Sunday, August 8, 2021

Sunday, August 8, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2003. Each August we had the tradition of taking Mattie to Los Angeles to visit my parents. That day we took him to the LA Zoo. When Mattie was diagnosed in late July of 2008, we already booked airplane travel to fly out to Los Angeles in a few weeks. I even remember telling Mattie's oncologist that we were going on vacation and would have to start chemotherapy when we returned. I am sure he thought I was NUTS! He gave me a talking to and basically chemo started within days of Mattie's diagnosis! How I thought we could go away is beyond me. I had no understanding for the aggressiveness of cancer back then. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins. 

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 35,757,980
• Number of people who died from the virus: 616,816

I had a slow morning because I wasn't feeling well yesterday. Thankfully today I have no fever, just feel very tired. We had the UHaul truck on hand again today and we packed up both our deck and balcony. For years this deck was "my secret garden." In fact, there is an overhang above the brick wall. I can't tell you how many people would look in and check out our garden. When I caught them looking, they always complimented me, and I recall one woman thought I was from another country because of my gardening style! 

The view of our former garden from Mattie's bedroom window. Each spring we would paint the deck, buy flowers, and plant them! It was a labor of love, which my neighbors above me appreciated. 

Peter worked the whole day loading and unloading the truck with plants and flower pots. It was a difficult job, and I admit I did very little lifting today. 

This is the current state of our deck! Big difference no? To me it is a sad sight and a reality check for me that we are really leaving our DC home.