Nostr notes by Jon Katz (Unofficial)

Every Afteroon, Often with Zip, We Look At The World Around Us. ...

2026-11-01T22:01:04Z

Every Afteroon, Often with Zip, We Look At The World Around Us. Here Are Three Things We Saw

As I set out for my afternoon patrol, I was startled to see Maria on a ladder outside the living room. It was dirty, she said, and she had to clean it.
______
______
I often see a crow high in a tree deep in the North pasture. I love to watch them survey the world.
______
__________
A bird on the food feeder. I don’t know what kind.
The post Every Afteroon, Often with Zip, We Look At The World Around Us. Here Are Three Things We Saw appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/11/01/every-afteroon-often-with-zip-and-we-look-at-the-world-around-us-here-are-three-things-we-saw/

#maria #north

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Flower Art, Sunday, November 1, 2026. Can Flowers Make Decisions? ...

2026-11-01T21:23:16Z

Flower Art, Sunday, November 1, 2026. Can Flowers Make Decisions?

Are flowers sentient? Plants have long been cast as the quiet, colorful set pieces of the natural world. But in recent years, science and philosophy have begun to challenge that understanding, arguing that flowers are not passive, unthinking matter, but dynamic, responsive beings with their own form of wisdom. Some scientists argue that they can communicate, remember, and even make decisions. Botanists have a term for this, says Jill Brooke, A Flower Historian, in her book “The Genius of Flowers.” They call it “plant Intelligence,” although the idea is controversial, even in the Botanical world. I guess I’m in the middle of this argument; my flowers do seem to know me, and they do seem to speak with me, but I can’t really tell whether that is something I want or something they do. I’m more inclined to think of animals as responsive matter, living things that know me. Flower lovers, like dog lovers, often seem to go over the top when it comes to mixing instinct and nature with animal or plant life and emotionalize things we love. I haven’t gone any farther than that, but the research is getting to me, as is my daily experience. I often feel they know how to move and color for me. I think Brooke has a point.
______
_____
My assistant, no matter that he rolls in muck or what he eats, cleans himself continuously. The other night, he killed three mice and left their bodies for us in the bird bath.
____
___________
___________
___________
____
The post Flower Art, Sunday, November 1, 2026. Can Flowers Make Decisions? appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/11/01/flower-art-sunday-november-1-2026-can-flowers-make-decisions/

#makedecisions #brooke #jillbrooke #historian #intelligence

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Maria’s Morning I noticed our old ewe, Kim, was limping again ...

2026-11-01T18:30:40Z

Maria’s Morning

I noticed our old ewe, Kim, was limping again this morning. I’ve been giving her pills for the arthritis in her rear legs and it was better the past few days. But it was 20 degrees this morning, and the cold didn’t help. Three pills as needed, the Vet said. So I made an alfalfa “meatball” and stuck the pills in it, as I had done twice before.
But this time, instead of gobbling the alfalfa “meatball” up, Kim just sniffed it and turned her head away.
I’m not sure if she could smell the pills or maybe she didn’t like the smell of my gloves. So I cut an apple into quarters and stuck the pills in the apple.
She ate it without a sniff.
I imagine her arthritis will be worse in the winter, so we’ll do all we can to keep her well fed and as comfortable as possible.
The post Maria’s Morning appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/11/01/marias-morning-2/

#morning #kim #vet

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Jon’s Monday Morning, Sunday As we reshape the blogs, I want to ...

2026-11-01T17:52:50Z

Jon’s Monday Morning, Sunday

As we reshape the blogs, I want to make sure I don’t forget the Pastoral Work, whose inspiration was reminding urban dwellers to remember the nature they had left behind. Americans are obssessed worryng about money and the cost of things, I hope my photos remind people that nature is something in all of our blood, something that should never be forgotten. Nature is in the blood much more than ever, these images can remind us of what it means. The changes in our blogs will take a month or so.
___
_____
________
_____
Maria is struggling to make Kim’s life simpler and more comfortable. We think it’s working. Details on her blog, fullmoonfiberart.com.
_____
Autumn Light
The grazing is instantly calming for me.
Autum.
The post Jon’s Monday Morning, Sunday appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/11/01/jons-monday-morning-sunday/

#pastoralwork #nature #autumnlight #maria #kim

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Weekend Cambridget Pantry Support, Sunday, November 1, 2026 Good ...

