We have had such lovely weather for the last few days. I woke up on Sunday feeling good and did get to go to church. I have been sick so much lately it was such a blessing to be able just to worship with everyone.

It was so good to see Sam Rosado at church. He seems to be doing good, although he has oxygen. He is always thinking of other people. He looked at me really serious and said, "Ruth, be sure to say something about our boys who will be leaving for overseas." I do want these boys to know we are lifting them up with our thoughts and prayers. We have many hopes and prayers for them daily.

I have just learned that Evelyn Delong of Oklahoma City, Okla., passed away over the weekend. She was brought back to Amory. Her funeral was on Wednesday. I went by the funeral home and visited with some of the family. When she lived here, she was in my Sunday School class at Meadowood. She was a dear friend and her brother, Earnest Mitchell, is my neighbor.

James and Barbara Rollins are in Columbus with their son, Anthony, who is very ill. We do hope we will soon get good news about hin. Keep this family in your prayers.

I was grocery shopping today and had a nice visit with Sara Bratton. She was with her brother, James Conwill. Sara is having a great deal of trouble with her back. She told me she had a grandson leaving for overseas and one of her granddaughter's husband is also going. These are Ronnie Hood and Jesse Lindsey. I know both of them. We will keep all of them in our prayers. She is a dear friend and loves her family.

My place here doesn't look like a war zone anymore. My granddaughter, Angel Westbrook, and her husband, Jeff, and their children spent one afternoon last week and one this week cleaning and hauling and burning. Pam has been using Roundup and we have things looking better. I really appreciate them.

I met a lady in a local store. I did not know her,but I do now. She said when the paper comes she sits down and reads my column. She said she feels like she had a chat with me. I appreciated her comments.

Sorry to report that Dr. Danny Moore's younger brother passed away over the weekend. Our love and prayers go out to all this family.

Happy birthday wishes to little Kylie Beth Westbrook. She had a lovely party with lots of friends.

Barbara Collums and June Whitehead spent the weekend in Franklin, Tennessee, attending the Tennessee State Daughters of the American Revolution conference. In addition to meetings and workshops, they toured Carneton Plantation and Cemetery where several hundred Mississippi Confederates are buried. Landmark Rare Editions Bookshop and several antique stores were also part of the schedule. The sisters returned to Smithville on Sunday and had dinner with Phillip and Darnell Collums that night. They spent Monday walking over more cemeteries, Bethlehem and Maxey.

Welcome to Koehn Michael Hamilton. He was born on April 27 weighing in at 8 pounds 11 ounces and was 22 inches long. His mother, Amy Comer Hamilton, is a graduate of Smithville High School. I got acquainted with his father Brad Hamilton when I spent several days at Amory High School last fall. He is welcomed by his big brother Jackson Hamilton. One set of his grandparents are from Smithville, Mike and Betty Comer.

Well, you just never know who you will run into when you are out and about. Last Friday night we ate with our friends Bud and Mary Anna Riggan. Afterward we enjoyed "Three Unrelated Scenes of Southern Life" at the Aberdeen Elkin Theatre. As we entered the theatre we were greeted by Bev and Ace Hetland, whom we had met at the wellness center. As we arrived at our seat on our row there were none other than Deborah Knight Herndon and Betty Lenore. A few minutes later James and Jean Knight arrived and sat in front of us. James wanted to be sure that his name got in the news. These plays were written by Kathy Box and Teresa Johnson, a graduate of Smithville High School. Kathy Box was also the director. (This was the same theatre that Joel and I along with Bud and Mary Anna saw a movie on our first date many, many years ago.)

Sympathy to the Minga family in the passing of Ralph Minga. Ralph was the brother of Ruth Whitehead of Smithville.

Well, last Saturday, Joel and I planted our corn for this year. Then on Monday, we put out tomatoes, peppers, squash and onions. Also we planted cucumbers (3 hills), okra, beans, butterbeans and peas.

Hopefully we will have a good crop of all of these. If we do you may read that we need help eating all of it.

On Wednesday Bill and Becky Morrow, Charles and Ginny Lee Coggins, Evelyn Nertewitz along with Joel and I enjoyed a meal together after Bible study.

To report the news call 651-4788.

On Tuesday, Charlotte Wathan and Virginia Murphree visited Eloise Wamble in the rehab section of North Mississippi Medical Center. Virginia said she looks good and they had a nice visit. She said she had been outside and got to amp"put my feet in the grass.amp" She is walking and working hard toward being able to come home.

Condolences to Paula Clark and her family on the loss of her sister, Mirtie Hill, who lived in Tyler, Texas.

On Friday night, Lou Booth and her children enjoyed a mini-reunion with about 30 cousins from the Booth side of the family. They met at Holly's Restaurant in Nettleton for food and fellowship.

Belated happy birthday to Lou, whose birthday was the 26th. On Saturday night, celebrating the occasion with her at a cookout were Scott and Tammy Rodriguez of Senatobia, Ricky and Denise Booth with Josie and Megan, Kayla Morgan with Wes and Russ, and Tom Booth. On Sunday, Kathy Hicks treated her to dinner at the Park Restaurant.

Nan Polizzi Mangum, of McGee, recently visited her cousin, Virginia Murphree.

I understand Elaine McGhee is out of ICU and in a room at Gilmore Memorial, but not feeling at all well.

