My Mom celebrated quite a milestone today, even though her actual 80th birthday isn’t until Thursday. Nineteen of us were there at the Boone Tavern and Hotel, including Bob and Carol, who came from Hot Springs after driving from California. The food and atmosphere were perfect, once we all got inside out of the wind and rain. It was comfortable, yet uncommon enough to make it a very special event. It almost felt like we had the huge historic place to ourselves, and we got to have a portrait taken at the staircase. Joan wrote and read a heartwarming, poetic tribute, and Bob got us started on a nostalgic look at the contrasting decades of Mombo’s life. He repeated the old saying that “Dixon Men” don’t usually amount to much, but they’ve always known how to choose strong, amazing women. And so my mother upholds a long line of matriarchs, adding her unique creativity, optimism, and faith to the family tradition. We love you, Grammo!