When Leslie Harpold stopped updating her advent calendar on the 7th, I wondered, and even worried a bit, but in the end, figured something'd come up and she'd update soon. Today when I made my visit to check, I was redirected to the awful news that she suddenly passed.

It is with great sadness that our family announces the sudden passing of Leslie Harpold in December of 2006. We know that Leslie was a beloved presence in the internet community, and we ask that you keep her in your thoughts and prayers. If you wish to make a donation in her memory, Leslie was a supporter of the ASPCA in New York City.

I never spoke to Leslie, but I'm saddened tonight, for the loss of her creative spirit. Seeing her home page quote for harpold.com brought tears to my eyes. My thoughts are with her family tonight.

This is the third death to touch me this week. My heart hurts for those grieving.