I read these posts this morning and I have been on the verge of tears ever since! Granny Nelle was such an amazing person and someone who taught me so many things. I remember going to the post office with her, and on her way out she said hello to someone who didn't return the courtesy. She looked straight at me and said, "ALWAYS say hello to someone when you pass them - even if you don't know them." It seems fitting that she came up with the name for "Howdy Neighbor Day." She taught me other things - like to always use "cream rinse" when you wash your hair. A nice coat of red nail polish always looks good. Accessorizing matters. It's ok to spend $50 on a shirt if it's at Annzel's.

She also taught me how to draw - I remember being at the ranch during the summers, and when I would get bored she would set pots and vases on the kitchen table and have me draw them on the chalkboard in their kitchen. When I was ready for her to come look at it, she would erase the parts that weren't quite right and I would re-do it until it was perfect. My senior year of high school I had an art piece that was chosen to go to state, and I think she was more excited than I was.

I remember when I was a kid (10-12 maybe?) and there was a new litter of kittens. One of the kittens got an ear infection which left it a little retarded. It would try to walk and would only be able to make a half-circle and then would fall over and start the whole process over. We quickly named him Dizzy, and I was determined to nurse him back to health. After a few weeks Granny Nelle took me into Fritch and had Jock Lee put Dizzy to sleep. I'm sure that's the only ranch cat that ever had a dime spent on it, and I'm still thankful for that.

Of course, there's also the story of Parrish's first visit to the Ranch when Buddy died. The five of us stood in a circle around Buddy, dead on the kitchen floor, and Walt said, "Yep, he's dead. Stan, get the back-ho." As we were walking out to bury Buddy, Granny Nelle tried to make conversation with Parrish. She asked, "Well, Parrish, do you think dogs go to heaven?" A perfectly good segue for the theology student. I don't know why we thought it was so funny, but it still cracks us up.

My Freshman year of college...

This is a picture I took at the Ranch one Spring,

and for some reason it makes me think of Granny Nelle.

Exactly how I remember her...