11 June

Farewell. The Spring Open House

by Jon Katz
The Spring Open House

I thank the members of the RISSE Soccer team for coming to the farm, accepting our hospitality, loving my dogs so much, putting the Bedlam Farm name on their jerseys, forming a band in our name, and for being generous and strong and courteous and thoughtful.

I think you were the highlight of this weekend for so many people, I hope you saw how many people were crying when you sang.

Every one of you took my hand or hugged me and showed me the true power of love and faith. I respect you and what you have all endured and look forward to sharing many bright tomorrows. We all loved your song, “We Are The World,” by Michael Jackson and also look forward to how you sing it with some practice.

You are invited to come and sing at our October Open House on Columbus Day Weekend. If we got nearly 1,000 people to come Saturday, I imagine October will be fairly crowded. You will have a good audience.

Your friendship is a gift to me, I especially enjoyed sitting with you at the Round House Cafe after the Open House. I hope we will share many adventures together, I hope I find the words to show that you are valuable and welcome in America, and so many of us are eager to greet you and support you in every possible way.

I told Ali I will stay with you all the way, you have become an important part of my life and work. I’ll see you hopefully at your next soccer game. Thanks for existing and showing all of us what empathy really means. Much love to you.

11 June

The Perfect End To The Open House Weekend. Anniversary?

by Jon Katz
The Open House

I will be thinking about this Open House for a long time. It ended today, on the eve of our wedding anniversary tomorrow. We have been married for seven years!

On Saturday, more people came to see us than ever before on a single Open  House Day. It was a glorious today, complete with the RISSE refugee visitors and singers, and a van load of Mansion residents, along with hundreds of people who know us only from our blogs and Maria’s art. and who support us and our work.

That is turning out to be a lot of people. We do not advertising other than on our blogs, but the word spreads and the people who want to get here get here. We thank them, they are full of love and good wishes. The weekend was a joy, a love fest, there was such a special feeling about it.

Sunday was much quieter than Saturday, as is often the case. It was also more intimate and Maria and I could actually talk to people.

At the end of the day we did some sheep herding together and then gathered around the Maple Tree to talk about farming, life and our need to understand animals.  Ed Gulley talked for awhile and so did Carol Conklin, one of the gifted artists whose work was on sale this weekend.

Both of them talked about the life of the farmer, and the farmer’s love of animals.

It was the kind of discussion I once could have had on book tours,when there were book tours, and I loved having it. I absolutely love conversations like that, it was the perfect way to end the Open House weekend.

We gathered near the dogs and sheep and talked for more than an hour and half.

Then I sat out on a bench with Abrah Griggs, an artist from Vermont and the Gulleys’ who came to see us this weekend, it was a special day and a special time. Maria sold a ton of art, the dogs and I did five or six herding demos.

Everybody loved Red as usual and people just  adored Fate.

She has replaced Lenore as the official farm and Open House greeter, she runs to greet every single person who appears and is just thrilled to see them. She does not go into the road, but is very happy to see just about every body. She spread sunshine and laughter all weekend.

The donkeys were skittish Saturday about Ed Gulleys’ cow, Sweet Sally. They recovered their form Sunday and were happy to receive carrots and cookies. We got a few donkey tours in.

Fate is the perfect dog for us, the Ferdinand of border collies, she loves the sheep but will not frighten or bully them, as border collies do. That means she won’t herd them either.

She is a wonderful dog, full of love and adventure. Soon, we’ll see how she does with Leroy. Saturday, she was terrorized by a four-week old kitten.

So tomorrow is our wedding anniversary, I remembered it a couple of weeks ago, but forgot it this weekend.

We are just too tired to celebrate it tomorrow, the 12th, so we are going off somewhere for a night on Wednesday. This Open  House was special in so many ways, but I have no illusions about it: Maria is the shining light of the farm, I adore her and so many people love her. The Open House would never be possible or nearly so successful without her love, her energy, and her remarkable creativity.

For us, the Open House is a celebration of our good lives together. We are so grateful for the many wonderful people who share this with us.

Life began on June 12, 2010 and is full of love and light every single day. Happy Anniversary, wonderful woman, may the goddesses always be at your back and carry you through the heavens, where you belong.

11 June

Angels From The City

by Jon Katz
Angels From The City
Two angels from New York City, Gail Peck and Cathy Stewart, came up from New York City to help us with the Open House. On Saturday – we were just mobbed, from beginning to end – Gail helped Maria collect the money from people who purchased art, and Cathy helped organize the many events and gently getting me to eat and sit down for a few minutes.

She is, unlike me, superbly well organized and gentle but firm.  They worked so hard and made such an enormous difference. These two wonderful woman – goddesses both –  were wonderful to help us,  they were so important to this very glorious experience. We love them both dearly. Thanks, city mice.

11 June

Open House: On The Doghouse

by Jon Katz
On The Doghouse

Maria was exhausted at the end of this hot and humid day in the last minutes of our Open House. I don’t know how she managed to perch up on Frieda’s old dog house, the one from Bedlam Farm 01, but I loved this image of her, listening to the talk we were all having about animals in the shade of the big Maple Tree. It captured both our pleasure and the weekend and our exhaustion.

11 June

The Bedlam Farm Idea. Susan’s Journey.

by Jon Katz
Susan Popper

At every Open  House, I try to think of one person who personified the weekend for me. There were many, but tonight, I am thinking of Susan Popper, a friend and member of the Creative Group at Bedlam. I have known Susan for four or five years, she has been at the farm once or twice before.

She is a good friend, loving and supportive and very much in touch. We stay in touch with one another.

Earlier this year, she slipped off the radar a bit and fell into the darkest and most difficult time of her life. I am not at liberty to discuss the details of her trouble, other than to say it was very painful, very difficult, and nearly cost her her life.

I knew some of the details, but it was not until she came to the farm on Friday that I was able to  learn of and comprehend the full scope of what she had been through and what she had endured mostly by herself. She chose to endure it by herself. I was shocked and upset for her, and also relieved. She is doing well.

Susan is a gifted writer and photographer, she is old-fashioned in some ways, she wants to sort out her troubles herself, not on Facebook or Twitter.

That is increasingly rare in contemporary America. At one point, as we sat out in the chairs on the lawn by the pasture gate, she was holding tightly to her new Canon lens, plucked off of e-bay for $200, and she cried a bit and told me one of the things that kept her alive was the thought of coming to the farm this Spring, to see Maria and I and  the dogs and donkeys. To sit and talk, just as we were doing.

I could not have imagined that, it touched me quite deeply. Susan is taking care of things, she is putting her life together and moving forward with humor, honesty and courage. I have rarely been so happy to see anyone, or so grateful for anyone’s presence at the farm.

She looks great, I am glad to be able to see her while learning of this unforgettable journey. What doesn’t kill us does, in fact, make us stronger. She has been on the hero journey, fallen into the darkest places, come back to share what she has learned.

If the farm meant so much to her, I must be getting somewhere as a human being, for all of the work I have to do. Susan left this morning, she came by early to say goodbye, she has a long drive and has to work today. I hope she comes back soon. Godspeed and safe journey, Susan, come back and take care of yourself.

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