MY GRANDMOTHER, CHARLSIE FARRIOR TEAL, DIED TODAY, at about noon. It was sudden and quite unexpected; we’d all gone out to dinner Saturday and she seemed to be doing very well, but at 91, well I guess “sudden” isn’t really the word.

Got the call from my mother and headed out there, cancelling my afternoon class. Got there before the paramedics left; there were several nice deputies from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department there (they always do that when someone calls 911 to report a death) and even a Chaplain (they do that, too). They were very helpful and considerate.

Spent the afternoon dealing with funeral home stuff, etc. (the funeral will be in Birmingham, where there’s still some family, though my grandmother outlived all but one of her friends — her friend Ethel Claire, whom she met when she was 19, is still alive but has a broken hip and probably won’t make it).

My mom is spending the night with us tonight. Back later.

Meanwhile, to the right is a picture of my grandmother from last year, and below is one of her and my grandfather from Daytona in 1938. She had a long, and good, life. I’m still sorry that she died, though.