Thursday, September 23, 2021

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in July of 2003. Mattie was 15 months old, and beginning to take a few steps. Mattie was cautious about learning to walk. Apparently most kids start walking between 8 and 18 months. By 16 months Mattie was walking. This photo was taken in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was Mattie's first trip there and in the afternoon when it was very hot, we would have some book time. One of Mattie's favorite books was Goodnight Moon. I think Peter and I read it so often, we can still recite the story!

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 42,622,969
• Number of people who died from the virus: 682,468

I can't take these 6am mornings! It just isn't my hour. Peter and I are so chronically exhausted that when we stop moving, we fall asleep. We locked Sunny in my office last night, as he is not supposed to walk around and do steps without us using a sling. It seemed to work out fine, as we left him sleeping on my rug. But at 6am, he somehow got his body off the floor and onto his dog bed which we left in the office for him. Sunny is eating, but truly doesn't even want to toe touch his leg to the ground. Therefore, he is hopping around on three legs when we use the sling. My hope is he will make progress each day, but it is clear to me that he isn't happy. 

We had the electrical team here at 8am. They were working on tracing electrical wires to the breaker boxes. This took hours and we even found electrical switches in the house that control NOTHING. Believe me we looked. While I was sitting down giving Sunny pain meds, all of a sudden a large spark jumped out at us from one of the electrical sockets. It literally looked like a sparkler on July 4th. Sunny let out with a noise and I started screaming. Needless to say, the electrical team replaced sockets and things today so this doesn't happen again. One of the electrician calls our house "the fun house." You know like at a carnival or circus! It isn't a compliment, but I totally relate to his feelings. Nothing here is standard, and therefore, Peter and I assume this moving forward about everything. It helps to level set our expectations.

Apparently, to add to the mix, shudders on the house came flying off during the storm yesterday. Peter found one on the grass and of course we can add fixing shutters to the long list. It is our joke.... what will go wrong on the farm today?!

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2006. As the weather begins to change now, and I see pumpkins on display in stores, it reminds me of Fall festival season with Mattie. Every weekend we took Mattie to a different fair, and with each one we went to, our collection of pumpkins increased at home. 

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 42,487,004
• Number of people who died from the virus: 680,166

As of today, we have lived in the house for a month, but we have been fixing things since June. I am waiting for the day when a contractor of some sort isn't in the house! Today wasn't such a day. The team working on sealing holes in the walls and dry walling came back today. All the repairs have been made and now I meet with painting company on Friday to discuss painting the laundry room and garage. I wasn't planning on painting the garage, but given the extensive damage that was made there to correct electrical issues, we have no choice but to address it now. It will be lovely to have an operating laundry room. Since we moved in, one repair after the other has been happening there!

Peter went to pick up Sunny today, while I was at the house with contractors. Sunny came home stupefied from pain meds, but I know that is better than the alternative. They have Sunny on antibiotics, pain meds, and an anti-inflammatory. We are supposed to keep him calm, on a leash, and with limited mobility for two weeks. At that point, the doctor will examine his healing process and hopefully can start physical therapy. 

Sunny has two shaved legs. One from the surgery, and a front leg where they hooked up an IV. I am saddened to see Sunny's shaved legs again. As we have been through this over and over again with him, starting with when we rescued him.... he was heartworm positive, and needed IV treatments, which meant all the fur on his legs were shaved. 

They have given us this towel like sling to help Sunny walk. Though he is out of it, I figured he needed to go outside for a comfort stop. It took some time, but he was successful. There is so much to balance here, and now we are adding Sunny's rehab to the mix. All I can say is... it hasn't been a good week. 

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 -- Mattie died 625 weeks ago today. 

Tonight's picture was taken in October 2004. Mattie was two years old. That day his preschool did a field trip to Butler's Orchard in Maryland. It was our first time on that incredible farm! It started a tradition for our family, as we then went back every fall and spring, for Bunnyland! In any case, this was Mattie's first preschool (the one where he did not last more than two months at before being dismissed) and therefore, I found a way to be a chaperone for the trip. While on the journey with Mattie and the kids, I snapped this photo of Mattie in the pumpkin field. 

