Louisiana emails her friend in Alaska a letter; shse is disconcerted to learn that her friend's elderly mother is in the hospital.
Tuesday, the 14th of September, 2004, 10:47 a.m., C.S.T. (somewhere in Arkansas heading towards Tennessee)~
Dear Sikik:
First of all, Sikik, thank you for writing; it is so good to hear from you again! I was just starting to wonder about you; wondered why you hadn't written; but I am sorry to learn of your mother's illness. Is there anything I can do? Please do know that you are all in my prayers, and I pray that your mother makes it through the crisis without any problems whatsoever! I hope she feels better soon and is back home where she belongs!
Secondly of all, Sikik, in reference to your questions, Johnny had fun at the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, and yes, he did enjoy being with his friends again. We always get such joy in helping out people who aren't as fortunate, and people who have these neuromuscular diseases are among the most bravest and courageous people I have ever met in my life! My son included; he is so upbeat, and he doesn't let many things get to him! He is such a special little guy, and I am so glad to be his mama! He has brought nothing but joy into our lives; and we have been blessed by this little Miracle Child!
Ronee', my daughter, did not make the cut to be on the "America's Most Talented Kids" show. She was disappointed (we all were), but she hid her disappointment quite well, and we were proud of the way she handled herself. She is certainly maturing and growing up (in more ways than one!), and she isn't so little anymore; but she will always be my little Honey Bear, and I guess she always will, even after she gets married and has a family of her own! LOL Ronee' IS coming along in her singing, and God has blessed her with a beautiful singing voice. He has also blessed her with an incredibly gifted mind, and she has recently written a book geared for kids with disabilities who are facing problems; and she will be going to her first-ever book signing this weekend at Green Oaks Mall. She is really looking forward to it, and so are we! Thank you for asking; I will tell her that you asked about her. She will be tickled pink! :) If you wish, I will send you a copy of Ronee' 's book, "People Say No, But God Says Yes!: My Story Of Hope And Healing", free of charge, and if you want, I will even have her personally autograph it for you. Would you like that? Let me know! (I don't know if you are into inspirational-type reading material, but I think you will find the book to be quite interesting! In the meantime, if you want the book, I will send it the next time I write to you! Does that sound fair?)
Glad the weather is cooling off there in Alaska. Here it has been beautiful as of late, with temps in the 80's, with alternating days of sunshine and rain. But at least the severe stuff is overwith and done (I HOPE!); and I am actually looking forward to the fall and winter season. Fall and winter are busy times at the Sandusky household, and we will be getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas fairly soon. We will be having our daughters in Louisiana and Colorado home for the holidays (Dwerlina, and Lightning; Dwerlina attends college in Lafayette, at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette [where I went to school when I was younger!], and Lightning is married with five rambunctious children, including two newborn twins, who are now a few months old. I will get to see my two newest grandsons for the very first time come Thanksgiving, and I am really looking forward to meeting them! Their names are Tyreese and Tyrell, and they are both beautiful little boys!), and it will be a happy and busy time for one and all! Our house will be bursting at the seams, and it will be wall to wall people, but it will be worth to have the entire Sandusky family home again, together at last! :)
We were in Louisiana for a wedding; we will be home later today or very early tomorrow. We would have been in Tennessee by now, but there was a really bad accident that tied up traffic for hours, and it really messed up our schedule. Unfortunately, there were fatalities and several serious injuries in this said accident, so it was a real mess for a while. The wedding went smoothly, and the new bride and groom (Jenna Aurora Whitson [now Doucet], and her husband, Michael) went to New York City and then to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. They live in Alaska, so it will be a while before they get back that way. I hope they have a fun time on their honeymoon! I met Michael's family, and they all took to me, my husband, Bill, and three of our kids, Barbara, Johnny, and Ronee', who were all in the wedding party. Michael's mama is 85, and she is such a sweet and spry little gal; she made me tired just watching her! She has more energy and spunk than most people her age, and she gets around better than I do at the age of 35! (Something is MOST definitely wrong here when a little old lady with white hair gets around better than a woman of 35! LOL) I do hope to return to Louisiana again to see Michael's family! I really enjoyed meeting them all!
(Jenna has one sister, Jerrica, and her mother; but that is it. Her daddy died a few years ago in a harpooning accident. She has a very little family. They all live in Alaska, just like Jenna.)
Well. What to write about now, Louie? LOL Hmmm....let me see here....
Oh, yeah! I remember now...when I get back home, we will have company waiting. My friend in Fort Worth, Texas, Phoebe Pearson, and two of her children, Hanh Ly (14), and her little sister, Linn Chan (5), are at my house. They flew to Tennessee upon hearing the news of my granddaughter, Jamee, having muscular dystrophy; and they will be here until this weekend, where they will fly back home to Texas on Saturday. Which means I will have a few days to spend with them. It will be good to see Phoebe again; I last saw them last year, and I really enjoyed their company! I also enjoyed having the two girls as foster kids for several months while the Pearsons got their adoption paperwork completed, so the girls could get used to having a family, and they were both wonderful kids. They were born in Cambodia, in southeast Asia (it is near Vietnam), and they have really blossomed, according to their mother. It will be good to see the girls again; I have really missed both Hanh and her sister!
Well, Sikik, this is about it for now. I will be taking over the driving; Bill is tired, and he wants to take a nap, so I will be nice and let him do just that! LOL I am getting cramps in my fingers myself, and I need to try to pay attention before I drive! Or else I just may fall asleep myself: I am sitting here, typing this, and yawning my fool head off! LOL I had better scoot before I nod off and go to sleep! Until next time, Sikik, take care, and tell your mama that she is in our prayers, and I hope that she is feeling better soon! Tell her to take care of herself, and I hope that she is out of the hospital soon! You take care of yourself, too, and God bless you always!
Love you!
~As always, your Tennessee friend, Louisiana (who is now in northern Arkansas, on her way back home! LOL). :)
How do you keep track of all your characters Karen?;-) A wonderful story, I wish I were in Alaska every time the heat reaches 100;-)
Great write. Put ( magazine submissions) in google, and you'll get a list to look at.
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
Yankee Doodle Daddy is a historical Appalachian Family Saga. The story follows a mother's reckoning as she struggles to survive and keep her four daughters alive.
Tuesday, the 14th of September, 2004, 10:47 a.m., C.S.T. (somewhere in Arkansas heading towards Tennessee)~
