Monday, Feb. 13, 2006, 10:08 a.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Jerilyn,

I am glad you got such a kick out of my letter! Thanks for writing; it is always good to hear from you again! Glad Nigel is doing better. Arjun will be released from the hospital tomorrow, according to his pediatrician, which is very good news! He will continue on the antibiotic therapy, and he will also have to be on the oxygen until his lungs get stronger. So I will have to call the oxygen supply place and have them deliver several tanks of oxygen for Arjun.

It snowed here again last night; the kids have a day off from school, and they are probably sleeping. Bill didn't go to work either because his allergies were acting up, so he is probably kidsitting as I speak. I am at work, and I am on break; will go back to work in an hour. I will write this letter to you, then I will get myself some grub *grins* before I clock back from break. I then will work until two, and I will be home by two-ten, two-fifteen, depending on traffic or how the roads are by the time I get home.

The snow isn't nearly as bad as the snows they had in the Northeast: some areas picked up a total of 27 INCHES, which is an AWFUL lot of snow! They had hurricane force winds and even THUNDER and LIGHTNING in some of the snowbursts! WOW! I have seen thundersnow several times here, and it is always an eerie phenomenon! It is supposed to warm up here by the middle of the week, which will probably melt a lot of the snow on the ground, then get sharply colder again, thanks to an Arctic blast from Canada and Alaska. How is the weather there in Kansas? Hope it is behaving itself!

No, in lieu of your question about Anh, I said "on his one ski" because he so happens to be an amputee. He lost his leg at the age of six from bone cancer; it was the only way to save his life. He could wear a prosthetic leg, but he thinks that it only hinders his progress, so he chooses to go WITHOUT it. Sure, he uses crutches, but that has never stopped him before! (He's since had leukemia at the age of 11, but last year, God healed him, and now he is totally cancer free and is doing GREAT! :) )

The Olympics have only been on for a few days, but there has already been some high drama and excitement. Michelle Kwan may be going home without the gold she so desperately wanted, but she has already made history in the sport of figure skating: she is the most decorated female athlete in the sport, and she has won the National Championship an incredible NINE times! She brought class and elegance to the sport, and she will long be remembered for her unassuming personality and her skills as a skater. Now last Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes' little sister, Emily, will take Michelle's place, and so far, she has been having a good run in her skating. All one can do is hope and pray that this continues and that she can bring some hope back to a disappointed U.S. women's figure skating team!

You also have the halfpiper golds (both men and women) and the gold medal in speedskating to celebrate. So it is not ALL bad news for the Olympic athletes from America! Sure, Apolo Anton Ohno had his fall, but he still has several more chances to "strike gold" in races in the coming days, and skiing's Bode Miller may come back from his last disappointing run and get the gold. You never can tell; all one can do is pray that they do their best and hope that it all comes out for the good in the end!

We have been watching the Olympics every night, and we have enjoyed them emmensely (especially when our athletes strike gold!! :) ). We have always enjoyed the Olympics, and now I find out that two of our friends are WORKING there in Torino, Italy! Our friends from Finland, Nikolas Constantinos and his wife, Sari Annike, called last night, and we were so surprised!! They didn't tell us that they were going to the Olympics! Now that gives us all the more reason to watch the Olympics on tv, in the hopes that we catch a glimpse of Sari or Nikolas! :) (So far, we haven't seen them.)

Well, I will go now. I will write again soon. Take care, Jeri, and God bless you and your family mightily! Love you!

(((HUGS))) As always, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May. :D

GO, U.S.A.!! GO FOR THE GOLD!!! :D