I had a rich and valuable visit to the Mansion this afternoon with Zinnia, whose work as a therapy dog deepens and broadens. She just gets it, as the good dogs do.

I asked her to jump up and sit next to Ellen in the hallway, and I loved what happened next. Zinnia sat perfectly still, she licked Ellen’s hand and then Ellen lifted her head in her chin and talked to her and felt the sides of her nose.

She’s still a puppy, but the grasped what was needed of her, and offered it without being asked.

Zinnia didn’t move. Ellen had a tough day, and I just saw her calm and be soothed. “Oh, thank you for bringing this dog here,” she said, forgetting my name if she ever knew it. She knows Zinnia’s name thought.

Then we went downstairs to Memory Care I brought a back bull of large print books for  Beverly. I’m working to build a large print library in Memory Care and also for the Mansion residents, who love to read but often can’t see.

I don’t want a lot of books, but a few good and diverse ones (nothing scary or depressing). If you have any large print books please e-mail me – [email protected] – but please don’t send any books without consulting with me, we only have room for a few, and I’m afraid they need to be in excellent condition.

Otherwise, I might raise some money to buy them, although they are becoming rare in commercial publishing.

Zinnia in Memory Care,  above.

People are using electronic devices instead, but no one at the Mansion has one. And those devices wouldn’t work at the Mansion. I’ve tried.

Zinnia hung around in Memory Care for half an hour, Billie loved seeing her, so did the aides.

After that, we sent to spend some time with Georgianna and Nancy and Claudia. Georgianna was off visiting family for a week and her friends – Bert, Claudia, and Nancy – missed her.

Georgianna said her sister wanted her to come and live with her, but she wanted to come to the Mansion. She has become something of a caretaker, watching out for sick friends and taking care of them. “I have a lot of people to take care of,” she said, and she does take care of them.

She gave me a big hug. I told her Maria and I were not going to be able to do Bingo for a while, but I will still do my Tuesday story readings and spiritual meditation classes and Maria will continue to do her art class.

We have too much going on in our lives on Friday to keep doing Bingo. Georgianna or Peggie might take the class over, or one of the Mansion aides.

Georgianna returns. I need to buy some shoes and sweaters and puzzles. More later.

As Zinnia and I left the Mansion, Georgianna, Claudia, and Nancy all yelled, “we love you, Zinnia. We love you too, Jon.”