Day Ninety Five

I didn't take pictures today, so I'll share one from our trip to Stones River Battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, yesterday. This is a small section of Union soldier graves. Across the street and beyond the fence is the battlefield. 24,000 men were killed in three days, December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863. We learned that the Battle of Murfreesboro was one of the bloodiest in the entire Civil War.

Day Ninety Four

My great great grandfather, Robert James Campbell Gailbreath, a Confederate soldier from Gainesboro, Tennessee, was wounded in the Battle of Murfreesboro, December 31, 1862. His arm was amputated and he died January 12, 1863. He is buried in a mass grave along with 2000 other Confederate soldiers in Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I've always wanted to visit his grave site and got the chance today. Our daughter, Kelly, lives in Murfreesboro not far from the battlefield where her great great great grandfather was wounded and later died. We spent this beautiful afternoon with the dead, walking around The Confederate Circle at Evergreen, then heading over to the battlefield at Stone's River where the thousands of Union soldiers are buried. We spent a lot of time in the cemetery. The next time we visit, we plan to walk the battlefield and maybe get a feel for some of the last moments of RJC Gailbreath's life. By the way, his name is misspelled on the headstone.

Day Ninety Three

Sometimes I have to go out on my front porch and gaze at the flag for a few moments just to reassure myself that I am still living in America.

Day Ninety Two

The tulips are finally blooming in our yard. They're my favorite spring time flower. I hope they're still around for Easter.

Day Ninety One

Every time we eat out with grand daughter Shelby, she amuses herself with making gross food combination concoctions. An uneaten bun from an Arby's roast beef sandwich, salt, pepper, Sweet n Low, a little salsa and ketchup and maybe a curly fry or two--it all makes for a totally repulsive sandwich. She and Neil always offer each other money if one of them will actually take a bite. I think she did take a bite out of one of these once for five bucks. But that's the last time she did it. This need to gross people out is genetic, apparently. Her mom used to do the same thing.