31 August

Green Farm. Life is not an argument

by Jon Katz
Green Farm

If you live with three donkeys and chickens, then you are a green farm. Little garbage is thrown away. Between them, almost anything will get devoured .

A friend posted a message saying life will break you if you aren’t careful. How, I wonder, can you be careful about that?  Life cannot break me or cause me to give up, only I can do that. I’m not big on blaming life for my troubles. I am seeing wonderful messages, acts, and courage coming out of Southern Vermont, already busy rebuilding. The journalists and politicians are already fighting about whether government should or shouldn’t help and what it will cost. Yuk.

I do not argue my life, or explain it. I get messages from people every day who disagree with me about things I wrote and are eager to argue with me about it, and while I don’t have any problem with disagreement, I will not argue my life, I would rather live it. Here and in books I am honest about how I feel. That’s enough. I don’t care to be explaining how I feel and arguing it all day. I think that’s a great way to become self-absorbed.  People do not change their minds about things that way, and I have no interest in telling people what to do or arguing with them about how they feel. Seems a draining way to live.

And I don’t care to participate in a process that politicizes helping people in trouble.

 

31 August

Video Star Is Born: Meg The Hen Rides Donkey, Hops Fence

by Jon Katz
Meg The Hen. A Star Is Born

I think I have another chicken personality on my hands, a smart and lively one who reminds me of the late Henrietta The Hen. Meg loves to peck at Maria (who doesn’t?) and this morning, she greeted the new video camera by hopping up on Fanny’s back. And Fanny seemed to love it. Then she took a walk on the pasture gate, preening for me and the camera.

Some chickens are smarter than others and Meg is hot stuff. She will fit in well in Bedlam. I have the odd sensation she was preening for the new camera. Can’t be.

31 August

Simon’s Bray. Welcome to the new video camera

by Jon Katz
Simon's Bray: Welcome To The New Video Camera

My wonderful first video camera succumbed to Irene Sunday. I called the delightfully grumpy and competent people at B&H Photo and when I told the salesmen the camera punked out in the rain he said, “well, that was stupid, wasn’t it? It’s not waterproof.” He was right, of course, and yesterday a new Panasonic HDC TM-90 arrived via UPS. It is sharp, and I see how rundown the other one was. I blessed it, thanked it, said goodbye and threw it in the garbage. Then I went out this morning and Simon welcomed the new camera with a good strong bray. Glad to have it back.

Simon welcomes you to Wednesday. Maria and I are heading back into the woods for some hiking and talking and meditating. Lenore and the camera are coming. And my sore legs.

30 August

I Look Up, Look Up. And Cry.

by Jon Katz
Look Up, Look Up

If you turn off the cell, and the TV and leave the computer behind.

And take yourself into the deep woods, and look up.

You might cry, as I did today,

for the colors in the world.

for the people in love.

for the flowers that bloom.

for the babies born.

for the creatures we love,

for the things we learn,

for the chance to change,

and the stories we tell

and the crops rising up.

for the birds that sing

for the hope in hearts

for the spirits unbroken

for the light that shines,

for the songs that are sung,

and the walks that are taken,

hand in hand,

with hearts still open,

to the joy of living

one more day.

Look up,

Look up,

and cry.

 

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