She was adopted by a widowed, retired school teacher. Is that her?!
@lola: Yes. She taught ESL at LoneStar. She lost their longtime pup about a year ago, just 7 months after her husband passed. They were/are like family. They really rolled out the welcome mat for us when we moved to Texas. It was like having a second set of parents right down the street. He treated me like a son/best friend/brother, and boy could he smoke up a tasty brisket.
I miss him every day!
I consider it a privilege that she calls on me when she needs help with things that he would've done.
 Our oldest started working for them several years ago (cleaning, trash, etc..), and still takes the bus over there a few times a week. 4951