I Miss You Already, Dixie Carter

Or, as she was often considered in my house growing up, Ada Frances Mosby, II.

Ada is my grandmother on my dad’s side. She died when I was 9. I’m not really sure how long after her death I discovered Designing Women, but, once it was syndicated, I watched it a lot, often with my mom, and I loved Julia Sugarbaker more than I had ever loved a character before and probably more than I have ever loved another since. My Mom always said that I had such affection for her because she was my Grandma Ada as a TV character.

And it was true. Same brass. Same class. Same accent.

I remember seeing Dixie on a talk show – I can’t remember which talk show, but more than likely Rosie’s – when she was starring in Master Class on Broadway. She was talking about how much she loved the role, because when she was a little girl she wanted to be like Maria Callas, but she didn’t have a big enough voice. And it was bizarre to me, because she always seemed like someone who was bigger than life and I couldn’t imagine that there was anything that she couldn’t do.

In honor of you, Dixie –

It Has Been the Men

The Candidate

-and-

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia

I’m sad.