We had lunch at the University’s President’s house, then were shuttled to the Ulysses S Grant Presidential Library of Mississippi State University. It was an elegant affair, the occasion? My sister-in-law Jorja had donated the contents of my brothers study, a shrine to Grant replete with books, photographs, letters and artwork. His entire collection is now carefully archived and preserved in the John Grisham Room. Yep, Charlottesville’s famous author graduated from MS State.
Dr Mark Keenum, the above mentioned University President, spoke about how ironic it may seem to have Grant’s Library in MS. Almost like my northern brother, Mike, coming down here to conquer and capture his beloved, an Ole Miss (that northern school) Beauty Queen. “He gave me a big life,” she said. And even after death, he’s still getting all the publicity.
This morning the doves are singing, the wind chimes are ringing, and the Great Dane Carmen is napping. The bride and Groom slept in the bedroom that was home to Mrs Julia Grant during the Occupation. Sitting on the screen porch of this magnificent Antebellum home, I feel I’ve gone back in time. I’m waiting for the Love Bug to wake up, and wishing so much my brother could have known her. He would have loved her contrariness.
MountainMornings 
What a wonderful event and fantastic gift to the university. My daughter and husband just researched Matt’s grandfather and found his papers at the U of Wyoming– no one could explain why they were there. Truly the gift that can keep on giving as future students conduct research.