The older we get, the more frequently we experience the passing of loved ones. This  seemed to be the year of departure especially for mothers and grandmothers, both for us and for many of our close friends. Our hearts to out to all who have lost a loved one. 

We want to pay special homage to two very dear women. Kate lost her Grandma Kate Zylstra at age 97 spring of 2014. Grandma Kate was one strong woman. I'll never forget how she attended Jeff and Kate's wedding a few days after having a colonoscopy that went wrong. Weak as she was, she was determined not to miss that event. She was a guiding force in the lives of all who knew her.

One of the few women in my my life that earned the title of "My Other Mother" was Tindy Marshall who lived many years in New England, but moved to Washington in the 1970s. Long-time business associates and friends of Paul's parents, the Marshalls became OUR family when we lived in Concord, Massachusetts. When Paul and I lived in Southern California, Tindy and Morgan often visited us there. In fact, Tindy was a frequent baby sitter for Chris and Jeff, allowing me to take a ceramics class with my sisters in Los Angeles. Tindy spent the past few years in an assisted living facility in Bellevue, and I stopped in to see here whenever I was in the area. She passed away this fall, but will remain always in my heart.