Today, Sarah requests salad support for the food pantry. Three popular salads for pantry families, which are off the shelves and very much wanted, are Blue Cheese, $2.67, Thousand Island, $2.50, and Ranch Salad, $2.50. Reflecting on the past, I visited the school to see how the p … | Continue reading
24 October Trying Something New: Bedlam Videos – Animals, Nature, Life, Peacefulness, Several Times A Week. Starting With Leaves On Trees. by Jon Katz Share This Email Read or Post a Comment 2 Comments Sandy Harmon says: October 24, 2024 at 1:19 PM Hey Jon, When I try to play the … | Continue reading
Apple devices have enabled my writing and some of my flower photography in many ways. I get a new Iphone almost every year; they are affordable with the trade-ins they offer. This one has a beautiful new feature: a Zoom lens that resembles the macro I love in the Leicas. After ge … | Continue reading
An avalanche of Thanksgiving side foods, a tangible result of the Army Of Good Compassion, is en route to the Cambridge Food Pantry. The first order is expected to arrive later this week and will undoubtedly be huge. I want to capture their arrival and unpacking in photos, a visu … | Continue reading
I got up early this morning and saw the sun coming up. The sky was gorgeous, so I focused on that before learning that we had all we needed for the Cambridge Pantry to go ahead with its Thanksgiving Give-A-Way in November. I was smiling all day. Thanks, Army of Good. I also got … | Continue reading
Thanks for your incredible support in wiping out the Cambridge Pantry Thanksgiving Give-A-Way Wish list of 600 items in two and a half days. It’s all on the way. Your generosity has ensured that essential items like Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Juice, and Turkey Stuffing have all been … | Continue reading
This is terrific news. We began this mission over the weekend, asking for help getting 600 separate items for the frozen turkeys and all the stuffings for the Thanksgiving giveaway. The Give-A-Way will feed 150 families On November 21. We are more than two-thirds there. All must … | Continue reading
“What I see outside my bedroom window in winter is really wonderful….I like my life.” – Georgia O’Keeffe. Me too. Are they kissing or touching noses? Kissing, I think. They seemed to be dancing in the sun. Rose saying goodbye to the world. Gladiolas are all heart. … | Continue reading
When Maria showed me a photo of Suzy Fatzinger’s latest and last shawl of this season, the first word that came to mind was “dignity.” Maria thought it was fit for a goddess. I know what she means. She calls it an “Earth Shawl…” Suzy’s shawls are unique and extraordinary. They ar … | Continue reading
There are few more challenging times for food-deprived families than being unable to afford Thanksgiving Dinner. Many families who come to the pantry hoping for help have experienced this. The Pantry and its donors supply frozen turkeys, and the Army Of Good supplies canned turke … | Continue reading
Maria went hiking through a sculpture park with a friend this morning; it was just the sheep and me in a pastoral moment—just the feeling of calm and beauty, no dogs, no excitement. I soaked up every minute. So did Zip, who aggressively pursued his search for the chipmunk torment … | Continue reading
When I began volunteering at the Cambridge Food Pantry, I asked some volunteers and staff if they might find one or more of their guests to talk to me about being hungry enough to seek food help at a food pantry. These guests, including Lloyd, have become my teachers. Each conver … | Continue reading
“Two walls of my room in the Abiquiú house are glass, and from one window, I see the road toward Espanola, Santa Fe, and the world. The road fascinates me with its ups and downs and, finally, its wide sweep as it speeds toward the wall of my hilltop to go past me. I had […] | Continue reading
Terrific news this morning. The items we sent for the Cambridge Pantry’s Thanksgiving Day giveaway were “the most orders we’ve ever had,” Sarah Harrington texted me this morning. Compassion lives. So does Thanksgiving Dinner for 61 families with nowhere else to go for help. “They … | Continue reading
My dream was always for the blog to be a safe place, a creative place, a peaceful kingdom of love, honesty, and authenticity, the story of a life, not a place to argue or hate. It took me a while. I don’t want it to be a place of argument and cruelty – I contributed […] | Continue reading
“We can accomplish great things while walking hand in hand with fear and failure…” — Georgia O’Keeffe. Fear and failure are my first cousins.” I’ve been walking with them for years. Above is a black-and-white study. Birth of a Lily. Heart of a Rose. In the light. Heart of a … | Continue reading
