Another Family Tradition

Each year (for the last six or seven) on the day after Thanksgiving, the Regas and Sabonis-Chafee families (my Atlanta grandchildren and great-grandchildren) travel to Murfreesboro to perform a TEN FOOT miracle...They haul my beautiful Christmas tree and box after box of carefully selected tree ornaments up from the basement and joyfully turn them into a work of art. This is their part of Thanksgiving that adds generously to my thankful blessings.

This is indeed a great tradition, starting with the first tree that Leonard and I brought home as a married couple. It always took top priority in our Christmas preparations, and barring none, our tree was always the loveliest ever! Every ornament has a memory, every memory is a gift and every time that tree goes up I see Christmas past and rejoice in the one about to take place.

For every year the Christmas tree,

Brings to us all both joy and glee.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

Much pleasure doth thou bring me!

We are caught up in well-worn, comfy traditions. I ask that the Lord keep them worthy, like a deer path through the forest.They lead us forward then back again. The traditions came from what the British would call the commoners. Both the Pattons and Floyds were from an ordinary world of traditions, so good that we seem to take that path like the deer, back to where we came from. What a decent and lovely heritage we proclaim. My foremost thanks this holiday and every day is thankfullness for that heritage.We rejoice today in friendships, fellowships, acquaintances, parties, and get-togethers of every kind. We gather around this feasting table, humbled by our bounty, of our abundant life. We have so much more than we need. As we poise with fork in hand, ready to overdo, may we learn better how to live as grateful, if overstuffed, children, delighted, surprised, and generous with the sharing of our good fortune. I ask the Lord to help me to share in that abundance, with others less fortunate than we, and may someone, someday,somewhere say I am thankful to have known this person.We are such a part of the past, think of those beautiful tables laid with bounty on Richland Ave. and the wonderful meals always prepared with love on the wonderful Patton farm on Patton Hollow Road. Than take a look at the angel helping in the kitchen right here at 600.May God bless us all abundantly.

The family, Brad with his goat project, Sally giving helping hand
to a student in sewing. The program teaches young men and
women a trade to help them avoid prostitution and stealing as a
trade. They were warned not to expect any Muslims to make
decisions for Christ during their first two, four year terms in their
place of assignment. But God had other things in mind.
Here mothers worry about where they will get something to feed
their baby, not where they will get a baby sitter so they can go shopping.
First Baptist Church, Gruver,Tx sponsored a program and sent money
to buy goats, providing a cup of milk a day for malnourished children.
Another program provides giving a pregnant female goat to families
provided they return the first female kid to the center. What an
interesting and fulfilling program. {Did we get everything we thought
we even had the smallest desire for when we went to the Super, Super
Publix of Kroger this morning?}

The last report from our little family across the waters, is that
Brad is in the USA. I believe he is to speak in Knoxville, but is
spending time with his family in TX and his daughter, Emily at college
in Kentucky. It would be wonderful to see you however it is old
age, not desire that we give up to. May God continue to bless
you, sweetie, and I just pray for lots of safety for your family
while you are away. God Bless

IN MEMORY OF BETTY

In memory of Betty

May 2, 1946-October 30, 2002

Our hearts are celebrating the life of Betty.

Daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend
Today in her Heavenly Home for five years.
Thanks be to God for the Gift!

Goodnight Little Drummer.

PAJAMA PARTY AFTER 63 YEARS

Sunday night Katherine and I will

have our first slumber party in

63 years. Will we sleep............no

We are both so excited, I am going

to stay two nights!

We sorta got separated while she

was raising three girls and a boy.

I was doing the same thing three

girls and a boy. She was in East

Tennessee and I was in Middle

Tenn.. We have been making up

for years lost the past 15 years.

My best friend in High School.

And I love her. Her Hugh passed

away about a year before my

sweetheart did. Look at me, can

you imagine a cheerleader dressing

like that today? The number is on

the desk where I can be reached.

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore

is winged cupid painted blind."

from, A Mid Summer Night's dream

Now you know how these two wonderfully handsome men got the two

above.

