19	Winter	93
PO Box 522	PAMPA, TX	79066-0522
Volume 3	of the family, by the family, for the family	Issue 3
806 669 6009	Taiwanian Smiths | Wheeler | '93 Wrap Up | Maze Christmas Wish | Kindred Spirits | Reminder!	puzzler@pan-tex.net

Taiwanian Smiths Justyn is getting taller and more handsome everyday. He has completed his fifth grade year in a real school and was involved in gymnastics. He misses all of his friends in the United States but says he is really enjoying Taiwan. Nathan is a lean, mean learning machine. He is always on the go. He explores the local trash piles and brings home (and I quote) "good stuff". He was involved in soccer this year and has completed first grade. He is shooting up too. Whitney, on Easter Sunday this year, was baptized by her father. Just a few weeks earlier in the Spring she made a public profession in Jesus and knew she was lost and asked Jesus to come into her heart and save her. Whitney is growing as well. In the States she always wore her hair short, but since being in Taiwan she has decided to grow it out. The end of October or the first of November will welcome the end of a nine month wait for our new baby (editor's note: I've been informed the baby arrived on the 18th of October. Her name {it is a girl} is Amber Nicole). Gailia is doing well and has so far managed to maintain her positive attitude about pregnancy and the hot- humid Taiwan summer. She has concluded that sweating is a sin and to be avoided at all times. (I tried to tell her that she was not sweating, just glowing a bit). My thoughts are, "if it gets any better I don't think I can stand it". I do not want to give the impression that life is easy here... it is far from being easy. However, being in God's will has been the greatest joy of our lives. Brandt Smith News from Wheeler I am sure everyone knows I am currently staying with Ed and making an effort to take care of him. He does display the characteristic Watts trait of stubbornness occasionally, but, over-all he is very congenial and cooperative (Forgiving too). He often exhibits a splendid sense of humor and can bowl you over with bits of witticism. Gretchen and Marm tries to keep us entertained. Marm is good to help me look after Ed. If he thinks Ed needs me, he will get my attention, even waking me at night. Their favorite pasttime is playing. They also enjoy posing for the camera. I am doing very well. Typing is good exercise for my hand. I make the stiff finger and the stub to their job. The whole hand seems stiff, but, I am so thankful it was my left hand and it could have easily been much worse, therefore I try not to complain. I spend a lot of time typing and painting. I am "into" painting T-shirts. I am sure I use a dozen brush strokes to achieve a similar effect a professional achieves with one stroke, but they can't enjoy it any more than I do. Hopefully I can gain enough expertise to get into craft shows next year. Here's wishing each and every one of you the best holidays ever. Remember the "Christ" in Christmas and be thankful for ALL things. Our Love, Monta & Ed '93 Wrap Up Merry Christmas to all from Frances and Kenny Watts. Job change: Creole, the company that I worked for for the past 3 years, lost the bid to Baker-M O. That company retained nearly all of us, so really, I didn't change jobs, I changed companies. It is a branch of Michael Baker Corp. and has good benefits. No spring garden this year, too wet, it quit raining in July so this fall I did plant some greens, and they are doing good. Recently, I sold the big tractor and got an 8 hp tory bilt tiller. So look out next year for that humongous garden. I had planned to paint the house this summer and in cleaning the mildew off I noticed some of the siding rotting near the ground. OK, vinyl siding here we come. Frances talked me out of doing it myself, her reasoning being that she wanted it done within our life-time. Sounded reasonable so I called up a contractor, had him wrap the complete house, eves, porch ceiling, everything. So I burned my paint brush. Also extras need to be done with every job, so we changed the patio sliding doors for a set of french doors, changed out 3 window's that had problems and installed storm doors so the contractor went away happy. Now the Volvo: The Mustang that I had was getting a lot of miles on it. A man that I worked with had this Volvo that used to belong to his sister. It had a bad motor, but if I wanted it, he would put in another motor. It looked sound so we struck a deal low enough that I could pay cash. The other motor wouldn't fit so he overhauled the original. I gave him more money to do some extras. When he finished, I drove it around the block, bought it and drove it home. I installed the power steering and the AC wouldn't work. For $940 the Volvo mechanic would fix the steering, which needed it. After driving about 2000 miles I almost had air showing in the right front tire. After I recovered from a near heart attack I decided that I could replace the steering rack, $440, the ball joints, $40 each and the tie rod ends, $23 each. A considerable savings, and it looked simple, so I did it. Oh, the extras, a wrench that I would need, a special tool to pull the tie rod ends. Now for the air conditioner... Frances has had a busy summer, she takes a lady to the doctor in Beaumont twice a month. In July she took Amanda, a granddaughter, to Baytown every day nearly so that she could get her drivers license by her 16th birthday, a very important status symbol. Dale Watts Christmas Tree Maze Christmas Wish We wish all a Merry Christmas and hope 1994 will be a good year for you. We would like to see all of you at the Park in Wheeler the second Saturday in June and again later in the summer at Virginia's in Blackfoot, Idaho (you set the date Virginia). Another date is the Saturday before the second Sunday in May at the pavilion in the Childress park. Any of you even mildly interested in genealogy may like to meet with other Watts cousins to explore when, why and how the Watts family came from Alabama to East Texas then to Childress and branched out in every direction from there. Where were they before Alabama? Love, Elmeda Dear Kindred Spirits During the first half of 1993 I found myself consumed and overwhelmed by two very difficult college courses, experimental and cognitive psychology. My mind, body and spirit, as well as my WordPerfect, were taxed to the limit. Each course required the accomplishment of a complete scientific experiment, utilizing live subjects (human), as well as several computer simulated experiments where I was the subject (guinea pig). Of course, a multi-page report had to be turned in for each experiment. Besides attending class four days a week, and burning the midnight oil, I attempted to work full-time. You can just imagine how much cooking and cleaning did not get accomplished. This summer I took a break from school and worked international flights for a change of pace from my usual domestic routine. I went to Paris and Frankfort many times, as well as London, Caracas, Port of Spain (British West Indies) and Tokyo. Despite my apprehension of the 13 hour flight, I loved Japan and I look forward to my return. My life is not all work and no play as I went camping for a week around labor day. I was accompanied by my two best friends. My dog Tinker and Pattie Reid from Orlando, Fla., whom I have known for 18 years. We camped in Minnesota on the shore of Lake Superior where the Temperance River crashes wildly into that awesome, powerful and mystical lake. Well here it is November and I am buttoning up my proverbial "fixer-up" home. I am replacing cedar siding on the back and one of the gables. Also, I am refinancing this place and hope to invest in a new front door, three windows, add a fireplace to my family room and pay off most of my bills - so I can return to college in 1994. I had also anticipated entertaining my folks for Thanksgiving this year, however, my Father is unable to travel due to complications from his stroke. Actually, I think he is concerned that I will work him too hard if he shows up on my doorstep. I look forward to seeing you in Idaho this summer. Until then, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. With Love, Peace & Joy Roger Patterson & Tinker Reminder! I am still anxiously awaiting the rest of those middle names of grandchildren. I suspect there are a few new additions too. If you notice anyone missing from the family listing published in the Fall issue, please let me know. My address appears above the motto as usual. As I didn't get any response to the article I wrote last issue (see Solutions! pg. 38) I'm assuming no one cares for the solution to previous puzzles (future puzzles?) Please write!

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