The Whirlwind

This girl is a whirlwind. This is my Oma. She'll be 90 in July. She might as well be 60.

May has been a busy month for Luise Schultz. She commandeered a highly successful luncheon at St. John's Lutheran Church to raise money for this year's mission. I heard she was known as "General Schultz", giving orders to her troops, making sure the turkey salad was seasoned just right and the napkins were folded with precision.

The day after the luncheon, she drove the paltry 14 miles to her ailing daughter's house to deliver turkey salad leftovers. While unpacking her basket, she whipped out the complete layette set in pink she had just finished knitting for her soon to be born great granddaughter. The pattern was intricate and naturally, stunning. She then gave the itinerary for her fast approaching trip to New York City. Her passport has expired, you see, and being a German citizen requires a trip to the nearest consulate. The passport, of course, must be renewed. Make no mistake, she's got places to go. And out the door she went.

To my great dismay, I received an email today, via blackberry, from the mother of the soon-to-be-baby in pink knit. She was with our Oma in the emergency room near her Brooklyn home. It seems Oma had tripped on a curb on the way to a park...and broken her nose. Broken her nose! Oh, but not to worry. She's fine, she says. Just swollen and annoyed. Not a coiffed hair out of place or a wrinkle in her clothes. She's fine

The mother-to-be exclaimed, "Look at it this way, Oma, we can get you a nose job for your birthday and throw in an eye lift". To which I emailed back saying I was looking into rhinoplasty gift certificates as we speak. Oma was laughing. To add to the revelry and keep this whirlwind woman stylish and humored, I've had her Lady Bug Knitting Club notified of the minor catastrophe. I've asked the ladies to knit her a nose mitten with strings for her ears to hold it in place. And please knit it to look like a lady bug. Because nothing is too good or too funny for my Oma.