Your MIL sounds delightful. Is her book published? Online? Stories of Berlin?
My SanFran friend who grew up in wartime Berlin just died at 88. She was so much fun to be with…had a stroke on vacation in Berlin —at a beauty shop, a glass of chablis in one hand, a cigarette in the other…indominatably herself and exactly the way she wanted to go.
Off the top of my head, Picasso lived to be 92, Miro was 90, Matisse was a month short of 85. All painted until the end. And enjoyed life immensely.
Your MIL is really a treasure.
Her book was about weaving animals. I still mail out a few for her every month.
Her father was a German Mennonite farmer from the Black Sea area of Russia, and mom was an English lady. The things that family went through before making it to America was amazing. Makes me realize how well we have it now, and what it can turn into if we don’t take care of it.