Fate has been admitted into one of the Mansion’s most exclusive clubs, the Secret Garden Club, which began as a smoker’s retreat outside and has grown into a community of its own – Bert, Nancy, Georgianna – sharing cigarettes and conversation, even in the increasingly chilly weather.

In between meals, these three are almost always outside, by the driveway, sipping coffee, smoking if they have cigarettes, talking and laughing. I’ve not seen any group of women like them in my several years of working at the Mansion.

They are a lot of fun, they razz me constantly, yell at me if I’m not around for a few days, Georgianna is always begging for cigarettes, once in a while I relent. Mostly, I make sure they are comfortable and warm.

Which they were not.

We’ve gotten them chairs and a table, lap blankets and jackets, warmer shoes. Today I brought Georgianna a big fuzzy warm bathrobe. Sometimes I bring them cookies or scones.

All three of them love Fate and light up when they see her, and she returns the favor. She rushes out of the car to say hello and ends up cuddling with each one. She is giving the residents a lot of pleasure, and a lot of fun.

Tomorrow I read stories at the Mansion, and I’m hosting a bathrobe and flannel nightgown festival, I stopped by Carroll’s Trading Post a consignment store, to pick up some warm nightclothes  Kayla and Bev have been saving for me. They have been extraordinarily helpful.

My winter clothing drive for the Mansion is winding down, I just have winter boots and warm blouses to go. I’m bringing the winter bathrobes and nightgowns over to the Mansion tomorrow. My clothing fund is getting low, I could use about $300 to get everybody set for winter with clothes and shoes and bathrobes and jackets.

Today I brought 20 soft toothbrushes to the Mansion, the residents were running out of toothbrushes. If you want to contribute, you can do so via Paypal, [email protected] or by check, Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. Thanks much.