Nanny is a Grimsley graduate who attended the public high school in the late 1960’s when Greensboro City Schools had only recently become racially integrated. As a matter of fact, her father, John Foster, was Chairman of the Greensboro City School Board when they integrated. Nanny, always a big believer in the worth and dignity of everyone, started a very special “endowment” at Tate Street Coffee House. Each month, she puts money in an account so that the groundskeepers on UNCG’s campus can get a cup of coffee for free. Over the years, she saw this crew go above and beyond to help students move into and out of dorms and she always admired how hard the groundskeepers work to maintain the landscaping on campus– regardless of the weather. If you are ever looking to “pay it forward,” go to Tate Street Coffee and donate to the “Nanny” fund. If you go on Monday, you will learn of another Nanny tradition. She takes the coffee shop a bouquet of freshly cut flowers- whatever she has that is in bloom. Nanny’s generosity is an inspiration and reminds us that we all have the potential to make a difference.

The thumbnails below show you that her College Park yard has just the right amount of plantings and whimsy. The green handrail, near the end of the top row, was made by Greensboro artist, Jim Gallucci. If you click on the thumbnail of the poppy, you can see a bee making a beeline for the cheerful, red, herbaceous plant. Tomorrow, we will visit with Nanny in her back yard.