Nothing causes more excitement at the Mansion than new and young life; the residents and aides were ecstatic this morning, two butterflies hatched from the live butterfly kit we sent there a week ago.

They left their gardens and dogs and cats behind, and any small reminder of life outside is a huge morale booster.

The kit is a wonder; they send everything – five bab caterpillars and all the nutrition they need to grow into beautiful butterflies.  . Two out so far,  at least three more to come.

Thanks to your donations, the plan is to release them into the beautiful garden the residents are working on.

You can contribute to this and other work at the Mansion via the Mansion Fund. Paypal, [email protected], Venmo, [email protected], or by check Jon Katz, Mansion Fund, P.O.   Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

Small contributions are welcome and matter, so do bigger ones.

We also have been buying scrub shorts for the aides; the rooms are now air-conditioned (thanks to the Army Of Good), but the hallways and offices are not.

Thanks so much for your contributions; we are helping to bring the Mansion back to life after a grim year, one pair of shoes, one shirt, one pair of socks, one belt, one wristwatch, one package of seeds, four bags of manure, one loving therapy dog, and five butterflies at a time.