Thursday, November 17, 2005, 10:20 a.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Louie~

You may not believe this, but this is your friend, Maria Jones, and I am in Tennessee, right in your neck of the woods! I have been staying with a friend of mine who lives here in Nashville, and I am so happy to be here! I got my FEMA money (FINALLY), and because of it, I was able to come! God is sooo good!

I am sorry if I have been a pain in the rear, but nobody else seemed willing to help me, and you stuck right by me, even when I was whinin' my fool head off. I know you were probably sick of my complaining, maybe that is why you didn't write back right away. I can understand, but people can be so cruel, so inesensitive, and I hate to sound like this, but I wish some of these people who treat us refugees so bad could go through what we did; maybe that would change their tune a little! I know I won't have a good Christmas because I am technically "homeless", but I know that with God's help, I WILL make it! It sure feels good to be out of that gosh darned shelter, and it surely feels heavenly to be able to eat HOT, cooked meals instead of canned goods all the time, having a hot bath, and to sleep in a bed that feels like feathers next to my tired, broken down body! LOL I really don't know just how lucky I am, even with everything that has happend to me, and I have friends like Darlena (and you) to thank!

I just may come up to see you at your home, but I need directions first. I know you said that your house is one of the biggest ones on the street in which you live (that shouldn't be so hard to find...*Giggle*). I would love to meet your husband, and I would love to meet your family! But I hope that the kids aren't TOO wild; wild, uncontrollable kids and myself do NOT make for a very good combination! Kids who are bouncing off the walls make me a nervous wreck! But I still love kids, but ONLY as long as they mind their parents and don't run amuck!! LOL I still am wondering how you and Bill do it with your "village" (you can't really call yourselves a family with THAT many kids! LOL)! Maybe I will come up and surprise the socks right offen you! LOL

The weather sure is cold here; I got so cold last night I had to cover up with two blankets...and I was STILL shivering! BRRR!! I don't know how your winters are here in Tennessee, but as for the weather the other day...WOW! Scary!! (But at least YOU have BASEMENTS up here!) Did your house sustain any damage from the tornadoes? Darlena's house didn't, but boy, those sirens were sure howling all day! I don't do storms very well, especially since Hurricane Katrina!!  YIKES! I thought I was going to ESCAPE the tornadoes when I came here to Tennessee!

Well, this isn't long, but at least I wrote. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement; they couldn't have come at a better time! In fact, right after you wrote that letter and I got the mail, there was my FEMA card! I was so happy I cried; it was like a MIRACLE!! Again, thanks for caring so much for me, and I shall be forever indebted to you always! May God bless you during this upcoming holiday season!!

(((HUGS))) and love, your friend, Maria Jones. :)