Among the many things that are a fun about a blog is checking out the likes to my entries and learning about common interests. I also love thinking about the people I know who may be reading. Then there are the thoughtful comments from strangers.
Cynthia, for example. She came to the blog after searching on the late, amazing ceramicist Anne Kraus and finding my post “The Mysterious Tea Cups of Anne Kraus.” She says she knew the family.
My entries on new farmers have a led to a nice exchange with an Ohio farmer, DrJeff7, who raises traditional livestock at Heritage Breeds Farm. Here is one of his comments:
“There is definitely a shift toward buying local and buying organic/ grassfed, and all natural. We are staring up with similar goals in mind. I am concerned about the fact that farms continue to ‘go out of business,’ yet the animals get absorbed by larger and larger farming conglomerates. (i.e. factory farms). Their argument is that it is a necessary evil if you want to feed the world. I think that the world needs to move away from supposed progress and head back to the days of traditional farming, where animals see the light of day and chemicals are nowhere to be found (or limited to the best extent).”
And there came a day when I really needed to see this title at 5kidswdisabilities, a WordPress blog: “Beyond One’s Own Problems.”
Listen to this mom. “I work with a social/educational/recreational group for teens with disabilities. When first getting this group together at the beginning of the school year, I asked them what they wanted to do as part of our program. Every single one of them said they wanted to ‘help other people.’ Here are students with a variety of disabilities and medical needs, and they wanted to help others! They were mature enough to look beyond their own problems to the problems of others.
“Various suggestions were tossed about … They chose making sandwiches for the homeless. …
“They worked as a team and made 165 sandwiches and twelve dozen cookies. As they worked, they talked about who might get to eat them, what kind of bad luck may have fallen upon that person and so forth. They talked with much empathy, and not once during their conversation did they mention their own problems. They were caring about the problems of others.
“After the sandwiches were made, I drove up to Traveler’s Aid, a local spot where the homeless hang out. The kids … walked and wheeled to the front desk which, fortunately, was wheelchair accessible. The crowd murmured appreciatively, politely, thankfully. The kids faces beamed as they turned around and came back to the van. They were no longer disabled, but capable of helping others. Suddenly, their problems were not as bad as the people who thanked them; people without shelter and food.”
Read her whole lovely entry here.
Photograph: HeritageBreedsFarm.com
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