Day: June 15, 2017

Maya the RISSE goalie is impressive. I gulped when I saw a score of onrushing soccer players heading right at her goal, determined to get the ball past her. She never flinched or wavered and deflected one ball after another. I would not want to be standing there.

As I mentioned below, I am starting a Refugee Children’s Scholarship Fund to help Maya and the other refugee children pursue their interests and passions, perhaps set them on a track that will focus and alter their lives. These children come from all over the world, many grew up in refugee camps and witnessed unspeakable brutality and violence.

Our govern has effective stopped the flow of desperate refugees to America, cut the total number of all kinds of immigrants and refugees by half. This has stranded and condemned may of these children’s relatives, even some of their mothers and fathers.

I believe they have suffered enough, and I would like to try and give them some of the tools they need to advance in the alien and intensely competitive and Darwinian system of education and work. I don’t know what Maya’s passion is but I’d like to find out and support her. I know some of the children want art lessons, others are eager to learn music, advanced English or information technology.

With a small amount of money we can connect them with the schools and institutions and museums and tutors who can help them. I am setting up a separate bank account called the Children’s Refugee Fund to deposit this money and separate it and account for it.

This is an important task for the Army Of Good, and a timely one. If you wish to contribute – $5 an $10 is quite fine – you can sent the donation to the Children’s Refugee Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816 or through Paypal, Friends And Family, to [email protected]

Many thanks.

I had to smile when I looked over at the RISSE supporters at last night’s soccer game. The opposing team had a long line of parents and relatives cheering for their players, we had a quiet group composed of two of the most loving creatures I know, Red and Maria.

Both are essentially quiet beings, not prone to shouting and waving towels. Still the kids loved seeing them sitting out in the rain. So did I. And we had to leave earlier. I might go and buy a bullhorn. If I am going to have a team name itself after my farm, I will make some noise for them.

It was inspiring to watch Maya, the RISSE soccer team goalie last night. She is tall, strong, fast and unflappable.

She is from Thailand, and she is not threat to America.  She is helping the team to win some games and is serious about sports and especially soccer. The team is open to women, but only a few have expressed interest.

She has an easy smile but defends the goal ferociously.

There are no women on any of the other American teams I have seen the Warriors play this season.

Ali says Maya is invaluable, “she is so smart and tough. We really need her.”

The Bedlam Farm Warriors played a soccer game tonight in Albany. They  lost 3 to 1 in a rainy game, they played hard and skillfully. Tonight, Red began his new chapter as the mascot and lucky dog for the team, all students at the RISSE – the refugee and immigrant center in Albany. Maya, the goalie (yellow shirt) was valiant but the opposing team was large and had a lot of players and a large cheering section.

This week, we will be ordering new Jerseys that say “Bedlam Farm Warriors (their choice of name) with an image of Red stitched onto the shirts. Red took to his new job instantly, the kids loved him and he loved being there. He ran alongside them as they practiced and sat quietly along the sidelines while they played.

Maria and I brought a car load of games and puzzles – donations from various people – for the kids to use and share with the other students at RISSE. There are about four more games this season, I will try to get to as many as possible.

As I have mentioned, I am organizing a Refugee Children’s Scholarship Fund to raise to provide special funds for learning and creative development. This might include scholarships or classes in subjects ranging from art, English, math,  computing and information technology, music or other kinds of special education.

The program is open to all of the 100 students – refugees and immigrants all  – at RISSE as well as members of the soccer team.

We have already collected about $1,000 and I have opened a special account at my bank so that the money can be separate and accessible and save me from a huge tax bill. This is not a college fund, but a fund for these children as they work to acclimate themselves to America and pursue their passions and needs.

If you wish to contribute, you can sent a check to The Children’s Refugee Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. If you prefer, you can also donate through Paypal’s Friend and Family program, you can send a donation to [email protected]  (my ID) and please mark it Children’s Refugee Fund. It will be transferred to the special account.

It is never simple to age, it is sometimes incredibly frustrating and painful to be an elderly person in America if you are not wealthy and live at the mercy of others. We knew Connie was ill because she couldn’t come to the Open House last week, nor could she visit the farm a week earlier, as planned.

This week she has been in great pain. It took several days before she could see a doctor, then she waited in an urgent care facility for 10 hours, then she was prescribed medication she needed but that her insurance company would not pay for, for reasons they would not explain, at least initially.

The story made me angry, she said one patient after another came in and was seen before her, something that happens to her often.

When she finally had her X-rays taken, the doctors found that she had somehow torn every muscle in her lower back. This on top of breathing issues so severe she had to be evacuated for one night during a storm that knocked out the Mansions power and hit their emergency generator.

Connie is in great pain, it is hard for her to find a comfortable position. Her new medications – the insurance company approved a different medication eventually – came tonight. Her cell phone has been out of order all week as the Mansion transfers it’s phone service to another company.

The cell service sent her a bill for service she didn’t get.

She can’t communicate with her family unless she can walk to the office, and she can’t really walk this week. She feels isolated, since she can’t move around. She hasn’t spoken with her sons in some days. And she is still being treated for the painful styes in her eyes.

The staff is devoted to her and is bringing her food and administering her medications. Everyone is trying to cheer her up.

She is frustrated and unhappy, it is not easy to navigate this system of you are elderly and hurting and can’t pay for additional services and specialists.  Connie is fiercely independent, she only wants to feel better so she can take care of herself.

She is in too much pain too knit, but grateful at least for her air conditioner which makes her days more bearable. I keep asking her if there is anything she needs, but she says no, but she enjoys the letters she is receiving.

Connie was excited to get an envelope full of stories and photos about one blog reader’s farm animals, she couldn’t wait to show it to me and Maria. She keeps every letter she gets by her bedside, and right now, it is the only diversion and brightness in her day. She was very happy to see Red and touch him and feel him. He clearly sensed her discomfort, he stayed very close to her.

I wlll go back and see her tomorrow (it is also Friday, the story-teaching hour for me there). I should add that the picnic tables and chairs your donations purchased for the Mansion have arrived and as soon as they are taken outside, I’ll take a photo so you can see what you did.

Your letters mean more than ever right now, they brighten Connie’s day and give her something to focus on, she is in great pain. Hopefully her medication will help.  She is tough and determined. If you wish to write her, that would be welcome. You can write her care of Connie,  The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.