Years later (2007) I took a similar photo, on a sunny day, and this pumpkin photo is my go to for childhood cancer events. 

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 42,353,464
• Number of people who died from the virus: 677,432

We were up by 6am. More contractors at the house today, as they are still working on sealing up the walls from electrical work. Peter took Sunny in for surgery and was at the center by 7:30am. We heard from the surgeon at 1:30pm. Sunny managed through surgery well, had no reaction to anesthesia, and was in recovery. She let us know that the damage was much more significant than his first surgery, as he tore his cruciate ligament and also damaged his meniscus (cartilage in the knee). 

We knew the damage had to be worse, given Sunny's behavior and mood. He looked depressed, refused to walk at all, and seemed extremely exhausted. Thankfully this doctor made room for him today. We pick Sunny up tomorrow from the ER, and then he has restricted movement for two weeks. After which he starts physical therapy. Needless to say, recovery time is six months. 

Info about a torn cruciate ligament: 

The word cruciate means 'to cross over' or 'form a cross'. The cruciate ligaments are two bands of fibrous tissue located within each stifle (knee) joint. They join the femur and tibia (the bones above and below the knee joint) together so that the knee works as a stable, hinged joint.

One ligament runs from the inside to the outside of the knee joint and the other from the outside to the inside, crossing over each other in the middle.  In dogs, the most common knee injury is a rupture or tear of the cranial cruciate ligament.

Humans have a similar anatomical structure to the dog knee, but the ligaments are called the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. Anterior cruciate ligament rupture is a common knee injury of athletes (ACL surgery).

Based on its anatomy, the knee joint is a hinge joint. It is relatively unstable because there are no interlocking bones in the joint. Instead it is held together by several ligaments, including the cruciate ligaments, which allow it to move back and forth like a hinge, but restrict its side-to-side motion.

The two most common causes of cranial cruciate rupture are trauma and degeneration of the ligaments within the joint. Acute or traumatic cruciate rupture is caused by a twisting injury to the knee joint. This occurs most often when the dog (or athlete) is running and suddenly changes direction. (Which is what happened when Sunny was chasing two foxes in the backyard.)This places the majority of the body weight on the knee joint, and excessive rotational and shearing forces are placed on the cruciate ligaments. This injury usually affects the anterior or cranial (front) ligament. A cruciate ligament rupture is usually extremely painful and the knee joint becomes unstable, resulting in lameness.

Given that Sunny wasn't home, it made it the perfect day to meet my licensure requirement..... 2 hours of COVID vaccine training, which has to be completed by September 30th. The District of Columbia has made vaccines and covid training mandatory for all health licensed professionals and we have to be in compliance by September 30th. While going through the recommended training options, I decided to complete a four part module. The email communication from the licensure board indicated that this four part module would give us 1.7 hours of continuing education. Yet when I completed all four parts today, my certificates said I did 5 hours of training (which is true). Naturally that discrepancy bothered me, even though I am officially no longer board chair. So, I wrote to the licensure board staff and gave them a head's up. If I was frustrated and confused by the misinformation, I know so will other licensees. 

Meanwhile, look who is staying close today! As if she understood an important member of the family was missing. 

Monday, September 20, 2021

Monday, September 20, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in January of 2003. Mattie was 9 months old and loving the freedom in his "tot wheels." Our commons space outside our townhouse in DC was the ideal location for Mattie to learn so many firsts! As it was protected from being near streets, cars, and the outside public. Our Facebook friend, Tim, once zoomed in closely to Mattie's eyes in this photo and saw what I was describing. Which was Peter may have been snapping the photo, but it was ME who Mattie was looking at. When Tim blew up the photo, he could literally see the reflection of me in Mattie's eyes. 

