Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 -- Mattie died 269 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2008. As you can see Mattie was showing off a large print out of a ROACH! Mattie seemed to like roaches. Now I am not quite sure he actually liked them or that he was intrigued by them because he knew I HATED them and they evoked a response from me. In any case, Mattie developed an affection for roach items in the hospital. He had rubber roaches that he would scare his nurses with them. Mattie also created this very large roach which he painted on a ceiling tile of the cancer clinic. It was down right disgusting, which may be why the tile no longer is on the ceiling and none of us can seem to locate it!!


Quote of the day: The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. ~ Allan K. Chalmers

Today was the first day I began running around town collecting candy for the annual drive! Literally there is candy every where. This is the supply currently at my friend Ann's house, and it is growing. 

This is what my car's trunk looked like today! It was packed with all sorts of candy!

Naturally I had to get the piles from my garage up to my home, which requires taking an elevator and some negotiation. But having done this now four years in a row, I thankfully have mastered the art form!

The sorting process began in my dining room tonight and when Peter came home from work, he couldn't get over his eyes!!! In a way he was stunned that it was this time of year again!!! After all, we still have very vivid memories of sorting through 2000 pounds of candy from last year!

Meanwhile this is what is going on in my friend Tina's family room! She is working on sorting too! I saw Tina today because she is instrumental at helping us collect the candy! She sets up flyers and collection boxes at several schools and local businesses, in order to solicit post-Halloween candy on our behalf. Then she checks these boxes periodically and brings the candy back to her home for us to pick up. If it were not for Tina and her collection boxes, we would never be able to obtain the significant poundage that we do each year! 

Peter and I are deeply grateful to Tina, Heidi, Leslie, and Ann who help us with this drive and of course all our friends and volunteers who are helping us make this possible! It is remarkable the number of schools, community and religious groups, businesses, organizations, girl scout, brownie, and mom's groups who are helping us!!!