“Life is sad, Life is a bust,

All you can do is do what you must,

You do what you must do and ya do it well

I’ll do it for you, honey baby, can’t you tell? – Buckets Of  Rain, Bob Dylan.

I had the sweetest time at the Mansion this afternoon. I passed out some winter hats to people who wish to keep their heads warm. At the memorial service for Connie Tuesday morning, Ruth, a new resident, gestured to me and said she wanted to talk to me after the service.

I came up to her and she asked if Maria might be able to knit her a winter hat, she didn’t have one.

I told her Maria didn’t knit hats, but I would be happy to get her one, and she thanked me. When I went home, Maria said she had four or five winter hats sent her or given her by various artists she knew, some had brought their work to our Open House.

They were nice bright colors and warm, older heads with thinning hair can release a lot of body heat in cold weather, as a balding man i can testify to the value of a wool hat. I wear them almost every day from October to April.

I took my hats back over to the Mansion after lunch and the rest was pure joy. I gave one to DorLisa, an aide, and then to Ruth who appeared near the Great Room, and then to Alice, who was sitting on a bench near the parakeets, and Sylvie, who was reading up on her faith, the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

These residents just loved their hats, so much that I intend to get hold of some more and get them to everybody who wants one. It wasn’t just the warmth they loved, but the colors. When I showed one to Alice, she asked “how did you know I needed one?” Just a hunch i said.

Alice is in her 90’s we joke that she is my girlfriend. We might dance together at the Christmas party if her arthritis is not too bad. I had an enormous amount of fun passing out the hats, I guess I needed to do something like that. The residents often need small things like hats, and those are holes I can fill, with the assistance of the Army Of Good.

The Mansion is like one of those rivers in the Bible, I think. After a death, the waters just close over it. Death is no stranger here, it is marked and noted, and then put aside. It does not dominate life.

Life is enough of a struggle as it is. I felt like  Santa Claus passing out my hats. If feels good to do good. My calling, for now.

A reminder that Christmas is the big annual event at the Mansion, there is a party, a dance, and then on Christmas morning, an exchange of gifts. Your contributions are beginning to arrive,  and they are much appreciated.

The goal is for everyone to have something for them under the tree on Christmas morning. Puzzles, stocking stuffers, illustrated books, colorful soaps or simple bracelets, games, inexpensive necklaces, Christmas paraphernalia, party favors,  wreathes, cards,  inexpensive stuffed animals, animal photos, large type books, holiday hats, etc…The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. Thanks again for the flowers for Connie’s service, they are beautiful and they added so much to the service.

I’m putting up more hat photos. They turned things around.

You can write Alice and Sylvie and Ruth and DorLisa c/o The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816,