WHAT A SWEET LITTLE GIRL

Does this look a little like Josh, Gaege, prehaps a little like Rob?

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER

The Man I Married, July 15th, 1945

The father of my wonderful children

Late 60's The children are

leaving the nest

We celebrated 50 years together
God gave us 10 1/2 more.

Everything that happened in those 60 1/2
went through the Office in Heaven

and stamped "Approved"

50 Years

How blessed the one who can walk this journey

with a light grip on everything.
For all will be released, sooner or later
and I wish to practice now, moment by moment
------- the letting go ---------

As you know, Leonard was in California running

a Standard Oil Station the last two years that I

was in School. During those days, and after he came

back to help build the world's most famous city, Oak

Ridge, where he was a policeman and directed traffic

from a large wooden box in the middle of dusty and

muddy intersections. There were many letters that

went to and fro at .02 a piece. This has been a very

sad week for me. I have read 650 letters and burned

650 letters. He wanted no part of that, when I ask him

a few months before he left me, no, no. no. However he

did agree that once one of us was gone, the other could

do that. I would just love for every one of my grand-
children and great-grandchildren to read them and to

know just what love really is. Every letter sincere, humble,

every letter precious and with much dignity. There was

not a promise or a statement in any of his 400 letters that

he did not keep. He honored me, loved me, was true and

faithful to me for over 64 years. On 9/6/43 from San

Meguel, Calif, he wrote, "I HAVE YOUR HEART HERE

WITH ME, AND YOU WILL HAVE A HARD TIME -EVER-

GETTING IT BACK. , You mean everything to me. wap

- -whisper a prayer"--

On 12/20/43 from Santa Maria, Calif. he wrote:

"If I could hold you in my arms 5 minutes I could tell if you still

loved me. Darling, I have wanted lots of things, but never

wanted anything bad enough to fight for them. But

something has come up now that I want so damn bad that
I'm going to fight for it until I draw my last breath, because

Life would not mean a thing without you sharing it with me."

On 8/29/45, while at work at the Police Station in Oak

Ridge, or out in the patrol car he wrote "Even though I am
away from you 9 hours a day I miss you. The past five weeks
have been very dear to me. Just like I expect Heaven will be

I never knew I would be so happy and my life so complete.
The word-love- grows bigger every day and Darling, you can

cook OK, just like I like it. Did you -wap- for me today, I'll
need it if I get caught writing a love letter. Always, your Husband.

MY GIRLS

MY BABY GIRLS - BETTY-JUDY-MERRY

BMJ

JBM

MBJ

BJGM

THEN THERE WERE TWO

May your eyes look kindly upon this family, Lord

for we need your love and guidance in our lives.

This is a family that seeks to do the right things___

to work hard for a living,

to raise up children who will contribute to society

and to be a blessing for all living.

But we know we need your constant help to do these things.

May we be filled with love and happiness__

all of us who have come from this home:

by fulfilling our responsibilities, day in and day out;

by being accountable in all our actions;

by giving whenever we can, even when it hurts;

by nurturing warmth and understanding among us.

And by always looking out for the best interest of others.

Please grant our request according to your great goodness!

LOOKING FOR GRANDCHILDREN

Judy and Louis are looking for company this week.

and we are looking forward to seeing Chad, Lisa

Gaege along with more of Kyle than we usually

see. When this child gets tired he looks for a bed.

Had a good one here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YEGOR

Yegor celebrated his birthday yesterday,
Parents gone, grandmother in space some
where. I did ask him to have lunch with me
Sunday if they don't leave too early. However
he said he knew a couple of National Guard guys
who live in Mt Juliet, who were in basic training
with him. They got together I believe yesterday.
He is here with his mother at Josh's wedding.
Happy Birthday Sweetheart and have a wonderful
year ahead. I love you dearly. Nana

PRIMARY DEPT. FBC Watertown, 1933

This picture of my Sunday School Dept.when I was young and beautiful. Watertown First Baptist Church.

