We Are the Music: Reflections on Galactic Immensity by Paul Gilster | Sep 27, 2024 | Deep Sky Astronomy & Telescopes | 13 comments While I’m immersed in the mechanics of exoplanet detection and speculation about the worlds uncovered by Kepler, TESS and soon, the Roman Space Teles … | Continue reading
Habitability around F-class Stars by Paul Gilster | Sep 25, 2024 | Exoplanetary Science | 10 comments Some years back I read a science fiction story in which the planet where the action took place orbited an F-class star. That was sufficiently odd to get my attention, and I began … | Continue reading
The Long Afternoon of Earth by Paul Gilster | Sep 20, 2024 | Astrobiology and SETI | 36 comments Every time I mention a Brian Aldiss novel, I have to be careful to check the original title against the one published in the US. The terrific novel Non-Stop (1958) became Starship in … | Continue reading
“Thanks, Kim and Kyle, for all you give,” – from Becky W. When I woke this morning and saw that Sarah had removed the Hygiene items from the Wish List, I knew the Army of Good had struck again. That meant she got what she needed and more. Thanks. “We did so well on the […] | Continue reading
Beamed Propulsion and Planetary Security by Paul Gilster | Sep 18, 2024 | Sail Concepts | 27 comments Power beaming to accelerate a ‘lightsail’ has been pondered since the days when Robert Forward became intrigued with nascent laser technologies. The Breakthrough Starshot concept … | Continue reading
I had a beautiful start to today, a lovely morning. I got up at 5 a.m., went downstairs, read, showered, and meditated. Maria came down around 7 a.m., and we went out to check on the animals, shovel manure, give the donkeys and sheep some apples, and give thanks to us, where we l … | Continue reading
“I am curious whether the flower or the color is the focus. I know the flower is painted large to convey my experience with it—and what is my experience if it is not the color?“ – Georgia O’Keeffe. Today’s Flower Art work was challenging. One eye was loaded with dilating drops, … | Continue reading
We had a beautiful moon on Monday, and a full moon is coming tonight. Since I had my cataract surgery this morning, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get out there and get a sweet moon shot, but I love this one as a still life, and it’s close enough to be beautiful. I’m […] | Continue reading
Sarah is eager to restock her shelves with shampoos and body wash for the pantry families, but especially for their children. The pantry is out of these items and can’t get them from their usual suppliers. As we enter the back-to-school season, it’s crucial to remember that child … | Continue reading
I had my second cataract surgery very early this morning. Maria and I are both wiped, and my eyes are so dilated I can’t quite see across the room. I can blog a bit, moving my shield and patches, but I have been severely cautioned to let my eyes rest today. So I will. An […] | Continue reading
Maria is politically and personally fired up by the idea of “Not Going Back. ” Not going back has much meaning for her; she is on a creative tear this week. She made one beautiful quilt, which sold as soon as it was finished; she got 50 magnets, which sold out in hours (more are … | Continue reading
“Someone else’s vision will never be as good as your own vision of yourself. Live and die with it ’cause, in the end, it’s all you have. Lose it, and you lose yourself and everything else. I should have listened to myself.” – Georgia O’Keeffe. _____ Tomorrow at 6:45 a.m., I’m giv … | Continue reading
“Thank you for sharing this. Your love for Maria is so beautiful. I used to read your blog because I loved reading about the farm and the animals, and I still do. But now I love how you help so many people just by sharing what you and Maria go through in your life. It […] | Continue reading
“Love and thanks from Colorado to The Cambridge Food Pantry,” – Cyndy from Denver. Sarah made some modest and inexpensive requests today. I see she is preparing the shelves for some warm, filling, and popular meals that are also easy to make. Velveeta Pasta and Cheese has rece … | Continue reading
My cataract surgery is tomorrow at 6:30 a.m.; I’m almost always up then, anyway. It is another beautiful Fall day, and it is nice to know they still exist. Life is complex in America. Maria’s car accident seemed like a fender bumper, but the damage was already up to $7,000, and t … | Continue reading
We looked out the bedroom window and saw the mist, so we got up early. (Above, Maria shooting her video this morning.) Maria takes her Monday morning video very seriously. You can see it every Monday here, on her website, fullmoonfiberart.com, or YouTube. | Continue reading
