FROM BEGINNING TO THE END

In 1942 this handsome Senior boy walked over to my seat in Study Hall and grinned down at me - - then helped himself to half of my seat. During those few minutes that Miss Amy allowed him to sit there , he told me he was dating a girl in Lebanon but was going to break up with her that week-end and wanted to call me. That was December 21st, l942 and our first date was New Year's eve Dec.31. 1942. Today July 15, 2012 and 67 years later I am still just as much in love with his precious heart as when mine stopped that day as I saw him turn up my aisle. The ecstasy may have passed somewhat but it was replaced by something greater, because what was in part became whole. We then spent sixty years in love and raising a loving family.

A few days at Springland and...

Judy showers me with love and fluffs me with pretty...

 
My vacation this summer - - five days at Springland, with Judy and Louis.  Yes, indeed they fluffed and prettied me all five days.  Louis enjoyed the Braves games with me each day, and Judy kept the flowers from her garden in every room. Her hydrangea bushes have been outstanding. She is enjoying growing Zinnias.  Special things fit for a Queen - - Special baths and showers with a chaperone - -great meals prepared especially for me - -warm chats on the porch late at night - - special treats brought to my bedroom, for the times I wake up and work a puzzle or two. - -special prayer time together at my bedside, prayer for Judy's children and decisions they are making, and prayer for our entire family and church family. Aloha and Aloha! Hello and Goodbye.                       

A follow-up from Chatterbox

http://familychatterbox.blogspot.com/2012/06/audience-with-queen-on-her-85th.html

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAMA!

Birthday message from Merry...

The gift of time has been ours.

Ours to talk

Ours to listen

Ours to laugh

Ours to cry

Ours to create

Ours to gather

Ours to sing

Ours to share

Ours to reminisce

Ours to love…

In the words of the little orphan boy, Oliver…”Please, Sir, I want some more.”  

Happy Birthday, Mama

I love you,

Merry

SIX HUNDRED

                                                             

 We just call it 600.

 It was 1959 when Interstate Life transferred Leonard from Cookeville to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  After staying at the Old James K. Polk Hotel for a week while looking for a house, we saw a sign board, right across the front door of 600 that said, “For Rent”.  We looked at it and visited with the owners, Baxter and Frances Hobgood, that night. The Hobgoods fell in love with our precious children, and rented the house to us for $75.00 a month.

The house was near a good grammar school, the square where we both worked and was only five blocks from church.  During the years we were living there, we offered, from time to time, to buy the house; but Mrs. Hobgood would not sell, even when she went into a nursing home.  We lived here 40 years before she agreed to sell us her childhood home.

We had lots and lots of our children's friends here and many slumber parties. One slumber party found 100 boys and girls here until midnight and 65 girls spending the night, bedded down in sleeping bags all over the house.

There were chandeliers in every room and we lost several globes during yo-yo season when the children were in there early teens.

 Our family has increased from 6 to 57 in the past 53 years since we came to 600.  Family gathering have filled the house with joy and love each holiday during all of those years.

The painters have just given 600 a new facelift.  They did a marvelous job, it looks ready for another half century of fellowship.  Our home will always be remembered as the childhood home to my children rather than the quaint little five room house where we lived when they were all born, or in Cookeville where we spent two fun years.

This is a rather big house for one little old lady, but I have a good alarm system, and feel very safe here with my memories.  I am pictured above waving to Merry as she heads home after a few days visit.  I feel so lucky to be able to stay here for this long and I am indeed fortunate to have three awesome children who love me and make sure I have everything I need.

Yes, again I say, thank God for the wonderful gift.

A Mother's Day Invasion of Queentalks!

I am invading Queentalks with thoughts of love and devotion for our Mother, in honor of Mother's Day.

Titus 2:4 says, train younger women "to love their husbands and children...to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."   ...You set an example to us of these things and we continue to strive to live up to the standard.


Proverbs 19:18 tell us to, "Discipline your son, for in that there is hope"...we have indeed experienced that hope many times.


In Proverbs (31:28) the Bible says, "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her".  ...We do and he did.

Like your mother before you, may we continue to pass on what you have taught us.  

  Happy Mother's Day, Mama

With love from,

Merry

Sending up extra praises today for my greatest earthly gift from God.

