And finally, or at least, finally for this evening, if you are in the Greenwich, CT area next weekend, do check out the Vassar Haiti Project Art Sale. VHP has made a big difference in a small village with a medical clinic and education. You may also purchase art on line, and a lot of the pieces come through Galerie El-Saieh, one of the favorite places of visitors to Haiti, with its own rich history.

One of my favorite Haitian paintings came by way of VHP.

I love this cheerful mermaid.  When people were enslaved and brought from Africa to the Americas, they were kept in the holds of ships and did not have a chance to observe the journey.  Because it was so wet, they believed that they were traveling through the ocean, not over it.  If they could not get home during their lifetime, they believed that they could go back after death, and mermaids would conduct them safely through the waters.  Hope is sometimes all you have.  This particular mermaid and her fish are their own ra-ra band, ready to lead a procession home.

Purchasing art of course supports not only the VHP in this case, but also supports Haitian artists.