Technolandy

Day 83 (of 2024/25) at over 100 years of age, a passing may not be surprising, but it is still a loss

My remaining grandparent passed this past weekend. Last year we celebrated her 100th birthday. An amazing streak considering she took on cancer (with the help of my mom who moved back ‘home’ to help her out) at the turn of the millennium. 

But she will be missed. The grandkids and great grandkids are all sad. So are her kids. It is easy to say ‘celebrate the century’ but there is still a big change underway. I called her during the halftimes of the Seahawks. Regular check ins during the Mariners games (heck, when my oldest was born, she joined in what my mom restarted as an annual tradition – ‘the family’ (we are not a large group) would gather annually and watch the Mariners. Not the only time we would get together, but ‘a’ time we would count on. Until she had a tumble and we had to reconsider her mobility to get in to the games – when we instead created a bigger event at my moms house and ‘brought the mariners to her’ – hot dogs, garlic fries, chardonnay… and a chance for some of us to watch the game while others chatted and socialized (one of the highlights of being at a ballgame is the ‘other stuff’ than just what is happening on the field.

She witnessed so much in the Seattle area. Those little local startups including Microsoft… Starbucks… and artists like Jimmy Hendrix and Nirvana/Pearl Jam / Soundgarden / Alice in Chains and others she didn’t listen to😇

As a food worker with United Airlines she saw the growth (and decline) of Boeing. She saw the little coffee shop at Pikes Place market become so many peoples ‘third place’. She didn’t know why so many people made a fuss about the Worlds Fair and the creation of the Space Needle (the Landy family game is to be the first to see it and shout it out as we approach Seattle from north or south). 

She bought a house in an area called Normandy Park while my grandfather was away – quite the surprise. She was the one who organized a number of camping trips for the grandkids – great memories still of going to Lewis & Clark national park and Long Beach to fly kites. 

She moved west with family remaining in the Dakotas and Minnesota area – with sisters stopping in Nevada, she kept going until she met the Pacific Ocean. Carrying on a long tradition of our family being ‘on the move’ – probably what has had me willing to do a bigger relocation as per Andy Hargreaves ‘3-5-7’ year movement suggestion (3 when things are of significant change/ 5 when moderate change has occurred / 7 even when things are feeling good and stable) in order to keep up personal growth. 

There’s always been a bit of ‘stuff you don’t want to know/believe’ when it comes to my grandma too – she was eerily accurate when she ‘read cards’ (3 for 3 on gender reveals of our kids!) and of course it was when I called to check in on her with my mom that we got a yell from the other room… 

Everybody loves the century mark with more and more aiming and achieving it… https://apple.news/AfPTJbnKfQCyRe85NF8JL6w

As opposed to when my family dealt with ‘deaths too soon’, I am happy that most of my grandparents were well above average (93-100) and hope that my kids all likewise get too tired if life before life tires of them.  Quantity of years matter, but I’m reflecting more and more on the balance to ensure there is quality as well. And she was at home with some family and friends.

We celebrate and miss grandma. Watching the Seahawks and mariners is going to be different.