We attended the fantastic Amory High School production of amp"The Wizamp" since my great-nephew, Dalton Cousar, was a member of the cast. However, I discovered a number of talented performers with roots in the Wren and Coontail communities. Alex Birkholz's mother, Mary Carlisle, grew up in Wren, the daughter of Dennis and Betty Thompson; Hannah Gadd (who had the lead role) is the daughter of Ron and B.J. Gadd and granddaughter of Curtis and Ilaree Smith, of Central Grove; Chelsea Trautment is the daughter of Tim and Shannon, and granddaughter of the Wren librarian, Charlotte Wathan; Grant Nerren's step-mother, Kathy Wamble Nerren, grew up in Wren, the daughter of Eddie and Eloise Wamble; Byron Hurt's great-grandmother, the late Lenore Morgan Hurt, grew up in Wren in the Hal and Tommie Morgan household; Dalton, of course, is the son of Barbara Pearson Cousar; Michial and Christopher's father, Mike, lived next door to us for several years, one of Billy and Marie Miller's four. Kudos to the entire talented cast and their leaders.

On Friday, Oliver Box, son of Jimmy and Kathy Box, and Katherine Stewart, of Alexandria, Va., were married in an intimate family wedding at the First Methodist Church in Aberdeen at 12 noon. They met when Oliver was helping his brother, Jonathan, move to Alexandria. Her family is originally from Clinton, but her parents and grandparents now live in Atlanta. The couple left for a 10-day honeymoon to Hawaii. Oliver is the minister at the United Methodist Church in Algoma.

Roger and Mary Gillentine have had their three grandchildren while their mother took a 10-day, long-planned vacation to China. They are five-month old twins, Gunnar and Slade, and 2-year-old sister, Emma Rose, from Hattiesburg. I admire their courage!

Ricky and Paula Gillentine visited their daughter and son-in-law, Brandon and Laura King, in Brandon. On Friday night, they attended a baseball game between the Mississippi Braves, from Pearl, and the Chattanooga Lookouts, then watched the fireworks afterwards. The Braves won.

Although still not being up to par, Ferrell and I attended the Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast on Saturday morning and his Hamilton School Class reunion on Saturday night. His sister, Frances Wojtusik, from Vernon, was the oldest former graduate present. I was happy to see former teacher, Mrs. Addie Adair (age 99) - age has not affected her sharp mind.

We finally planted most of our garden this week. On Monday, grandson Thomas Lee rowed it up, since Ferrell still did not feel good and we have done a little each day.

I saw Ray Van Duessen working on a garden plot at the Covin's.

Remember to call me at 369-2353 or Vernell Savage at 256-5939.

The Prairie RCDC will sponsor the annual Prairie Day Celebration on May 16, and you are cordially invited. This grand event will be held at the Prairie Community Center, located off Highway 382. Some of the activities will consist of a parade starting at 9 a.m. and a program starting at 10 a.m.

You may participate in the parade entering your favorite truck, motor bike or float to represent your organization, community or church. We invite all that would like to be involved with food booths, arts and crafts, talents, Girl and Boy Scouts and youth groups to come and make this event a success. We will have an air machine, face painting, balloon toss, fire truck tour, horseback riding, water slide and lots of activities for children.

This will be a day of fun for everyone. We look forward to hours of excitement, plus enjoyment, and we hope you, along with your family and friends, can participate with us in all our planned activities.

If you are interested in participating in one of our booths, please contact Earnestine Metcalf at 369-7292, Linda Wilson at 494-8815, Betty Rowe at 369-8915 or Louise Broyles at 369-6037. This is a community occasion, so let's meet, greet and celebrate.

Nathaniel Wilson III will be graduating from Ole Miss in Oxford on May 9 with a degree in MIS and Business Management. He is the son of Nathaniel and Jeanette Wilson.

Hello, everybody. I hope that all of us will have a good day, through all our complaints and doctors' appointments. God is still God, as we all know that He is still able. We have to keep on trusting, believing and obeying, keeping His commandments. We know that all Christians are doing that. We are all going to continue to do so.

We know that we often use the word shut-ins, but we need to stay in touch with our sick people. Just take time to call and find out how they are doing. That will make them feel good to tell their friends how many calls and visits they got. We all appreciate that.

We are all glad that Ruth Bounds has moved back. She can be with us a lot now. She has always been a loving, kind person. She is a willing worker.

Thanks to all our visiting church people for visiting with us. We are always so glad to have you.

St. Peter's Youth Choir Day will be on the 17th at 2:30 p.m. All are invited.

Athens' Family and Friend Day is the 17th at 4 p.m. All are invited.

Thanks to Pastor Wax, Rev. Dunlap and Bro. Cooperwood for all the great sermons last month, as always. To Rev. Belle, Rev. Whitley, Rev. Real, Rev. Williams and all our visiting pastors.

Thanks to Bro. W.C. Bradley for such a beautiful message at St. Peter's. All enjoyed it so much.

Thanks to Bro. Chris Wax for such a beautiful message at Athens. All enjoyed that. We have just been having a good time at all our churches and also other churches that we have been visiting. Thanks to Dr. Ben Jr. for his good speaking to all our youth. They have all enjoyed it so much. We older people enjoyed it, also.

Keep on praying for the sick, Sister Alice Smith, Lewis Wax, Quedella Smith. We all will continue to pray for each other. Pray for our bereaved families.

Thanks to our choirs, musicians, choir directors, our youth and children. We all love each other.

We had three or four of our people that had home accidents, Sister Nicky Ewing, Louise Carlisle Moton, but we are glad that they are all doing good. They are better. That's good.

We hope and pray that Rev. Dunlap's father is still improving.

If we didn't know all our sick people, we love them, that's for sure.

In all things, acknowledge Him and He will director your path. See you at church, if it's the Lord's will.