Early in July, Mel and I drove to Hanford, California, to visit Mel’s cousin Patricia. I first met Patricia about 10 years ago when Mel, the kids and I visited California and Mel’s Aunt Mildred and her daughter, Patricia. Patricia and I hit it off. The kids loved her. She was dynamic and hilarious. She was an artist. She played piano at her church and for the high school show choir. She also played oboe and cello. Patricia wrote poetry, and she painted and sketched. She made sculptures and did pottery. A remarkable artist.

For the past 10 years or so, Patricia and I stayed in touch. I visited her a few times when I was in California on business. We would message each other when there was a California earthquake. She’d let me know when she felt the tremors. We traded music and movie suggestions. She told Mel and me about Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto…absolutely beautiful.

Patricia phoned me on a Wednesday night in June to say she was having cancer surgery the next day.