When I was 13, I was sent to stay with my 75-year-old grandmother for a two-week visit, while my parents went on a long-planned anniversary vacation in Europe. Grandma lived in a small one-bedroom cottage, so I was relegated to a sofa bed in the tiny living room. This cramped living arrangement was a pain in the ass, and was tolerable only because my grandmother was a kind, patient and loving person. She also had a wonderful sense of humor and a bright outlook on life. Grandma looked every bit of her 75 years. She was rolly
