Mom Quixote

What does a widow under 40 do when she's destitute, must depend on her tight-fisted Irish in-laws for income, and has two adopted daughters to raise?Our mother, Dorothy Alton Rowland, bolted her front door against both the in-laws and the outside world. Armed with Philip Morris cigarettes, Nescafe coffee, and her all-purpose yardstick, our Mom Quixote devoted herself to her quest: making us "Proper young ladies."Unshackled by convention, she out-tilted her adversaries be they the Catholic Church, the all-male medical establishment, or our specialty: "damn fool kid instincts." The only chink in her armor was our fascination with all things Irish, leading to our own quest.