Dolly Parton is doing better than she thought she would following the demise of her husband Carl Dean.

The country singer, who was married to Dean for nearly 60 years, opened up about how she’s doing during a chat with the press at the opening celebration for Dollywood’s 40th season.

“I’m doing better than I thought I would,” Parton, 79, told Knox News.

The Jolene hitmaker also reflected on her time spent in mourning. “I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”

Parton went on to add that she’s “at peace that he’s at peace,” acknowledging that it hasn’t stopped her from “missing him and loving him.”

The country icon also recalled Dean’s frequent visits to Dollywood.

“He used to come to the park. He bought his own ticket, stood in line, and got his ticket. He didn’t want somebody giving him a ticket ‘cause he was Dolly’s husband,” Parton told the outlet. “Everybody thinks that’s the funniest thing.”

Dean, who kept a low profile throughout their marriage, visited without Parton and indulged in the theme park food, per the outlet, and would often offer some feedback.

“He would say, ‘You need more bathrooms,’” Parton laughed, imitating his voice. “Or he would say, ‘You need to tell them this or that. It’s crowded over in that area. You might want to tell them they ought to do this or that.’”

“He wasn’t coming to criticise, but he would notice things and he would say, you might want to bring this to their attention,” she added.

Parton concluded by saying that she now plans to “do like Carl” and “just walk around, look at everything.”

Parton’s visit to Dollywood marked her first public appearance since Dean died on March 3 at 82 years old.