Colleagues -- With Jack's permission, I'm sharing this news with you about his current health situation. As some of you may know, Jack has had several quite painful gall bladder attacks over the past few months. They've mostly occurred while in Litibu and mercifully been of fairly short duration. He's elected on those occasions not to take the surgery route but to treat the stones medically, and this has seemed sufficient. Jack and Judy have been in the States these past three weeks or so, preparing to attend the Archive Team's Fall Sojourn in Chicago. Jack had the most severe of these attacks while here--as it happens, while staying with David and Margaret Scott in Kalispell, MT. He has basically been wiped out, this time for several days, with major pain and unable to sleep. He's now been diagnosed once again with stones, and this time an inflamed pancreas and an irregular heartbeat. Thankfully, I don't think the Gilleses could have picked a better place for this to happen. The Scotts are providing incredible care for both of them and ensuring that Jack has access to fine medical resources. Further tests are scheduled for this week, and Jack has pretty much decided this time to go for gall bladder surgery if the doctors give him the nod. Jack and Judy won't be joining the Archive Team in Chicago this weekend for the start of the Fall Sojourn. Depending on how things go, (the eternal optimist) he's holding open the possibility they might make it the second week. Given how much Jack is in communication with so many of us, he wants to let everyone know the current situation, and, if any of you were wondering, why you haven't heard from him lately. Regardless of the medical evaluation, those of you who know Jack know that when he can't bring himself to get on the Internet himself, he clearly can't be in the best shape. I know he'd appreciate any of our prayers or emails wishing him improved health. He was feeling somewhat better this evening when I talked to him, having been able to get some sleep today for a change. He's scheduled for further tests related to those irregular heart rhythms tomorrow, with discussion of the surgery depending on how they turn out. More as we learn more -- Gordon