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Hope everyone is having a good Sunday. I just went out to feed the bunny and it's raining again. We flew home Friday. There were storms all across the country. It was a choppy flight. They didn't serve us anything until the last hour and a half.

If I knew how to use my cell phone, I would post pictures here. My old phone was so straight forward, but it didn't take pictures. I like carrying a camera. I took a photo of some chairs I liked at the b & b in Corinth. I wish I had taken more of the antiques. The chairs at the Carnton Plantation were original and were small. I don't want the big chairs that are so popular now. Most antique chairs we saw were small.

Well, I guessed I would fall in love with Tennessee, but Mississippi really got to my heart. If ever you want the sense of stopping time, go to Mississippi. the mornings were so beautiful and peaceful. There was a Baptist church by the B & B. The Church covered about half a city block. Every even hour the carillion church bells played hymns. In the meantime the birds were singing, the azaelas blooming everywhere. The people were friendly. So friendly. We stayed in the historic part of town. On our street were the homes that housed the generals from both the confederate and the union sides. Corinth was key to the Union plan. It was the seat of battles for about four years. Two railroad lines cross in Corinth from the west to east and north to south. I guess it's the only place in the South where that happened.

I'm reading a book called "Widow of the South" about the Carnton Plantation and the Civil War. It was on the best seller list for a long time. After the terrible battle of Franklin, the people there took in the wounded Confederate soldiers and turned their beautiful home into a hospital. Later they organized the removal of the bodies of the confederate soldiers from the fields around and reburied them in their own family cematery. Mrs. MacGavock, the owner, kept a book with all the names and burial places. Through the years families would travel to her farm to try to find some record of their loved ones. She and her husband also buried their slaves in their family plot. It was so beautiful there and so moving. The house has a lot of their original furniture and paintings. Their beautiful dining table is there. It was most likely used for surgery. There are blood stains on the floors everywhere. My goodness. I would have been delighted and touched just to see the farm there in Tennessee, but the history was incredible.

Okay. I had a good time. We also went to Shiloh, without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. There are cannons positioned everywhere. The battle took places through acres and acres of fields and woods. I guess it's the most untouched battleground around.

People talked a lot about the war. It's still there, all around them.

Our favorite place was Puckett's Store. Our friends think Dennis and I eat at "dives". This qualified. It's a General Store in Tennessee, with homemade Southern food (greens, corncakes, fried potatoes, fried okra, pulled pork, shrimp, etc.) We stopped at Puckett's in Leiper's Fork on our way home. It was Thursday night (remember that) open mike night. What a delight. We heard a guitar-playing folk singer, a young girl singing ballads, a young boy playing a banjo, and a garage band of teen agers who turned the volume up so loud that it was time to leave. Totally fun.

So now we're back. The storms here will continue all week. Dad is at work (yes, it's Sunday). The entire system crashed. Unprecedented. They are bypassing it and rebuilding it. Tyler and Dawn are home resting and getting over some colds. Dawn's folks (George and Sheri) are coming this Easter weekend and they want to feel better. Rilee and Alex and Brynna are writing papers and finishing up school. Tommy is working hard. They are busy planning their summer fun.

We are looking forward to the wedding. Am I telling you enough about our plans? We will be driving from Utah to Fort Collins. I have rooms in downtown Fort Collins on Thursday and Friday night. Saturday we move to Longmont, Col. or head for home. Brynna's birthday is Thursday and we hope to all be there for a celebration. The wedding party is Friday and the actual wedding and luncheon is around noon and three p.m. on Saturday. Ask me any questions. I hope I'm passing on the info you need. Brynna's mom and sister and brother are visiting in Orem. Brynna will drive back home with her mom. They will be here for Alex's graduation on Friday. We've had baby years. This seems to be the year of graduation. I think Rilee graduates at the end of summer. Agata graduates in June.

I am looking forward to seeing Danny, Jenni and the boys again, probably in June for Agata's graduation. Jak is doing so well in school and on the piano. Ollie is studying piano now. Milo just steals everyone's heart.

I'd like you to know that it's a beautiful world. I haven't seen much, except for the great American West, and now the South. What else is out there? For me, it's like Lake Amethyst. I just want to go back to these places. Again and again. Puckett's every Thursday night. We meet warm hearted, friendly, wonderful people.

Love to you all. Keep in touch.