Good and important news from the Mansion. Our work there continues.

The new management met with the staff the other day, and it was a good and hopeful meaning.

(Above, Jen.)

There are no immediate plans to shake things up or, change the mission, or shut the Mansion down. Quite the opposite, the new management is offering to pay for courses in elder care for the aides, which is a lovely idea and something the aides would love.

We are going ahead with our work with the Army of Good and supporting the needs of the residents. It’s not as easy as it used to be. Everything changes; it’s my work to change with it. But I’m not stopping helping the residents.

I brought a box of Irish caps for the Meditation Class, and we had a blast putting them on and taking photos. I also got a big box of books – car books for Art, mysteries for June, Nancy Drew for Nancy, and Agatha Christie books for Ruth and Rachel.

The book program is a big hit; I know what each resident wants and where to find it.

I’ve also been saving Irish/Newsboys caps for the residents and brought a box today. They were a big hit.

I’ve been asking for some Mansion support but getting little response. I know things are tight, but I have to keep trying. It’s rare not to get support for something like this. It tells me a lot of people are struggling.

I’m looking to raise $400 so that I can purchase a Christmas Tablecloth set – five tables in the dining area –  with plastic covers before the holidays. That’s 24 covers in all. I’ve located good and colorful ones, and they are the cheapest I can that are any good.

I’m much relieved by the good news at the Mansion about the new owners; helping the residents is an essential part of my life and was the spark that ignited the Army Of Good.  Small donations are as meaningful as big ones, sometimes more so. The work goes on as long as I am breathing. I’ll keep on trying.

If you can help, this is a good time: via Paypal, [email protected], Venmo, Jon Katz@Jon-Katz-13, by check, Jon Katz Mansion Fund, Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. If you can’t help, I’ll get the message and must postpone the tablecloth until I figure something else out.

I don’t blame anyone for struggling, by the way. And I don’t want anyone hurting themselves by donating. Do what you can if you can.

Ruth was very proud of her rabbit painting.

I read some writing by Thich Nhat Hanh from his book Fear about contemplating the future without fear:

“You have to reach the child in you. You have to invite him to come with you and live life with you in the present moment. We can mindfully reflect upon and learn from the past, but we stay grounded in the present moment when we do this. If we are well grounded in the present moment, we can look skillfully at the past and  learn from it without being sucked in and overwhelmed by it.”

We talked about death and the need to talk about it and think about it, something everyone conceded they were always taught not to do. “My mother forbids us to talk about death,” one of the residents said, “she said no one ever wanted to talk about it.”

None of the residents have ever talked much about death, said all of the people in the room. They are beginning to really open up with me, and that is a beautiful things. We are trusting one another to talk honestly and listen. They are all eager to meditate and tell me it is transforming the way they see their world.

Maria and I both talked about the importance of sticking to what we want our lives to be. It is often a struggle, it is always rewarding.

That was the problem I said. The residents agreed that talking about it was necessary, and we will keep doing it. Several of the residents talked about the loss of parents or spouses, even children. Then we all put on our hats and laughed.

Art asked me to look for one of his brothers today; he misses him. He’s not sure of their last names. I’ll track him down. Once again, he was overjoyed by the car books I brought him.  He said that he was once a car dealer; he sold Chryslers. He loves everything about cars.

Ellen came up from Memory Care to meditate. She was crazy about her new cap.

This is a new aide, and I don’t know her name yet. She sat down to have a talk with Zinnia.

 

 

Claudia is up for anything, she looked quite rakish in her hat.

Maria read some poems to the residents. One of them moved her so much she cried. The residents all assured her there was nothing wrong with that. The poems were written by our wonderful friend Mary Kellogg, who died several years ago.

Maria and Zinnia leave the Mansion together. I am very happy that our work there will continue. The Christmas lights are all up in the ceilings. They are quite beautiful.