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 42,255,382
• Number of people who died from the virus: 675,885

There is NO peace on the Farm. Now I have no expectation that I will get a break, or that I will be able to catch up on sleep. Before heading to the dentist, I made some phone calls. The first was to the oven repair person! Something tells me this oven is NOT fixable. In any case, while talking with him, I could hear Sunny barking outside, then running like a sheep dog after something! Mind you I was on the phone trying to diagnose the oven problem with the repair person, so I couldn't start yelling at Sunny! Turns out two fox had come into our backyard and Sunny went nuts. So nuts that when he was finished chasing the fox, he could not walk. Peter and I knew this wasn't a good sign, as Sunny injured his right back leg in April of 2020, and needed TPLO surgery (like ACL surgery in humans). The surgeon told us that it is very common for the other leg to eventually give out and also need surgery. We were dreading such a day, as the surgery is very expensive, it requires massive rehab, PT, and rest. I will return to this in a minute!

I couldn't address Sunny immediately as I had to head into DC for my dentist appointment. Certainly I could change doctors to professionals closer to Oakton, but for now I decided not to do this. These appointments give me the opportunity to return "home." When I sat down for my dental cleaning, the hygienist was working on putting equipment together and the next thing I knew, she was trying to put a canula in my nose. Needless to say, I said "OH NO." I asked her what on earth she was doing. She said there was a note in my chart that said all my cleanings had to be done under sedation. I firmly said I had NO IDEA what she was talking about. I have been going to this practice for 15 years and not once did I need sedation. I have been assigned a new hygienist as mine moved back to Michigan to spend more time with her family. Something tells me this new hygienist will never make this mistake with me again.

After my appointment, I hopped in the car and picked up salads at my favorite sandwich shop in DC, Jetties. It is very close to Mattie's hospital and to me they have the freshest and most creative salads and sandwiches. Whenever I head into DC now, I try to pick up food to take back to Virginia. Meanwhile, while driving to get the salads, I called the surgical center and pet emergency room we take Sunny to in Vienna, VA. I feel like we are frequent flyers there. They said they could see Sunny if I got him there within the hour. So I got back to the house, Peter carried Sunny to the car, and I was off. Given COVID, it is even harder to get ER pet centers to see your pet, because the demand is so high. 

Turns out Sunny needs surgery. He is described right now as "lame," since he can only walk on three legs. He appears to be in pain and truly unhappy. Now here's the kicker. I called their orthopedic division of this center and their first surgical consult date was October 22. That is a MONTH from now. How they expect a dog to manage pain for a month is beyond me. So Peter literally called the surgeon who did Sunny's procedure in April of 2020 (as she gave us her cell phone number back then). The doctor happened to answer the phone and Peter gave her a diatribe. It is a miracle..... Sunny went from having a surgical consult on October 22, to being scheduled for surgery tomorrow with our original surgeon. Who knows what kinds of strings she pulled. All I know is we are thrilled that Sunny's issue is going to be addressed quickly and by a surgeon we have already experienced. Think good thoughts about Sunny tomorrow. He goes in at 7:45am.

When I got home from the ER, I found Peter talking to a neighbor. I love these neighbors, everyone wants to see inside your house. I also have observed that the men seem to connect with each other better than the women. I am definitely NOT used to such a model, as typically with couples it is the women who make the connections and drive the schedule. In any case, the neighbor wanted to know how I am "enjoying" the house and the neighborhood. His wife even asked if the house is bringing me "joy." These people clearly don't know me, as I despise the word JOY. But I let her know there is NO joy or peace at this house. It is one catastrophe after the other, and Sunny chasing a fox and getting injured was the cherry on top of the cake. 

Sunday, September 19, 2021

Sunday, September 19, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in May  of 2006. Mattie was four years old and what I love about this photo was the photo within the photo. As you can see, Mattie was holding up a picture of himself as a toddler, standing right next to the same coffee table. As a toddler, the table was at waist height, but by age 4, Mattie was much bigger. His beaming smile shows how pleased and happy he was by his noticeable growth!

