n, her car and Edna

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That was a lousy birthday gift, wasn't it n? I'm glad you are getting close to getting a new car! I miss the stories of your jaunts with Edna.love SharonThis email is a natural hand made product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects. To: MSersLife Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 10:27:06 AMSubject: Re: Hans' absolute pitch in music, all forms/Edna also!

I play piano, guitar, viola, clarinet, recorder flutes,ukelele, country fiddle on the viola (gets a lot of laughs),and a lot of other stuff.My car was stolen on my birthday, June 7, 2010, so Edna and I have not been jaunting; I am saving up for a used car, though--just almost had one yesterday!Love to you, Kate, and Edna sends her love to you all, too,as do I,nFrom: Kate Rothschild

To: MSersLife Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 10:16:29 AMSubject: Re: Hans' absolute pitch in music, all forms/Edna also!

Oh boy! You truly come from a family ofmusicians, to say the least! What is yourarea of music? Do you play the piano?Hey, on a separate, 'note' (no pun intended),what, if anything, have you and Edna been upto these days? I know jaunts have been out,but do you still get together for say, coffee ora game of cards or scrabble or such?Just curious,love you, and all on our lovely list,KateFrom: marion j rojas

To: MSersLife Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 12:47:38 PMSubject: Re: Hans' absolute pitch in music, all forms

Yes, and my mother's father was an opera singer.Everyone in my whole family sings, but my eldestsister (had meningitis at age 7) could not sing happybirthday even in a room full of people singing it. I had to explain this to our mother!Love to you, Kate, and to the kids, too!nTo: MSersLife Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 9:40:39 AMSubject: Re: Hans' absolute pitch in music, all forms

That's incredible, n! Wow! I am really,truly impressed with folks that have that ability. I do vaguely recall your telling us aboutyour mom being a concert pianist.But, did Hans sing? Just wondering, as I kindaconsider myself to be a singer.love you my friend, and love your stories as well,KateTo:

MSersLife Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 12:37:40 PMSubject: Re: Hans' absolute pitch in music, all forms

Kate, the man could listen to something on the radioand describe the pitch, e.g., "C sharp major"-- and hecould tell you what pitch a bell was if it rang nearby.However, he never did learn to play piano, and the kids begged him NOT to give them advice when they werepracticing. I did that; my mother was a concert pianist--that is a whole 'nother story!Love,nTo: MSersLife Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 8:16:36 AMSubject: Re: Chronic illness, marriage, kids, family, etc., etc.

What sweet, precious memories, n!I love hearing these and all the ways you2 interacted. His perfect pitch--was that insinging you mean?I love that you drove him everywhere!You really keep him alive in your heart,n.I love you for that,KateTo: MSersLife Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 12:42:08 AMSubject: Re:

Chronic illness, marriage, kids, family, etc., etc.

Yes; he was 6' 2.5" tall, blond very short hair, red moustache and red beardcame later after about with the flu during which he discovered that his moustache and beard were in fact dark red, not brown! He was olive skinned, as am I, and had wonderful blue eyes. Two of our children have brown/greeneyes; one brown like mine, one blue like his; that one has blond hair, too.He had absolute pitch, flawless verbal memory and pratically needed me to drive him to work--which I had done when we had but one car--as he hadlittle clue as to spatial orientation with respect to himself. He was the soul ofgenerosity and kindness, and did not take himself seriously--tried, but ended up in fits of laughter--I am the same way; two of the kids are very serious!My

friends to this day just love quoting his hilarious comments.Thank you, Sharon.Love to you, and to each of you here with us,n, who has lived so long that spell check no longer really works. . . .To: MSersLife Sent: Tue, October 19, 2010 8:05:49 PMSubject: Re: Chronic illness, marriage, kids, family, etc.

Thank you, n, for letting me share in your lovely memories. Hans was a wonderful man, wasn't he?love SharonThis email is a natural hand made product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects. To: ABC-Diabetes-International <ABC-Diabetes-International >Sent: Tue, October 19, 2010 7:09:26 PMSubject: Chronic illness, marriage, kids, family, etc.

When I met my husband (13 years older than I) I was a senior incollege, having begun college a bit ahead of schedule. He proposedto me on Valentine's Day, and sent me a card saying "Will you marry me?" each anniversary thereafter, and on each Valentine's Day!He knew all about my medical stuff, and I knew a lot about hisHolocaust Survivor stuff. We were well-matched, in so many ways.We decided to divide up the housework according to who hated to do what task the least. . and then Hans said, "n, I am willing todo all of it that I can, including cooking if you will do ONE thing!"Seemed like a pretty good deal, so I said yes, and asked him whatthat one thing was. He blushed (this was a man who could build ahouse, chop

down trees, cut

boards and 2-by-4s, etc., install plumbing,gas lines, electricity, shingle the roof, plaster the walls, install and design the woodwork, paint anything, lay the floors, put in the appliances,install the furnace, etc.It turned out that the one thing that he wanted me to do was to take over taking the car (later on, cars) to the shop and oversee their maintenance, to which I happily agreed.Hans could clean anything: toilets, walls, floors, tubs, showers,shower heads, kitchen appliances and just loved to wash dishesbefore we had a dish washing machine, though he still loved it.He could bake, cook, and even learn new recipes!When he was diagnosed with liver cancer, and told that he hadabout 11 months to live (this due to a parasite he had acquiredduring the family's exile in Switzerland), he clutched me, huggedme, and (thinking of the children) sobbed and said, "And I alwaysthought that

you were going to go first!"He died when our youngest, wcf, was about 16.5. Although wehad done our best to prepare the children for what was to come,we had probably prepared one another better.I remember thinking, after the memorial services, that a relativelyshort (25 years) marriage was far better than 70 years of tortureand suffering. Hans was the best; it was harder on the kids thanon me, though my brothers and their families also missed him.After his death, I was hospitalized for treatment of CF, and one ofmy internists and a CF doctor dropped in to visit. They asked whether I would receive, in my view, the same high quality ofcare that I had received while Hans was alive. I assured themthat I had every confidence in them. A small still voice was whispering to me to be quiet. I was, and then when the nurse camein to insert the PICC line, I told

her what they had said, and she justcracked up. She said, "Poor things! If only they had known that your husband was working on his plays and you were helping withthe dialogue, and that was why he was writing on those yellow legaltablets!" She had nailed it, ans we both cracked up, even though it made me cough!My husband, Hans Steinkellner, was a playwright, and had 37 playsperformed in California, Illinois, and New York (off Broadway, though)I found myself somehow, but I think the effect on the kids was rathersadder and more lasting, which is understandable.Love to each and every one of you, married, partnered, renting together, or whatever you are doing--so long as there is love to sustaineach of you,n RojasP.S. My spell-check tells me that I have misspelled "Steinkellner!" M.~