So fellow travelers,  I often refer to the Creative Group of Bedlam Farm, an online community of people started by New York Times Best Selling Author Jon Katz.  It is an amazing conglomeration of people from all walks of life who are also writers, photographers, musicians, dancers and artists who paint, draw, zentangle, sew, weave, knit, carve, cook and more.  I have made connections on line which forged into life time friendships when meeting members face to face.  Being part of this experience has changed my life in ways I am only beginning to comprehend, none more powerful than the experience of a heart filled with the joy of giving.

Last summer, when Jon had sudden and unexpected open heart surgery just after the June Bedlam Farm Open house,  we held our collective breath. We filled the Creative Group Facebook page with poems and images of Light and Hope. He not only survived, he returned home in record time.  During his recovery we took up the call to become “warriors of light,” posting images, poetry and prose of inspiration.  Through it all a little thread of wanting to do something more, something “magical,” as our ring leader Lisa Dingle called it, began to grow and weave itself into a full out Super Secret Plan.

Earlier in the year at Jon’s urging, Lisa posted her own travel journal of her family’s magical vacation.  It was time to bring that magic to Bedlam Farm.  So a plan was hatched and miraculously kept secret until the very moment of the final presentation last August. I remember having “sweaty eyes” while sending a message to Lisa saying ” You did it, you made magic happen” and she replied ” We all did it.” It was a lesson in gracious acceptance for Jon and Maria. It was an experience of pure joy for all of us.  In fact it still is, as reflected in this post from Lisa on the group page today:

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The Troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently…”

Last summer, this group of creative crazy ones and misfits, and rebels and troublemakers did something absolutely amazing.

When our founder, our guide, our creative spark ignitor and encourager had open heart surgery. We banded together to send him and the love of his life to his favorite place on earth… a place where he and the love of his life find smiles and magic.