Ms. Dixie Carter

The world has lost an amazing women.

Ms. Carter had what we know as, style and poise and yet was sassy and very intelligent. She was the personification of elegance. Elegance is hard to define and hard to develop, but when we see it we know what "it" is.

Thankfully, I did get to meet Ms. Carter at a book signing. She was so generous with her time. There was a group of us girls that 'hung out' after our books were signed. She would joke with us and talk with us and when she was about to get ready to go she said "I have to give you girls a name ... The Loyal Girls" Since we stayed for almost the whole book signing.

It was such a memorable day. I forgot my camera, my loving husband went and purchase a disposable camera just for the event. Disposals at the time were rather expensive, it cost us what I made in one hour of work. But he thought it was important and money didn't matter. When I got up to talk to her I showed her my sapphire ring my husband got for me because he knew how much I liked the one she wore, it looked like the one she wore on Designing Women. She looked to my husband and said "What a great man". Then she told me her ring had been stolen. I love wearing that ring for the memories of when and why my husband got it for me and for that moment with Ms. Carter.

When I started to write my book and start this blog, Ms. Carter was foremost in my mind. I keep her book and the pictures taken at the book signing in my desk drawer. I was hoping to have gotten my book completed and dedicated and sent to her to thank her. As a young lady I knew that I wanted to grow into a women like Ms. Carter.

Her portrayal of Julia Sugerbaker was my 'hero' growing up. Sad to say I haven't seen anything she has done in the last 5 years. Thanks to on demand and DVD's I can rectify that problem.

As Julia Sugarbarker, I learned I could be successful, beautiful, loving and strong. You didn't have to choice one over the other. You could be it all. You could be kind to people but then when some one tried to take advantage of you you could take care of yourself being strong. I just loved it when she got to her limit she would let loose the best verbal lashing. I remember the one that dealt with AIDS and the "holier then thou" people. She brought that character back to reality pointing out that that womens behavior was no way Christ like and there is no room to make judgements on others, since we all sin.

The other tongue lashing Ms. Sugarbaker gave that still fits today and should replayed daily was when her design studio was to be featured in a magazine and they were taking pictures of all the women, but they wanted to "sex" them up. When Julia was told to straddle a chair and suck on pearls, the words of war came out. Being a professional women she didn't need to suck the pearls or sit in a chair in a way it was never designed for. Ms. Carter was the only person that could have pulled off Ms. Sugarbaker.

Looking around the women on TV now, it is a long hard look to find someone with even a gleam of what Ms. Carter had. The women we see now lack dignity and self possession. They do whatever they have to to get attention even if it makes them look like a fool or a street walker. Other women we see think its just perfect for them to treat those around them as nothing more then a commodity. They have no idea how to be kind. They have a whole wrong idea of what a Princess is. Ms. Carter knew what being a real royal was.

We have lost a great women. But her spirit will live in our memories and in our modern age we have the internet with all the pages of her.

We will miss you, greatly.