Happy Birthday to My Dear Sister Dixie:

I meant to get up early to post your birthday thread. But Frankie kept me up last night; he was feeling extra frisky for some reason.

I wish you a wonderful day today on your birthday dear sister of mine. You deserve all the best!

I never remember a time in my life without you. You were just always there; together with me. The good, bad and sometimes ugly of our childhood it was always we sisters that gave each other solace and comfort. We are just 14 months apart and acted more like twins than just sisters.

One of my earliest memories of you is the many times we scratched each other's back. You got me hooked on that. LOL We sometimes argued who got to be last because the last person got to fall asleep having her back scratched. Do you remember that?

When we were in the Brownies and Girl Scouts together. What fun! I think when I volunteered to be the one to dig and create the latrine you volunteered to help me. That was one s****y job. LOL And walking the neighborhood arm in arm selling GS cookies. And resisting the urge to chuck it all and sit down and dig into those Chocolate Mints.

In Key West, we were always together exploring that island; riding our bikes for hours each day. Stopping at the Cuban bakery to get a warm loaf of bread right out of the oven. Those long brown paper bags with half the loaf sticking out of the top sitting in our baskets. We could get a coke and a loaf of that bread for 11 cents.

Exploring all the Martello Towers. Going scuba diving alone. Swimming to the reef and checking out all the colorful fish. One day we encountered a hammerhead shark. Remember that? It was huge. Well to a 11 and 10 year old it was huge. We just held hands and stood completely still as we had been told. Not an easy feat especially when that monster swam behind us.

I bet we clocked up thousands of miles on those bikes. I remember us walking over to that island next to Sigsbee Island where we lived in military housing. We would pack a picnic and stay there for house. A few times we got caught there accidentally by the high tide. I really think it was no accident. We played pirates. We played like there wasn't another person in the world.

Remember those building that had been knocked down? Lots of cinderblocks and bricks lying around? Tons of the stuff. We build houses and forts. I shudder to think about the thought that rats played there too. We didn't even think about it. We just had fun.

I also remember living in Kansas, we were 9 and 8. We crossed over that barbed wire fence and chased Black Angus Bulls weighing thousands of pounds to the other end of the pasture. I remember one time they got pissed and turned around and chased us back. I got you through the fence safely, stepped into a pile of cow dung and pulled my foot out minus one white tennis shoe. And jumped through that bobbed wired fence catching the crotch of my shorts and ripping them. We got out of there alive. And then when this pasture was a wheat field; we tracked and trampled that fully grown wheat down and made large castles with so many rooms. We were too young to realize what we did to that farmer's crop! I bet he was pissed off good!

And again in Kansas we made igloos in the winter. Real ones! Went to another farmer's crop and made sandwhiches with lettuce as the bread and filled them with fresh strawberries. Yummy! To this day I cannot eat a strawberry without remembering that fun day in the sun.

And when visiting Grandpa Erics summer house in Glousetire (sp?) Grandma Jean made us sandwhiches and we had our picnics under the giant weeping willow in the front of this 250 year old house. I remember one day we were sitting there listening to all the grown ups looking for us and giggling because we could see them but they could not see us.

I also remember how eager we were to protect each other too. Always! That time in the teen club when that guy messed with me (I won't got into it more cause kids look at this). But you saw it and ran across the room and jumped on this big guy punching, pulling hair and scratching him. Did you know this guy David Jenkins went on to become the lead singer of a group called Pablo Cruise? You should have belted him in the throat and broke all his fingers too! LOL It wasn't funny then but in hindsight watching you turn into a tiger to protect your sister; you so tiny and he so big he knew he'd been beaten by a "bigger" and better person.

I remember the room we shared; it was small but very cool. We spent hours and hours cutting out photos from Tiger Beat and other celebrity magazines for teenagers; cutting out photos of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Herman's Hermits, Dave Clark Five, The Monkees (you were love struck for Davie Jones and I Mick Jagger) etc and then taping them on the walls. Three of the walls were covered with those photos practially from the floor to the ceiling.

I remember sitting with you in front of the TV watching the Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles first appeared in the US. Our parents had left us with the little ones to go to the club on the base with warning not to watch that terrible obscene rock group. We had that show on before they got out of the driveway. Dad called to make sure we were not watching it. LOL

And when we got our first color TV; the only shows in color were on Sunday night. Flipper, the Wonderful World of Disney and then Bonanza! We waited all week to see color on the TV.

And later on after I married John; he took me to Atlanta for the first time and I went out squirrel hunting with him. We got back and his mother made squirrel stew which I refused to eat. Yuck! I did ask John for the Squirrel tail because I wanted to give it to you. What was I thinking about? But surprise you loved it. I remember you walked all the way across town in Sanford to visit us. That was several miles! We pinned the squirrel tail into the back of your hair. John and I watched you walk down the street from our second story window. You looked just like a girl Davy Crocket; swinging your hair proudly with the tail hanging down!

And then years later, your own wedding to Joey! You guys were so happy that day and made an adorable couple! I was so happy for you both! Momma made both of our dresses and they were beautiful. And I had Beth resting in my belly and didn't know it yet.

And the special time when your daughters were born. How much you prayed for children. Living with disappointment so many years. How happy you both were when you learned you were expecting both times. How happy I was for you and Joey; that your prayers for children were answered! Angie and Bekah; your parents wanted you both more than anything in the entire world! There life just could not be complete without their children. Never forget how much you were yearned for and loved (love) so very very much!

We had some fusses when we were kids but nothing serious or long lasting. We always talked it out and worked it out. And if anyone messed with either one of us watch out!

I love you dear sister. Thank you so much for always being a very important part of my life! What a team we were/are!

I love you Dixe! More than you know!

Nancy