Thanks Beyond All Thanks...

to Jon Katz for recommending this blog to his Facebook followers.  Jon, you made a girl's dream come true!  Talk about the kindness of the universe!

Jon resides on Bedlam Farm in upstate New York with his fibre artist wife, Maria Wulf, his dogs, donkeys, and chickens.  He creates with words.  She creates in stitches.  She operates Full Moon Fibre Arts.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jon's work, he is a bestselling author, farmer, photographer, and inspiration to many folks.  Every one of his books reaches deep into my soul, stirs it up, and has helped me "stay up" as he encouraged me in a recent email.

Here's a list of Jon's books: 

• Running to the Mountain: a journey of faith and change (2000)
• A Dog Year: twelve months, four dogs and me (2003)
• The New Work of Dogs: tending to life, love and family (2003)
• The Dogs of Bedlam Farm: an adventure with sixteen sheep, three dogs, two donkeys and me (2004)
• Dog Days: dispatches from Bedlam Farm (2005)
• Katz on Dogs: a commonsense guide to training and living with dogs (2005)
• A Good Dog: the story of Orson who changed my life (2006)
• Izzy and Lenore: two dogs, an unexpected journey, and me (2008)
• Soul of a Dog: reflections on the spirits of the animals at Bedlam Farm (2009)
• Saving Izzy: the abandoned dog who stole my heart (2010)
• The Dog Who Loved - Lenore: the puppy who rescued me (2010)
• Rose in a Storm: A novel (2010)

The stories Jon shares with us focus on the dogs of Bedlam Farm, living fully, love, and learning about himself along the way.  His writing is sacred to me as I find similarities in our journeys and new ways to deal with the changes that are presented in my life.  He writes with compassion. 

Change cannot be escaped or hidden from, it happens.  Currently, as Mom and I prepare for a huge change in my life, Jon and Maria are as well.  They are planning a mid-summer's move to New Bedlam Farm where they are renewing their lives in a new space, replete with an elderly pony, named Rocky.  Rocky came with the farm.

I wanted to thank Jon publicly sooner, but my father's condition has worsened. These last few days have been spent with medical personnel and other things, such as writing his eulogy, as Dad's days left on earth are few.

I believe people come into our lives for a reason.  We either "get it" right away or not.  I think I get it.  I hope I get it.  Jon  helps us to "get it."  Visit his website, visit her website, Facebook friend him. 

Again, a million thanks and gratitude to Jon and to you for your comments and support.  You'll never know how much they truly mean to me.

More to come...