Maria and I have loved one another for more than a decade, and our love and care for one another have grown and deepened from the first. As people often say in their messages, we have a “perfect” or even “beautiful” life. We do have a good life and a meaningful one – and in […] | Continue reading
“I decided to start anew, to strip away what I had been taught…” “I feel there is something unexplored about women that only a woman can explore...” Quotes from Georgia O’Keeffe. Next cataract surgery is on Tuesday; I’m looking forward to it, and so are my eyes, thrilled to soa … | Continue reading
Maria dug some potatoes out of our garden. We are eating our tomatoes, kale, and squash. | Continue reading
15 September Fate Asleep, One Of My Favorite Series… by Jon Katz Share This Email Read or Post a Comment 1 Comments DotD says: September 16, 2024 at 10:32 AM I love these photos of Fate…my Lexi is so similar in so many ways. She’s 14, and mostly deaf, but she’s still her own dog. … | Continue reading
“Grateful for your great work” – From Lynn D. Sarah took paper bags and peanut butter off the wish list last night. She was jubilant when the Amazon Army Of Good boxes showed up. “They are stocked‘” she said. “We couldn’t Have done it without you, Army Of Good.” More good news. … | Continue reading
Maria’s magnets sold out this afternoon. She has ordered more. They will be sold only at her Etsy studio site . Maria’s new “Not Going Back” refrigerator magnets struck a nerve. When Maria checked this morning (she doesn’t go online on Saturday), all but a few of the magnets wer … | Continue reading
It was and is a beautiful morning at Bedlam Farm, but I must be honest. I slept late while Maria went out to tend to the animals. I was worn out. I did manage to get a beautiful flower photo above and to take a few pictures with Zip sitting by my side, as usual. […] | Continue reading
“I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty.” — Georgia O’Keeffe. We had a half Sabbath today, since neither of us is especially religious, we have to make our own way. We went out to lunch with a friend, stopped for an ice […] | Continue reading
All the Light We Can See by Paul Gilster | Sep 13, 2024 | Deep Sky Astronomy & Telescopes | 12 comments I’ve reminisced before about crossing Lake George in the Adirondacks in a small boat late one night some years back, when I saw the Milky with the greatest clarity I had ever e … | Continue reading
I remember 911 and my neighbors in New Jersey who never came home that night. I remember their children, wives, and husbands waiting and praying at the bus stop. The bus never came. These flowers are for you. | Continue reading
“I hope this donation helps! Barbara and Jim Barnewell…” Army of Good. – Thanks, Jim and Barbara. Sarah says the Regional Food Bank ran out of canned corn and carrots, and she ran out of salad dressings at the same time. We can help for just a couple of dollars. If we each sent … | Continue reading
I skipped the debate last night; I watched it this morning. Fascinating, I have a lot to think about. Manure Throw. Maria’s hay wire sculpture. Apples falling, the animals are obsessed. Autumn light Missing grass already. | Continue reading
Green Mars: A Nanotech Beginning by Paul Gilster | Sep 11, 2024 | Astrobiology and SETI | 38 comments I want to return to Mars this morning because an emerging idea on how to terraform it is in the news. The idea is to block infrared radiation from escaping into space by releasin … | Continue reading
I’m surprised to say this, but I decided not to participate in a confrontation that seemed more like Burmese boxing than American politics. Burmese boxing is a full-contact combat sport originating from Myanmar and is regarded as one of the most brutal martial arts in the world. … | Continue reading
As always, I want you to see the incredible impact of your actions. That’s how my photography started. Kim, your role in recording and distributing the Amazon Program is crucial. I walked into the pantry this afternoon just in time to see you open the Amazon boxes that had just a … | Continue reading
I’m getting my values in order today. I will do something meaningful for people with no one to turn to but us. I will do my work, take pictures, and raise money for the pantry. I’ll skip the debate; it reminds me too much of the Lion-Human Fighting Contests in the Roman Coliseum. … | Continue reading
