Rosalie Maggio

♥ Born in Texas.

♥ The oldest of the eight children of Dr. Paul J. Maggio and Irene Nash Maggio. These fratelli e sorella are also, coincidentally, my best friends: Frank Maggio, Patrick Maggio, Kevin Michael Maggio, Mary Maggio, Paul Maggio, Mark Maggio, Matt Maggio. Not only do we love each other a lot, we like each other a LOT, and have just co-written a memoir consisting of humorous anecdotes from our growing-up years (our collective past) and humorous e-mail exchanges of today (our collective present).

♥ Graduate of The College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN, with a major in French, minors in history, theology, and philosophy.

♥ I've been married longer than I have not to David Koskenmaki, an athletic, mountain-loving Finn who runs, hikes, skiis, canoes, kayaks (built his own), bikes, and is either coming off a five-month walk from Mexico to Canada or planning a Grand Canyon rafting trip. When you can get him indoors, he reads voraciously, plays the piano, takes dancing lessons, and is the go-to guy for home repairs. He's got an inventive mind--thus the holder of 30-some patents, and he's always into something new. You can tell where he's been by looking in the garage--an old ice fishing hole-maker (looks like a giant screw), the arrows he made himself for bow-hunting, the snowshoes and cross-country skiis next to the Telemark skiis, the contraption he made so he could cut his own hair. You get the idea. He has never bored me.

♥ The most fun I've ever had in my life was being the mother to three rather fascinating individuals. I'm tempted to tell you about them, but in the interests of keeping in their good graces, let's not and say I did. They have further enriched my life by bringing in some rather wonderful new family members.

♥ I never get enough of spending time in France and Italy, particularly Sicily. After spending two full summers and a year in France during and after college, I returned many times to research the life of Marie Marvingt. My grandparents were born and were married in Camporeale, Sicily, and most of us have spent time in Sicily, visiting contemporary relatives and ancient ruins--also some contemporary ruins and ancient relatives. I once fell into a grave in the local cemetery. Sister Mary took my picture down among the bones.

♥ In addition to a daily walk through the forest, I like to spend as much time as possible at my desk or reading. Next in line comes gardening (I love roses) and genealogy and collecting (stamps, coins, old handkerchiefs, demitasse spoons, inkwells, vases--anything I have more than 3 of somehow turns into a collection).

♥ Philosophy of life? All of us belong to the same family--your loss is my loss, your joy is my joy. And: Cultivating a grateful heart. I once read that the more grateful we are, the more we have to be grateful for. I'm a believer.