I had the good fortune to be a nearly (several houses away) neighbor to Etta for a few years prior to moving to Maine. We remain in touch, sharing memories, stories, thoughts, and inspirations. (She says she keeps my book on her table–how can I not love her!?)

One of our funnier stories is how we shared a dog named Jake. He was officially her dog, but would often come calling, follow me around while I worked in the yard, and occasionally do “sleep-overs.” I’ve said, “Jake was the best dog I never really had.” It was quite a while before we learned what Jake had been up to and who he actually belonged to. The truth was revealed the day Etta and her granddaughter came to the house and Jake answered the door with me. Granddaughter exclaimed, “Hey, that’s our dog!”

Her most recent letter began, “Can you believe?! I am still here at 94–awesome!”

That’s not difficult to believe–Etta’s always been a bit like the Energizer Bunny… she keeps going and going. She self-describes herself as ADHD “before they had a name for it”… and admits that her physical body has slipped a bit, but her spirit has not aged one bit. Her letter included an energetic rundown of “where that spirt has moved me in the past four years.”

You really should meet her and see what she’s been up to, starting at 90 years old. YouTube makes that possible. I’m quite sure you’re allowed to call her “Gramma Etta” and will enjoy the mission she and her family have undertaken. Etta answers the question, “Can one person make a difference?”

Click here for Sing GBA Website

By the way… if you see or talk to  Etta, let her know that Valley Grange sang God Bless America at our Community Night Celebration on May 18, 2018.