[Magdalen] Prayer request/Update and more grandmotherly boasting

[Jay Weigel]

Pubbies, my eye is not (so far) improving. Those of you on Facebook heard
my not-so-merry moan yesterday when I returned from the ophthalmologist's
office after a new treatment designed to help, which is fairly miserable.
It's a "bandage" made of a bit of amniotic tissue on a sort of spring ring
which basically covers the entire iris. The result is that my vision in
that eye is blurry and , the eye runs more or less constantly and is
"gunky", and it feels like there is something in it, which of course there
is. I see him next week for further evaluation and to see if the holes in
the cornea are healing at all. They were not with the other treatment.
Prayers, please, that this will help, because it's not much fun to be
blurry all day and wake up with your eye stuck together.

On the bright side, I had a lovely visit with my Tennessee family last
week. They have grown SO much! Both the boys, Isaak and Alley, graduated,
neither with honors, although both earned national certifications in some
engineering-related things (alley in two of them) which would have made the
late ex proud. Alley also asked to come back home, which was a VBD and
cause for celebration. He apparently realized that he'd screwed up within
two days after he left, but, typical of teenagers, he found it hard to
apologize. However, he didn't slip back into his old ways but got himself
up every day and kept up with his schoolwork. We are so proud of him! I am
pretty sure he has a job lined up too. I had a wonderful long talk with
Isaak at a family gathering and was able to reconnect with him on a good
level. He is a tall, lanky, very quiet young man with a quirky sense of
humor, not unlike his dad. Not sure what he wants to do yet, but thinking
of maybe architecture. He notices buildings and things about them very
quickly and loves to draw. He is also, right now, immersed in all things
Tolkien. I got to meet his girlfriend, a tiny ball of energy with ambitions
to become a trauma nurse. She is the outdoorsy type who has gotten him
outdoors too--they had just come in from kayaking--also a photographer and
cute as she can be.

Granddaughter Julianna had her Honors Day while I was there also. She is a
Beta Club member and would have been A-B Honor roll also but for one tiny C
her first 6 weeks (like me, she had a little trouble breaking that code in
Algebra!). Yet she earned an award for "Best all-Around" in Math! The award
we are most proud of was "Best Debater" in History, however--that one goes
to the students, male and female, who were able to respectfully challenge
other students' viewpoints and express their own. Juli plans to go out for
Debate next year in high school and has plans to become a lawyer,
preferably a prosecutor and eventually DA, maybe the Attorney General one
day LOL

No worries about granddaughter Samaria. She is the hardest worker of them
all, putting in 25-30 hours a week at a local restaurant AND keeping her
grades at an honors level with AP classes in Art and History this past
year. She'll do dual enrollment with  the local community college next year
so she has a year of college classes under her belt when she graduates. I
don't know how she does it all. Grandson Preston is quiet, steady and
funny, a straight-A student as a sophomore, with an interest in all things
computer. I really must get him introduced to S/O. And what can I say about
Colin? He's out there! He has a definite future as a comedian. Sometimes he
kind of gets lost in the shuffle with all these big teenagers, but they
don't pick on him or allow him to be picked on. And last but not least,
there's Boogie, who is HUGE! Nearly 6 feet tall, 240 lbs. of muscle, and
exceedingly handsome. Apparently there are girls sighing over him, but he
is pretty scornful of how silly most of them are. He is very quiet and
sensible, a good student, dependable, all the things you want your kid to
be. I worry about him being TOO good! He plays football, which I don't like
particularly, and also "throws stuff"...discus and shot...as does Julianna.
Baby granddaughter Pearson gets prettier every day and is adored by all.

And now I really must shut up, having bored everyone to tears.