By Loren Moore (We Will Always Miss You, Loren)

Johnnie asked me what we were going to do for our anniversary, and I told her we were going to the Dairy Queen for supper and then to a girlie show for entertainment.

Now this may sound funny for an old couple celebrating their 52nd wedding anniversary, but that’s what I’ve been telling Johnnie for more years then I can remember. It’s a family joke. We have never gone to the Dairy Queen and a girlie show for our anniversary, but it has a certain amount of shock value when you tell someone else.

I don’t remember when it started or why it started, but a good bet would be when I had something planned that I wanted to surprise her with. We would get dressed up and I would drive to the local Dairy Queen, but instead of stopping, I would drive on.

Then we would go to some fancy restaurant for dinner. We were never big on going to parties and never went dancing, so our celebrating was usually just out to a nice dinner. We have never been to a girlie show in our life.

That is not until our 52nd wedding anniversary. Let me tell you about it. Our favorite Dairy Queen had gone out of business, so we had to go to Braums.

When we got there it was lunchtime. We don’t either one drive after dark any more. We went in and ordered a hamburger and drink. We were looking forward to an ice cream cone after our hamburger.

In November Braums always has their holly day flavors. Johnnie likes their pumpkin flavored ice cream and I like their eggnog-flavored ice cream.

As we sat there eating our hamburgers, a mother walked in with her daughter. The little girl looked to be about three years old. They sat in the booth directly across from us.

The little girl got up on her knees with her elbows on the table while her mother went to the window to place their order. She looked over at me and I winked at her. She grinned and tried to wink back, but both eyes closed and the corner of her mouth turned up.

I couldn’t help laughing. Johnnie wanted to know what I was laughing about? I told her to watch the little girl across from us and winked at her again. It had the same results; she closed both eyes and the corner of her mouth turned up. Johnnie laughed along with me this time.

When we finished our hamburger we just sat there watching the little girl and her mother. The little girl would take a bite of her French fries and then wipe her mouth with her napkin, then take a drink of whatever was in her cup. Then she would look at me and try to wink. I always winked back at her.

When her mother finished her hamburger she lifted the little girl out of the booth and wiped the ketchup off her hands and face. Then took her by the hand and led her out. Just before they went out the front door the little girl turned back and winked at me one last time.

"Well, I guess we have had our girlie show this year. Now let’s go get our ice cream cone."

From now on I will have to say we’re going to Braums and a girlie show. But none of them will be any better then that first girlie show.

Johnnie said, … but no, that’s a whole nother story for a different time.

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