2026-11-01T17:16:15Z

Weekend Cambridget Pantry Support, Sunday, November 1, 2026

Good News: Cranberry Sauce for the Pantry Thanksgiving Give-a-Way is stacked. Thank you. The Pantry needs Pumpkin Filling and Popular foods they are out of. This weekend, we’re focusing on the turkey item: Top Turkey Stuffing Mix, Pack of 12, $28.02.
The Weekend Pantry Support is for today, Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, October 1, 2026.
Here are the items requested:
Pasta Roni Shells &White Cheddar (Pack of 12), $15.73.
Stove Top Pumpkin Stuffing Mix (Pack of 12), $28.00. Ibby’s Pure Canned Pumpkin (Pack of 6), $11.82.
The Turkey Stuffing Mix goes to the Thanksgiving Day Give-A-Way. The Pantry is out of Pasta Roni Shells.
Usually, I take most of Sunday morning off. It’s a Contemplation Morning. But I don’t feel comfortable skipping a Pantry Support Day. I remind myself that people are struggling to feed their families, and they don’t get a day off. In my mind, Sundays are Care for Our Neighbors Day. I’ll post my photos this morning and the flower art this afternoon. It’s too beautiful to stay inside.
____
Photo above: Emily from Amazon is making another delivery to the Pantry from the Army of Good. Yesterday was Halloween. (She also delivered to my house later that day.) Small world.
______
Pantry News, USA:
Pennsylvania: Lebanon County Christian Ministries (LCCM) runs a pantry called the Market on 7th in the city of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Besides the pantry, LCCM serves a free meal at noon, sends out food boxes for seniors and runs a small program that helps families with utility bills. The pantry gives out fresh produce and bread along with shelf-stable groceries. In the first quarter of its 2026–27 fiscal year, thpantry’s’s demand was up 9% from the year before. It now serves about 1,000 families every two weeks
______
The post Weekend Cambridget Pantry Support, Sunday, November 1, 2026 appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/11/01/weekend-cambridget-pantry-support-sunday-november-1-2026/

#pantrysupport #stuffingmix #pack #turkeystuffing #ronishells #sunday #pastaroni #cranberrysauce #weekend #pantrythanksgiving

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Flower Photos, Friday, October 30, 2026. Flowers As Symbols ...

2026-10-30T21:12:44Z

Flower Photos, Friday, October 30, 2026. Flowers As Symbols

Flowers are often used in significant political situations. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood a flower’s power. Through his long struggle, two flowers stood behind him: the Rose and the Hawaiian lei. In March 1965, Dr. King and Congressman John Lewis, clad in their Sunday clothes, began their march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. They wore Hawaiian leis around their necks to symbolize their peaceful intentions. They were attacked by police and beaten, their flowers ripped off their necks. Last June, Hawaii displayed a set of these flower photos in the Alabama State Capitol.
______
______
My assistant was waiting for me in the morning.
_______
_______
______
_______
The post Flower Photos, Friday, October 30, 2026. Flowers As Symbols appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/10/30/flower-photos-friday-october-30-2026-flowers-as-symbols/

#flowerphotos #flowers #lutherking #martinluther #hawaiian #johnlewis #alabama #congressmanjohn #statecapitol #march

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Cambridge Food Pantry Support. In Hard Times, We Choose To Help. ...

2026-10-30T17:54:20Z

Cambridge Food Pantry Support. In Hard Times, We Choose To Help. Love Thy Neighbors

