A big step for me personally, and a very healthy step forward for this blog today. The good people at Mannix Marketing, the creators of this blog from the first and my partners in helping it grow, have installed a Contributions Button at the top of the Bedlam Farm Journal page. Those who wish can contribute any amount they choose through PayPal. This was a difficult step for me, and I was much encouraged by the many messages from you berating me for taking so long and making a fuss about it. Thank you. If NPR can do it, I can do it.

Blogs were, until recently considered an optional luxury. No more. Blogs are central to the work of writers, they are a way of connecting with readers, a vital element in personal expression and creativity. I take mine very seriously. My blog began on Memorial Day of 2007. It is seen by many people all over the world – several million views a year. Social media has added a new element, and this month, I expect to pass 10,000 likes on Facebook. It is my great work, I believe.

I want to be clear about some things though. Contributions will go to support the costs of my photography, the maintenance of the blog and the time it takes to do the writing. It has all gotten more expensive, and publishing has not gotten more profitable, much as I love it. Contributions are a more comfortable option that subscription fees or other charges. The contributions will help me continue the blog and made it better. They will also permit me to keep the blog free of charge for those who can’t contribute or don’t wish to.  I welcome any contributions and thank you for them.

I think this is a step forward also in terms of my own health and perspective. As a sometime big shot – see what happens when they make a movie about you – I have sometimes struggled with the reality of my life and money.  I wrote recently of myself that I have realized that fairies will not drop from the sky and pay my bills. Time to get authentic.  But there are many good fairies out there, and they have been helping me all along in many ways.

So it is a big deal and not a big deal. It seems like a wonderful thing to me, having stubbornly resisted it for some years now. I am learning all the time. I love this blog and I will never quit putting my photos up, writing just about every day and working to make it better. It is my living memoir. When I began the blog, I promised to share my life and be open. I will honor that pledge.  Thanks, thanks, thanks for being here, whether you can contribute or not.