19	Spring	93
PO Box 522	PAMPA, TX	79066-0522
Volume 2	of the family, by the family, for the family	Issue 4
806 669 6009	Weed Warmer? | Life in Taiwan | Two Elder Profile's Reserved Again | The Laughing Horse | Maze The Idaho Experience | 45th Anniversary! | Monta's Antics	puzzler@pan-tex.net

Weed Warmer? When we went to school, we had the option of walking one and a half miles to the school house or a half mile to catch the bus. We usually opted to catch the bus. Our route took us along a fence between two wheat fields. This one summer had turned dry after a wet spring and both wheat fields were covered solid with tumble weeds. During the winter while waiting for the bus, we would burn weeds in the road to keep a little bit warm. One day we had a very high wind. Those thistles tumbled down the road like a buffalo stampede. Ed said we would build a fire out of lamb quarter stalks. With the wind, burning tumble weeds could get out of control. We could pick up an armload of the stalks in a very short time. We had a fire but no heat. I caught a passing tumble weed and rolled it on the fire. It got to hot to hold so I turned it loose. It jumped the fence and burned about a half section of tumble weeds in a very short time. Needless to say, I stood up for meals for several days. Pete Life in Taiwan The smell in Taipei is not real good. Most people wear a little cloth on their nose and mouth so they do not breathe it. There is one smell of food, "stinking tofu" as we call it, that smells like dog potty being cooked. Of course I hold my breath as we pass it. Whitney is so obvious when it gets to her. She just holds her nose with her fingers and crosses her eyes. I really don't mind the smog smell compared to their breath. In church, this lady translates the sermon for me. I hold my breath tactfully when she speaks and turn my head to breathe while she is listening for the next part. I have offered her gum but being polite she refuses it. And on goes the sermon. Now the noise. The louder the better. Horns honking, music as loud as it will go, hammers, saws, jackhammers, motorcycles and on and on. Even at night when we go to bed. The lady upstairs must teach piano lessons because until midnight the piano is banging (sometimes not so good). Our grocery store plays loud music (it makes me hurry). I have learned to put cotton in my ears when I go. The prices here are outrageous. In US currency they charge a dollar for a can of green beans, four dollars for a pound of ground beef, seventy dollars for a perm and $1500-$2000 for a dog, even for an ugly one at that. I have been forced, by prices to make my own curtains. I bought one set of curtains from the curtain man "Mr. Woo" but he charged me $300 for three sets of curtains. And they were short ones! I just about died, but of course I smiled when I paid him. We have gotten ill from the food. I had an allergic reaction from some mushrooms the first week and the flu over the Christmas holidays. Brandt has gotten ill too. He had to go to the hospital one sunday for medication. Please write when you can, we love to get the mail. I may not write as prompt as I should but believe me, we think of home often. Gailia Smith Brandt & Gailia Smith c/o Dale Watts Route 1, Box 164H Hull, TX 77564 Two Elder Profile's My name is Rachel Elder. I am four years old. My Father is Joe. My Grandmother is Elmeda and I call her Grandma. I go to Preschool. I like to sing, dance, listen to stories and swim. I am my Dad's best helper. I sweep the floors in his shop. I help in the kitchen. I do dishes and cut potatoes. I like to play outside and chase our dog Shorty. When Dan and John practice baseball, I practice too! My brother teaches me lots of things. I go to ballet and tap dance class once a week. In May I will have a recital and dance on a big stage. This year we have had snow and I built a snowman all by myself. I love my mommy and daddy. I like ballerinas and Barbies. Rachel Renee Elder My name is John Elder. I am ten years old and in the Fourth Grade. I like to play sports. This year I played Soccer for the first time. I was the goalie for the Third Grade team. They did not have enough players on their team. We did not win but I got lots of experience. After Soccer I played on the Basketball team. I played the Post & Center position. I like to rebound. My Grandparents John and Elmeda Elder, my Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Jessie, my parents Joe and Carol and my sister come to watch. After Basketball season is over, I play Baseball. This year my Dad is the coach. I like playing catcher. I made the Honor Roll at school for the second quarter. So far I have not missed any days at school. I like Airplanes and I like to put models of them together. There are many in my room. I like to draw. Airplanes and Tanks are what I draw now. I am in Cub Scouts, a second year Webelo. John Elder Reserved Again Jerry has the city park reserved for the second saturday in June, again, for our family reunion. Sure glad he's not a procrastinator. The high school reunion is the same weekend but Jerry was there ahead of them! I am currently staying with Ed. He is so happy to be home. He has some good days and some not so good days. Think he's just bored. Perhaps when the weather is better and he can spend more time outside, he'll do better. I have learned, the hard way naturally, that most labs and hospitals prefer area graduates. So in addition to the labs and hospitals around this part of Texas and Oklahoma, I also intend to submit resumes to the labs where I done my clinical training in Tyler. I am really enjoying being right in the big middle of the family and it won't be easy to go off by myself again. I have a lot of friends in that area, so it won't be to bad. Looking forward to June 12th. See ya'll there! Love, Monta The Laughing Horse Did you ever see a horse laugh? We had a little buckskin mare that seemed to have more sense than all us kids put together. She loved to run. I would go after the cows in the east pasture. I would go to the north