grandma rosaleen january 10, 1915 - june 26, 2006

rin's paternal grandmother moved on this morning. she was the source for much of rin's oddities and her love of irish lore and rhyming poetry. one of these days we'll get the whole poem "galumping along in galoshes" up here for your entertainment.

grandma rosaleen had a way with rhythm. even in the hospital, up to just last week, she played the piano for about three hours to the amusement of her (adult) grandchildren. in fact, she made us all play "chopsticks" with her, there in the hospice dining area, one at a time. 

grandma rosaleen was born in january of 1915, but she was due to be born in april. the doctor made her mother go to a hospital in cleveland, ohio (though she lived in pennsylvania) three months early, as it was the only place within hundreds of miles that had an incubator. that certainly was an interesting time for incubators. they seem to be all the rage during that era. grandma weighed only 3 1/2 lbs when she was born, and she remained in the incubator for three months, but she suffered no ill effects on her health or brain. in fact, she went 88 years (her "piano" birthday) without breaking a single bone.

there are too many grandma rosaleen stories to tell here, but suffice it to say, 91 and a half years hardly seems like long enough, and she will be missed.

check out grandma's stew (with seitan) for our favorite food memory of grandma. down an old-fashioned first, and you'll have a sense of what we'll be missing.

sláinte.