These are intense times for sure. I have the greatest admiration for people who struggle and take the time to help peoople who can’t keep up or get ahead, even when they are hurting themselves. I admire people who love others as well as themselves and answer the call to help.
There is a lot of talk about Jesus; I believe it is safe to say if Jesus were here, he would be volunteering at a Food Pantry. Talk about loving Thy Neighbors. Good lives.
Thank you. I know the spirits will repay you; that is the best of being human.
I am happy to tell you that by next week, the Pantry will have the gravy stacked for the Thanksgiving Giveaway. Thank you.
___
Because of all the distraction, turmoil, and tension, plus Halloween Tomorrow, we are taking it a bit slowly this week. Today’s major requests are the same as yesterday’s. Hoping to Stock for more than a week.
Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Chili Mac (Case of 8), $13.73.
Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs (pack of 4), $4.99.
Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Chicken Pot Pie Soup (Pack of 8), $13,73.
____
One More Request For Today:
Campbell’s Turkey Gravy, $22.81.
For The Cambridge Pantry Thanksgiving Give-a-Way. We are close.
______
_____
“He left me and found me…” Mike has a different faith shirt every week.
_______
Pantry Notes from America: People who have stopped coming are returning, and more often, because other food-assistance options have dried up for them. The bigger stockpile is costing money: the Pantries have been buying extra food out of their own budgets. Lots of pantries have warned they may have to spread food thinner across more households this winter.
They also refer to SNAP. Small paperwork or calculation errors can leave a household with no benefits at all, and those families end up at the Pantry.
__________
_______
_______
We expect the Turkey Gravy to be stacked by next week. Thanks.
________
______
Barbara, who is 90, doesn’t like to ask for help. She says she doesn’t need it yet.
The post Cambridge Food Pantry Support. In Hard Times, We Choose To Help. Love Thy Neighbors appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/10/30/cambridge-food-pantry-support-in-hard-times-we-choose-to-help/

#thyneighbors #foodpantry #chunkysoup #times #cambridgepantry #turkeygravy #campbell #pantrythanksgiving #jesus #piesoup

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Maria Gets A New Computer I’ll try to be sweet about this, but ...

2026-10-29T23:18:37Z

Maria Gets A New Computer

I’ll try to be sweet about this, but my wife isn’t good at spending money or buying herself anything. She considers spending money a heresy. She throws nothing out and only buys $5 thrift-store clothes, then wears them until they fall apart.
I used to be a spendthrift, but I gave it up. It just won’t work in this relationship.
Computers are a major part of my life, a sacred experience without which I would be living alone in a hut in some other country. Apple computers have made my life as a writer and blogger possible.
She had her computer for years, about ten years, and it was falling apart and causing a lot of trouble. Apple finally scared her into moving by saying her browser no longer worked.
I often urged her to get a new computer, but she just blew me off. Maria does not replace anything without a fight. Her computer still worked, she insisted, despite noises that sounded like a cow being slaughtered.
You get the idea. She finally broke down (just as her computer did), and this morning we went to an Apple Store in Albany. She found a wonderful computer that cost much less than she expected and worked more efficiently than she had ever experienced.
It wasn’t easy for her to buy it, but when she tested it, I could see her falling in love. She saved herself at least an hour, if not a day. And new doors have opened. I take computers seriously; they are not only at the center of my work, but they also help shape and support my life.
Maria is great with devices; she gets them instantly and has a knack for them. When I have a problem with an Apple device, I don’t call Apple. I call her first.
______
_____
Maria loves her new computer.
______
I remember the Christmas when I gave her a gift of her first Iphone. I thought we would get divorced; she was so angry about getting a present like that. She insisted on paying for the computer. I said sure. She wouldn’t even think I’d pay for it. I wouldn’t buy one for her.
Right now, she is beaming with joy. “It is so fast,” she told me happily. Yup. Devices are at the center of our work. When Maria got an Iphone, her work changed. When she got a camera, her relationship with nature changed radically. Her photography is wonderful.
Right now, she is sitting on a sofa in the farmhouse, beaming with joy. How do you like it?” I asked. “It’s wonderful,” she said.
Yay.
The post Maria Gets A New Computer appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/10/29/maria-gets-a-new-computer/

#computer #newcomputer #apple #maria #gets #iphone #devices

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

The First Amendment I admit to glancing at the news today; I ...

2026-10-29T22:41:39Z

The First Amendment

I admit to glancing at the news today; I couldn’t help it. I was saddened to see so-called leaders viciously attacking people from other countries.
I’m responding by sharing the First Amendment, the very first one our Founding Fathers wrote into the Constitution, which so many people talk about but so few seem to have read.
Feel free to share it.
Here it is, should anyone need it:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.“
The post The First Amendment appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/10/29/the-first-amendment/

#firstamendment #foundingfathers

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Maria’s New Cat Lap Quilt, On Sale Soon I’m excited to share ...

