Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken on March 8, 2003. That day we took Mattie to the US Botanical Gardens. One of our favorite winter time places to visit..... thanks to the lush greenery and hot house like temperatures! Even in winter it felt like you were visiting Florida inside the Gardens. I think this photo is a great composition, as we were each smiling and enjoying the moment together. 


Quote of the day: Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. ~ Author Unknown


I will be writing about this in the days to come, but I finally can report that our long time neighbor who we were very close to, died on February 25. In the February 23 blog, I wrote about my neighbor, JP, and how we called the paramedics to take him to the hospital. However, because we aren't his family, we couldn't openly discuss what had transpired. But today, we shared the sad news with our complex, that JP died last Tuesday. A week has gone by since his death and things are not the same for us. He was a person who saw me grow up from a student to a mom, and then face life as a bereaved mom. We saw each other every day practically for 27 years! That is a long time, and not having our friend around now is disorienting and again, I feel, a bit of Mattie's history has been removed from this earth. I will be sharing more to come, as his family has appointed Peter as the executor of his estate. 

Last week we visited Capitol Hill, and today we returned to visit Senator Shelley Capito's and Senator Chris Van Hollen's offices. It has been a very informative two weeks as we have learned more about the appropriations of the STAR act and more specifically what to advocate for as it relates to psychosocial care. 

As promised, photos from last night's annual volunteer appreciation dinner at Magnolia's on King. The restaurant gives us access to their entire second floor lounge and dining area. Not only is it decorated in Mattie Miracle colors but it is lovely  space in an historic building. Almost like hosting an event in a private home. We are grateful to the staff for working very hard for us to have a memorable evening. 

Another view of the room. I made flower displays and Peter and I put together a power point presentation, which included videos and financial data that was captured from last year's Walk. Having data enables us to track the Walk's progress and challenges from year to year, and it also enables us to hone in on areas which can provide us greater fundraising success. 

I think it is a charming private room. Perfect for our sized group!

Typically Peter takes the photos. But I wanted him in the picture this year. Unfortunately the person who took our group photo cut several people out. We had a group of 21 people at the dinner, and many of these wonderful volunteers have been with us for 11 years now. In fact, most of these individuals were supporting us through Mattie's cancer battle as well. So that means they have been with us for 12+ years, committed to our cause.  

This was the menu I created for last night's dinner. 

The restaurant even made a special cocktail for our guests.... the Miracle cocktail!