Friday, April 13, 2018

Friday, April 13, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken on April 4, 2009. This was Mattie's 7th and last birthday, which he celebrated in the hospital. Kneeling next to Mattie is Brandon. Brandon was Mattie's closest buddy in the hospital, as they both were diagnosed and treated at the same time. Despite their 12 year age difference, Mattie and Brandon were great friends. They understood each other and they provided different things to one another, that helped  managed chemotherapy, surgeries, and feeling ill. Though Brandon had completed treatment months before Mattie's birthday, Brandon came back often to visit Mattie and to celebrate special occasions with him. If I had to give this photo a title, it would be, FRIENDS.


Quote of the day: "Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?". . . "It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine" . . . ~ Frances Hodgson Burnett

Welcome to our tag team! When they aren't getting their needs met..... this is what we get! Doesn't Sunny's eyes say it all?!

Indie took to lying down and Sunny was just disgusted, as work was taking precedence over a walk! 

But don't despair! We took a walk this afternoon in what seemed like summer weather. We passed incredible trees along the way, like this cherry tree. 

 This cherry tree has the perfect shape!

 Mattie Miracle tulips!

The park near us has crab apple trees in it and when they bloom in the spring they are amazing. Not only in color but fragrance. 

I honestly can't wait to donate the toiletry items we have been collecting for Mattie's 16th birthday to the hospital next week. All these boxes were delivered to us today, and we will be sorting and processing the contents in them tonight. We want to thank St. Columba's Preschool in Washington, DC for their wonderful item drive collection for us. 

Later today we got a jump on plant shopping, so we can begin our garden tomorrow morning. Not sure where we get the energy to plant a garden while also dealing with the Walk, but we manage. It is a long weekend of work ahead... planting, toiletry item sorting, and staging raffle baskets for our event on May 20th. 

I end tonight's posting with this..... this is the homeless man living up the street from us. He is taking over 23rd street. This photo doesn't do it justice, as he has a cot, clothes, and other items lined along a city block. He has moved in for months and apparently he has more rights to live here than I do. I pay to live in Foggy Bottom, and as a tax paying citizen I have no voice in the District of Columbia about the homelessness population. I concur with DC that resources and a system needs to be put in place to help our homeless residents, but we disagree on the execution of the support. As I do not deem living on the street support or being charitable. Rather it is putting these residents in danger and frankly our nation's capital should be doing better for all its residents. Seeing such sights in DC should not become common place and yet I am the only one who seems upset that this man is taking up a city block in front of the George Washington University.