~~ A Dixie-'land' GOTCHA!!! ~~

There are people that come & go in your life ...

For years now I have been friends with Dixie, via ebay bump-in. The bond continued to grow slowly & firmly over time ... a couple years ago Dixie mentioned her 'annual' gathering of family & friends ... I joked about 'popping over'. Same last year & Dixie really wanted us to come.

This year Dixie insisted & actually sent an invite. We giggled that she must think we 'needed' one. In the spring I had mentioned that one day we may just 'pop in' ... she asked for a bit of a warning & finally I (with crossed fingers & toes) said 'sure'. She wrote back she knew I was 'lying' ... we got a laugh from her, she knows me TOO well.

We had decided we would take our trek for the summer & go to her party to meet her. Prior to this weekend, Dixie wrote several 'come on down' notes ... I, again with fingers & toes crossed' lied ... I was sure she wouldn't recognize me with the new hair-do, etc.

I decided when we arrived I would be a florist delivering flowers to Ms. Dixie. We bought a gorgeous bouquet of flowers with 3 red roses added to represent our Lord, friendship & love.

As we approached the driveway Bill came up to the car to direct parking. I asked, 'are you Dixie's husband?' Bill said he was. I said, 'I am Marydon Ford ....' Bill slapped his hand over his mouth in surprise ... I continued, 'I am here to surprise Dixie'. Bill assured me she would be surprised. I told him what I was going to do. He directed me to her.

I walked over with the flowers ... Dixie gave us the funniest look & said 'do I know you?' 'I am a florist delivery person with flowers for Dixie'. 'I am Dixie', she stated as I handed her the flowers. Dixie took the flowers ... I gave her this weird look & said 'don't I get a tip?' Dixie said, 'a tip?' 'Well, yes, for delivering you the flowers', I said. Totally flustered by now, Dixie reached for her pocket, as she is flabbergasted over where the flowers came from. 'I don't have any money!, she said. I said 'I think I deserve a tip, don't you?' This caught her totally off guard & she turned to Bill & said 'give her some money for her tip.' I leaned back up against the tent pole nearly busting a gut laughing inwardly ... Dixie said she couldn't 'imagine who was sending her flowers'. I reached over & tapped the card & said, 'read the card'. She put the flowers down, opened the card, read my note ... and then she LOST IT!!! It was hysterical. Then came the tears ... hugs .......

Well, after things settled down, the next thing Dixie said was 'was Harold really injured?' Oh, do I know my Dixie! We showed her the bandaged stitched injury.

This is a wonderful forever life friendship cemented ... Bill & Dixie are wonderful, their family was truly enjoyed ...the party was great ... the food was dee-lish!!! The band is her children, gr-children who play professionally... if you look very closely there is a little tiny girl in pink
(great-gr-dau) that brought out her little 'guitar' & she sang with the band ... she was adorably precious tapping her feet & belting out the song as she strummed.

GOTCHA!!! Dixie ... forever & ever ............... Love you! Marydon & Harold

PS Dixie lives at the bottom of WV & we live in northern MD.