Saturday July 7, 2018

Saturday, July 7, 2018

This shot was taken 11 years ago in July of 2007, when the three of us took one of our hundreds of walks on Roosevelt Island, in the middle of Washington, DC. Mattie loved Roosevelt Island and would always come away with a prize from his walks on island, and he especially loved walking the boardwalk through the marsh and swamp areas of the island.

Hi, Peter again.... so I took Sunny on a walk on Roosevelt Island today, and it being Saturday, I had more flexibility in my schedule to take him for a nice walk. Sunny has been so very patient with me during the weekdays. He is now down to one large walk per day, when he is used to two plus large walks a day with Vicki. It has been quite an adjustment for the young lad...

So I include below some shots from today and our walk. The Island never disappoints, and having personally walked the Island every month of the year, and almost at every time of the day over the course of a few decades, I have to admit it is one of my favorite places. If ever in DC, you should really go and walk the island. You will not be disappointed!

Friday July 6, 2018

Friday, July 6, 2018

This is a quintessential shot of how well Sunny has perfected the art of the dejected, neglected dog... he is an accomplished artist at evoking all guilt in anyone. Mind you, he gets perhaps the best treatment in the world, but his secret?.... "Don't let on that you know it!"

No quote today.... sorry

Hi, Peter again... so between us, I am going to be doing this for the next week, so my apologies in advance to our regular readers... as everyone knows, I am no Vicki.

I include below some animal shots because to be quite honest, between work and running a household, the animals are really my only other outlet that I have any time for or that garners my attention. That, and some flower and sunset shots is all I got.

Mr. Downward dog.... stretching not so subtly to indicate that he is ready now for a walk.... as if I did not know any better and needed some guidance or a reminder.

Pip #2 or as I call her "Miss Indie" who every night accompanies me to bed, and who waits patiently for me to arrive... only to them promptly ignore me. Typical cat.

The pink crape myrtles are in full bloom and are such a treat to see.

A dramatic summer sunset with beautiful clouds against the setting sun.















 






And last, in the process of cleaning out my closet on July 4th, I came across an old album that I must have collected from my grandparent's house when I went up to help my mother and aunt close out their childhood home after my grandmother passed away. It is an album containing old black and white "snaps" (as Grandma used to call them) of their days before immigrating from England to the U.S. The album is dated 1928, which was just before they were relocated from Maidstone, England to Lakeville, Connecticut.  The shots capture a real moment in time....

Leonard and Gladys Godding circa 1928, my mother's parents.

Thursday July 5, 2018

Thursday, July 5, 2018

This shot was taken in Duck, North Carolina, in July 2005. This was our third summer in a row taking Mattie and my parents down to the Outer Banks. By this time, Mattie had experienced the beach two times already, so on his third trip, he was getting to be quite the pro at taking it all in and enjoying the moment.

Quote:  "No matter how busy you are, you must take time to make the other person feel important."  ~ Mary Kay Ash

Hello all,

It is Peter again posting. Vicki is still in Los Angeles helping her parents to prepare for the move out of their home they sold last month. Needless to say they have a lot to do, and in usual Vicki fashion, she has both a plan and is working herself into the ground to execute it. They move this weekend, and now with the house largely empty of personal effects (other than the pieces that take movers to move), they have checked into a hotel in Burbank. On Saturday the movers come to move the main contents, but mind you, Vicki has spent the last week packing and physically moving the more important items and personal effects herself into the home where her parents will be moving.  Needless to say, it has been a whirlwind for Vicki and I feel bad for her as she is stressed out and working like a maniac.

I include below some shots from yesterday of Sunny, who had been very interested in dinner plans and me working the grill.  Regardless, Sunny was able to score some steak last night, which always warms his heart.

The Sun man in action...trotting along in our commons areas... building up an appetite.

















 

Dinner on the grill...

Sunny enjoying his small plate.

A happy pooch with a fully tummy....

Wednesday July 4, 2018

Wednesday, July 4th, 2018

This shot was taken in July 2006 when friends of ours invited us onto their boat in the Potomac River to watch the Capitol Fireworks from the water. Needless to say it was a great adventure... boats and fireworks... right up Mattie's alley.

I have not quote tonight.... sorry.

Good evening, it is Peter again, posting the blog. Yes, another field promotion for me to post tonight. Vicki is still in L.A. without internet. Technology is great... when it works.

We have the good fortune of living in downtown DC, about 6 blocks west of the White House and 5 blocks north of the Lincoln Memorial. Although it comes with pros and cons, the location cannot be beat for things like access to the memorials, the Capitol Mall and events like the July 4th Fireworks that DC puts on each year. It never disappoints, and is always a great show, and we are lucky to have it in our "back yard" to see each year. I include below both some selected images from tonight's show. Enjoy.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Tuesday, July 3, 2018 -- Mattie died 459 weeks ago today. 

August 2007 - This photo was taken in San Diego in 2007. We went to Coronado Island and had a wonderful visit. It was a hot August so Mattie spent a lot of time in the pool.


