Red and I went to the Mansion Assisted Care Facility today, we brought some fresh flowers for Connie and the other residents. Red made a beeline for Connie’s room, the door was open and when I got there, the two of them were communing, she was telling Red about the mittens she just knitted from the yarn sent to her by some readers of the blog.
“Please thank them for me,” she said. “It is wonderful.”
It was the first time I’ve seen Connie smiled like that, she was just beaming, her head was up and she was smiling. She is working on some other mittens to make for the other residents. She said she still is looking for a simple crochet pattern for scarves, and I can’t find one, online or in local bookstores.
When I got into the room, Julie Smith, the activities director at the Mansion, was reading to Connie from several of the many letters sent to her from all over the country. The Mansion has started a project to help the residents write thank you notes and messages back, everyone I met was talking about your messages and gifts and support. You have made this holiday season at the Mansion something that is warm and bright.
Maria and I are looking forward to the Christmas Party at the Mansion in a week or so, Red is also invited. I wouldn’t dare go without him. It is very gratifying to see how this attention and generosity has so lifted the spirits of the residents. Many have told me that their relatives will not be able to come and see them this Christmas for one reason or another.
But they are surely not alone, and they know that this holiday season.
Your messages line the walls and brighten the rooms and hearts. Everywhere I go, someone is clutching one of your letters or cards or sitting with a quilt or caftan. I am happy to show you Connie’s mittens, which your big hearts made possible. Connie and I yakked for a good while, I will carry her bright smile with me for a good while.
Red is drawing closer to Connie. He sat with his head in her lap for a long time, then lay down at her feet. It is always a remarkable thing for me to see the impact a dog can have on people.
If you wish to write to Connie, you can mail her c/o Connie, The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816,