Gramma Rose

Grandma Rose would have been 88 today. She was my Mom's mom, and I'd like to think I inherited some of her spunkiness. I had the pleasure of being the first grandchild and although this came with many benefits, now I realize the best was that I got the most time with her, compared to my younger cousins whose memories are not as clear. At the time, I didn't realize how cool and non-traditional-grandma-like she was. Originally from Clairton, PA (pronounced 'Clerton' by local Pittsburghers), she moved to Northern Virginia in the eighties (culture shock).

I spent several summers in PA with both Grandmas, and they each would try their best to get me to stop sucking my thumb and relying on my Pink Blanket (Pinky, who is still a big part of my life thanks to my Mom). Every time I returned from a Grandma-only visit, Pinky was smaller (they kept cutting it) and my parents had to reassure me that my thumb would not fall off or be deformed if I continued to suck it.

Grandma Rose was an adventurous, beer-drinking, bargain shopping, card shark with a passion for yard sales, cruises, and polkas. She had an eye for jewelry and made sure her children and grandchildren each had one of anything she bought (thanks to QVC). Both my Mom and my Aunt also turned to the QVC craze, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I'm up til 3am grabbing for my cell phone as supplies for a limited edition dustbuster count down..

She was also not afraid to belt out a song in church, and sometimes I still feel like I can hear her voice, especially whenever the choir sings 'How Great Thou Art'. If she were around today, I know she would be hip on the internet and still referring to me as the "doodlebug' or 'segunka' (which I think is Polish for 'stinker').