The first headline I was greeted with this morning was from CNN: “Why Nobody Knows Who Will Win the 2024 Election?” The second was a New York Times headline that said the election was closer than ever, almost tied, and listed a long list of “tied” states. The third was from Kamal … | Continue reading
Zip was sitting on my lap on this beautiful Fall afternoon – 65 degrees at 4:30 – when a cheeky chipmunk popped out of the stone wall, squeaking defiantly at him; it looked just like a dare. They have been taunting each other for days. The chipmunk was only 10 feet away. Zip has … | Continue reading
I posted a message about the Cambridge Food Pantry’s Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway late Saturday, thinking the few people online at the time would get a peek at the program, which I have agreed to support. It turns out that I underestimate the Army of Good even sometimes. There we … | Continue reading
On a beautiful morning, I went to the farmer’s market, dug up my raised bed—preparing for winter—and worked on some Flower Art. Our Pantry Thanksgiving Giveaway took off last night; I’m getting a countdown now. I’ll post shortly; 100 purchases were made in the first half hour, 15 … | Continue reading
“I’m not a joiner, and I’m not a perfectionist or anything else…” – Georgia O’Keeffe. My mini-sabbath day was interrupted by the Food Pantry’s Thanksgiving needs. I’m taking the rest of the day off and going for a walk with Zinnia. See you in the morning, and thanks for supportin … | Continue reading
The big news is that the Cambridge Food Pantry, with the support of our community, is holding a Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway on November 21. We are deeply grateful for your contribution, no matter how small, as it will make a significant difference. We are asking the Army of Good … | Continue reading
Susan Nachand’s Florida town was recently devastated by tornados. In the midst of this chaos, she found solace in the daily ‘Beautiful Morning At Bedlam Farm’ pictures on the blog, a testament to the blog’s relevance in even the most challenging times. She said the photos gave he … | Continue reading
“Jon, congrats on writing the perfect response to a snarky reader! I can provide a counterbalance to what she said. I live in Sarasota, FL. At midnight on Oct. 10, I briefly stood in my driveway in the eye of Hurricane Milton. After the eye passed, all hell broke loose. Winds up … | Continue reading
“Georgia O’Keeffe inspires us as an artist and a survivor of depression. She struggled with depression and anxiety throughout her life, especially in her forties. Her rebellion against her controlling husband was very difficult and even led to her spending time in a hospital. Af … | Continue reading
When I first saw Ron Dotson standing in the driveway of the first Bedlam Farm, he shyly introduced himself and said he had just read my Thomas Merton book “Running To The Mountain.” He is very interested in Merton, as I am. The book was about my decision to leave my everyday li … | Continue reading
“They need not go away; you give them something to eat,” Matthew 14-16. “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; I needed clothes, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you […] | Continue reading
A rushed morning at the farm, I’m off for a regularly scheduled exam with my primary care physician, Dr. Dodge. I’ve got lots to write about, and my Leica seems to be working, thanks to hours of generous time given to me by my Leica friends. I’m happy and releived, and I’m gratef … | Continue reading
Note: I knew Sue was a wonderful friend, a devoted teacher, and a gifted artist; I didn’t know how good a writer she was until she agreed to write this column every week from the dazzling art program at Bishop Gibbons High School in Schenectady, New York. She’s here every week, … | Continue reading
I dropped my Leica while taking photos outside the food pantry and lost today’s photos. I’ve spent the last few hours on the phone with my Leica teachers. They are very good people; this day will come; it’s a precious and complex camera. I don’t know what’s wrong with it except I … | Continue reading
SETI: Learning from TRAPPIST-1 by Paul Gilster | Oct 17, 2024 | Astrobiology and SETI | 11 comments Given our decades-long lack of success in finding hard evidence for an extraterrestrial civilization, it hardly comes as a surprise that a recent campaign studying the seven-planet … | Continue reading
It’s Veggie Day at the Cambridge Food Pantry today, Thursday, October 17, 2024. The children and their families in the food program are grateful. They keep saying the Army Of Good is a great “blessing” to them. The next wave of soup for the children from Amazon is arriving at the … | Continue reading
