6 September

Dig Safe: Cable, Fence

by Jon Katz
Dig Safe

Tomorrow the new farm is getting cable, the first time in my computing life that I have had it. We have satellite here at the farm, and it is good, but not cable. It will make my photo and blog transmissions so much easier, I think. We are also getting new fences (after this, I think I will be taking collections on Main Street in Cambridge  🙂 – just kidding). I had to call 1 800 Dig Safe to tell some utility officials about this work, and after a long and complex phone proceedure, we got some white paint and sprayed the boundaries of the fences to make sure there were no buried cables.

Four or five utilities responded and we were told to look for an orange “ok” which we found this morning. It looked mysterious, like some alien message. I should call my friend George Forss.

6 September

Woodwork: Living Room

by Jon Katz
Woodwork, Living Room

We love the woodwork in our new living room, it was built into the house when it was built around 1840. It was a bit lost in the old wallpaper but stands out beautifully, even against the newly spackled wall. Saturday and Sunday, Maria and I are going to paint the walls, we are thinking about a light gray with a touch of blue in it. This room is getting to be quite gorgeous and is the centerpiece of our new home, and this has inspired us to take off the wallpaper in my study. (Gulp). Are we getting too ambitious? Never.

6 September

For My New Study: Art By Marilyn Brooks

by Jon Katz
Art By Marilyn Brooks

Marilyn Brooks is an artist and a friend. She is the mother of Connie Brooks, owner of the Battenkill Bookstore, and it is a lovely thing to see the two of them working together and supporting one another. Marilyn also does some video reviews of my books – her review of my short story collection “Dancing Dogs” is going up later this week.

Marilyn is also an emerging artist. Maria and I were in the bookstore – I am in there every day signing books now – and I saw this on the wall. I was surprised, as it is very different from Marilyn’s other works. Marilyn is shy and very uncomfortable selling herself and at first she was too flummoxed to want to sell it and she couldn’t name a price for it, so I did and she agreed to sell it to me.

It is a beautiful thing, untitled, and I took it right over to the New Bedlam Farm and hung it in my new office. I am no artist, but I love the use of colors and the feel of this stream. I admire Marilyn. She has overcome some challenges in her life and she is brave and loving and creative. I am lucky to have this.  It is, to me, a gorgeous piece of work. Got it pretty cheap, too.

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