Monday, October 29, 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

Tonight's picture was taken on Halloween of 2007. Unlike Mattie's other costumes, which were made of sweat suit material, this was an actual costume that I bought. Mattie and I went costume shopping together, however, the costume was too big for him. So I had to alter it, and my friend Charlie helped me convert it from a navy pilot to an air force pilot costume. Charlie sent me all sorts of air force patches which I sewed onto Mattie's costume and hat! Mattie insisted on being an AIR FORCE pilot and he knew the difference between the branches of the military, especially after visiting Andrews Air Force base during their spring open house. The picture may not do him justice, but Mattie looked very patriotic in his costume. 


Quote of the day: Through woods and mountain passes, the winds, like anthems, roll. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

The entire East Coast is being hit by Hurricane Sandy. Schools, Universities, and local and Federal governments are all closed. Not to mention the Metro and buses are not operational. Most if not all flights have also been cancelled up and down the East Coast. In light of the horrific winds we are hearing and seeing, I selected Longfellow's quote tonight.

 

The wind is whipping and moving all sorts of things. We have been working on securing our plants for two days now. However, we landed up pulling in several of our trees this afternoon, because they were being blown over despite securing them down. So our living room is looking GREENER.

 

Either my memory has failed, or the weather is changing, or perhaps the precautions we take now to manage storms has changed altogether. But I do not remember Hurricanes when I was a child, I do not remember schools closing because of rain and winds, and I certainly do not remember 24 hour news coverage of a storm. It is a mixed blessing to have access to so much information and to be bombarded with it minute after minute, and yet, there is a great deal of comfort knowing that this is getting coverage and we are not trapped at home alone. 

 

While Peter and I were watching the TV news today, we saw Beth Parker reporting live from Alexandria, VA. Beth and her wonderful cameraman, Nelson, have covered Mattie Miracle events two years in a row. So when I saw both of them outside getting soaked and blown by the wind, I decided to email them. Not expecting a response, but just to let them know I was thinking of them and appreciated their courage being out there. Not only did I get a response, but the message was lovely and complimentary of the work we did for the last Mattie Miracle Walk (of which Nelson and his daughter attended!).    

 

 

 

There are many photos traveling around the Internet today, but this one caught my attention. It is the ultimate picture of honor and courage, and the spirit of what America was built upon. This picture was taken TODAY and features Honor Guards standing on duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington County, VA., during Hurricane Sandy. Soldiers stand guard at the Tomb non-stop, around the clock, by the Society of Honor Guards since 1948.

Our thoughts are with all of those contending with Hurricane Sandy and as always we thank you for checking in with us on the blog.