Louisiana, just home from a morning of bloodwork at the hospital, writes her friend in Florida after Betty Jo Ciagalore (B.J.) has emailed her. She has the rest of the day off.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005, 12:34 p.m., C.S.T.~
Dear B.J.~
I am so happy to hear from you! Thank you for emailing me; your letter was waiting for me when I opened my email account, and I just had to answer!
I had some bloodwork today (I was supposed to have it tomorrow, but the doctor moved it up to today instead; I couldn't eat anything last night, and now I am starving!); I just got home from the hospital, and right now, my arm is on the sore side. I am going to make myself something to eat, so I will be right back, so sit tight...
Later, 12:54 p.m.~
I just made myself one of those Zatarain's Rice Dishes; ate the whole thing, too. TOLD you I was hungry! LOL ANYway, I thank you for writing; it is always nice to hear from you! Hope this finds you well, and hope this finds your little boys in a better frame of mind...I know how it is with rainy days and trying to keep a bunch of kids calm or occupied! That is probably one of the most ultimate tests of parenthood! You only have two kids to worry about...try FIFTY! WHEE! LOL The weather here is cloudy; it is supposed to start raining sometime later tonight, and rain all day tomorrow and the next day, with chilly temps. I can't wait until the springtime comes; I am more than ready to smell the flowers and smell the scents of springtime! We had a bad winter; we had several blizzards, and it was colder than normal here! Too cold for my Cajun blood! LOL This Cajun Mama ain't built for cold weather! LOL
Thank you for telling me about your sister, Gaby. I am sorry she has suffered so much in relation to her health! I am glad she is home from the hospital, and I hope she continues to recover without any more problems! Sounds like she has had to deal with a lot on her plate! If you want, tell her to write to me; she sounds like she maybe could use a friend! Spina bifida IS serious stuff. I have a daughter (Deborah) who was born with it, and she has had at least a dozen surgeries to try to repair her damaged spine. But she also has to live with the fact that she has no arms; she was born that way, so anything she does is a major undertaking, and yet she absolutely refuses to let her severe physical disabilities get to her. She is a young lady of courage and strength, and she has touched many people with her spirit and determination! I also have a younger daughter (Jameela; we call her Jamie or Meela for short) who has spina bifida, but she can walk with the aid of braces on her legs and forearm crutches, and nothing slows her down. She is very speedy-fast on her crutches, and she is always laughing! She has had several surgeries herself, but she has always been a happy child, once she got past her shyness and got used to being with us.
I was dismayed to hear that your baby boy, "Rascal", was sick. I certainly hope he is feeling much better by the time you get this email! I know how it is; I worry about my own baby girl, "Cajun Gold", whenever she gets a bug. She is so fragile; she weighs only four pounds, and she is so little she can go into my purse or sit on my lap when I am driving. She is a Pomeranian, too, and she has been such a sweetheart; I just love her! She is so adorable (and BOY, does she ever know it!)! She acts just like a beauty pageant contestant at time, flaunting her furry little self, like, "Look at me! I am beautiful! Don't hate me because I am beautiful!" She just turned two and a half, and she has brought me such joy!
We have other pets besides my dog, "Cajun Gold": we have other dogs, and we also have cats, birds, rabbits, fish, and now a brand new goat. We also have horses. So we are always busy feeding and caring for our feathered and furry friends, but I wouldn't trade them for all the money in the world! We love all our animals, and I am getting used to the idea of having a goat around. Surprisingly, he doesn't eat a lot, and he is actually quite friendly; but you don't sneak up on him: you are only asking for a good butting! LOL DON'T sneak up on him; you are only asking for trouble! He is all white, really cute, and his name is "Sparkles". A friend of mine who has goats sold him to us, and he provides milk to our kids who are allergic to cow's milk; and he has been a godsend!
