It could not have worked out better. This morning, UPS delivered a monster box full of the “laplans,” as Joanne Fritsche calls them.

She is a knitter from New Jersey and spends months making these beautiful and colorful lap rugs for the Mansion residents; she knows when it will be cold.

I always know her packages because they are the biggest ones we ever get.

The residents are mad about the “laplans” We hauled the big box and carried it right over to the Mansion. We were happy to see about a half-dozen residents sitting out on the porch for a fresh air break and all bundled up; they were about to go inside and get warm.

 

 

There was grand celebration and joy when we got onto the porch and started handing out the laplans. The residents could hardly believe they could keep them for free.

Above, Ellen, Assisted Activity Director Kim, and Ann (Ellen and Ann came over from Memory Care) beamed while we spread out the laplans and tucked them in. They had just returned from a walk and were heading for the kitchen and some hot chocolate.

We had five or six laplans left to bring inside, and all of them were instantly gobbled up.

This is the first really cold day of Autumn; we couldn’t have picked a better moment to bring these over.

Joanne also sent me a letter; she enclosed some articles about Ernst Leitz, the head of Leica Cameras in the 1940s and the man who famously organized the Leica Freed Train, which permitted thousands of Jews and other targets of Nazi Germany to escape the country during World War II.

Leica was a famous optics company in Germany whose glass is still generally considered the best in the camera world. They became Leica Cameras.

Joann was thoughtful in sending me the articles; they made me love my cameras even more. There are lots of good people in the world.

 

Ellen is a Memory Care patient who is always present for my meditation class.

She is exceptional, and I feel close to her; she is a generous person with a ready smile and a great sense of humor.

She always has some of the most interesting things to say and was pleased with her plan.

“Wow, it’s so warm,” she said. She was very happy to have it.

Joanne knows what she is doing. Many thanks to her for her skill,  generosity, and big heart. These laplans will be used and used, especially as a harsh upstate New York winter approaches.

We also gave Assistant Activities Director Kim a laplan, and she was nearly in tears.

“The only knitted thing I owned,” she said, “was a quilt made by my grandmother. It is my most precious position; this is a wonderful gift.”

It’s extraordinary when it all comes together like that.

Doing good is so much better than arguing about what good is. Thanks again to the Army Of Good; there are not enough thanks for you. I’m running out of words to show the gratitude I feel.

Next week, we’ll be posting an Amazon Mansion Christmas Wish List, a modest one for decorations for the Christmas holiday. This will be our third year making a Mansion Wish List; it means a great deal to them.