Wow, I have not posted in a while. Sorry for the absence, the spring of this year has and continues to be very busy. During March my 96 year old grandmother passed away. The experience of being with her in her final weeks was at times consuming and I have continued to process her life and our loss of her presence with us. I have intended to write something about her life and her encouragement of me as her grandson. As I have reflected on my experiences with her, my most fond memories are of sharing stories of her childhood and early adult years. She grew up in northern Georgia and except for a short time on the west coast, lived in that area most of her life. She was the last surviving sibling in her family though she was not the youngest. She was a short woman, but size was not a reflection of her true strength and determination. Her father lost the family farm due to economic stresses before she was born and she grew up watching him work with determination in various jobs to provid