Death is a mysterious stranger to most of us comfortable folks in our middle years. But as we get older, the generation before us begins clearing the decks, making room for the next round of folks to fall before the scythe. My Aunt Janice passed away a couple of hours ago, and I'm still trying to process it. She was as full of life as anyone I know. She came and visited for the last time this past September. Di and I had so much fun with her that her memory will always be associated with a good glass of wine, and San Francisco in the fall. She found out that pancreatic cancer was loose in her body. A couple of months later, she is gone. She had a zest for life, an adult appreciation for the fleeting moments that had to be grasped and cherished. I've several of those moments locked safely in my heart, where she and her bud Shirley, her constant companion, life long friend and fellow widow, have taken up residence. Janice, I will miss your infectious laugh, and your gift for sniffing out the absurd. Thank you for the time we've spent together. You were a real character, and a jewel. Rest in peace.