Today, a creative day, the beginning of a weekend of creative celebration, for me, for Maria, for our farm, for a half-dozen good and hard-working and creative artists and for the many hundreds of people who come each year to see us, see our farm, our animals, the art that is such a part of our lives, to see our town and it’s powerful sense of community. So many good things about this weekend.

Today, a creative conference at Pompanuck Farm, for people who are serious about learning, growing, freeing their inner spirits. A dozen people from the Creative Group At  Bedlam Farm, traveling to spend the day together in a beautiful place. I can’t wait to teach about writing and blogging, two subjects close to my heart.

Maria will be teaching a class on intuitive art, a passion of hers.

Selfishly, I see this day as a celebration of Maria and her rich evolution as an artist and a woman who has found her voice. She really designed this weekend, conceived it, organizes it and is the spirit behind it.

Tomorrow, we shift to the Open House – sheepherding, donkey-visiting, spinning, poetry readings, beautiful and original art from some very gifted people, shearing and hoof trimming,  just in time for people to start thinking about Christmas.

For me, a window seat on our evolving lives. Our first Open House was at the first Bedlam Farm, more than 1,500 people showed up. Simon was there, Rose too, Maria had her coming out in the beautiful Pig Barn, which she helped restore. Seems like a long time ago.

Our friends Ed and Carol Gulley are coming, bringing Ed’s exciting art,  maybe even with a cow.

For us, the Open Houses are a celebration of love and life, a passage, a marking of time and place, a  testament to the search for authenticity and openness. We have no secrets from you, only good things to share. Our love for one another has only deepened and grown, it is rich and boundless. It is the point, I think, of everything.

This Open House,  we share our lives once more, it is something we never regret doing. A different farm, different lives. Yet so much is the same. Our relationship began in the sharing of the creative spark and in encouragement, of ourselves and of others. We have learned, changed, evolved, hopefully for the better. I think this conference, this weekend, is our purest and most authentic, I think we are getting it right.

I have shed much of the panic and anger and confusion that marked my life and nearly destroyed it, and Maria is becoming her true and wonderful self, strong and loving and charismatic and creative. As she prepares for her trip to India early next year, I just shake my head in wonder at what is possible, and what is wonderful about being alive, for all it’s travails.

When I met Maria, I could not have imagined she would one day go to Calcutta to teach women in need. Today, I cannot imagine that she wouldn’t.

So today, I am up early, I’ll head over to the Round House Cafe and pick up some coffee from my friend Scott and give him a hug, he so busy this weekend, I will caution him to take care of himself. Then, Red and I will head over to Pompanuck and meet the members of the class – good and open people, I am excited about it.

Red and Fate are ready to show off their skills this weekend, some gifted spinners will be spinning under a tent, Maria will be selling the rich and diverse art in her studio, Chloe the pony is hoping for carrots, people will be seeing their first donkeys, and I will get to talk about yet another book, my 30th. Life good, filled with crisis and mystery. More later.