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 42,087,282
• Number of people who died from the virus: 673,763

It felt like a lost day! Though I wanted to sleep later today, I was up by 7:30am and working. Yesterday was a whirlwind and actually emotionally draining attending a celebration of life ceremony. I have many reflections from the event that I will share later this week. 

Today we devoted the day to trying to hang photos and some art work. This photo display of Mattie was in our DC townhouse. Peter gave it to me one year as a Mother's Day gift. It is something that I cherish and it took us hours placing them on the wall. It it actually much harder to create this display than it may look. 

A close up! There are photos on the wall that cover all ages of Mattie!

We began hanging Mattie art work all over the house. These four are Mattie's flower creations. They were in our kitchen in DC, and now in our kitchen in Oakton. Mattie created them in the outpatient clinic. In so many ways the wonderful things Mattie created with his child life specialist and art therapists have become his legacy. 

Mattie did this composition with a volunteer artist who visited the hospital. I loved it so much that I gave it a red backdrop and black frame. Of course on top of the frame is a Mattie lizard, spider, and some toy cars. 

We finally hung Mr. Sun today! This is a wall we see everyday in the house, and to us it was the perfect space for the creation that is the inspiration for the Foundation logo.

This evening we were invited to our next door neighbor's home for dinner. They moved into the house a few weeks before us. They have two teenage children, who are lovely. However, here is the difference between parents, who are actively parenting, and parents like ourselves who lost a child to cancer. Our house is filled with memories and creations. In fact, I am sure if people visited us, who did not know our story, I am sure they would think we are raising a 7 year old. For us time has stopped or stood still, whereas for active parents, they don't need the things and reminders, because their child is ever present. 

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2006. This to me was quintessential Mattie. I have no idea why Mattie wanted to take a bath in the kitchen sink. It wasn't a typical occurrence. In fact, I think it was only that one time. Yet I clearly thought it was noteworthy and photographed the moment. I have many everyday moments with Mattie captured by camera and I am so glad I did this, as they remind me of the strong willed, free spirit he will always be.  

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 42,048,376
• Number of people who died from the virus: 673,464

Despite all my meal prep yesterday, I still got up at 6:30am. As there was still more to do to get ready for a family of 9 for brunch. Peter and I put out many of our Foundation outdoor games for the kids like corn hole boards and ladder tosses. We even took out toy trains of Mattie's for the younger kids. 

I have to admit I have never met a family with 7 children before, and all the children's names started with either a J or a L. So it took me a while to remember who was who. But our 2.5 hours together flew by and we all enjoyed the energy the children brought into our home. They loved the pool and were excited to be having brunch with us. 

We tried taking photos of some of the children looking over our second floor balcony. 

Thankfully it was a beautiful day and we all ate on the porch. 

Entertaining in this kitchen is actually easy, except for cooking in the oven. I miss my range and stove from our DC townhouse. It was reliable, cooked properly, and I never worried about timing. With this oven, I have to factor that cooking will be HOURS off, rather than minutes. Which makes me very edgy, especially when cooking a bigger meal. 

The reason why our brunch was a shortened time period was because at 1pm, we were invited to my friend Margy's celebration of life event. The event was truly moving, we heard from countless people (family, colleagues, parents of children with cancer) who were touched by Margy's life. This celebration impressed upon me that YES INDEED one person can change the world for so many. Margy led an incredible life and she dedicated her life in supporting children with cancer and their families. I was honored to be selected to speak. In fact, I was picked as the last speaker for the event. 

This is what I said at the event:

Margy came into my life in a unique way in 2015. We did not meet at a hospital or clinic, and I did not know her firsthand as the play lady. Instead, we met on Facebook because we had a mutual friend in childhood cancer. 

To say we became instant close friends is not an exaggeration. She understood my grief right away, as I am a mom who lost her only child to cancer. But she also deeply valued the work of my non-profit, whose tagline is IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MEDICINE. This maybe Mattie Miracle’s tagline but it truly was how Margy lived her life as she instinctively understood that children and their families need emotional and social support to help them cope with cancer and manage the long-term effects of medical treatment.  

I learned quickly that Margy invested deeply in those she knew. In fact, Margy wanted to know more about my own childhood cancer journey with my son, so she took it upon herself to read every entry of my daily blog. Which is an undertaking because I have been writing for over 12 years. But Margy read most, if not all my postings and even left me messages with each day’s entry. I loved her messages back then, but now I cherish having her thoughts, feelings, and reflections in writing.

Many of you here can probably recall story after story of how Margy helped you, your child, and other families. You are lucky to have had Margy support you through your family’s cancer journey and I wish my son could have experienced her as well. Since I know they both shared a love for creativity, humor, and deeply connecting with others. I learned about Margy’s commitment, devotion, compassion, and incredible memory for milestone dates through our six-year long friendship. I observed that your children weren’t just patients to Margy, instead, I would say that you all became an extension of her family. She cared, respected, and valued each child, sibling, and family member and she took great pride in the photos, artistic keepsakes, and cards she received from you over the years. 

As friends, we would meet up on a regular basis. Margy and I could chat, and I mean for hours. We always had something to say to each other, and we both could be frank and honest with one another. Which is a unique quality to have in a friend. Someone who could listen, absorb what you are saying, and not be judgmental about it. It was through our chats with one another that I learned about Margy the play lady and Margy the effective leader of a successful non-profit, Growing Hope. A non-profit that raised over $1million to support children with cancer. 

In many ways, Margy paved the road for many other non-profits to come, as so many have tried to emulate Margy’s incredible work and passion. Which is a true testament to her. But there is and will always be ONLY one Margy. 

Margy was a founding member of the non-profit, Growing Hope. A non-profit created in memory of a child named Karen. I never met Karen or her parents, but it was clear that Margy loved Karen and I have no doubt Karen loved Margy. Margy ran Growing Hope for 20 years and the lessons she learned from being Karen’s ‘play lady’ guided her work. Margy was a fierce advocate for children and families, and she evaluated her play lady and non-profit work as being successful NOT through glitzy photography and social media postings, but through her meaningful one on one connections and feedback she received from families. 

I had the opportunity to attend many advocacy events with Margy. One was at Curefest on the National Mall, and another was at Children’s Hospital at Sinai in Baltimore. Margy was an outstanding childhood cancer advocate. Most of us become advocates because we were personally touched by childhood cancer. In Margy’s case, it was just her calling. When she was around children with cancer and their families, she became what I called... Magnetic Margy. As people naturally gravitated and attached themselves to her. I specifically remember touring Children's Hospital at Sinai with Margy, and during the tour, I turned to Margy to talk to her! But she wasn't there! Where was she? She was at the art table in the clinic interacting with the children. She made many little friends that day. 

Margy had an incredible aura about her, and families trusted her, respected her, and knew she would always provide a listening ear and a compassionate heart. But one shouldn’t think that her caring and compassion made her a push over. Because Margy was a force, had a way of making her feelings known, and as a result made sure that children and families had access to the resources and care they needed. 

After Margy retired from Growing Hope, she joined the board of Mattie Miracle. This was a natural fit, as she and I share a similar vision about cancer care. It is hard to believe that my dear friend is no longer just a text message away. There are many times I have thought… what would Margy think? My heart goes out to Ken, Michael, Kristy, Bill, her grandchildren, her siblings, and nieces and nephews. You all meant the world to Margy, and I assure you that I will work hard to make sure that Margy’s memory and her mini wishes for fun activities and wish list items remain alive in our Mattie & Margy family grant program. 

Margy did not like good-byes. In fact, whenever we'd meet, instead of saying good-bye, she would say.... "Vicki Brown, I love you." So today, I won't say good-bye to my dear friend, instead I say "Margy Jost, I love you." 

At the celebration of life, Margy's husband was dancing with his eldest grand-daughter to a song that meant so much to him and Margy. It was a very touching moment. 

I had the opportunity to meet Margy's sisters today! In a way, I feel like I already knew them, as Margy and I would have lunch together monthly for years. During our meetings with each other, I learned about Margy's life, her work, her family, and the many children and families who touched her life. 

In fact, I think Peter gained further insight into my relationship with Margy by attending this event. Margy and I weren't casual friends. Instead, I would say we had an intense friendship and bonded over grief and loss, childhood cancer advocacy, and mutual respect. It was very special to hear Peter's reflections tonight, because he could see what I always felt about my connection with Margy. I was given this yellow mum today from the event, and it is my hope to keep it alive. 

Friday, September 17, 2021

Friday, September 17, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2005. Mattie was three years old. As you can see he was rocking on a cute duck. This duck was purchased by Peter's parents when Peter was a baby. So in essence this duck is Peter's! Mattie got a kick out of having something that belonged to his dad. Believe it or not this duck now sits in my office at the house. 

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 41,919,447
• Number of people who died from the virus: 671,911

It was a VERY long day today! Another 6am rising! We were balancing roof repair people and carpenters working on framing and dry walling our holes in the wall from electrical work. Literally it is 6:30pm, and the carpenters just left, but they aren't done. 

Meanwhile, I spent practically all day on brunch prep for tomorrow's gathering. Peter is having a colleague over, along with his family of 7 children! Given that I figure everyone likes eating different things (because of the age range), I made multiple things:

• Two frittatas (one: spinach, mushroom, onion, with parmesan cheese and two: tomato, onion, basil and goat cheese)
• Roasted breakfast potatoes
• Fruit platters of watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and raspberries
• Blueberry muffins

I started with making roasted potatoes. I pre-baked them today because I don't TRUST the oven. Give me a basic Sears oven any day. I find these high end ovens are temperamental and never keep temperature. What should have taken 30 minutes, took me over two hours! 

I had the oven repair person here this week and even followed his advice today of pre-heating the oven for 40 minutes. Forget it, it didn't help. Thankfully I cooked them for over two hours today and tomorrow when I cook them with the frittatas, hopefully they will get to the consistency I am hoping!

Mattie was a watermelon fan and I am hoping so are the other children who visit tomorrow. The funny part is we got this ceramic fruit platter as a wedding gift. I forgot all about it, until we moved. 

More fruit! I am feeding some gluten free folks too. 

Blueberry muffins!

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2003. Mattie was a year and a half old. We took his to Boston for Thanksgiving to visit with Peter's parents. Peter's mom gave him an Elmo toy. As you can see Mattie was transfixed and fascinated. Mattie LOVED Elmo, and whenever Elmo came on TV, Mattie would stop in his tracks and pay very close attention.

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 41,753,833
• Number of people who died from the virus: 669,718

Naturally nothing on the Farm is easy. A roofing company we hired started work yesterday. Given the unprofessional roof installation the previous own did, when it rains, the water falls off the roof and NOT into the gutters. So our goal was to fix that major problem. However, when the company started working to replace the gutters, they found ROTTED fascia board all around the house. The fascia board is the long wooden board behind the gutters on a house. It connects to the roof rafters, and serves as the mount for gutters. ... A damaged fascia can be the starting point for other roof problems and potentially lead to damage to a home. I snapped a photo of an example of the rotted out fascia boards. It is the black stuff you see at the roof line. In any case, Peter and I got hit with quite an unexpected and expensive revised estimate today. No choice this needs to be corrected otherwise further damage will incur to the roof, and potentially inside the house. Safe to say, Peter and I have absolutely no use for the former homeowners. 

There were many chores to accomplish today outside of the house. Thankfully Peter works from home, so I can pop out and do things on occasion. One of tasks  was grocery shopping. Look who was in the parking lot right outside the store!!!

Meanwhile, while I was grocery shopping, we had torrential rain, thunder, and lightning. Of course this is NOT Sunny type weather. Sunny found Peter and the closest bathroom shower to sit in to wait out the storm. 

