An old friend of mine was in town this weekend being wined and dined by U of C's cultural anthropology doctoral program. She has been accepted into the program and received a full scholarship, so she is quite pleased by it all. This is something she really, really wants to do; when I asked how everything went, her eyes welled up with tears of joy as she expressed to me just how overwhelmed by it all she is. I felt very excited and happy for her - this is her time, her shot. Go get 'em Kate! We went out Saturday night to watch Second City, which was hilarious as per usual. She really enjoyed that and she liked getting to see a little bit of the city too. It was great to see her and great to see her so happy.

Tonight in talking with my mother I learned that my Uncle Phil is not doing so hot. His brain tumor is causing him problems again. Last year they operated and took out what they could, but made no pretenses of getting it all. He is having a lot of negative side effects now and is going to have to enter a medical assisted living facility, something no one wants to have to do. The strain on his family is enormous; his son drives cross state every weekend to be with him, his daughter who is still in school comes when she can as well, his parents are leaving Florida this week to go back to their Indiana home (why, I do not know - time appears to be short), and his ex-wife is, well, his ex-wife. I ask your prayers for Phil and for his family. Please pray with me for God's will to be done and for a dignified death without pain, suffering, or fear; please pray with me for the comfort and consolation of the Holy Spirit upon his family and all who care for him through the intercessions of blessed St. Luke the physician and the Ever-Blessed Virgin Mary. Please pray with me also for my Grandmother, my Uncle Al, and my Uncle Jack, all whose health has seen far better days. Please pray.

-R