Mark Ballard: A tribute to a forever friend

I was baking an eggnog pound cake for Thanksgiving when I received the news that Louise Dodd had died. Even though I was very saddened by the news, I thought Louise would have loved that I was cooking! I learned so much about cooking and entertaining from her. She was a one-of-a-kind gracious and beautiful Southern belle! But most of all, she was my dear friend! Louise will be missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. On Jan. 28th of this year, I wrote about her in my column. She was thrilled to read it! I thought it was befitting that I repeat that column today in her memory. I’m surely going to miss her!

“I would absolutely love to have one of your prints but unfortunately I don’t have my checkbook or any cash with me,” she said with a Southern drawl that was as sweet as sugar. “That’s fine,” I replied. “You can just mail me a check when you get back home.” She reluctantly took my print of Old Wesleyan Conservatory, but all the way out of the door continued to say, “Are you sure?”

That is how I met Louise Dodd. We were gathered at a party back in the mid-’80s held in honor of our Cherry Blossom Festival. I was introduced to her by a mutual friend and loved her from when she first smiled and with her distinct Southern accent announced, “I’m Louise Dodd. I understand you are an artist!” At that time she lived in Wrightsville, but many years ago moved to Macon.

You know that feeling you get when you first meet someone and instantly realize they are going to be your friend? That’s how I left the party feeling about Louise. But when I received her check for the print carefully folded and tucked inside a beautiful note card in a mere day or so, I knew we would be friends forever.

Her cursive penmanship was the exact replica of those charts taped around the top of the blackboard in grade school when we first graduated from simple printing into fancy cursive. When I opened the note and began to read it, I forgot all about the check which had fallen out and floated to the floor.

“I can never tell you the impression you made on me by trusting me enough to send you the money for the print,” the note said. “I so love your print of Old Wesleyan because I attended there,” it continued. And with every beautiful, descriptive and perfectly executed in cursive word, I loved her more. That note was just the first of over 20 years of colorful and expressive notes from Louise, many of which we have filed and pull out to revisit from time to time. From that moment on, we have always been friends!

Louise is the epitome of a gentile Southern belle. She could be everyone’s mother, grandmother or loving aunt. If you took bits of Scarlett O’Hara, sprinkled in a touch of Betty White’s wit, threw in the culinary skills of Julia Child and mixed them all together, you would get Louise.

Every word she utters is as smooth as honey and she can write and cook like no other.

Over the years we have done all kinds of exciting things together. I’ve lost count of the times we have been invited to her house for dinner, which was always not only tasty but perfectly presented. Every piece of her china gleams evoking an interesting story and each piece of her crystal sparkles with a history lesson. She always sets more than a table. She sets such an example for me. I can only hope I would ever be able to give a dinner party like she does without even breaking a sweat. Of course, she would never sweat. A true Southern belle only “glows.”

Louise has written well more than 1,000 food columns, many of which were for The Courier Herald in Dublin. She also has dined with several United States presidents and other celebrities and studied with all kinds of culinary royals as well. In 2004, she wrote a fascinating cookbook titled, “Eating From the White House to the Jailhouse.” I was so honored when she asked me to write a paragraph of endorsement for her cookbook cover.

Two years ago we were fortunate enough to have Louise and her friend, Ruth, travel with us to New York during the holidays. We had so much fun reminiscing about old times that were filled with themed dinners and coveted-invitation parties.

These days Louise has had some health issues that have slowed down her elegant entertaining and traveling. But let me just tell you, not too much. I often hear from her with favorable comments about my columns. In fact, she left me a message just the other day about wanting the recipe for the Eggnog Pound Cake I had recently written about. In the message she also told me how much she enjoyed my columns and how they were always grammatically correct. I was blown away! What a compliment coming from her in particular because I had always so enjoyed reading her personal notes and columns.

Louise has been such an incredible teacher, cheerleader and friend to me for so many years. She will never know to what extent she has influenced my life and career. I am so thankful our paths crossed all those years ago and that she wanted one of my art prints. Everything happens for a reason, I always say.

As I look on the inside cover of her cookbook of which she gave me one of the first copies, I once again read her inscription written in her unmistakable cursive handwriting. It reads, “With a grateful heart that I know you, love you and appreciate you.” So, Louise, right back at you. I couldn’t have said it better.

More with Mark

Holiday book signings: 1:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Kema’s Book Store, 109 Atlanta Road, Ga. 11, Gray, (478) 986-5362; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Creter’s in Ingleside Village, 745-6709; 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Piddlin’ Peddler in Eastman, Ga. 341 toward McRae, (478) 374-1522. Mark will also do wreath demonstrations.

Check out Mark’s website, www.markballard.com, for current projects, recipes and lots of other fun stuff, including Mark’s T-shirts, prints, cards and collectible porcelain plates.

Mark is on www. macon.com 24 hours a day. Videos, columns and articles are featured.

Mark Ballard’s column runs each week in The Telegraph. Send your questions or comments to P.O. Box 4232, Macon, GA 31208; fax them to (478) 474-4930; call (478) 757-6877; e-mail to markballard@cox.net; or become part of Mark’s fan page on Facebook.