2026-10-29T18:01:27Z

Maria’s New Cat Lap Quilt, On Sale Soon

I’m excited to share the news from Maria’s studio. She’s working on a new idea, and I’m excited: a Cat Lap quilt for people who sit or meditate with cats on their laps and don’t want to get cold. As a new cat lover, I think this is a wonderful idea. Cats show love by clawing, and it seems nearly impossible to talk them out of it. Every time Zip sits in my lap, I get clawed. So does Maria. Thus, the new Cat Lap Quilt. I want one. Maria is finishing up on the first one (below), and it is already sold. More are coming. (maria@fullmoonfiberart.) You can also see her blog for details.
______
Maria in her own words, here she writes about the first one:
“Deb wrote me after seeing the start of my Cat Lap Quilt to let me know that her cat has a cat lap pillow She said she always wanted her cats to sleep in her lap, but it only happened recently when she had a pillow on her lap, and her black-and-white “cow” spotted cat crawled onto it and fell asleep. Deb wrote…When I saw your latest creation, I was intrigued, but didn’t want to tempt fate.”
I was happy to hear that Deb finally got her lap cat.
I don’t know if it was getting into my studio early or if this quilt just wanted to be made. But it gave me no trouble; the fabric pieces practically jumped into place. I didn’t finish the top, but I got most of it done before going to the Food Pantry to unload and stock boxes of food from the Food Bank.”
_______
________
close-up. Maria’s Cat Lap.
The post Maria’s New Cat Lap Quilt, On Sale Soon appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/10/29/marias-new-cat-lap-quilt-on-sale-soon/

#catlap #lapquilt #newcat #maria #cats #deb #food #foodpantry

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Flower Art, Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Flowers Have Been ...

2026-10-28T20:56:28Z

Flower Art, Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Flowers Have Been Calming Us For Years.

“Just as Tiffany turned to blowers to soothe the shock of the Industrial Age, we, too, seek nature’s reassurance in a world reshaped by artificial intelligence. At the dawn of electricity, people feared the cold glare of new technology, much as many now worry about AI’s speed and impact.” – The Genius of Flowers, Jill Brooke.
Today, political tensions and divisions sometimes seem to threaten our democracy. Flowers have calmed and soothed people for thousands of years. They calm me every day, and many of my readers, too.
______
_____
My assistant. I love his hunting look. The primal seems to live in cats’ minds. He is always on the hunt. Zip’s eyes say he means business.
______
__________
_______
_________
_____________
The post Flower Art, Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Flowers Have Been Calming Us For Years. appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/10/28/flower-art-wednesday-october-28-2026-flowers-have-been-calming-us-for-years/

#industrialage #jillbrooke

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Self Portrait I meant to take this photo of the sky with my ...

2026-10-28T19:37:30Z

Self Portrait

I meant to take this photo of the sky with my Iphone but it turned inward on me. Since I always take photos of others, it’s only fair that I put this one up. Sorry it’s not as pretty as the sky. But I like it; it’s me.
The post Self Portrait appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/10/28/self-portrait-3/

#sorry

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Flower Art, Tuesday, October 20, 2026. When The Sun Shines, The ...

2026-10-20T19:46:48Z

Flower Art, Tuesday, October 20, 2026. When The Sun Shines, The Flowers Do.

Update: The GoFundMe campaign is funding Maria and me to merge our blogs into one, and it keeps rising. The name will be the New Bedlam Farm. As of 3 pm today, $5,900 has been raised since it was officially launched on Friday morning. We are both determined to share the site but keep our riding individual. We need $700 to cover the full payment for the new blog, and we’re optimistic we’ll reach it. Thanks so much for your support.
______
My assistant, a Sun Cat, this morning.
________
___________
________
____________
The post Flower Art, Tuesday, October 20, 2026. When The Sun Shines, The Flowers Do. appeared first on Bedlam Farm.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2026/10/20/flower-art-tuesday-october-20-2026-when-the-sun-shines-the-flowers-do/

#sun #bedlamfarm #newbedlam #cat #gofundme

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit