Saturday, May 4, 2019

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2008. Literally two months before Mattie was diagnosed with cancer. It seems hard to imagine, since he looks so healthy here! Mattie loved playing on our deck, and as you can see he would take items from around our home and be creative. That day, he took several of my flower boxes, taped them together, and threaded them through our tomato plant guards. Once the whole thing was assembled he then got out his cars and trucks and played away. 






Quote of the day: You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. ~ Maya Angelou

I woke up in a funk today, most likely because I knew I had another very full day of work ahead of me. But this was creative work. Because I had piles of raffle items in Mattie's room. I had to go from piles to the creation of 12 Foundation raffle baskets. That may sound easy, but the staging of these 12 baskets took me all day. 

In addition to baskets, I also have toiletry items that have to be delivered to Baltimore, to stock our cart at Children's Hospital at Sinai. But I don't have the time right now to leave DC. So instead, I feel like I am living in a warehouse. This is not a look that makes me happy, as piles like this make me feel like I am living in chaos. It reminds me of the piles we lived with when Mattie was battling cancer. Piles that took me years to process through after he die. 

Here's today's fundraising thermometer..... $85,437!

Friday, May 3, 2019

Friday, May 3, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2008. Mattie was in kindergarten. It was a Friday, Mattie came home from school and Peter got off of work early. So we took Mattie on a Potomac River Cruise. A first, and he loved it! I still remember the boat's name... the Matthew Hayes. We all got a chuckle at that, since Mattie felt he and boat shared a name. While sailing, a fellow passenger offered to take a photo of us. Which I am glad he did, as photo documentation is so important to us now! Whenever I walk Sunny down by the river and see the Matthew Hayes sailing by, I think of the Friday afternoon captured in this photo. 


Quote of the day: Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. ~ Vincent Van Gogh


The highlight of my day was meeting two of my friends for lunch and celebrating a friend's birthday! I introduced them to a new restaurant and then after lunch, we walked two stores down to a bakery for cupcakes. I have known these two friends for quite some time, because we met at Mattie's preschool. I find it noteworthy that most of my friends from preschool still are in my life, and not only are we friends, but they are instrumental to the success of our Walk. I had no idea in 2005, when Mattie started preschool, that we would all be connected 14 years later. One of the many gifts Mattie left me. 

Today's Mattie Miracle Walk fundraising thermometer 
reads........... $84,749.
We are at 85% of our goal!

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2008. Mattie was six years old and doing one of his FAVORITE spring time activities. Which was bringing home tent moth caterpillars from school, putting them in jar, taking care of them and feeding them until they formed a cocoon. Once the moths emerged from their cocoons, we would have a moth releasing ceremony on our deck. We did this for at least three years in a row. I figured it was a great way to actively participate in science and learn a life cycle. To this day, we have moths that come back and visit us on the deck. I am sure this is  just coincidence, but I would like to think these are Mattie's moths coming back to say hello. 


Quote of the day: A single act of kindness is like a drop of oil on a patch of dry skin—seeping, spreading, and affecting more than the original need. ~ Richelle E. Goodrich

For the past week, Peter and I have been working on signage for the Walk on May19th. Given that it is our 10th anniversary Walk, I believe it is important to highlight our accomplishments and to visually convey to our attendees what we do and what they help to fund. 

We created close to 30 new posters which will be featured at the Walk. This being one of them! 

Tomorrow I head to the printer to discuss how to get these images made into posters. I have been working with the same printer since 2009, when we started the Foundation. How do I know this company? Well the wife of the founder of the company used to sit next to me every Tuesday during chapel at Mattie's school. We truly met by happenstance, but we had a lot in common as we were raising an only child, who was a son, and neither of us had family living locally. My friend is very down to earth and very modest, because it was only after Mattie died did I realize her company is international and is a multi-million dollar business. It is thanks to my friend that we have incredible posters at each Walk. Her work is beautifully done and the posters always make our event look quite unique. 

Here's today's fundraising thermometer...... we are at  $83,975. Or at 84% of our goal. 

I had the opportunity to chat with a supporter today. She wanted to know how we go about fundraising because she was impressed with our progress. Which is ironic, because I always ask myself why we can't seem to raise more money each year? In any case, I do admit that we are able to raise money more easily now than when we first started ten years ago. The main reason I believe people donate is that we are transparent about where the money goes and the money goes directly to supporting our services to assist children with cancer and their families. 

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2008. Mattie was at his school's spring carnival. Next to him was Campbell, one of his close friends from kindergarten and Campbell's sister, Livi. To me this photo was fun and innocent. Of course I thought Mattie would have many more carnivals to attend, as it never dawned on me that Mattie could get diagnosed with childhood cancer. 


Quote of the day: The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. ~ Vince Lombardi


"We have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand!" I truly relate to Lombardi's quote, as the Foundation's Walk & Family Festival becomes so overwhelming it takes over every aspect of my life. Toward the end of April and all of May, I live and breathe the Walk. It is Walk 24 by 7 at home, so much so that even Sunny and Indie are aware of the stress. But as tonight's quote points out, I do remind myself that I am working hard at the task at hand. Though I am not playing football which involves score keeping, there is a very tangible win or lose with the Walk. It translates into the amount of funds raised and attendance. In my opinion we need to meet our financial goal and have hundreds of attendees in order to be successful.  

Yet try doing all of this without a staff! Without a team of people behind you who are skilled in fundraising, publicity, marketing, and the list goes on. On most days, I have to serve in all of these positions, even if that means I do not have the experience or skill set. I have to figure it out! A rather daunting task really, especially when the role that I serve is not just a job, it is far more emotionally laden. Which maybe why failing would be unacceptable and much more devastating than a regular job. For me, a failure would be tied to dishonoring Mattie's memory. 

I remind myself that tonight we are at 83% of our goal ($82,823). So we are getting there but I am juggling logistics, creating event posters, working on the event program, trying to raise funds, finalizing our raffle items and wrapping baskets, and the list goes on. I feel like I am the jack of all trades, which can be exhausting. 

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 -- Mattie died 501 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2008. Mattie was six years old, and it was three months before he was diagnosed with cancer. Can you see why I referred to Mattie as my "little engineer?" Mattie was intrigued with how things worked even as a toddler, and by age two he knew how to use a screwdriver to disassemble and reassemble his toy cars!


Quote of the day: The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving. ~ Albert Einstein

As I mentioned last night, I track our Foundation's thermometer daily! Well more like several times a day! It helps me track how we are doing or what we need to do to make to our goal. Last night, the tally was $75,768! Look at today's..........
$82,192. 

It may seem easy to raise money, but I assure you it ISN'T! Which maybe why it is hard to get people to fundraise for a cause! Yet thankfully we have cultivated a support base which is committed to our work. I don't take that for granted and it doesn't go unnoticed. Without our supporters all things are possible and one of the greatest possibilities is keeping Mattie's memory alive.  

Monday, April 29, 2019

Monday, April 29, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2008. Mattie was in kindergarten, and I got to visit the classroom that day. I took a photo of Mattie showing me his writer's workshop story. Basically Mattie was learning to write letters and words and string them together to tell a story. To inspire his story creations, his teacher asked for Mattie to bring in five photos of things, places, or people he wanted to write about. Mattie typically liked to bring in photos taken from nature. So this was Mattie's attempt to illustrate his story, with letters and words underneath it! Though Mattie was a good story teller, writer's workshop wasn't one of his favorite class exercises. 


Quote of the day: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity. ~ Buddha


During the Foundation's Walk season, I feel like the jack of all trades. I have to coordinate the actual event and people, deal with permits and city requirements, all Walk materials, and not to mention fundraising! This year is our 10th anniversary and as such I am determined to raise $100,000! The Walk is an enormous effort and my joke is to host a non-walk walk! Funny, no? 

I track our fundraising thermometer closely each day. On April 22, it read $55,900 out of $100,000. 

Then on April 23, we had a very generous donor contribute $15,000, and up popped our thermometer to $71,494. 

As of today, we reached 76% of our goal, or $75,768. We are on our way, but do not think that means I am sitting back thinking that this will just happen! Instead, now we will be sending out messages through emails, newsletters, and social media to encourage people to attend the Walk, and if not, consider making a donation or participating in our raffle. Every dollar counts! To learn more go to: www.mmcfwalk.com

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2008. Mattie received a package in the mail from our former neighbors who moved to NYC. They wanted Mattie to know they were thinking of him on his birthday and hadn't forgotten him. This brown paper was what the package came in. It had all sorts of fun and musical messages on it. So we hung it up and put it on display for a day or so! Mattie loved it!


Quote of the day: Best to take the moment present, As a present for the moment. ~ Stephen Sondheim


Typically on the weekends we work the whole time! This was a different sort of weekend, starting with seeing Jay Leno live at the Kennedy Center on Friday. He was stellar, and though he says he is 68 years old, he did one stand up routine after the other for 90 straight minutes. He makes age look like it is all in one's head, as his endurance and wittiness were spot on! He was warm, humorous, and classy! He left everyone feeling a bit lighter, unlike most of the late night comedy on TV today!

At Jay Leno on Friday, we bumped into our neighbors who told us about Curtains the musical. So we went to see a matinee production of it today, by a community theater group. I would say the Arlington Players did a great job given that they had a very spoofy plot to work with. It was light, humorous, and fun. I can see why this show did not do well in LA or on Broadway, as the music isn't memorable and the plot is convoluted and unbelievable. But other than that, it was a great escape from our usual weekend routine. 

Read more on Curtains.......

Based on the original book and concept of the same name by Peter Stone, the musical is a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston, Massachusetts and follows the fallout when Jessica Cranshaw, the supremely untalented star of Robbin' Hood of the Old West is murdered during her opening night curtain call. It is up to Lt. Frank Cioffi, a police detective who moonlights as a musical theater fan to save the show, solve the case, and maybe even find love before the show reopens, without getting killed himself. Cioffi also dreams of being in musical theater. The show opened on Broadway to mixed reviews, though several critics praised the libretto and the character of Lieutenant Cioffi, who critic Ben Brantley called "the best damn musical theatre character since Mama Rose in 'Gypsy', and the best role of David Hyde Pierce's career."

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2008, Mattie's last birthday before he was diagnosed with cancer. I grew up on Carvel ice cream cakes, and I passed that tradition along to Mattie. Well actually Mattie always had two birthday cakes.... the ice cream cake was typically just among the three of us. Mattie would get a piece of ice cream cake probably for a week, until the cake was gone. As you can see he loved it. Well at least the vanilla part of it. Typically what I would do was cut out the chocolate part, and I would eat it, and I would give Mattie my vanilla part. It worked out perfectly for each of us. 


Quote of the day: One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. ~ William Shakespeare

This is memorial tree #4

Between doing donor acknowledgment letters and working on research items for the Foundation, we went to visit Mattie's trees and walk Sunny. I am happy we got outside. I am sorry we missed seeing the blossoms on the flowers around Mattie's trees. We plant bulbs every Fall, and I know the children at school love seeing these signs of spring around the tree.  

A close up of Mattie's White Swamp Oak. Can you see the cupcake ornaments on the tree from his birthday? There are all sorts of wonderful ornaments on the tree..... butterflies, cars, legos, and hearts. 

This is memorial tree #3

This was Mattie's third tree that was planted, as the previous two did not seem to make it. Or so we thought! This Yellowwood tree is right next to the oak tree. So we are decorating two trees now. I love the donut ornaments I found for this tree, and today I tied a ribbon around the tree. Mattie LOVED donuts and practically lived on them when he was in the hospital. So it makes a perfect symbol and reminder on his tree. 

I took this photo because it shows Mattie's grove. The two trees you see closest to the pavement are Mattie's. Then the original memorial tree location is behind the red roof. Currently tree #2 (tree #1 died completely) is there and appears to be thriving. So Mattie's grove is basically in a vertical line and the trees surround the playground, a place Mattie loved.

On our way out of Mattie's school, Peter stopped the car. I couldn't get over this site. Apparently the school has eco-goats now living on campus. They naturally eat invasive plants and other problem vegetation. That was a new one for me, and I can only imagine Mattie's reaction if he saw them!

Friday, April 26, 2019

Friday, April 26, 2019


Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2007. Mattie was five years old and doing something he loved..... creating with found objects from around our home. Mattie took the FedEx box we received and attached some paper towel rolls to the end of it and as you can see created a power pack. Maybe to be used in space! 










Quote of the day: You can't stay mad at somebody who makes you laugh. ~ Jay Leno

It was a rainy afternoon, with thunder. Sunny doesn't mind the rain, but he gets very nervous when it thunders. He took for cover and went under the dining room table. 

My worry when I walk him on rainy days is that there could be thunder. I have experienced this once before, and Sunny literally panicked and made every attempt possible to get into whatever building is around him. Which doesn't always work out well, since some buildings don't allow dogs. 

From the dining table, Sunny then migrated to a closet! This doesn't look like a happy face, does it?

Meanwhile, tonight we are taking a break and going to see Jay Leno. Typically I try not to schedule things as we get closer to the Foundation's Walk, but I figured we both needed a change of pace. 

For those of you interested, take a look at Jay Leno's bio.......

Acclaimed TV late night show host, admired stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, much-in-demand corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist…it’s no wonder that Jay Leno is widely characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.”

Jay Leno’s late night television ratings domination included more than two decades of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, winning every consecutive quarter of his hosting over the past 19 years. After resuming hosting the 11:35 p.m. program following its one-time interruption, he made it once again the consistent and uninterrupted ratings leader for late night, once again leading all of the ensuing quarters handily, under the supervision throughout of executive producer Debbie Vickers. He has been honored by the Television Academy with an Emmy® for “Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music Series.” The Tonight Show with Jay Leno has also taken home the trophy for “Favorite Late Night Show” in the annual TV Guide Awards determined by voting viewers, and he was recently installed in the Television Academy's Broadcast Hall of Fame.

As if night-time dominance were not enough, Leno has also succeeded in the newest entertainment arena as producer and star of Jay Leno’s Garage. The NBC creation, which is viewed on CNBC, gained an international following on the web, not to mention an Emmy Award® and two additional nominations for "Outstanding Special Class–Short-Format Nonfiction Programs." Leno, himself, is the recipient of the People’s Choice Award and other honors, including the Harris Poll selection as most popular star on television. Other personal highlights include his induction into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Broadcasting Hall of Fame, his 2014 reception of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Hasty Pudding Award at Harvard University, an honor whose sole prior comedy/talk host recipient was Johnny Carson and an honorary doctorate from his alma mater Emerson College. Like Mr. Carson, Groucho Marx, and an elite group of entertainment figures, he has been invited to have his papers installed in the Library of Congress.  He also received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame (asking that it be placed in front of the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum since that is where he was arrested for vagrancy when he first arrived in Hollywood.)  He also has set several land speed records and became the first person to drive the pace car of all major NASCAR events.

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2007. Mattie was 5 years old and he absolutely loved our floor to ceiling windows. He used the glass to do all sorts of decorating. You can see Mattie loved the birthday gift he received, because it allowed him to create all sorts of window creatures. 


Quote of the day: The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

In many ways, I wish there were things I could actively do to make our community healthier. But I have to work within the rules of the law and the processes put into place. Even processes that are ineffective. What am I talking about? Try graffiti and homeless encampments. PERVASIVE issues in the city. 

My days are very full, but I feel I have a responsibility as a citizen to report things that need improvement. The graffiti is bad enough (see this stuff in front of the Kennedy Center), but our streets are being taken over by homeless encampments. It isn't just a matter of our parks and open spaces being occupied by homeless people, but it is also the matter of going to the bathroom in our public spaces and the health concerns that alone brings. You know that rats eat feces! Homeless encampments also produce a lot of garbage, with food containers everywhere, and even fires. As make shift grills are used to cook under tents or in parks. I wrote to the City yet again today, and truly hoping that something results.

Meanwhile, Mattie's school sent me photos of his "grove." We call it a grove because there are now three Mattie trees growing and thriving. 

In 2010, the first oak tree was planted in the location you see here. Mattie loved oak trees, so that was a natural choice for us to select. However, that tree died from some sort of infection and then a Yellowwood Tree was planted. The Yellowwood Tree did not make it more than a year before it showed signs of trouble. 

However, that Yellowwood Tree was never removed. Look at it today, it made a come back.  

After the second tree had issues, we planted a third tree, another Yellowwood tree, in this new location, by the playground. However, this tree was practically cut in half by a terrible spring storm in 2018. It looked like it was dying. However, with time, this tree has also made a come back. 

This is Mattie's 4th tree, which is located not far from the tree above. We asked that a fourth tree be planted because the rest looked like they were dying. This is a White Swamp Oak. 

I am not sure what the moral of the story is, other than like Mattie, these trees don't give up. They persevere and have incredible strength. A great moral message. 

Around the base of the trees, we always plant bulbs in the Fall. So it is wonderful to see them sprout up in the spring and remind us that a new season is upon us.