The hens follow the light, and so do the dogs. Zip checks out the frost. Fertilizing Morning at sunrise is a photographer’s time, shadows everywhere. St. Jospeph outdid himself this morning. Fate on the move. It’s better to love sheep than herd them…. The sun just just got … | Continue reading
One of the sweetest rituals of Fall for us is our privilege of selling Maria’s friend Suzy Fatzinger’s beautiful shawls on her Etsy Page. Maria and Suzy became friends during one of our October open houses; Suzy was shocked to see her shawls sell out almost instantly. Maria said … | Continue reading
“I wish people were all trees, and I think I could enjoy them —–,” Georgia O’Keefe. “This line (the quote above) highlights human relationships’ desire for simplicity and tranquility. It suggests that if people were more like trees, with their steadfastness and peaceful presenc … | Continue reading
I plan to write only right rarely about the presidential campaign; there are too many people with big mouths and nothing to say, frightening and confusing people. I don’t want to be one of them, but I had to write about this day in the campaign. I’m staying out of the fray. Toni … | Continue reading
Today, there is an urgent request for diaper and wipes support for babies. Those are two things considered precious in the pantry; mothers and fathers often take them instead of food. Sarah will be away for a week, so I want to pay extra attention to the pantry to help. I’m retur … | Continue reading
A Gravitational Wave Surprise by Paul Gilster | Oct 16, 2024 | Exotic Physics | 17 comments I think gravitational wave astronomy is one of the most exciting breakthroughs we’re tracking on Centauri Dreams. The detection of black hole and neutron star mergers has been a reminder o … | Continue reading
I spent much of the day with my friend Ron Dotson. We had a great time. I’m too tired tonight. I’ll take photos tomorrow. I took more lessons about digital editing. I’m signing up to do a weekly column on Substack. The blog will always be free, but this column—about Aging Gracef … | Continue reading
…”Jon, How does it turn you on to insert your long camera lens inside flowers to photograph their sensual parts? Can’t you see why people are not comfortable around you? Just step back and look at yourself!” – Nonie — This could be the answer. I’m flattered. _________________ Ge … | Continue reading
Today, the Cambridge Food Pantry is in urgent need of your help to secure the ‘Two P’s: Polident and Women’s Pads. These are the most requested items and, unfortunately, the hardest to find. Your assistance can make a big difference. The pantry needs span all ages, from babies to … | Continue reading
I’ve got a friend from Ohio visiting this morning. I’ll be in and out, blogging more later. Lulu And Fanny observe their favorite human. They are above, grazing in the sudden sun. The old hen out front, walking in the shrub. She said it felt like the cold was slapping her in the … | Continue reading
Catches, Comets and Europa by Paul Gilster | Oct 15, 2024 | Asteroid and Comet Deflection | 16 comments If the public seems more interested in spaceflight as a vehicle for streaming TV dramas, the reality of both the Europa Clipper liftoff and the astounding ‘catch’ of SpaceX’s S … | Continue reading
Go Clipper by Paul Gilster | Oct 14, 2024 | Uncategorized | 9 comments Is this not a beautiful sight? Europa Clipper sits atop a Falcon Heavy awaiting liftoff at launch complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Launch is set for 1206 EDT (1606 UTC) October 14. Clipper is the largest s … | Continue reading
Is Dark Energy Truly a Constant? by Paul Gilster | Oct 11, 2024 | Deep Sky Astronomy & Telescopes | 19 comments In a tantalizing article in The Conversation, Robert Nichol (University of Surrey) offers a look at where new physics might just be emerging in conjunction with the stu … | Continue reading
Planetary Defense: Good News from the Taurids by Paul Gilster | Oct 9, 2024 | Asteroid and Comet Deflection | 7 comments Evidently discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1786, Comet Encke was the first periodic comet to be found after Halley’s Comet. It was named after … | Continue reading
Advancing Space Technology and Preparing for Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence through Multilateralism by Paul Gilster | Oct 4, 2024 | Astrobiology and SETI | 55 comments Is it possible that we can account for the Fermi paradox by looking to our own behavior as a species … | Continue reading
Third Time’s a Charm: A Planet at Barnard’s Star by Paul Gilster | Oct 1, 2024 | Exoplanetary Science | 19 comments If you follow the fortunes of the stars closest to us, you know that Barnard’s Star has always excited interest, both because of its proximity to our system (about … | Continue reading