Grandpa Jim, as others have attested, loved to captivate people with his stories. But he also had a magical ability to capture one's curiosity as well. As a kid, I remember my highlight in trips to Dalton often involved "the black box." In this metal cube, smaller than a bread box, which he stored out of reach in the bedroom closet, artifacts abounded. After my incessant begging, he would mischievously pull down the treasure chest for my perusal. With each object, he would share a story: about his father's watch, the title deed to an old pick-up, keys to who-knows-what. I think my favorite quality to grandpa was that he could take any mole hill and make it into a mountain. It might have been an object, or a story. But he also had a way of making people feel that way, too. I always felt like a million bucks, like a real big deal after interacting with him: "Lordie!!!"--he would hoop and holler after I told him about the 4th grade, or 8th grade, or any life event big or small.