10 February

Your Valentine’s Letters: Passing Them Out At The Mansion

by Jon Katz
Passing Out Your Letters

The Mansion staff has a room filled with letters, cakes, chocolate, and photos and cards for Valentine’s Day.  Julie Smith, the Mansion’s Activities Director, gathered some of the residents in the main old ballroom and passed out letters, some addressed to individuals, some to everyone. It was a particular thrill to see the letters being passed around, opened, shared, read aloud, to see all of the smiles.

Once again, you have lifted up the spirits of these people and reminded them that they are not forgotten, they are much in the hearts and minds of people, the letters were especially sweet and heartfelt and from everywhere – Germany, Italy, England, France, and almost every state in the United States.

I am humbled to see and feel the reach of this blog, and to shine in the light of the Army Of Good.

Maria came with me today, to say goodbye to her friend Connie, and Red and I have been invited to dinner at the Mansion next Wednesday, they are worried about me eating while Maria is away (I haven’t told them yet that I do the shopping and the cooking, I’m excited to dine there.)

The Mansion Valentine’s Day is next Tuesday, the 14th, many of your gifts and letters are being saved for the 2:30 p.m. party, which I hope to attend. Your generosity is a powerful force, it has transformed life at the Mansion and makes a powerful statement about the inherent goodness of people, this is not a story that will ever appear on their news. Much love and gratitude to you.

10 February

Show Your Soul Posters – Artist Statement For The Times, Catching On

by Jon Katz
Artist Statement For The Times

Maria and I have been talking a lot lately about what it means to be political. In our country, it often means joining one of two political parties, or accepting one of two labels (left and right). If you think outside either of those suffocating boxes, then it often seems there is no political place to exist. Even the act of independence is considered a political party, and is.

We have strong beliefs, but labeling ourselves and arguing with people are not among them. I see politics as the shrinking of the American mind. Yet we are political, we have beliefs. So our choice is to live our values, not fight about them. To not argue, but to do good as we see it.

I choose to support the refugees coming to America, I have never argued about it with anyone, and have no intension of doing so. Everyone is and ought to be free to make up their own minds.

For Maria, her politics is her art, it shows up the time in her works that speak to independence, finding voice, and standing in truth. This week, she took one of her creations – the “Show Your Soul” goddess featured in her last quilt, had some posters printed up and we have spent some time these chilly couple of days riding and walking around and putting them up on telephone polls.

They are a statement about finding your ground in a world of division and hostility. Show your soul. As happens sometimes on the Internet, these posters have become a thing. Lots of people want them and are asking to buy them.

Maria plans to have them printed on heavier paper and to sell them when she returns from India, she hasn’t yet figured out a price or a format. Obviously, no time to do that now. But I see they are powerful, and they speak to many people. Maria lives her values, she shows her soul every day and I was quite proud to be her driver and helper. More to come. Stand by.

10 February

Farm Parts Wind Chimes – From The Magical Mind Of Artist Ed Gulley

by Jon Katz

Some wonderful news from Bejosh Farm, Ed Gulley and his wife Carol are so much more than dairy farmers, although that is a wonderful thing to be. Ed is an artist, and in his early 60’s, the artist is coming out. He has just made five of the most wonderful, small, shippable and inexpensive wind chimes, all out of genuine farm parts and utensils – vintage keys, milk cups, harnesses, bolts and other salvaged parts.

The wind chimes are inexpensive and easy to ship. Ed and Carol work day and night on their farm, milking and doing other farm chores, but they are both committed to Ed’s new turn as an artist. He is a very gifted artist, he has been showing and selling his work at our Open Houses over the past year.

The wind chimes are a departure, they are small and inventive and also magical in the sounds they make, they are literally the sounds of the farm. We are pushing the Gulleys to agree to a gofundme page so we can help them raise enough money to buy a computer, the simple one they have is wearing out under the pressure of their new and very successful blog, the Bejosh Farm Journal.

Dairy farmers have not seen a rise in milk prices for many years, they generally have no extra money. Ed has been incredibly generous to us and to many others. He has helped us too many times to count, and even built a bridge to get us to our back woods, and made a meditation bench for me. You never have to ask Ed for help once he knows you need it.

Beyond that, the Farm Journal he and Carol are publishing every day is an important voice for farmers, who have for too long been neglected in the politics and economic planning of America. Their blog is already a fresh and essential voice. It tells the truth about farm life, and helps people understand the economic challenges of the family farm.

I’m hoping  – Maria too – to help the Gulleys launch their gofundme page in a couple of weeks. We are looking to raise between $1,800 and $2,000 for a new laptop powerful enough to handle the growth of their blogs and also their wonderful and daily videos, they are publishing words, graphics and video almost daily. I like Apple laptops, they are simple to use and offer great tech support, but it’s up to them. More to come.

In the meantime, check out these very wonderful, very unique wind chimes. They are not expensive and Ed can ship them anywhere in the U.S. Come see the birth of an artist. You can e-mail Ed or Carol Gulley at [email protected].

10 February

New Home For The Meditation Bench. Our Woods.

by Jon Katz
The Meditation Bench

We have a new home for the meditation bench, and it is pretty wonderful. Two weeks ago, Ed Gulley came over and built a wooden plank bridge over the stream that blocked access to our woods. We are out there every day now, exploring it discovering old stone walls.

(The Gulley’s are mulling it, but I am planning to support a gofundme page to help them buy a badly needed new computer, their farming blog has become so important to the future of family farms. Farmers are never good at getting their message out, Ed and Carol are doing it brilliantly. I will ask for some help in supporting the Bejosh Farm Journal. Blogs cost money, dairy farmers don’t have any.  They are not easy about asking for assistance, but they deserve it and will put it to good use. More details to come.)

Ed also built a meditation bench, and yesterday, Maria moved it over to the waterfall, so we could sit there and hear the wonderful sound of the rushing stream. I will go out there with the dogs every day that she is in India, wishing her well, thinking of her, feeling the joy and wonder of solitude and the power of love.

This will be part of my Peaceful Hour, the hour late in the day where I shut out the world. I think this is a wonderful spot for peace and reflection.

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