I love all animals (except bugs! *Ewww, Ewww, Ewww! CRINGING*), but I guess I am both a cat and dog person; I don't have a preference. I enjoy either one. I could do without the horses, the birds, or the fish, but we got them for our kids who love those types of animals, and they have cared for them quite well, actually. We are very proud of how they have taken on this responsiblity, and they have proven to be very reliable pet owners. If I had to pick out my favorite cat I have known, it would be my one daughter Ronee' 's Maine Coon, "Cajun", who is a sweet little tortie with white. She is another one of those types of animals who knows that she is pretty, and she acts like a beauty contestant as well. She follows Ronee' around like a little furry dog, and she has such a sweet, pleasant "purr"sonality! She is a people cat, and everyone who meets her just absolutely adores her! She also has the loudest purr in the world, and she always seems in such a good mood!
Have you written to Kendra yet? I hope so; she is such a nice person to get to know! But unfortunately, there are people who can't get past the fact that she uses a wheelchair, and they doubt her capabilities as a mother; but she has proven to be an exceptionally good mother, and she takes wonderful care of her kids! People used to doubt MY capabilities as a mother, but once they saw that my kids' clothes were clean, their faces scrubbed, their teeth and hair brushed, and knew right from wrong, they learned to leave us be, and they learned to accept us in time. I love my kids too much to neglect them like that; I am NOT going to go to jail on account of my kids, and I am going to provide them with all the love and basic necessities that they possibly need in life! They have had so much heartbreak and hardship in their young lives already; why only take that away by abusing them? That's crazy talk! But that is how some people have reacted when I told them I was the adoptive parent to fifty kids with special needs, and I have had to fight tooth and nail to give my kids all the opportunity to succeed in life!
And now I am preparing to do battle again: I am adopting two more children into our family, a baby boy and a five-year-old girl from Sri Lanka, and I have to go through all that red tape again. GRRR!! Why do they make the adoption process so complicated?? You would think by now they'd make adopting a kid easier; but noooo...they only make it harder! GRRR!! I am just grateful we have two good adoption lawyers who know their stuff and know how to negotiate all that rigamarole and know how to navigate their way through the complicated adoption process! We have already started the paperwork in getting both Arjun Ravi and Rani into our family; but it may be at least six months to a year before we even see their faces or hold them in our arms! But boy, what a happy day THAT will be when our two newest Miracle Kids come to us from Sri Lanka! We are all looking forward in getting to meet our two new additions!
Well, B.J., I will run; my arms are hurting again, and I have to rest them. I have done too much now, and I am paying for it. They must have taken several pints of blood from my arms, and my poor arms are all bruised! *OW*! Take care, and God bless! Thanks for writing; do write again when you can! I look forward to your letters!
In His Service,
Love, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May. :)
Thought you would like to see a picture of my "grinnin' girl," so I put a picture of "Cajun Gold" that I took at Christmas time. Ain't she just the CUTEST?? Enjoy! :)
And a lovely letter--you bring your characters to life!
(((HUGS))) and love, Karla. :)
Reviewed by Kate Clifford
2/15/2005
Love the photo of the dog :-) and isn't it funny how they know they are beautiful and yet many people that are naturally beautiful are not aware of it. I truly enjoy reading your letters from time to time. I feel like I am part of the family LOL. I can feel the animals and the children, and the excitment of the next adoption. You bring your characters to life with each write that you do. Thnak you for such heart touching sharing.
When two men hit the reset button and decide to go out looking for the good in the world, they not only find it but also a lot more.
P.S. The title is listed on Amazon under Look for Something Good by Robert Drews (not by Robert H. Drews)
Potential meets purpose for great accomplishments in the life of a young student.
A young student is interested in learning coding programs. He applies and is rejected because of his age. He does not give up and tries again and is accepted. Eventu
Note: Since my husband's cancer surgery 4/25/05, this book content has been integrated into the public speaking content for audiences interested in a sassy approach to personal and/or community awareness events. Another chapbook on intimate love poet
Tuesday, February 15, 2005, 12:34 p.m., C.S.T.~