Leonard 5/4/24- 12/8/05

~Happy Birthday~

May 3…for My Mama

May 3, you have come – the day I always sing

“Happy Birthday, Dear Mama” – the familiar tune, it must ring!

Can you hear my voice as I sing the words to you?

You’ve gone on before me, but our love is so true.

“Happy Birthday, Dear Mama”, a party, a cake…

This year so very different, no sweet pastry to bake.

You are loved, you are missed, you are needed right here.

What a party, not so long ago, has it really been a year?!

Son named John, daughter Susan, Jahnna with dark eyes and hair,

Of course, Dani and also Angie…at so many parties we were there!

Much love from Mike, later Jeanette, and the boys who married your girls,

Late came Ellie, a great grandchild, little blond one, fresh made curls!

“Tista Dendedon”, Brother Ken, and then Baby Girl Polly,

We remember, we do love you, and we know that by golly…

You celebrate your own birthday in the presence of THE KING!

There a brother, there a daddy, there a mother, they will sing!

“Happy Birthday, Dear Mama”, the song I sing out loud!

To be your little girl, even grown now, forever I am proud!

And proud of you, my Mama, of our hearts whose link will break never

Cross our fingers; weave them together; I love you always, forever and ever!

by: Susan Headrick

A Jewel

Betty 5/2/46 - 10/30/02

I held a Jewel in my fingers

And went to sleep

The day was warm, and winds were prosy

I said, "Twill keep"

I woke..and chid my honest fingers,

The Gem was gone..

And now, an Amethyst remembrance

Is all I own...

Emily Dickinson

I will always celebrate the day you were born...Mom

A Visit To Atlanta

Special memories were made this past week when I took a trip to Atlanta to visit 

Steps to my bedroom

my daughter Merry and her husband, Terrence.  Steps were a bit of a problem leading to my bedroom but all else was joyous and an adventure.  I had a date night with my son-in-law while Merry took in an extra performance of her grandson's play.  I went to see that performance the following night and watched with pride as Andrew sang and danced the part of Ike in the play, Oklahoma.  What a great show!!

Our STAR after the show.

I spent that night with granddaughter, Kim and her family.  I had a lovely suite of rooms all to myself!  Kim and I had a long, sweet talk while laying on my bed, Emily joined us for a while.  William came in to say a prayer with me but I didn't see Andrew until the next morning at a delightful breakfast of chicken quiche.

   The glorious day continued when the family escorted me to grandson, Mike's house to visit with him and his dear family.  The house was bursting with grandchildren and great grandchildren when Merry and Terrence joined us to shortly take me home for a little rest.

Thanks Atlanta family for your love and attention.  I had a wonderful time!

Grandchildren, Kim and Mike

A photo for the memory book, great-grandchildren, William, Isabelle, Joe, Emily and Andrew

A Valentine for you...

To you, my family, my friends and those in between, thank you for letting me love you and for loving me back.

Not many roses in these old Valentines. But lots of violets and forget-me-nots...

With love,

Mom, Nana or Gwen

Lilly, my keeper, my friend...

Through gales of laughter,

through times I couldn't face alone,

you were there for me.

I thank you so much.

Your friendship

means everything to me.

Good friends stand with you

on the mountaintop and applaud.

Best friends walk with you through the valley and holds your hand.

Thanks for being my best friend.

Thanks for my early morning coffee!

Two are better than one . . . .

If one falls down,

his friend can help him

Phil:1:3 

January Visits from friends that are distant relatives...

 

There us nothing like meeting up with old friends or family that you have not visited with in a while, this is exactly that Merry and I did Monday night. my second cousin (or as my brother would say, first cousin once removed), Kathy came to our house about 4:00, after work and stayed until 10:30. We talked reminised and remembered times gone by. Was a lovely visit and we plan to have lots of those in the future.

  After church Sunday at Chophouse we ran into old friend, who also had Patton blood runing through her vains, and she suggested lunch together while Merry was here. Today she picked us up and picked another friend, and we enjoyed a breakfast at Mimi's. It is so much fun to renew friendship with those you chatted
over the backyard fence with, or over coffee, one who runs an errand or watches the kids for just a moment,
or provides a cup of sugar or a stick of butter when needed. Today Pat and Merry, of course remembered those summer days, twice a week at Center Hill water sking back in the 50's. In the 50's we were neighbors across the street. We still have the warm feeling of neighbors that we experienced back then. A twist in the long relationship is Pat's father and Leonard shared the same great, great grandfather.

