Maria sold her hanging piece “I Don’t Need For You To Die For Me To Be Happy” within minutes of putting it up on her Etsy page. I wasn’t surprised, the piece, a fabric painting took months to make and was, I thought, striking.
Maria wrote about the process of making this on her blog. It’s a compelling read.
Emma says she asked Robin to please not feed the new puppy Sandy her cereal in the morning, but that request didn’t make much of an impression.
Robin, as you can see, loves feeding Sandy cereal from her breakfast. I think Emma is giving up on that command. I would.
Today, new Amazon Mansion Wish List, three sets of different tablecloths, the new tablecloths we have been sending have mesmerized the residents and greatly brightened their meals. They change them three times a day, and they make a difference in lives that need color and change.
I get complaints every day that when people to go the list there is nothing there, but these tablecloths ought to be for awhile, I would think. There was an electric skillet up on the list, but that went fast.
The staff is asked for 15 sets of table clothes in all, representing three different colors and themes and styles: print fabrics, Christmas and Thanksgiving. They cost about $26 apiece. The old tablecloths had been there for a very long time, much excitement over the new ones.
Check the tablecloths out here.
Ray Telford spent a grueling eight or nine hours out in the hot sun today replacing the old wooden boards the donkeys began eating this winter. The holes are getting bigger, there is a lot of hay on the other side of that wall.
The donkeys have been eating our barn, they get bored when there is no grazing. Even with grass, the holes were getting bigger and they had figured out to pry off the chicken wire.
We are extending the chicken wire further up to avoid further temptation. Ray did a lot of digging, sawing and stapling. He is a find and we are so relieved to staunch the erosion of our barn wall. Donkeys are always playing chess with us, they will think of some other mischief to get into.
This was our move. The next move will be theirs.
This week, some members of the soccer team went to Wal-Mart with Ali to buy new clothes for high school, they asked not to be photographed because they didn’t wish to be stereotyped as “poor refugees.” I understand that and respected their wishes and sent $600 along with them.
Normally, I always photograph the people we are helping so that the people who send money will know where their money is going. Yesterday, I went to the Mansion to commit four small acts of great kindness and also did not take photographs.
At the Mansion, I don’t photograph people in distress, or who are gravely ill, or who are receiving personal items. Last week, I received four requests for personal items. One man needed two pairs of sweatpants for the winter, he had no pants to wear in the colder weather.
One female resident needed new underwear, she needs two sets of five pairs. Another resident did not own any kind of pants, she only came to the Mansion with dresses, and has suffered through the summer before people realized that she wasn’t dressing this way by choice. Another resident was suffering from swollen feet, she could barely get them into her stiff shoes and was limping.
Sometimes the residents ask me directly, and I always check with the staff.
The Mansion staff is always vigilant for problems like this, and they let me know right away if there is trouble. Most of them are shy about asking me for help, but they are getting used to it and we are helping people in a new and useful way.
I delivered all of these items to the Mansion yesterday, and the aides there distributed them last night. They all fit and are what the residents needed. Between my thrift shop network and online shopping, I am becoming a whiz at buying clothes and personal items for men and women.
I don’t liked to buy used items for personal things like underwear, shoes or sweatpants, I prefer to get the residents new clothing. All of these items together cost about $125 and will alter lives for months.
I wanted to let you know that we made four people comfortable and helped them to be cool in warm weather, and warm in the cold weather approaching on Sunday.
Thank you for your help, I wanted you to know what your support is accomplishing. If you want to contribute to this work, you can send a donation to me, Jon Katz, c/o Post Office Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected]. Please mark any checks or donations to “The Mansion” or the “Refugee Fund,” and thanks.
The Mansion staff has posted a new Amazon Mansion Wish List with four items, three tablecloth sets for the dining room, and one electric skillet for $38.99. The tablecloth sets cost around $25. Check it out.
