Tomorrow is Connie’s 79th Birthday, and we have a fine birthday surprise for her: a new Honeywell Portable Room Air Condition, rated No. 1 by Consumer  Reports, is on the way, thanks to contributions and donations from the Army Of Good, which rolls on and on, and remains unbowed and undefeated. Here, we don’t talk about what is good, we do good.

I posted a story about Connie’s need for a room air conditioner because she needs more oxygen in warm weather and had to stop the knitting that had recently transformed her life. She filled a basket with caps for newborn babies, scarves and mittens for the Mansion residents and staff, and sweaters for children in hospitals.

Connie has breathing, lung and heart issues, she just doesn’t have enough energy or oxygen when the weather is warm, and the Mansion rooms are not air-conditioned. The Honeywell will get her back to work. It took just a few hours to get the $400 necessary to purchase the Honeywell and the required exhaust tube for the window.

There will be an overage, and I will apply it to the purchase of window and room fans for some of the other residents. There are many big hearts and souls out there. Maria and I will present Connie with a photo of the air conditioner tomorrow, when we get back from Connecticut.

I appreciated that there were many gifts and most were quite small, and that is the great thing about this way of helping. Lots of people sending small donations can add up to enormous good. How wonderful.

I will also take a photo of the new printer we were able to purchase for the activity room.

Connie often suggests help for the other residents, but never asks anything for herself. I could see the change in the warm weather, she has little energy to do more than read and watch television. The Honeywell will give her the energy she needs to resume her work, there are baskets of wool and yarn all around her.

It was painful to think of her sitting in that chair for months, waiting for the end of summer. I told myself that could not happen, and it won’t, thanks to  you.

One of the Mansion staffers was thinking of trying to buy an air conditioner out of his own pocket, but I know what he makes, and we put a stop to that.

When I mentioned this to her, she said, no, there would be no room, and then she just got flustered, as she does, and asked for a hug. She just couldn’t quite handle the news.

We told  her we didn’t care what she thought about space, we had measured it and it was coming.

Doing good feels good, and it is a lot of fun. I feel like I am finally finding me, I hope some of you feel the same way.

Maria and I are often reminded how important it is for the elderly to be touched, she got some hugs. I never weary of thanking you good people, and I  hope you never weary of hearing it. You have done so much good for these people, and this gift to Connie is a very powerful thing.

Thank  you.