In the mail today came two bronze geese. These geese belong to my mom. They are antiques, and over 70 years old. My mom had them polished and powder coated, so I will never have to polish them again. This mama and baby goose sat by my parent's fireplace since 1986. I even remember Mattie sitting on the mama goose, which ironically I did too (but I was a teenager)! Now when I see the geese, I think of Mattie and me, because anytime he saw a mama animal with her young, he'd say to me...... that's us!

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2006. Mattie was four years old and for his birthday we bought him his first bicycle. Mattie was very excited and he and Peter went to pick it out! That afternoon, Peter assembled the bike and Mattie began riding in our commons area. That commons area saw a lot of Mattie firsts. 

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 41,420,146
• Number of people who died from the virus: 665,150

Today was another crazy day on the Farm. Again, I was up and moving at 6am. Here is a listing of today's visitors:

1. Tile installers to fix our laundry room, because when we moved cabinetry away to fix electrical issues, we saw that the floor was not level and had two different tiles.
2. HVAC person to fix our thermostat controller.
3. Our electrical team to do more work and install lights by garage.
4. Fairfax County inspector to sign off on electrical work. 
5. Roof repair folks to begin soffit and gutter replacement. 

Here is a photo of our laundry room with the two different types of tile. Originally I was going to just try to cover up the old tile. But I decided that wasn't wise in the long run. 

The finished tile work! The person who laid the tile has been doing this for 17 years. He matched the grout color perfectly too. On Friday, the walls get repaired, so the holes will be sealed, and I am working on getting our painters back to finish off the work. 

I feel like we have faced practically every problem possible and could consult and support homeowners in our region at this point. However, in the midst of juggling this three ring circus on any given day, Peter and I are both working. Peter has a full time job and I am trying to run the Foundation. Poor Peter has been taking conference calls while running around after contractors. There are some things that I just don't get, basically anything mechanical, and Peter really has to be around for these conversations. Because unlike what we had for 27 years in DC..... on call support with electrical, heating/air, and plumbing, we don't have that here. So one of us has to understand how things work. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Tuesday, September 14, 2021 -- Mattie died 624 weeks ago today. 

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. Mattie was in his preschool classroom, and because it was his line leader day, I was able to volunteer to help the teachers, assist the children, and be able to participate in Mattie's antics. Mattie LOVED the loft in his classroom and as you can see he was busy working on a plan with his best buddy Zachary. 

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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 41,351,744
• Number of people who died from the virus: 663,884

Today was a show! The last person just left now, and it is after 8pm. My day started at 6am! We had someone over to evaluate the chimneys and the stonework outside. Then later in the day we had a structural engineer here to evaluate whether a broken beam that was found within our walls was load bearing. I was expecting the worst! Thankfully it is NOT load bearing and we can begin moving ahead on closing up the walls, dry walling, and eventually painting! It is close to impossible finding a reputable structural engineering company that does home evaluations. I would highly recommend Deska Services, they were easy to work with, coordinate with, and the engineer was lovely. He answered all my questions and even gave me his cell phone number in case Fairfax County inspectors need to talk with him! 

Then at 6pm, the oven and refrigerator repairperson came. He was with us for over two hours. Also a delightful person, who has worked in this industry for 40 years. He was very informative and got the job done. He gave me some instruction on the freezer and oven and we shall see if any of this helps. But the freezer doesn't like making ice and the oven (to me) cooks at a lower temperature than what the gauge indicates! LOVELY!

I wish this was the end of it for this week.... but NO! Tomorrow we have Fairfax County coming to do an electrical inspection, we have the electricians coming back, we have the tile person correcting the laundry room tiles, and HVAC person are also coming back to deal with faulty issues. That's just tomorrow! Thursday, the roofing people will be here the entire day! NO PEACE in Oakton!

The highlight of my day was receiving a surprise package in the mail.... two light up sunflowers for the garden. I absolutely LOVE them, but have no idea who they are from. I would love to thank the giver!

Sunflowers are special to me as they symbolize community...... as Team Mattie gave me countless bunches of sunflowers whenever we were home between hospital admissions. To me they remind me of Team Mattie and their incredible care, support, and compassion.