I am the little one!

What else is new? Addy Dresses Up!

Uncle Bob gives Addy a new dress for Christmas.  She looks like Matt, 33 years ago with a dress on.  You are a beautiful Baby Girl!

                                         

The Albino Peacock

                               

This morning, I received a beautiful email forward from my special friend, Mel, titled "Must have made God Smile".  It showed pictures of rare and beautifully colored birds. The only one I had seen before was the peacock. (Note the albino peacock above Kate's head.)

Several years ago my daughter and her then husband bought a beautiful farm and the acreage was full of the fancy birds. We counted as many as 50 to 70 one day as the children were feeding them.  The forward this morning made me think of these two little girls on the farm that day, feeding peacocks as their grandfather prepared breakfast on an old iron stove that we cooked on up at the outdoor kitchen. 

I am now thinking about Christmas 2012, about 22 years later, as Kate, 27, (on left) after graduating from NYU, prepares to leave for South Korea to teach English, and Abby, 29, entering her final semester getting her Masters at MTSU, and teaching 2nd grade at a Rutherford County School. Our best love and wishes for wonderful lives to

these granddaughters.

You haven't had the best of eggs ever unless you've sat at Papa's table.  Maybe Terrence came close but I think he has forgotten how or is it that I just haven't been in his kitchen in a very long time.  Oh, so many memories run through this old brain of mine...and some of them take place in a kitchen surrounded by peacocks and lovely granddaughters...and their Papa.

 
 

Queentalks, Random Subjects

                                                         The Queen had written a book!
                                            293 Pages, and it has been named "Queentalks"
                                         I begins with my blogspot when I started in August
                                             2007, and ends with New Years Eve, 2011.
                                              I suppose thats one way to write a book.
                                              It is 11" by 9" and I have enjoyed every
                                          silly mistake and every mispelled word. Even
                                             silly subjects sometimes. Happy Blogging!

THEN THERE WERE THREE

The children of Macon and Elroy Floyd have managed to have
a sibling night every year during Christmas week since Mother left us.
Six years ago on 8th of December, Leonard left us and there were six.
I believe three years ago Margie was unable to join us and there were five.
Two years ago Edsel was unable to come and there were four.
This year in May my Sister Dot joined our parents in Heaven, then
there were three.
The Queen, Sisqualums and Paul Ette.
After Edsel passed away in October, it became a very lone group
of three left,
 but we persevered, had our sibling night and enjoyed thinking
of Dot and Edsel and their great wit.
To make our evening even sweeter, Paulette's daughter Nicholle, and
Dorothy's daughter and son-in-law prepared all the food
that they could even remember and brought it
and filled my kitchen with wonderment.
After giving us about 3 or 4 hours alone, they came back
and cleaned up everything and left it spotless. Christmas certainly brought us blessings from family
as well as blessings with family.
I pray that 2012 will be filled with God's goodness, and should
there be two next year let those two be filled with joy.
The Lord had done great things for us, and
we are filled with joy!
                                                         Psalms 126:3

       

Remembering

1924 ~ 2005

It was so very good of God to let my dreams come true,

To note a young girl's cherished hopes,

Then lead her right to you.

Our love has long belonged to each other

Since that day we first met, in Study Hall.

I will never quite forget how you just paused,

And smiled a bit, then calmly helped yourself to it.

So sure of yourself, gently pushed me over

and took half of the seat, just waiting

for Miss Amy to move you along.

I'm so glad she let you linger there with me

that day and even for the next sixty-three years"

Farewell to Our Felly

My friend and newest family member, Felly. She loves American Halloween and kept her costume secret only to be revealed on Halloween night. In December, she is leaving her American family and going back home to Tailand. She is headed back to a country in trouble. Flooding has devistated her country and her family home. We will send our love with her and keep her in our daily prayers. You can check Felly out on her blog:  http://teetinietime.blogspot.com/