Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

23 April

Surprise Flowers In The Morning: Flower Art Later In The Day. The Sun Is Out And Happy! Me Too.

by Jon Katz

In the morning, I use my Iphone 15 Pro Max to take my flower photos; in the afternoon and early evening, I use the softer Leica SLR mirrorless camera. The first round is sharp colorful and literal; the second is dreamy and different.  I’m thrilled doing both. These are this morning’s photos.

Later, I want to write about suffering and how the people who sometimes make me suffer are suffering also—a good thing to remember. Then, during my quiet hour, I’ll listen to the new Taylor Swift Album, The Tortured Poets Department. It’s really good.


I’m not using descriptions today; I just prefer to look at the photos.

 

 

23 April

Bedlam Farm Journal, April 23, 2024. Good Morning, A Full Day Ahead. A Pantry Visit, Photos, Fresh Bread, A Dinner Out

by Jon Katz

It’s a beautiful spring day —cool but sunny. This morning, I was heading over to the Cambridge Food Pantry again when the food from the Regional Food Bank came in. I had a lovely meeting with my new primary healthcare doctor, Dr. Dodge. She is giving me a prescription for a new diabetes medicine that people are raving about; she wants my A1C number to come down more as I get older.

I told her that some people on my blog suggested that I had Dementia because I misspell words. She said that was not a sign of Dementia but of aging. It’s pretty standard for people without Dyslexia to forget names. I told her I was learning to laugh at these messages, and she laughed.

She said I could worry about it when I can’t write on my blog or take pictures, which is something people with Dementia can’t do. Otherwise, I’m doing well; she has no concerns or complaints. I told her I felt strong, active, engaged, creative, and happy.

Later today, I get to write on the blog, go out to Covered Bridge Bread to pick up my bread, and then we are taking our friend Alfreda out to dinner. I’m also helping a man I know to get a laptop so he can take photographs of his grandchildren. He doesn’t have much money but is full of love and kindness.  I learned from my refugee aid work at the Mansion how to find some good and inexpensive ones,

 

Zip checks out the birdbath and goes out again for the warm weather. He checks out everything.

Asher

The back-pasture apple tree is starting to bloom again.

22 April

Flower Art Special. Start The Week With Color And Light

by Jon Katz

I took some of my new flowers out into the sun today. It’s still too cold for them to go outside by a month.

But the sunlight was beautiful, and after the rat battles, they brought me back into the land of beauty and love. Flowers are much more beautiful than I realized when I wasn’t paying so much attention to them.

They bring the light into my life and, hopefully, into yours.

Now, they are a wonderful part of my life, and like Maria, I am fortunate to have them both. The flowers are among the blessings I count every day.

Please remember the children who depend on the Cambridge Pantry for their food. They are looking for Spaghetti O’s and, tomorrow, Granola Bars. Both are on the Cambridge Pantry Amazon Wish List. Thank you.

Last call today, see you in the morning; I have a busy, busy week ahead.

Happy Daisies…

I forget their names.

Dahlia

Primrose, popping up today in Maria’s garden.

22 April

The Bedlam Cat Salon. Communing With Zip, Brushing Him For Spring. Poor Zip.

by Jon Katz

Zip hasn’t been abused for several days, and I miss the sheriff coming to see if he should find a nicer home.

So, I decided to get to work today and catch up. I’m sure there is an animal rights warrior somewhere—maybe everywhere—who thinks brushing cats is cruel. The sheriff has my address.

Perhaps I should take Zip to a cat hair studio.

I need to catch up. He is shedding his winter coat, and we need to go a few more rounds.

Photos by Maria Wulf.

Zip LOVES being brushed for about 10-15 minutes; then, like me, he gets easily distracted. We have that in common. But I love brushing my dogs and now my cat. There’s a nurturing gene in there somewhere.

First, a scratching session. Then, a thorough brushing. Then he starts flirting with me, hoping for more brushing today. But I had to get back to work.

Poor Zip. Somehow, he has survived us and his rough life on the farm.

Caring for Zip has been good for me; it’s healing and makes me feel great. “You look gorgeous, darling,” I gushed. As usual, he looked pretty pleased with himself. He will be rolling in something gross shortly. Zinnia is teaching him. His coat looks great. He’s starting to flirt with the sheep.

The Katz Salon.

22 April

In This Town, Kids Help Kids Eat Well….Today, The Food Is Spaghetti O’s, Help If You Can

by Jon Katz

One of the most beautiful things to see on Thursdays is one of the Central School Aides bringing fourth and fifth-graders to the Cambridge Food Pantry just down the road.

Sarah says the children need more of this kind of food we are sending. They are the children who inspire me to meet other children’s needs as best we can for as long as we can.

Nothing I do feels better than getting food to children who need it. In this case, $11.44 gets a warm meal for up to 24 children, even more in some cases.  I’m in.

Sarah says they are out of this food, a children’s favorite:

Spaghetti O’s, Canned Pasta With Meatballs 15.0z. Cans, $11.44, Pack of 12. And thank you.

The Army of Good was generous, miraculously so, last week,

The kids are volunteers; they come every Sunday at the end of the school day  Thursday – driven by school aides – to pick up the backpacks that the pantry makes to give to the 173 “backpack” kids who showed up at the pantry this week and need help getting the food they need.

The privacy of the backpack kids is always protected. Even these helping students do not know where the backpacks are going; they are collected separately and in privacy.

Seeing children do this for other children lifts my heart. This is a wonderful program. The packs are filled with food to last through the weekend and maybe even beyond. The children get breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. It means a great deal to their families.

Thanks for helping, we are doing a great deal of good.

The food of the week right now is Spaghetti O’s. Take a look here.

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