Day: December 22, 2016

It is never easy asking for money, not on my end or yours.

Few of us have much money to spare, and lots of good people and many causes are looking for some. This week I do wish to say that your voluntary payments support my writing, the blog, my books, and the work we do. This coming year, I have the feeling this work will be more important than ever.

If you have money to spare, put it where you feel the strongest and believe it will do the most good. I mean for the blog to be a source of inspiration, compassion,  thoughtfulness and open-mindedness. In sharing my own struggle for a meaningful life, I hope you may find it useful, entertaining, or informative.

Your payments make the blog and my work – books included – possible.

They are important. I do not see them as charity, but as payment for my work. You get paid for your work, and I need also to get paid for mine. There are many ways to contribute, it is designed to be as inexpensive as possible,and very simple to manage or cancel.

The blog is doing a lot of good, and I hope to do a lot more good next year. It is now the focal point of my creative work, your contributions make it possible.

You can contribute once, or once a year, or monthly in small amounts. You can use credit cards and Paypal. You can cancel at any time. No financial information is stored on my site, and I have no access to your money, I can’t cancel or begin payments or subscriptions, only you can do that.

If you prefer, you can contribute by check: Post Office Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. Many of you already have and thank you.

Check it out. If you can’t do it, you are very welcome to be here and read my work. The blog will always be free.

I also give my photos and words to the world for free, you may use them any way you wish. The blog and my photography are expensive to operate and maintain. If you can support my work, great. We are building an Army of Good here and I am excited about it.

Thanks for considering it.

In the winter, we fight for color and light, especially during this cold and very dark week. These simple bottles, which Maria placed on the sill, bring a dignified and elegant sense of color to a colorless and drab sky, they are the angels of Spring, come to keep hope burning. There is beauty everywhere if you look for it.

When you tell Red to keep the sheep in the barn (we were putting hay in the feeder and didn’t wish to be trampled), you can take it to the bank. She sheep will stay in the barn. Liam on the right, loves to test  Red and challenge him but he never gets very far.

Well, somebody has to take the photos. I think my days of hopping around on porches in the snow are over.  Maria is like a money, she hops up and down on ladders, climbs everywhere. It was cold and messy on the porch, but we (I did help) got our strands of lights up on the porch and inside the house. Bedlam Farm is lit up, we are feeling the spirit today. We had breakfast at the Round House this morning, dinner at the Bog tonight. Hope for an Xmas shot of Kelly.

The Christmas Spirit has descended on Bedlam Farm today, Maria strung all kinds of lights around the porch and the living room. Our gargoyle may look cynical but he is actually quite generous and he is ferocious about keeping evil spirits away. Good news from the Mansion, they are giving me a list of first names of all of the residents, which many of you have asked for, and you can send messages to any or all of them. Friday night, we are all going to put your gifts under the tree – everyone will now have a present and thank you.

Maria and I are planning a quiet Christmas, home together. We might go see La-La Land or we might just hang around and be grateful. I am eager to see this movie. Christmas is important, it will set the tone for next year, which will be challenging on many levels. I want to set off on the right foot.

Next week, we are going to Brooklyn to see daughter and grandchild for two days. The following week, are going to a nearby motel for one day just to have fun and quiet. I want to enter the new year with hope and energy and commitment and openness. And hopefully lots of love.

This afternoon, off to the Mansion to get the list of names and do a video or two to share with you. The Mansion is all about the spirit of Christmas, which so many of you possess. Bedlam Farm is getting lit.