Phil thank you for your kind words about that wonderful man of mine. Thank you for them--I am aware of the lives that he has touched because I have been hearing the words from a lot of his friends that he has had over the years and more to the point, they are a great source of comfort to me. I am glad that you remember him throughout those long years--he never ever forgot that he was a proud man from Missouri and yes it was a shame that his childhood home burnt to the ground because in that house was over 400 years of history that was lost because of the fire which took the house that he loved while growing up there in Missouri. He came to love history because while growing up there he would lose a lot of plows because he had hit cannon balls in his front meadow. He spoke of his love for the Civil War with such great passion and he was a wonderful man. I was so proud to be able to visit the museum and see the memorial that he wrote even though there were some visitors there that pushed me to the rear in order to hear my husband speak of the time that was one of the most interesting battles of the war. He actually was laughing when I whistled and told him that I was in the back listening while he was giving a guided tour of that museum and he walked to the back and got me--I am tiny after all--he was over 6' tall to my 5'4". He held those visitors' attention for the longest time and he was such a wonderful man and he is missed each and every day. I have wonderful memories of him and I am doing fine. So I want to say to each and everyone thank you for sharing your memories of him with me because I love hearing the stories of my husband especially of his time at Wyoming and in fact he is credited with writing the "Ode to Blackhearted Earl" which memorialized the cook at the cafeteria at the time. In fact there are those who are currently attending Wyoming who recite it and it was interesting to hear that it is still carrying on long after he has left us. Again thank you for your kind words and you are not imposing on me at all. If the truth be known I have not been able to grieve that wonderful man because there are those here in the area who have been less than kind to me ever since they have learned of his passing. I am now fighting the good fight and they should have known better that I would not take it. He was a Southerner and I am his wife. I will say this when you go there to the museum think about the time I was there being regulated to the back while he was giving a tour and smile cause it is a memory that will live with me for forever. I still chuckle whenever I remember that day. The docent was from Jamaica and she was engaged in conversation with the husband not knowing that he had written and done so much for that museum--it was truly an honor and a labor of love for him. I understand now as I did then what a wonderful man I was privileged to know and be married to. He is and shall remain my loving, patient husband who had to explain to me those little things about the South which I had no idea about (I was raised in Europe) and he was so patient when he did it because I know that I must have asked too many questions, but he made sure that I got the most accurate information. Plus I was eager to go to the battlefields and he would call me his trooper for walking through not complaining mind you except in VA when I met a snake and retreated as he said to me "Quicker than the Yankees." as he was grinning and laughing so hard. He was funny and brilliant. I had to laugh at that one as well. I would gladly do it all over again just to spend time with that man of mine. Again thank you for your kind words. You brought me a lot of fond memories just by remembering him and saying those words about him.

By the way the second edition is dedicated to me because as he said, "You were so tolerant and patient while I was locked away getting this done and who else would go with me while I was walking the battlefields and not complain much." Well, it was the snake thing ok--I do not do snakes and more to the point I do not like them thank you. He would laugh about that one for a long time. He also knew that I loved watching him talk about the thing that held his attention with such passion. Oh I am so proud to be his wife and I thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your community because he did love it so.

Before his death he was working on a book of Lexington and he wanted me to do a cookbook about what was being served during the war (I am a chef) and he said that the food was in short supply and I read some of the journals and I was shocked to see what was being served at the time. I looked at him and told him I was shocked. We were a team and in fact there were some journals written in French and bless my husband's heart he said that he would have to contact someone to translate them--I cleared my throat and asked him why bother because he had in house translator and his response was "Who?"--I took the journal with a pad of paper and started to translate and he asked if I would not mind doing that for him again --he knew how to get me to do things for him because as I said it was an honor and a privilege to be with that man. I had to translate and pronounce for him the name of one character that the South referred to as Pole cat because they could not say his name and husband said no wonder they called him Pole cat cause his name was so hard to get out. I laughed and taught him how to pronounce his name--he just could not do it because his mind was set on Pole cat. So that is one of my fondest memories of the husband.

Again thank you and please feel free to contact me at any time.

Very Respectfully Submitted,

Anne