Apparently she began getting worse through the past week. They think she had a stroke sometime in the last week, because she stopped speaking. I have not cried, nor has Jeff (that I have seen). We probably will at her funeral on Tuesday. She was such a sweet, generous, strong, funny lady. She hugged me recently as we were leaving and told me I was "such a sweet girl." Jeff said she must not know me well. I think he was kidding.

This will be the third funeral I've been to in Cowpens. First was Jeff's Grandpa who had spinal meningitis, then his older brother who had AIDS. Do I wear the same black dress that I wore to his brother's funeral? I think I'll wear pants. Jeff only has black jeans. His mom said she put him down as a pallbearer, but he didn't have to do it if he doesn't want to. She said she told them he probably didn't have a suit. I suggested going to get at least some dress pants if he wanted, but he said he'd just wear something he has and "let someone else do the pallbearing."

I was not surprised by this news, but it's still sad. I was sad to hear about her mental health declining, too. I'd always told Jeff and his mom how lucky they were that Grandma was still so sharp. My great-grandmother Viola (or Mama Martin, as we called her) didn't know me or my Dad when she died in a nursing home of Alzheimer's at 90. And Grandma was with family. I can't imagine being there when someone dies, but it's got to be better than the person dying alone.