The Army of Good outdid itself today at the Mansion, where there was a boisterous 90 minute Valentine’s Day celebration enhanced by beautiful chocolate flowers, gift bags, banners, cookies, cards and magical creations.

The party was the warmest and most emotional I’ve seen at the Mansion, and thanks to you all, everyone had a letter or a gift or red rose with chocolate inside. The cookies were beautiful and much loved. So were the cards and photos.

(I’m thinking Easter.) I’ve never seen the Mansion residents so animated and enthusiastic, I could see the day was meaningful to them, they thought about love and the bittersweet experience of lost love. At lunch, I read a Valentine’ Day poem, and also told the story of St. Valentine, who was executed for carrying out Christian marriage in ancient Rome.

He is said to have cured a young child of blindness and he wrote her encouraging letters on a leaf, thus the tradition of Valentine’s Day cards.

I’ll put up a bunch of photos, I had a great time there, the feeling in the room was infectious. Barb loved her rose and was happy to pose for me as were a number of the residents. I’m doing a photo album here and on Facebook. Thanks so much for your generosity, you have no idea how happy and connected you made these people feel.