east corner of the farm, through a gate and then proceed to gather the cows. About a third of the way we had another gate. Trixie would turn in there if I wasn't paying attention which was most of the time. She would be running all out, get past that first gate, plant her front feet, then turn in to the gate. Her favorite place to unload me was a prickly pear cactus right by the gate post. Then she would laugh. I would then have to walk after the cows. She knew I would kill her, if I could ever catch her. I don't know which hurt worse, the thorns or the laugh. Pete Clover Leaf Maze Roy A. Watts The Idaho Experience In October of this year we will begin our 35th year living in Idaho. Our family moved here in 1958 transferring job sites with Phillips Petroleum Company from the Refining Department in Borger, Texas to the Atomic Energy Site near Idaho Falls, Idaho. It was not an easy decision to make to move 1200 miles away from family and friends. We have had some regrets especially at holidays when families get together and during those times when there has been serious illnesses and deaths of family members. I have regretted not having a closer relationship with my brothers and sisters and their families and our children missing the closeness they could have otherwise had with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We did spend our summer vacations in Texas every other year for several years and we have enjoyed having some of our family visit us. T.J. worked at the AEC site until 1973 when he quit and went into business for himself with his own heavy equipment. He ran his business until he had a stroke in December 1990. I began working full time in the medical field in 1959 until I semi-retired last April (1992). I still work two days a week in an orthopedic surgeon's office. Barbara was in the Fourth Grade when we moved to Idaho. She graduated from high school in 1967 and went to business school in Boise for a year. She married a home town boy, Dennis Norwood in 1971. Dennis was in the Air Force at that time and upon discharge from the service they moved back to Blackfoot. They have been living in this area since then. Their daughter and our only grandchild Shannon was born in 1973. she is presently a Sophomore at Boise State University. Barbara has pursued a career in Computer Technology and Dennis has worked at the AEC site for many years and is now a pipe fitter foreman. Roger was in the First Grade when we moved here. He completed his high school education in 1970, went to the University of Idaho in Moscow for two years then transferred to Boise State for a year. In 1974 he began working for United Air-lines in Boise and in 1975 or 6 he went to flight attendants school in chicago and has been a flight attendant since then. He lived in Chicago for a few years, transferred to Honolulu for a couple of years then moved back to Chicago where he is now residing. He is now completing his college education on a part time basis and majoring in Psychology. We live in a very beautiful part of Idaho in the upper Snake River Valley. It is an irrigated farming area where the main crop is potatoes. Within a few hours drive from here there is Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park to the north and east and to the west and northwest are the craters of the Moon National Monument, Sun Valley, Red Fish Lake resort area, Salmon River country and the beautiful Bitter Root Mountains. There are lots of interesting things to see and do. The winters are a little long and the summers too short. The growing season is about 90 to 110 days. It would be exciting for the family reunion to be held here in 1994 and we invite everybody to come. I would suggest late June, anytime in July or early August to take advantage of the best part of the summer. We have lots of room and can accommodate some RVs. Barbara and Dennis also have room for extra people and parking space. There would be no unnecessary expenses for lodging and food for anyone. Think about a family reunion in Idaho in 1994 and discuss it at the reunion in June in Wheeler. Hope to see you all there. Love, Virginia 45th Anniversary! Elmeda and Warren Elder celebrated their 45th Anniversary on Valentine's day, the 14th of February. A surprise reception was held at the Primitive Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. A meal of sandwiches, cake and punch was served. All the immediate family were present except for Christi and Vicki Elder who live in California. Many anniversary cards were received. A music box was made by Joe Elder to mark this special occasion. Joe & Carol Elder Monta's Antics There are few antics about my brothers and sisters grandchildren that I can supply, BUT...... Most people thought Grandpa Watts was totally bald with just a ring of hair around the sides and back. Not true. One time Kelly was sitting in her grandpa's lap, combing his little ring of hair, when to her utter and startled amazement, she discovered a single hair growing right in the middle of his scalp (3 or 4 years old). Grandma told Louis he was just getting too heavy for her to lift up in the bed at night, so he would just have to find something to step on. So he looked around, selected a Saturday Evening Post, used it for a step-stool and could get into bed without any problems (3 or 4 years old). Dressed in our finest, Bruce accompanied his mother and I on one of these "welcome to and get acquainted with our town" shopping ventures that lured you into their shops with a little gift for stopping by and presenting a person with one of their coupons. We entered an exclusive shop, complete with settees and salespeople who brought items out for you to examine. One did not wander around through the store. We had kept up a fairly hectic pace throughout the day and was happy to see someplace to sit. Even Bruce was happy. With a swing of a leg up into the seat, he pulled himself onto one of these settees, and said, "G__ D___ I'm tired!" (age about 3 years) Monta Boyd

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