Maria is still sleeping off her trip to India, but she wanted to go to the Mansion to see Connie and to bring her a gift, a hanging string of elephants. Connie was very glad to see her, the two of them lit up and touched heads. These two women have connected with one another on a number of levels – as people, as women, as fiber artists, perhaps in other ways as well.

Connie asked after Maria every time I saw her, and Maria scoured the bazaars and stalls of Calcutta for a present to bring back to her. The Mansion invited Maria to speak about her trip a week from Friday, everyone is excited, a number of them were following our blogs to see how the trip was going.

it is quite rewarding to see Connie smiling in this radiant way – the two of them, really. I knew Connie for a long time before I saw her smile and she smiles all the time now. She is very busy making baby caps, sweaters, blankets and shawls. You can write Connie and the other resident of the Mansion c/o The Mansion, 11 S. Union Street, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. Please take a look at the Mansion’s new gofundme page. They desperately need a new van, are 60 per cent there. It’s only four days old.

This photograph means a lot to me, I think I will print it out and hang it on my wall. It makes me smile just as much.