One of my favorite times now is dusk, when I go out to sit and watch the marsh, birds, and sunset. Maria joins me when she quits work. Zip is there the minute I arrive, and we have company now; one of the usually skittish birds has come to accept me and sits with us, […] | Continue reading
Today is a substantial test of my spiritual life. The Debate has frightened or divided almost everyone I know. Today is one of those days when I’ll learn if my spiritual work has taken hold. I believe in truth, love, and decency; they will ultimately prevail, no matter what happe … | Continue reading
As I grow older, I look at life more straightforwardly because it is less complicated. I find myself at the most significant moment of choice since I moved out of my parents’ house a half-century ago. I wake up every morning drunk with the very thought of being alive. Wherever I … | Continue reading
Georgia O’Keeffe began painting flowers in 1918, but it was not until 1924, when she married the photographer, Alfred Stieglitz, that she painted the first of the magnified flowers, which made her famous. “A flower is relatively small,” she told an interviewer. “Everyone has many … | Continue reading
Today, we are celebrating a significant event at the Cambridge Food Pantry- the Dental Hygiene Day, another crucial initiative for the pantry and its patrons. This initiative, which is both vital and inexpensive, was born out of a need expressed by some elderly patrons who found … | Continue reading
Sunny and relaxed, it feels like Autumn, and the leaves and flowers are changing. We had a few hours of gratitude, and then we moved on from yesterday’s car accident. We’re getting a rental from the insurance company; Maria’s car is towed to the auto shop; she feels fine, and we … | Continue reading
You are invited to take a walk with Maria Lulu and Fanny Robin and Asher and the rest of the crew. Her Monday morning videos can also be seen on Maria’s beautiful blog, fullmoonfiberart.com. Have a great and meaningful week. | Continue reading
My friend Wendy told me that the gorgeous flower I’ve been posting is commonly called Safari Sunset in the Leucadendron Protea family. I could barely pronounce it, let alone spell it. I’m going to end tonight and give thanks that Maria escaped serious injury when her car was stru … | Continue reading
Sarah is off today and Monday, so she permitted me to add what I like to requests for needed things on the Cambridge Food Pantry Amazon Wish List. It feels like a promotion. Sarah is pretty tight with her list choices. She needs a day off. If you’re anxious about things, try doi … | Continue reading
I’ve come to love our Sunday morning run-a-rounds, one farm after another, the farmer’s market. They are about what we eat, but more than that, they are about the community we have come to love and appreciate, the friends we have made, and the food we are eating. I decided to do … | Continue reading
“I have already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain, and I am quite free.” “If you take a flower in your hand and look at it, it’s your world for a moment.” – quotes by Georgia O’Keeffe. I don’t know what this flower is called; neither does … | Continue reading
Thanks for coming by to check the beautiful morning and day photos. I’m still sick, but not enough to keep me from morning photos and some interesting sculptural flower photos. It was Georgia O’Keeffe’s idea; I hope you like it. Here, a look at the always beautiful start of the … | Continue reading
A mixed bag of food support for the Cambridge Food Pantry – we’re still trying to get some cheese to go with our SOS Tomato Day’s wild and record-breaking support. Your donations are just beginning to arrive; I’ll get some photos on Monday or Tuesday. I’m sure the empty tomato sh … | Continue reading
One of the many things I learned in my meditations and voracious reading of monks, early Christian writers and prophets, Buddhist Monks, and monastics is that fear of the unexpected frightens people the most. That’s one reason believing in God can be so comforting – he’s responsi … | Continue reading
The ‘Freakish Radio Writings’ of 1924 by Paul Gilster | Sep 5, 2024 | Astrobiology and SETI | 48 comments Mars was a lively destination in early science fiction because of its proximity. When H. G. Wells needed a danger from outer space, The War of the Worlds naturally looked tow … | Continue reading
Pumping Energy into the Solar Wind by Paul Gilster | Sep 3, 2024 | Sail Concepts | 3 comments The solar wind is ever enticing, providing as it does a highly variable stream of charged particles moving out from the Sun at speeds up to 800 kilometers per second. Finding ways to har … | Continue reading