Christy and Red and I had our longest visit today, there was a messy ice storm outside but the world of the Mansion was, as always, dry and snug. Christy has some lung problems, she is vulnerable to infection, she gets pneumonia easily if she is not careful, and is just getting over a long bout. She is looking forward to Thursday, her daughter is coming to take her out to lunch. Her favorite restaurant is the Olive Garden, but there isn’t one nearby.

She loves seeing Red, we talked about her two very beloved Chihuahua’s, Cinnebon and -Boo. She had Cinnebon (“Cinny) for 17 years, one day she went out by the woodshed and curled up and died. “I am glad she went that way,” she said, “she didn’t suffer, I don’t think.”

It is a spiritual experience to hear the residents of the Mansion talked about the dogs and cats and horses and goats that they loved. In the other world, Christy was a nurse, she and her husband had a small farm – he was a logger- and they had horses and donkeys and chickens. “All the animals we could stuff in there.”

Christy is sometimes sick, but she is always cheerful and uncomplaining. She and Connie live next door to one another, and Connie is always reminding me and Red to go see her. I stayed away until she felt better.

She was resting, and the room was dark and quiet, it was intimate. I was happy to sit with Christie for awhile, and get to talk to her. She and Red have connected. Christy would love to receive your letters or messages, you can write her and the other Mansion residents c/o The Mansion, 11 S. Union Street, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

A number of people are also planning to send Valentine’s Day Messages to the residents before February 14. I think they would love it. Today, the residents were eating pecan bars prepared by the staffer after one of the blog readers – from the South – sent a bucket of pecans and some chocolate.