Thursday, August 24, 2006, 10:08 a.m., D.S.T., Skiatook, Oklahoma~

Dear Louisiana Sandusky in Tennessee~

My, my! It was such a joy to receive your e-mail the other day; wow, what a busy life you lead! Do you ever get any sleep?? LOL Your family sounds absolutely heavenly; but how do you keep your sanity?? Fifty-four children?? Either you have an awful lot of love in your great big, compassionate heart, or else you are just plain crazy!! LOL

I am glad that I will have the opportunity to read your first book, "A Family Made Out Of Miracles And Rainbows"; that is awful nice of you to send it to me! You don't have to, you know; I will be more than happy to pay for it!

I am glad that the weather there has cooled off to the eighties; that sounds absolutely wonderful! We don't get that at night, it seems! It has been awful here! In fact, some friends of ours, Wilma and Fred Gardner, lost their home to a wind-driven wildfire this year, and they are still working on getting their home rebuilt. They have been staying with friends, and they have been getting help from people around here.

There have also been a few benefit events to help raise funds for the Gardners, and they are just now starting to get back on their feet. They have a little girl, Pearl Zie, who was adopted from China, and she is as cute as a bug! I am just glad that none of them were hurt (or killed) during that fire! It could have very easily been so much worse for the Gardner Family!

(Oh, by the by--Wilma Gardner says she writes to a Louisiana in Tennessee. Could that possibly be you?? Was just wondering was all---)

Louie, you will be happy to know that I am sending you a picture of us along with this e-mail. When you go check your e-mail later, open it up, and you will see our happy family smilin' at you all the way from Skiatook! *grins* I hope you will enjoy it! :)

Did you know that we have a famous "daughter" who hails from here? Yes, indeedy! We have a "legend-in-the-making" in Kata Gaylene Huddleston (known professionally as "Kata Hay"), who has been an international yodeling champion for several years running. She also was on the original "Star Search" with Ed McMahon when she was five, and she ended up winning the whole thing! She has been a regular on the Oklahoma Opry in Oklahoma City since she was just three years old, and she just keeps on getting better and better! We have seen Kata in person for many years, and it is amazing that the talents that this young lady has! We have literally seen her grow up on stage, and she is awesome!

Have you watched that show "America's Got Talent"? We have, and we were hooked on it! It's too bad it is over; hopefully it will be coming back! It would be a shame if it didn't! I really loved that little yodelin' sweetheart Taylor Ware; she was terrific! She reminds us a lot of a young Kata Huddleston--and is just as cute! :) Too bad she didn't win, but she gave some of those acts a run for their money!

We really liked that Bianca Ryan, but her music isn't our speed. We are country music afficianados, through and through! Our area is a hotbed for Opry talent and shows, and we have seen some wonderful acts at different Oprys around Oklahoma! :)

Well, Louie, this is about it for now. I have to give Spirit her medicine. She has a nasty case of poison ivy, and the poor dear is itchin' something fierce! I will have to put some calemine lotion on her as well. (Spirit is highly allergic to poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Any of them can give her no end of trouble!) Take care, Louie, and write soon! I will be letting you know when we get your book! God bless you always, and give that beautiful BIG family of yours hugs and kisses from Skiatook!

Love, your new Oklahoma friend, Jill McCullough. :D