Search Results for: bingo night at the mansion

Maria and I are both high energy people, we are always working or doing something. Once in awhile we look up and notice how tired the other seems, how head weary.

I can tell it’s time when I sit at the computer and sometimes nod off. That is rare, and signal for me to pay attention to my fevered head.

For various reasons, we are not in the position to take real vacations, we have perfected the quick, hit-and-run kinds of vacations, and come to love them. I am pretty weary now, things have been happening at a continuous pace – the farm, Bud, Red, the Mansion, refugees, my blog and pictures.

We talked about the octopuses on our podcast Friday, it’s already had about 600 views.

I feel I’ve accomplished a lot. Tonight, we were both too tired to call the Bingo game at the Mansion, and I hate to miss that. I’ll bring back some stuffed fishes.

Time to clear the head a bit. Tomorrow, we’re going to see the new Avengers Endgame movie, I’ll review it without giving anything away. I also want to spend time with a wonderful new story I’m reading, Overstory by Richard Powers.

We want to drive out to Vermont and get some ice cream. Sunday, we’re heading off early to Boston and the New England Aquarium. Maria has turned me on to the wonder of the Octopus, I heard great things about the aquarium.

We’ll stay at a hotel we used to visit just outside of the city on my book tours when Maria was driving me around, a sentimental visit. We’ll be home Monday and I’ll be blogging tomorrow also.

I was online looking at hotel price in Boston, many start at $800 a night. Good grief.

We want to ease into this holiday.

Maria’s taking three days off (I doubt she’ll make it that long) and I plan on returning energized and full of myself. We have a great farm care person moving into the house to take care of the dogs and other animals, she’ll be staying with them.

We love these trips, we’re counting the minutes. We both seem to really need this one.

Maria and I talk a lot about how to talk to the elderly and listen to them, we have talked a lot about the pieces I’ve written about that.

Alice is a lovely person, she is struggling with memory and words at the moment. She is very fond of Maria and whenever I see her, she asks me where “my wife” is, I understand she can’t recall her name.

Tonight at Bingo, Maria sat next to Alice and helped her with her numbers.

She intuitively knows how to talk to Alice. I brought Alice a picture book, as I often do, and Maria opened the book with her and pointed to the images and Alice named some of them, remembered others, and got stuck on some.

Alice loves to stroke and pet Red, but she is happiest when she can talk to Maria.

Maria talks directly to Alice, she is never patronizing or impatient, she never gives  up on the idea that Alice is listening to every word she says.

And Alice does listen to her, even when she can’t always find the words.  I try to do  with Alice, but I think she sees Maria as a  kind of daughter and is very much at ease with her.

Maria plans to come and sit with Alice from time to time and talk with her. It is so important to talk to the residents, and to listen to them. To show up, again and a gain. They love what is known to them, they so appreciate people caring.

There is always a way to break through and communicate. The residents know who wants to hear from them and who is just pretending.

It is most important to show up. Even if my name is not known, my face is familiar, and that is where trust is born. When the residents needs something they can’t get for themselves, they come to me, and that means a lot to me.

And to Maria as well. Tonight, Alice forget her walker, and so Maria walked her back to her room. Alice was very happy to walk with her, the sight of the two of them talking and smiling was a very beautiful thing to see.

The Mansion residents love to get mail. I can’t promise they will write back, and I can’t keep track of your letters or their responses.

This is a gift without strings. Many of the residents can read or be read to, but they can’t always write or mail letters.

Today, I brought Wayne his black sweatpants for his Commitment Ceremony. I brought Peggie two new Hidden Object computer games. I brought wooden colored pencils for Tim. A new wristwatch is coming for Ruth. Wayne wants some large print sports books.

Here is an updated list of the residents who want to receive  your letters. The address is The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

Winnie, Ellen,Matt, Mary, Gerry, Sylvie, Alice, Jean, Madeline, Helen, Barbara, Peggie, Dottie, Art, Tim, Wayne, Kathryn, Ruth.

And thanks.

A friend of mine told me yesterday that he hoped to move to Florida next winter, he doesn’t like the cold weather here and he wants to take a walk every morning where it’s warm. He asked me if I ever thought of retiring, I said no, I’ve never been busier, happier, or more engaged with the world.

I wish him well. That’s not for me. I would wither and fade down there. (I wouldn’t mind a couple of weeks in February.)

Today, a step towards the next chapter here on the farm, a 10 a.m. meeting with a highly regarded podcast specialist named Michael Sheldon, we’re doing a video conference with me, Maria, Chris Archibee of Mannix Marketing and Sheldon.

We’re seeking information on what equipment we will need,  how much it will cost, what the best podcast platform is and whether we can set up the podcast to allow telephone calls.

My “Talking to Animals” broadcast, which I love, had awakened me to the possibilities of doing weekly podcast from Bedlam Farm with Maria. I see with modern technology broadcasts can emanate from anywhere and be heard everywhere.

The idea would be to discuss the week on the farm, the dogs and other animals, our ideas about creativity, Maria’s art and my writing and photography.

We also want to talk about our lives and our own relationship, and how we manage our lives together. I’m thinking the broadcast would be about 20 minutes long, we’d love to take a call or two and I would also talk about the dogs and our ideas about animals.

The podcast would work on a voluntary donation model, it would be free to anyone who wanted to listen, if they wished to make a donation or contribution, that would be fine. There will be some costs involved – hosting fees, some new equipment.

If this can be even a modest revenue stream, that’s another good reason to do it.

Mannix would help us install the podcast on our blogs, and also help maintain it.

Today we’ll gather the information we need, and decide if and when we want to do this. I’ve been plotting this for some time.

I am excited about doing this together, Maria’s appearances on the radio show have made it abundantly clear she has a gift for this, and we work very well together.

Yes, it’s snowing here. Bingo at the Mansion tonight.

Three of the class students rehearsing their “Bingo” skit.

We had the final class of Christine Decker’s Acting 101 class Tuesday night, the class was held in the main theater of the Oldcastle Theater Company in Bennington, Vt., a vibrant theater that focuses on community theater and  education as well as plays.

The last class was also a final rehearsal for the free Showcase Friday night, in which almost all of the people in the class are performing monologues, skits or scenes. Some are original works.

I’m opening the show with Red, I’m doing a monologue on The Story Of Red, I am excited to be honoring Red and telling his story.

I’ve only run through the monologue once, I don’t want to repeat it too much or try telling the story from a script or memorized text.

I’ll just tell it the way it happened, the story of Red was – is – a story of life, death, love, God, mercy, it is another in the powerful series of stories about how a dog can change the life of a man, and many others as well.

Red led me into my therapy work with hospice and the Mansion, even the refugees. He guided me towards my goal of wanting to do good. He accompanied me every step of the way.

This remarkable animal began life in Northern Ireland and then Virginia, and then to me. I am proud and happy to be telling his story as he struggles with severe severe health problems, including a fractured spine.

The show is Friday night at 7 p.m. in the Oldcastle Theater on Main Street in Bennington,Vt.  Me and Red, we’re ready.