labor of love – her life, the sheep, her art, the people she knows and cares for who buy her wool.

This is a sacred room; I was amazed by her creative energy skill, love of the sheep, and remarkable organizational skills.

Her work is a passion, not a chore. Have a look. All of this stuff is on sale now on her Etsy Page. The prices and details are also in the video above. If you need to communicate with her directly, e-mail her at [email protected].

We sleep just feet from this room, her farmhouse office, but I was astonished at the work she has been doing in there. I was never invited into that room; I never thought to go. It was her private place.

I was only there one night when the heat failed, and we were freezing. I consider this our greatest video.

(Picture by Maria)

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