Saturday, July 22, 2023

Saturday, July 22, 2023

Tonight's picture was taken in July of 2003. It was Mattie's first trip to the beaches in North Carolina. He was definitely intimidated by the ocean and strongly disliked his first encounter with the sand. So instead, we went on little adventures. That day we went to Jockey Ridge State Park and explored their NASA exhibit. Naturally I had to snap a photo of Mattie as an astronaut. Though Peter was a good sport, he had an upset stomach and felt very nauseous all day. 

Quote of the day: If Plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters. ~ Claire Cook

When Peter is away, this is what the bottom of our staircase looks like at night! I block the entrance to the stairs with dining room chairs. I feel this is the best way to prevent Sunny from climbing the stairs. I certainly don't mind if Sunny comes upstairs, the problem is once he is upstairs, he is frightened to come down. I think it is a combination of the height and the fact that we do not have carpet on the stairs to give him traction. Needless to say, if he comes upstairs, I have to carry him down, which I can't do without help. 

 

So far the chairs have been a great deterrent. Though I have to say I miss those days when Sunny could come up the stairs and spend the night with us in the bedroom. When Sunny was much younger, he literally would jump on our bed in the morning! With Sunny we really did not need an alarm clock. Of course all of that has changed now. 

After the full morning routine, I decided to get in the car and take myself to our local farmer's market and then grocery shopping. I love fresh produce from the farm and today in addition to purchasing fruits and vegetables, I bought two bundles of sunflowers. I absolutely LOVE them! I can't see these flowers without thinking about our amazing Team Mattie. Team Mattie was our network in the community who met our every need for over 14 months. Absolutely incredible people who showered me with sunflowers!

The highlight of my day was my neighbors Judi and Larry came over to visit. This wasn't a planned visit, but I find spontaneous gatherings sometimes can be a lovely surprise. It was nice to be able to just sit and talk for an hour. My dad was sleeping through the visit in his recliner, but my mom and I enjoyed the conversation. It truly broke up the day and was a terrific diversion. My neighbors also gifted me a homemade apple pie, and besides chocolate, I am a big pie fan!