Friends & Flowers Garden Club News
by Dixie Taylor

The last time anything was reported was last June when the club chose my ladies boutique in Edom, Texas, as Yard of the Month. Shortly after that I left for six weeks on a trip to Alaska and no one took my place as reporter while I was gone, so this report will take care of July, August, September, October, and this month, November.

On July 11th, six members of the club traveled to Corsicana to have lunch at the "Texas Tea House" and to visit a shop called "Trimmings. " On their return home the ladies stopped in Athens where they toured the very old First Presbyterian Church.

In August, 5th anniversary of the Garden Club, (founded by Martha Hardwick and Dixie Taylor), the ladies met in the home of Sara Taylor. It was decided that officers for 2008 would remain the same. They are President, Martha Hardwick; Vice President, Dixie Taylor; Secretary, Jean Dean; Treasurer, Bobbie Sparks, and "Sunshine Lady" in charge of sending greeting cards, Murlene Wommack. There were 13 in attendance.

On September 5th, the group chose to spend the day in Athens where they visited "Accents," a wholesale house, and had lunch in Athens Alley at the "Two Sisters' Tearoom. "

In October, activity planner for the month was Carol Blakely. She and other members braved the crowds at the State Fair in Dallas.

On November 7th, a trip to Kilgore, planned by Dixie McLean, was a "day to remember " for the Garden Club ladies.

First on the agenda, having breakfast at The Cracker Barrel in Lindale and then heading for Kilgore. After arriving in Kilgore, a tour of the Kilgore College Rangerette Museum revealed what a special group of young women the "world famous" Rangerettes truly are.

Next stop was at the Rangerettes' new $5.6 million dorm, where both Dixie McLean and Dixie Taylor were proud grandmothers, pointing out photos on the walls of their granddaughters, and also Dixie McLean's daughter, who was a Rangerette from 1975 to 1977 and then went on to become a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader.

Dixie McLean certainly has reason to be proud. Her granddaughter Meredith was a Rangerette from 2003 to 2005, and like her mother before her, is a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader.

Dixie's other granddaughter, Mackenzie, is currently a Rangerette and was a dance student in The Woodlands of former Rangerette Samandra Young, Dixie Taylor's granddaughter, who went on to become a Radio City Rockette.

The new Kilgore College Rangerette dorm was a gift from a very generous Kathryn Zwick who was a Rangerette from 1976 to 1978.

Members who made the trip to Kilgore were Martha Hardwick, Iva Williams, Lou Gossett, Dixie McLean, Billie Barker, Carol Blakely, Murlene Wommack, Bobbie Sparks, Mary Williams and Dixie Taylor.