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 Greeting friends,

 hello once again from sunny Arizona, I hope all are doing fine this Monday afternoon. I'm doing a little better myself, although I'm still battling the lingering effects of a bug that has been bothering me for a week. I feel much better now than last I wrote you, just in time to host my grandson Isaiah, who is visiting from California.

 Isaiah is sixteen now, and happy to escape to Tucson each summer with his 'Tata'. He enjoys some of the locl eateries that are not available in the Bay area where he resides. What else is there to do when a young boy is off on his summer break, than to eat, sleep in late,watch movies and play on thier computer? Eegee's subs, Old Chicago Pizza and Dairy Queen ice cream are just of the few things we do when he comes to the desert. I myself enjoy his company tremendously and spoil him at every oppurtunity. He is a shy, quiet and very polite young man, but very informed about the world around him. I get the chance to spend quality time with him here, as oppossed to my frequent visits to his home, where he is busy with siblings, school and homework most of the year.

 I myself didn't grow up with my grandparents as a child, and barley remember the only grandma I ever met, a privilege I think most childern enjoy from one side of the family or the other. Isaiah is also extremely smart, maintaining a 'A' average as he enters his third year in High school. He has also fared well in the State Spelling-Bee competition and has recieved other academic awards recently. But the best part of hanging out with this first of the 'next generation kid', is the time we spend talking about life and why things are the way they are, in the world he will soon enter as an adult. Having already raised three kids of my own, including his father, the world that surrounds us has certainly changed in the last twenty years. I hope I can infuse some knowledge and wisdom, as well as comfort and reassurance, that he can carry with him wherever and whatever path he will soon choose. In the meantime, we will enjoy the rest of the week he has remaining here, filling our bellies with treats and snacks, before I return him to his parents and the school system.

 In a time where there is so much trouble and strife,and it is so visible to our youth, I believe all the Isaiah's of the world need as much of our time and attention, to help them make sense of the fast changing climates, attitudes and circumstances that they are bombarded with constantly. I certainly will do my best with all kids, mine or not, that I may come I come in contct with, for the physical and emotional health of our youth. 

 Thanks for checking in friends, and stay safe wherever you call home. Asta la otra semana!

 Juanjohn