Wednesday, January 23, 2013Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2005. Mattie loved his frog sandbox. All sorts of things landed up in this box, from hotwheel cars, toy boats, pieces of legos, and the list goes on. You would be amazed by the play schemes Mattie created in this box. At one point he even took some of Peter's scrape wood pieces and used them in the box as ramps for his cars. Despite the frigid weather we are having in Washington, DC, when I got home yesterday I found a little girl and her grandfather playing in Mattie's sandbox. This frog box sits in our common space and no matter how many times I see others playing in the box, I still have trouble accepting it. I am happy Mattie's toys (which I left in the box) are being played with and enjoyed, but deeply sad for the reason the box sits in our common space.
Quote of the day: Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly, your wholeness when you are broken, your innocence when you feel guilty, and your purpose when you are confused. ~ Alan Cohen
I had the wonderful opportunity today to visit with my friend Mary as well as meet her mom for the first time. I met Mary in 2007, when our children were in preschool together. In fact, we sat next to each other one night at a moms dinner and that was our first real interaction. At that dinner I learned where Mary lived, and to me it was too ironic. It was ironic because Peter and I had looked at Mary's house when it was on the market and we liked it very much. I am happy Mary is the owner of this beautiful house. I have watched Mary transform the house over the past several years and like myself, Mary LOVES plants. I love passing her house in the spring and summer when things are blooming and typically Mary sends me a picture so I can see close up shots of what is in bloom!
Mary came to the luncheon I held for Ann last week at Tina's house. Mary shared with me her reflections on the day and loved the attention to detail. It was so special to hear her recount of the afternoon because sometimes you just don't know whether your labor of love was successful without such feedback. Mary spoiled me today to a lovely tea and treats at her dining room table. I felt like I was attending a high tea and I loved the elegant way she presented everything, but more importantly she made me feel special. I know the work that is involved with getting out one's good china and linens and this effort did not go unnoticed or unappreciated by me.
I had a lovely three hours with Mary and her mom, we talked about all sorts of things, and even Max (the dachshund) seemed to take a liking to me. It was a lovely way to start off a cold and depressing day.
The next several months are very intense for me as the Foundation has a Think Tank scheduled in California in February and its annual Walk in May. I have experienced several set backs already regarding the Walk and with each I try to regroup and continue on. But the Walk is a daunting task and though it may look simple to plan it is a monumental effort which involves city permits, coordination of people, developing logos, designing the walk website and the list goes on! This is just the tip of the iceberg, because we also run a raffle at the Walk which could be a full time endeavor in and of itself. I feel very fortunate that Carolyn, my friend and raffle chair, remains committed to our cause, working with me, and I appreciate the energy, focus, and dedication she brings into her role. Given the set backs I have recently had, I was afraid that perhaps Carolyn wouldn't want to take on this role again this year. After all it is a large time commitment, needless to say I am thrilled to work with Carolyn for a FOURTH year in a row. As I said to her, I couldn't imagine doing this without her!
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