Sunday, April 30, 2017

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Tonight's picture was taken in July of 2008. About two weeks before Mattie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. Every July we would take Mattie to see the lotuses in bloom at the DC Aquatic Gardens. It is an absolutely incredible sight in the middle of the city. Notice that in Mattie's left hand he was holding a toy car. Mattie always had something in tow with us. It was a tell tale Mattie trait.


Quote of the day: It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine, and things pushing up and working under the earth. ~ Frances Hodgson Burnett

In comparison to the photo above, this is what things looked like at the Aquatic Gardens today. There wasn't even the sight of a lotus plant in the water. By July, this water will be filled with a field of lotuses. The stark contrast is remarkable. 

In several of the ponds in the Garden are beautiful water lily. Of all colors.... purple, white, and pink. But these yellow irises caught our attention. I was holding Sunny's leash and he was VERY excited to be sniffing and exploring. 

A Mattie favorite.... a turtle. 

A close up of the beautiful water lilies! You can see why Monet was intrigued by them, and painted them at all times of the day. 

Now this was a new one for me. We saw a deer while walking at the Gardens. Sunny was besides himself. If he was off leash (which we NEVER do), he would have chased that deer. Sunny was barking and wanted to pursue. We always see people walking their dogs off leash, but we know Sunny. Sunny chases anything that moves. So off leash would be a terrible plan.  

The two of us!

This was the chaos going on in Mattie's room this afternoon. I have been piling raffle items all over and today was the day to start staging baskets. That may sound easy, but it isn't. It takes me hours to stage the baskets, which means arranging all the items inside to make them look appealing. 

We have 10 baskets this year, and I was able to stage 8 out of the 10 today. To make the items fit well in their baskets, requires me to insert packing boxes inside the basket or bag to make things pop up better for displaying. The whole thing is a total labor and it doesn't end here. Next weekend, with Peter's help, I will cello wrap each raffle basket! 

To purchase raffles tickets, click on the word "Raffle."
Raffle


Here are the 8 I staged today, with a description of each. Enjoy!!!

A Caps enthusiast’s dream – a fabulous collection of Washington Capitals Hockey Team Gear and signed memorabilia! Get ready to cheer them on to victory in the 2017-2018 season with 2 great aisle seats only 6 rows behind the glass! (Section 115, Row F) at a home game! You are practically on the ice and at eye level to see all the action! This basket includes LOTS of Caps gear: Drawstring bag, slippers, umbrella, wallet, and a Caps storage cube.

Need a stylish bag for the beach, for everyday items, for storage, or for lunch...... then this is the perfect basket for you. Filled with 8 incredible and indestructible SCOUT bags. A bag for all occasions is awaiting you, and each bag is filled with vibrant colors, patterns, and has a unique shape. Bags include: 2 errand boy jumbo zip top totes, 2 picnic pleasure chest coolers, 1 gossip girl cosmetic bag, 1 lunch cooler, 1 pocket rocket multi-pocket zip top tote, and 1 spirit chillah.

A wine lover’s delight! Experience a beautiful collection of hard to find fine wines hand-picked by an expert Sommelier. The collection includes 12 unique bottles of wine to complement the seasons and events of each month. This basket also includes other complementary items to host the perfect gathering with friends, such as wine glasses, wine topper, silver bucket, and much more.

Enjoy an afternoon at Nationals Stadium – Sunday, July 30 – first pitch at 1:35pm – when the Nationals take on the Colorado Rockies. Game package includes 4 Diamond Level seats with parking and “all you can eat” in newly renovated Diamond Club and/or in-seat dining! Free Nats coloring book for kids 12 and under, for the first 10,000 fans. This basket includes LOTS of Nats gear: lanyard, pin, key chain, Ben Revere garden gnome, umbrella, wallet, fleece blanket, lunchbox, tech gloves, beach ball, draw string bag, slippers, and a Nats storage cube.

Experience a VIP Tour of Port City Brewing Company (the oldest packaging brewing company in the Washington, DC area) with 11 friends on a private tour at the award-winning craft brewery in Alexandria, VA. The grain-to-glass tour lasts about 30 minutes with one of Port City's knowledgeable and entertaining Beer Guides. The VIP Tour includes a full flight of beer to taste (six six-ounce samplers), as well as a taste of green beer out of the fermentation tanks.... you get to keep your tasting glass as a souvenir. This basket includes Stars and Stripes themed accessories such as 2 liberty themed beer glasses, patriot themed towels, beer opener, and much more.

Are you tired of cooking? Then this basket is for you. Dinner is Served! Enjoy all that our area has to offer with this variety of gift certificates to local restaurants. A perfect culinary collection of gourmet gastronomic delights, including: Del Ray Cafe, Season's 52, PF Chang's, Cheesecake Factory, The Great American Restaurant Group and much more!

Hottest ticket in town! One Lucky Winner will be able to turn all of those favorite t-shirt memories into a warm and cozy keepsake quilt! You will have the opportunity to consult with a master quilter who will then transform your ideas and materials into a masterpiece. You will simply be delighted with your personalized, one-of-a-kind quilt!

Ever wish that money would grow on trees? Well it does now – a tree with gift certificates including: $10 Bath & Body Works, $15 iTunes, $15 Zinga Frozen Yogurt, $20 Total Wine & More, $25 Amazon, $25 Starbucks, $25 Macy's, $25 Target, $25 Barnes & Noble, $25 TJMaxx (or Marshall's or HomeGoods), $50 Exxon Mobile, and $75 Giant Foods.