Friday, June 8, 2018

Friday, June 8, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken on June 4, 2008. Mattie was pictured with Charlotte, who he deemed his girlfriend and the person he was going to marry. We took the kids on a canal boat ride in Georgetown and I remember snapping this photo! The kids were so excited because they just completed their first year of elementary school together! As you can see, Mattie was having a good time. Charlotte is now 16 years old, which is hard for me to believe. Yesterday Charlotte and I were emailing back and forth with each other and I asked her if she remembering taking this photo and that moment in time. She said YES! Charlotte continues to be part of Mattie Miracle, and this is truly incredible to me since Charlotte was only five when she knew Mattie. Such a tender age and yet watching their friendship grow in good and bad times was a gift. 



Quote of the day: The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be. ~ Anne Frank

Peter and I drove to Raleigh, NC today. The hardest part about the drive was getting out of DC and through Richmond, VA. After Richmond, there was NO traffic and the roads were beautiful.... clean and green. This was our view coming into Raleigh. 

We are only staying in Raleigh for a night, on our way to Kiawah Island, SC. It was brilliant of Peter to break up this long 8 hour drive, and it gave us an opportunity to walk Raleigh. 

Believe it or not, we are staying at a Residence Inn and the Inn has balconies for many of the rooms. This is our view from our balcony. The building behind me is the Duke Energy Center, which apparently is where people go to see theatre. 

I LOVE this cute acorn in front of the Duke Energy Center. Mattie loved to collect acorns and to give them to special people. So I couldn't help but think of Mattie when I saw this sculpture. 

We took a walk to dinner and passed the conference center of Raleigh. I just loved the sentiment displayed on the center... Here comes the sun!

There was a high school graduation occurring at the conference center today! We were surrounded by high school kids and family members! A lot of excitement. But this sculpture in the background is of Sir Walter Raleigh, and it is a Raleigh icon! Acclaimed Italian-American sculptor Bruno Lucchesi created the 11-foot bronze likeness to celebrate the city’s dashing namesake. Sir Walter Raleigh was an English entrepreneur and adventurer who, back in the 16th century, helped finance what would become known as ‘the Lost Colony.’ However, Sir Walter  never set foot in North Carolina, where the "Lost Colony" was located. 

I had read about this historic diner in Raleigh called Poole's! Then one of Peter's colleagues mentioned it to him as well and said it was a must see. So this green hole in the wall is where we dined tonight. However, the restaurant is a misnomer because there is NO diner food served inside. In fact, I would say this restaurant is worthy of any foodie. The food is creative, not complicated, tasty, and simply excellent. The only draw back is the tight and loud interior. But I know that is hip now! Nonetheless, it is worth a visit as long as you go early or very late since they do not take reservations. 

This is the retro chic interior of Poole's! Poole's opened in 1945 and back then ONLY served pies. Sweet pies. However, over time they grew to be a luncheonette.... which explains why there are still horseshoe counters for diners. 

Peter and I got to the restaurant at 5:40pm and ALL the tables were taken. So we had to sit at the horseshoe counter to dine. It worked out just fine and it was less noisy where we were. Behind us on the walls were black boards. The black boards listed all the food being offered. There were NO paper menus. 

After dinner, we walked about 14 blocks around Raleigh. In comparison to DC, it is a small and manageable city! From our walk, we returned to the hotel and went to their rooftop deck. It was a glorious place to sit and begin to unwind. 

Tonight's view of the Duke Energy Center. It is lit up like a Christmas tree. It captures your attention and I am glad we had this opportunity to stop through Raleigh.