Friday, March 19, 2010, Nashville, TN., 8:37 a.m., C.D.T.~

Dear Journal~

Hola, compadres!  Bill Sandusky here; thought it was high time I write in here before you think I died or dropped off the planet.  *grins*

We are all doing well; friends (for the most part) are doing well, too, so that is of great comfort to me.  I have been busy working at the wonderful world of Wal*Mart; craziness abounds, especially now that Easter is just around the corner!  The weekends have been packed with customers; so glad I don't work out front anymore; I always have this fear of getting mowed over ....

Our good friends, the Kents, are getting ready to adopt yet another child:  a little girl from Russia!  She has cerebral palsy; that's about all I know right now.  As soon as I find out more details, I will give them to you, but for now, this is about the extent of it.  I am so happy for her and Michael; I know they are excited!  And this on top of having twins four and a half months ago!  When does the busyness ever stop??  (Almost sounds like our house!  LOL)

Johnny is nursing a broken toe:  he broke it the other day when he rammed it into the wall while in his wheelchair; he didn't watch where he was going.  He says it hurts, but pain meds keep it to a dull roar.  He has been sleeping a lot because of the meds. 

The kids are on Easter break:  we have been busy practicing for our upcoming Easter Cantata, which, hard to believe, is just a few weeks away; seems like only yesterday when we did the Christmas Cantata!  The choirs and actors/actresses and narrators all sound good; I pray all goes well, and I pray people's lives are touched with the Message of Christ's Resurrection from the dead!

I hardly see Louie but for maybe four hours a night:  she has been pulling a lot of double shifts lately at the hospital; I pray she gets the weekend off; she could really use a break!  I know we need the money and all, but I don't want her to get sick; that'd be the last thing we'd need!

She's at work now as I write this.  She went in at seven; she doesn't get off until seven tomorrow morning; then she's off for three days, so she can recoup.  (She'll probably do one thing:  sleep.  That, or chase kids all day!  LOL)

Ronee' is trying out for "America's Got Talent" this weekend at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium; she will be singing two songs:  "One Moment In Time" and one of her Cajun songs, "Little Dark-Eyed Cajun Girl", which she wrote when she was nine years old (she'll also be accompanying herself on Cajun accordion, too).   I know there will be a huge turnout; I pray she does well!!  She has been practicing hard!

Rani made it to her school's cheerleading squad:  she will be the first disabled student to participate.  We are very proud of her; she really wanted to make it!

Enriquesa was recently in the hospital; she had trouble breathing, and it only got worse, so we had no choice but to take her to the Emergency room.  Turns out she was having a bad asthma attack; so now we have another child with asthma!  She is doing better, but now she has to take an inhaler three times a day, plus take a pill once a day and do breathing treatments/use oxygen at night.  It really scared us, but she's doing better now, as I just said, thank goodness!

We nearly lost one of our cats:  "Cajun Gold" got very sick; she ate some garbage when she got out, and we had to take her to the vet.  She had to spend a week at the veterinarian's office, so she could be treated (by IV's) and monitored by the vet staff.  It was a very scary time, especially for Ronee', her owner.  She's happily doing a lot better and now we won't let her out of our sight; it was a close call ...  too close, if you ask me!

Roberto got grounded last week at school:  he bit a teacher.  Then he had a meltdown here at home the other day because he couldn't find his crutch.  It was right where he left it:  underneath his bed!  Sergei also got into trouble at school; he was suspended for three days for punching a kid after the other kid called him a racial slur.  It was not fun!

The weather here has been stunning:  might as well enjoy it because on Sunday, it's supposed to turn sharply colder, with the distinct possibility of snow!!  So winter might not be over just yet, even though the calendar says spring arrives Saturday!  *Sighhh*

I am ready for sunshine and warmer temperatures; this cold and wind is hard on my poor arthritic-ridden body!!

Two days ago, our city held its annual St. Patrick's Day Parade/Festival; as usual, there was a great turnout.  The weather certainly helped:  bright, wall-to-wall sunshine with chilly temperatures, not too bad!  We had a marvelous time!

We have the Crawfish Festival (in May) and the CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair (in June) to look forward to.  We've planned these both a year ahead; last year we didn't go to the CMA Music Festival because a friend's daughter nearly died, but thankfully, she hasn't had any more issues (I pray this continues).  We wanted to be there for our friend, so my wife flushed the tickets down the toilet.  I know she meant well, but those tickets were NOT cheap; I was NOT too happy with her!!

We also plan on going to the LeCajun Cajun Music Awards Festival in Lafayette come August; we go to that every year, too.  We really don't go anywhere unless it's to Louisiana twice a year (or maybe some local festivals around the Nashville metro area).  Most of the time we're here in Nashville.

Now, I will go to California if Ronee' makes it to AGT, but first she has to get through her audition.

Well, I have to run.  Time to go to breakfast with the guys!  I do this once a month; it's a great opportunity to catch up on news and to fellowship/pray together.  I always look forward to it!  Take care and may God bless you; I will write in here again soon!  Talk to you again!

~Bill.  :)