Weds., January 10, 2007 (*Arrrgh! Have to keep remembering that it is a brand new year!!*), Denton, Texas, 10:32 a.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Louisiana~

Thanks for your bright and newsy letter; it was good to hear from you!  You sure were on the ball when you responded; usually I have to wait! LOL I am glad that you are all doing okay there in Tennessee!

We are fine here: weather is nice and sunny, projected highs in the fifties today to the middle sixties before the bottom falls out this weekend; turns out that we are to get a piece of the Yukon Yeller that is building up in Canada and Alaska and due to head southward. Brrr. I dread the thought of it; I am a Texas gal, born and bred in the Lone Star State, and I don't handle the cold weather all that well. I  have arthritis and lupus, and when it gets cold, I ache terrible! I also don't handle the heat well; the only time I am ever satisfied is when it is mild; otherwise, I am about ready to pull out my hair from the pain!

I didn't realize you had back problems; you seem to handle things better than I ever could. I am glad that the back surgery was a success and that you don't have to use a cane anymore. I walk with a forearm crutch myself because of the arthritis; I have RA, and I have it all over. I did use two forearm crutches, but I fell about a month back and broke the arm band clean off the one crutch; therefore, I am down to one, and it is hard to walk on just one crutch! (Call me graceful! NOT! LOL)

I have had RA since I was twelve years old, and I have had over two dozen surgeries on my joints. I am amazed that I can still walk, but God has been good to me, and He has allowed me to be able to walk, even if I have to use crutches! :) I developed lupus when I was in my later teens, and it's only added to the fun of my RA. NOT! I have problems with my heart and lungs sometimes, and I end up in the hospital at least a few times every year.

 I am sure you don't want to hear of my health problems; you probably hear more than enough from your hubby and kids! Or from your work! Sorry about that, but when one is in pain or is having problems, it is hard not to dwell on it, you know??

Louie, that is nice that you are going to send me copies of your books "A Family Made Out Of Miracles And Rainbows" and its sequel, "...And The Miracles Continue"; I will be looking forward to receiving them in the mail! Thank you in advance for thinking of me in such a special way; you are too sweet! :) You have written five books? Wow! You are a regular author; I will be looking for the others before too long--just as long as I can get a ride to the store! *grins*

The tornadoes have moved on, thank goodness. We may have more storms come Friday; hopefully they won't go severe. No, they don't have very many basements here in the DFW metroplex; if they do build basements here in Texas it is more in the Panhandle region of the state. Crazy; they don't build basements here because of the ground; it is too hard to pour cement and make a good working basement; plus it shifts around too danged much. Crazy, we Texas people are!

I wouldn't mind hearing from your son Johnny or your daughter Ronee'. I love to get letters too, but other than you and a few others in the adoption community that you run, I don't get much in the way of mail--unless you count medical bills!! Seems that is all I get in the mail--that, or junk! GRR! How many people do you hear from on a regular basis, Louie? Just curious!

Well, I am going to let you go; time to take my meds and have my lunch. I got up early this morning; seems that my pain woke me up at three, and I ended up having breakfast at five. Took my pills beforehand; have to take them with food, or else I get plenty sick. I also have to make lunch for my hubby. Kids get lunch at school; don't have to worry about cookin' for them until suppertime. I will write again another day; hope to hear from you soon! In the meantime, I am looking forward to your books! Can't wait to get them! I always enjoy new readin' material!

God bless, and have a good day! Don't work too hard at the hospital! :)

(((HUGS))) and love, your Texas buddy, Eileen Marie Weston. :D