1 Elsie Reeves, Carolyn Paynee, Martha Love Blackshear, Mary Bryan Blackshear, Ben Traywich, Margaret Wilson, 2 Bobby Smith, Betty Frances Old, Johnnie Hudson, Maynelle Womack, Jean Sullins, unknown, 3.Rabbi Reeves, Charles Edgar Malone,behind C. T. Reeves, Mitchell Smith, Little Edsel Floyd, Dorothy Floyd, Gwendolyn Floyd, 4. Elinor Tracy, Frances Wilson, Hilda Grey Allison, Eugene Forrester, Ben Bobo

It has been almost 74 years, was nice to remember names. Just look at that little sweet thing on that ramp! I am so thankful for my parents who took me to this church every time the doors opened.Oh that kids would be so lucky today. I would say that Edsel is about three, today he is 77. So its been 74 years. I can't get the picture to enlarge, so if you are in pix use magnified glass.

KIRILL WILL BE US CITIZEN TOMORROW!

JUDY, KIRILL, LOUIS AND YEGOR. WE ARE
LOOKING FOR YEGOR TO BE RECEIVING
HIS IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE CAN ALL
ENJOY THAT.

After Hugh sings at Church tomorrow, he and Natali
will head to airport for a 4:00 flight to San Diego, CA to wittness the Celebration of the services, as their son, Kirill Nikolayev, US Navy, becomes a citizen of the United States of America. Oh! how we
would all like to be there. He has them a room on the
Naval Base in San Diego and will get to show them the Air Craft
Carrier to which he will be assigned, The US Ronald
Reagan, docked in San Diego They will go to Los
Angeles, overnight in Caramel,
on up to San Francisco, where Hugh lived
and worked when Josh was a baby for a couple of
years. Then on to South Lake Tahoe for a day or so then to Lemoore Naval
Air Station to visit Kirill and home middle of next week.
Once again it is Murphy and me, keeping home fires
burning.

SIX GENERATIONS OF PATTON MEN.

Today I post six generations of Patton Men!!!!
Lots of genealogist have generations traced back
that far but it is unusual to have a picture of that
many. I have just had this put together for Josh
and Melissa Patton, certainly in anticipation of
tearing this one up and adding a seventh generation,
and another little Leonard someday.
My grandson:
Joshua Leonard Patton, August 21, 1980 -
Hugh Leonard Patton, January 25, 1950 -
Leonard Owen Patton, May 4, 1924 - December 8, 2005
Herman Neal Patton, Sept. 2, 1893 - January, 1978
William Wilson Patton, July 2, 1868 - August 17, 1936
Richard H. Patton, 1842 - 1925
Joseph Patton, Sept. 17, 1792 - Nov. 26, 1859
John Patton, Nov. 17, 1768 - Nov, 17, 1845

I am quite disappointed with the how the picture turns out,
but you see the meaning. Picture itself is excellent

HE IS BECOMING A CITIZEN OF THESE USofA

KIRILL, left has passed his test and will become
a US citizen on the 17th of September. Will
anyone get to wittness this in California? You
bet, his mother and dad are headed that way.
Yegor will be about three months behind him
as his work is almost complete I understand.
Yegor continues to let his sholder heal and working
a little here as it heals. I pray that God will look
after both of these boys. What fine citizens they
will make.

THE FOUR TRAVELING MUSKETEERS

Her we are doing what we do best. We are off

to see the Wizzard--- I am sure Mike knows all

of the best places to dine! He will probably want

to go to Paula Deens again.

CHRISTMAS AND GRANDCHILDREN GO TOGETHER

Sarah Abigail, Rebecca Lynn and Katherine Patton and
Joseph were unheard of at this moment in time.
One of these precious ones is hurting tonight, his heart is
broken. Remember him and his in your prayers.

YES AROUND THE TABLE - ROCOCO -funnnnny

Its been going on a long time. Hasn't it?

I salute you Merry for the wonderful memory.

I loved it. Probably '89 or '90.