We had a sweet start to the weekend, we bought a table for the Mansion residents at the annual Christmas Breakfast sponsored by the Hubbard Hall Arts Center and hundreds of local people. This is a pure and remarkable grass roots event, begun 22 years ago as a way of giving the community a way to celebrate Christmas with local children.

The Hubbard Hall volunteers prepare and serve the food, but almost everything else is done by people in the community and their families. It is always a sell out, and the children dance and sing and perform Christmas scenes and stories.

We took six of the residents, including Art (who told me he wants to discuss the fact that grace was not said) and it was great for them to get out and into the community. The tickets for everyone – Maria and I came too – cost $90. Money well spent.

It is beautiful to see so many people in a community pitch into do something like this. It was a rich and warm way to enter the Christmas season. Afterwards,Maria and I went Thrift store shopping get to more winter clothes for the Mansion residents, and some for the refugees as well.