Quote of the day: If you feel rooted in your home and family, if you're active in your community, there's nothing more empowering. The best way to make a difference in the world is to start by making a difference in your own life.  ~ Julia Louis-

AllY'all, 

It is Peter writing tonight. As some of you know, Vicki is helping her parents move out of their home in Burbank, and their internet has been turned off for the move, so I have received the field promotion to post tonight...

I do not have much to say at this hour other than Vicki is working beyond her capacity to support her parents and their move. With that said, I am challenged to find a time when Vicki has not worked beyond her capacity to help someone in some capacity. It's how she rolls...

Last night, one of my dear friends, Ann Henshaw (Quincy native and a fellow Bostonian), got tickets to the Red Sox vs. Nationals game, and she asked me (and Vicki) to come. The last time the Sox played the Nats at Nats Park was 2009, and I took Mattie to two of those games. It bought back a lot of memories needless to say, none of which I will go into at this point. 

I had a good time being back at the ballpark, and in honor of both my teams, I wore a Nats shirt and a Sox hat. It was quite funny because I was cheering for both teams, so whenever something happened, regardless of which team, I was up and cheering and yet was conflicted all at the same time. A true existential moment. It was a good night, and I thank Ann for once again including me.

Some "atmosphere" shots from the Sox-Nats game. 

I am thinking I should create a major league baseball jersey called the "NatSox" and feature on one half the Nationals uniform and on the other half the Red Sox uniform. I think it would sell. Yes?! Thoughts?

In usual form, Sunny demanded to walk... in the 96 degree heat and 48% humidity no less... I have learned to dial Sunny back when it is really hot in DC, and on the walks. I take the shorter routes because like Vicki, Sunny just goes and goes and goes, and will literally fall to the ground in exhaustion (like Vicki) unless I intervene and prevent him (think 'them') from burning out. Both he and Vicki share this trait....

Afterwards, Sunny has learned to promptly go sit on the AC vent coming out of the floor in the living room. Sunny is there for at least a hour soaking in the cool air and cooling down. One smart dog....

Later in the day some thunder storms started popping up, and with the noise of the thunder, "Captain Courageous" became a little unglued...

Sunny does not like thunder and bolts whenever he hears it. Take a look at the look in his eyes... it speaks volumes.

Last shot: I take Sunny out every night around 9-ish for the last walk of the day. It normally consists of Sunny hunting and chasing the plethora of rats that are omnipresent in DC. However tonight, when we returned back into the commons area of our complex, Sunny heard/spotted something in the ivy and took off like a rocket. This shot I think captures the Sun Man in his "focused" mode...

Monday, July 2, 2018

Monday, July 2, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. This was the summer before Mattie was diagnosed with cancer. We took Mattie to San Diego with my parents. After a full day of touring around, Mattie was still raring to go. So afternoons were pool time. This photo was taken right after Mattie and Peter came out of the water. 

Quote of the day: To make a difference in someone's life, you don't have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect. You just have to care. ~ Mandy Hale

I packed up all the Mattie items I found around the house today. Mattie visited my parents several times when he was alive and on each visit accumulated items. Things like books, toys, Legos (of course), hotwheel cars, a leaf (Mattie loved nature), and he even left behind some art work. 

This class photo was taken during Mattie's second year at preschool. 

One of Mattie's works of art  that I found at my parent's home. Mattie loved boats! If you were to ask him what he wanted and was saving money to buy, his response would have been.... a boat. NOT a toy boat, but he wanted a real boat, which was why we used to call him Captain Mattie.

More work was done today. I focused on my dad's closet. I moved all his clothes and shoes from one house to the other. 

Later in the day, I moved my mom's LLadro collection. More in store for us tomorrow! 

Meanwhile, check out the pooch of the day photo that Peter sent me today. It is over hundred degrees in DC with high humidity. This was Sunny after a walk. He headed right to the air conditioning unit, and sat on the fan! Got to love him.

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. I remember snapping this photo of Mattie and Peter. We were in San Diego and the bridge from San Diego to the island of Coronado was in the background. Mattie loved adventure, travel, and new experiences. 





Quote of the day: It takes ONE FAMILY to make a difference in this COMMUNITY. It takes ONE PERSON to make a difference in this FAMILY. ~ Nisandeh Neta

It isn't easy to move, because it involves purging things.... donating and throwing out! Which is tedious and time consuming. Though professional movers are coming next week to pack my parent's home, I am trying to move as much as I can to make the transition to a new home more manageable. Having access to one's clothes, everyday tableware, soaps, laundry material, and so forth are crucial. 

We made great strides today with carrying every piece of clothing in the master bedroom closet to their new home. This involved carrying the clothing downstairs, loading the car, driving to the new house, and carrying the clothing upstairs and rearranging it in the new closet. May sound easy but clothing is bulky and very heavy!

Naturally with clothing also come shoes. I will take shoes over clothes any day! Clothes are a nightmare to move. So far they have been my least favorite item in this move!

Toward the end of the day, we loaded the car up with everyday china and started loading up the cabinets. Keep in mind before we put the items in the cabinets they had to be cleaned. Needless to say it was another full day. As of today, I have been in Los Angeles for a week, and I feel like I have accomplished two months of work so far. I realize it will only get worse once the movers come on the scene, as it will be a lot to manage in order for items to get placed into the correct rooms. I maybe strong, but I know my limits with furniture.