Louisiana, who is now in Greece, writes a quickie email before she leaves with her husband and friends to tour Athens.
Thursday, May 12, 2005, Athens, Greece (it is afternoon here)~
Dear Coral~
Thank you so much for your delightful letter yesterday, it was so nice to hear from you! Thank you for saying all those nice things about my books, and thank you for taking time to write to me. It was nice to get your email!
You sound just about as busy as me: 17 children and 14 Maine Coon cats? MY! You must have a very interesting family! I bet your babies are adorable, and I bet your kids really enjoy the cats! I know I would; we have cats, but not THAT many! LOL We also have a goat, horses, dogs, birds, and "pocket pets" like hamsters and gerbils. We also have fish. We have a Maine Coon cat ourselves, but the cat belongs to my one daughter, Ronee', and her name is "Cajun". She is almost three now, and she is very spoiled! LOL I have a pet myself, but I have a dog, a Pomeranian named "Cajun Gold", who thinks she is part pit-bull! LOL
I bet you could write a story about your family; you seem like you would have some interesting tales to tell! But I AM glad you found my books so moving; I just wrote about what happened along our adoption journeys and how our family came into being, and how God has used my children to bless others. God has been very good to our family, and we are very blessed to have the children that we do! Maybe one of these days we will see your name in print; it's worth a shot!
My husband and I have been married nearly 14 years, and we had three kids of our own; but they died, and after we got over our grief, we made the decision to adopt, and first we got two children (Johnny and Ronee'; I noticed YOU have a Johnny and Raunee' in YOUR family and that they are twelve, too, just like MY Johnny and Ronee'! LOL How funny! LOL), then we got seven more; and the rest just sort of "followed". We eventually hit fifty-two, just this year, with the additions of our two newest Miracle Children, Rani Kalpana and Arjun Ravi, who are from Sri Lanka. Most of our kids are disabled or are considered "special-needs" as well (meaning, as you know, that besides their physical or mental disabilities, they are older than an infant, are of mixed racial heritage, or are part of a "sibling group" that can't, for some reason, be separated), but we try not to focus so much on their disabilities; we try to focus more on their ABILITIES, and it's worked out wonders!
Our children come from places like Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, the United States of America, and Canada, and they range in age from 23 on down to just one year in age; and they are all colors, all shapes, and all sizes. They also come with a variety of disabilities, some more severe than others, but they live their lives to the very fullest, and they have achieved more in their time with us than doctors could have ever predicted. They have all beaten the odds, and they have turned out GREAT!
We are in Greece as I write this, meaning my husband and myself, but I thought that I'd better answer your email before we head on out the door. We got in Greece late last night, and we just woke up not too long ago. We will be here for a week; we are staying with our friends, Nikolas and Sari, who are getting married on the day after tomorrow, and we are really looking forward to having a wonderful time! So far what I have seen is beautiful, and I can't wait to see the historical attactions or the shops! Or get my hands on that wonderful Greek food! LOL YUMMY!! But I normally live in Nashville, Tennessee, have lived there since after the death of my third child, and we moved there to start a new life, if you will. We have been in Nashville ever since, and we just love it there!
Well, Coral, I will let you go. I will write more when I return from Greece. Again, thank you for your heartwarming letter, and thank you for telling me how much you liked my books and telling me about your family! I will send you a picture of mine as soon as I can, and I can't wait to hear from you! Take care, and God bless!
(((HUGS))) and love, a new friend in Tennessee, Louisiana (who is currently on vacation in Greece!). :D
Want to review or comment on this short story?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviewed by Tracey L. O' Very
5/12/2005
This is Delightful story all kinds of neat things going on here. Thanks.
Congrats seems like I just said that on 1500. my goodness karen, That's fantastic!
xo(c:)
hugs just bcuz oooooo
From the Caribbean Sea to Machu Picchu in Peru, and from birds to flowers and butterflies, Reflections and Treasured Wonders offers a collection of images gathered from around the world.
Thursday, May 12, 2005, Athens, Greece (it is afternoon here)~
