Art came to the Mansion a month ago to be near his brother, a resident there. Art was assigned a room upstairs, his brother was on the first floor. Both rooms are warm in the summer, the upstairs one is especially uncomfortable. Because of the windows and wiring, the upstairs rooms can only be cooled by window air conditioners.

The lower floor rooms need portable air conditioning units, they are more expensive. Two months ago, we bought a portable unit for Connie, it has worked well for her, and enabled her to start her knitting again (when her back heals up.) Two weeks ago, Art’s brother John died.

Art is moving downstairs into his room. I was going to get a window  unit for Art, have switched that plan and am purchasing a portable unit from Amazon, the unit is arriving on Wednesday.  It is an LG 8,000 BTU unit. I’ve asked the Mansion to conduct a room by room survey of the facility to see if anyone else needs or wants an air conditioning unit for their rooms.

One or two rooms simply cannot be wired up for them.

We haven’t checked with all of the residents, but I think  there are two more possibilities for room conditioners. I have enough money for Art’s unit and for one more, if it’s a window unit it will be much less than the portable. My goal by the end of the summer is to have air conditioners for all of the residents who want one and need one.

Last week, we bought a 10,000 BTU unit for the Activity Room, it will be installed this week. And thanks.

I’ve learned a lot about many things working with the Mansion residents, including air conditioning and toiletries, one of them asked if I would be the building super. I passed.

Other good news. I sent off the Mansion stories to the artist and book designer  Abrah Griggs who is assembling these evocative stories in book form. I’ve decided against an e-book format, we’re going with print books only, including 10 of my photographs. The books will be printed by Create Space, and I’m ordering 150 to start.

The Book will be called “Stories From The Mansion.”

They will be distributed free of charge to the Mansion residents and their families.  Connie Brooks of Battenkill Books has agreed to sell them at her bookstore for those of you who might want to purchase one. We have not yet set a price, but it will not be high.

Any revenue from the books will be evenly distributed to the writers. I hope to expand this project. (The Mansion residents are coming to the October House, so is the RISSE soccer team.) They are practicing their songs.

This is such an important thing for the residents, their stories are important, and they need to be told. Thanks again for the books and soap and shampoo. We are good.

A good chunk of money is going out of the fund this week, if you wish to donate in any amount, you can do so by sending payments to P.O. Box 2015, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, and also via Paypal, Friends and Family, [email protected]. Please mark it Mansion or Refugee so I can instantly keep track of it, thanks.

Letters are precious to the residents, many say they feel connected to the world again. Here is a list of the residents who wish to receive your letters, photos and messages, they can be sent to The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

-Jean, Ellen, Mary, Gerry, Sylvie, Jane, Diane, Alice, Jean, Madeline, Joan, Allan, William, John K., Helen, Connie, Robert, Shirley, Alanna, Charlotte, Barbara, Peggie,  Dorothy, Peter, Arthur, Brenda, John R., Bruce, John Z.

Thanks again.