One of my heroes died Sunday night. She was ninety, and had been sick briefly. I had a hard time believing she was dying, because she took her Discover Magazines to the hospital, and had taken up sudoku there.

Elaine Spenader was Barbara's mother. She had been grievously wronged twice in her life, and there were periods when she battled demons, but for the last twenty years, she was cheerful, curious, and a friend. She lived life on her own terms.