Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

I took this photo last summer, not too long after Bud arrived. I think it captured the alert and spunky person of these small dogs. Bud was my first small dog, and Maria’s also.

I have come to understand the pull of these dogs, they are both sweet and ferocious, loyal to their people, unable to back away from trouble. Bud came with some fear, but none of it was directed at mice or rats or chipmunks.

He is a dedicated hunter. It has been a great pleasure coming to know and love Bud, he is full of personality and love, with these dogs they go hand in hand.

There were a lot of images to choose from for my Image Of The Week Photo, but the one that stuck in my mind was this portrait of Ellen, a Mansion resident, and Tia, a Mansion aide.

Ellen asked me to take this picture, and I was happy to do it. I’ve gotten to know Tia a bit – she was usually on duty during the Bingo games – and she is loving, empathetic and hard working.

I’ve come to have great respect and appreciation for the Mansion aides, this is such hard work and they manage to do it with smiles and love. Some very powerful relationships evolve between the residents and the aides.

Both the residents and the aides deal with a great deal of loss, they are all aware of the finite nature of their connection. The aides come to love the people they care for, they experience a great deal of loss.

This image captured the remarkable work that health care workers do and the love that connects them with the people they care for. For me, this is a perfect Image Of The Week.

P.S. All the scrubs we bought the aides have arrived, they’ll be distributed early next week. Thank.

Maria ordered some Twin Healing Trees refrigerator magnets today, I put one right up on the refrigerator.

They are up on her Etsy Shop, along with some Twin Healing Trees posters coming soon.

Her very popular Twin Healing Trees started out as a fabric painting.

They cost $3 apiece (free shipping), they are 2 x 3 inches.  You can see them and buy them here. Maria really struck a nerve with this image.

Yesterday, I listed the very powerful week of Small Acts of Great Kindness by the Army of Good – Sally’s rescue, Graduation and Prom honors and decorations for Bishop Maginn, sold out Wish Lists for the Mansion and Bishop Maginn.

And I failed to list the Mansion Scrubs Initiative, which was also successful. Yesterday, the final shipment of scrubs, tops, and bottoms, for every aide in the Mansion was delivered.

This cost a little over $600. It will make a big difference to the Mansion aides.

The scrubs will be sorted and handed out early next week (photos coming).

This week really lifted me up, we did a record amount of good, and I thank you for your support. I did go all out these past few weeks, they were intense, I blew through the Mansion/Refugee Fund on these many small acts of great kindness.

It was a distracting and intense week, overshadowed by the death of my friend Susan. It had my head spinning, but I am very proud of what we all accomplished. Like the Christian prophets, I’m learning to live on less and do more.

I spent your money and a good chunk of mine. I like to keep the Mansion/Refugee fund around $600 to $1,000. I never leave money lying around in the fund, it ought to be put to use. And so now there is only $159 in the fund.

One of Maria’s yarn customers donated seven skeins of yarn to the Mansion and refugee work, and if anyone has any money left, please consider helping restore the fund to health.

It is the energy source for our good. The Mansion residents want to stage a dance, I would like to support it with some good music and good.

Lots of you have contributed to these various good deeds, please don’t feel any pressure. Small donations are welcome, those $5 and $10 contributions add up.

If you can contribute, please send your donations to me via Paypal, jon@bedlamfarm.com or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion/Refugee Fund.

I was struck by this exhibit called “Black Feminist Loaning Club…” at the Mass MoCa exhibit Maria and I saw the other day. It spoke to the power of books to reach us and touch us, even as the world of reading changes.