July 12, 2010, Nashville, Tennessee, 7:22 p.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Hey!  It's me, Ronee'!!  I hope this finds y'all doing well!  I am doing a lot better than I was:  I am now able to walk again (no longer have to use my wheelchair unless it's necessary), and I have gotten the bothersome sling removed!  I am able to move my arm/shoulder again without screaming in agony:  still have some pain, but it's much better than it was!  I just have to be extremely careful is all!

I still have to do my weekly therapy twice a week (dangit)!  I wish I could get out of that too, but no go.  If it were not for my therapy, I wouldn't walk as well as I do, even with two canes (or crutches, sometimes)!  So I am grateful!

In about a month we are going to be going to Louisiana for the second time this year; we're going to go to LeCajun, which I have been going to for the past several years.  I will be performing there; am looking forward to it!  I am happy I will be able to play my accordion and fiddle again; haven't been able to play them since my fall!

Maman says if I continue to have very little in the way of shoulder pain, I can start practicing my music.  Good, because I sure do miss it!  I have been working on my singing, learning some new stuff ("Close All The Honky Tonks", "Another Bridge To Burn", "Silver Wings", and "Tears At The Grand Ole Opry"), which I will be doing in upcoming performances.  I hope the audiences I play for will like my new songs!

I had a wonderful Fourth of July:  got a bit burnt, but that's just about gone; am peelin' like a grape.  LOL  At lest the redness has disappeared; I'm just a nice, nut-brown color!  :)

The fireworks were nothing short of stunning!  I'm just glad we didn't get rained on, like we did last year and the year before!  I would have been pissed off, big time!!  They had these ones that went off, and after they exploded, they continued on two or three times; it was like they were repeatin' themselves.  They were really cool; I called 'em "repeater fireworks"!  :)

This coming Saturday, our city is having a special day long tribute to our military; there will be music, a parade, and of course, fireworks to end the day.  It will be an all day long affair.  I will be performing then, so I will get to sing my new stuff (plus my usual "standards") sooner than expected!  :)  More time to get in some more extra practice, so I can sound good! :D

I hope it doesn't rain then, so the fireworks (or anything else) doesn't get cancelled! :/

This will be the second time I will have seen fireworks in a week and a half!  LOL  And, of course, I will see fireworks at Christmas time, so that's more reason to look forward to Christmas! :D

I love fireworks!  Always have, always will!

Well, I gotta run:  gonna practice my Cajun accordion and also work on my new songs, so I can be good for Saturday.  I will write in here again another day; until later, this is Ronee' Reaux signin' off!  Take care and God bless y'all always!  Aaaiieee!! :D

~Love, Ronee'.  :D