We have known for some time that her remaining days were limited, but she still valiantly emailed and posted, and sent me my annual Advent Calendar, and it was only a couple of weeks ago that she asked me to take her off the blog mailing list, not enough strength to read here, but she had loved it.
Annie was one of those people who always got it. Loved 1066 and All That, Gorey, George Price, and other humorists I loved too. Such a friend. We had an actual written correspondence for some time, since she had lost a number of friends to old age, and I offered to stand in and exchange letters, great pleasure for both of us.
She had a life full of incident and experience, some good, some not so much, lived in several countries, and her last years were very happy with husband Barry. Her daughters will look out for him now.
I used to say I wanted to be like her when I grew up! amused her hugely. And there was a running gag about a sweater coat she could simply not get finished, and I persuaded her that it had iconic status at this point and shouldn't be finished. She liked that, and acted on it. Or rather didn't act, leaving the sweater coat in its perfect state of incompletion.
Send up good thoughts for her and Barry and her two daughters, and grand children. And her many many friends who have suffered a great loss this morning.
