Scottsdale, Arizona
Newsletter Summer 2001

Dear Friend,
My biggest adventure this summer was my trip to Switzerland where I spent two marvelous weeks in Riehen/Basel with my sisters. Kenneth was my companion on the trip there and back. Our flight was held up when a drunken man started a near-riot in our supposedly non-stop flight to Frankfurt. This forced the plane to land in Boston and resulted in a three-hour delay. We then missed our connecting flight to Switzerland. Finally, we arrived but after sixteen long hours of flying, my feet were swollen like elephant's feet. Barbara and my granddaughter, Sylvia, came from Wisconsin and were able to catch a flight to Switzerland and met Kenneth and I when we arrived.

Switzerland was simply heaven! The parties my nephew, godchild, and sister, Eva, organized were a big party for our birthdays! Eva, her husband, and her daughters spoiled us rotten that day. The day before, Thomas and Ariane equally spoiled us at another birthday party. After my birthday, we drove to Meilen where the mayor of the village treated me like royalty. He presented me with the Honorary Citizen Award. We drank wonderful Swiss wine, whose grapes came from the neighboring vineyard of our old house, which we also visited. After a great meal and other goodies down, we went to an old pottery depot near the place where we grew up. Unfortunately, my friend Rosi Wachter died a few days before my arrival but her sister, but the last surviving Wachter sister, welcomed us with great excitement. She was hardly able to believe that I made the long trip from the U.S. after so many strokes.

One day in Zurich, we showed Barbara and Sylvia the house where we lived and visited all the special places so dear to my heart. Unfortunately, now in her 7th month of pregnancy, Barbara had a problem with her pregnancy. We brought her to the hospital where I worked for several decades. Half-heartedly, I had to leave Barbara in Zurich while worrying about my future grandchild and Barbara.

Kenneth and I returned to Basel that night. They kept Barbara under observation for one day and released her the next afternoon. She was very impressed with the quality of care she received. Still, Barbara decided it would be best to return to the states early. While I naturally hoped to have a Swiss born grandson!

So, courageous Barbara left for her long flight back to the states with lively Sylvia lying on top of her belly for the long journey. They made it home safe and well, in spite of the fact that their flight was canceled and they had to stay in Chicago overnight.

Now, a month later, we are all home. Kenneth is in New York and I am baking in the heat of the Arizona desert, where it is unbearably hot. I am grateful for air conditioning and for good friends who come and visit me and supply me with plenty of teas, pasta, and other goodies!

Yesterday I had a visitor from Argentina and another from Japan. Today my new friend Joanne is here for her usual visit and she brought me salmon and gyozas to make it easier to survive. The next time I write I will be annou ncing the birth of my second grandchild, Emma or Emmanuel, and life will be back to the normal routine.

Love and Blessings,
Elisabeth

P.S. Kenneth was recently present at the ceremonial opening of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Center in Japan! It’s a very exciting time for everyone..