This may sound like an old CD joke, but I swear its true.

[babyher]

I just got off the phone with my Mom (that can be a riot in itself sometimes *LOL*)

 

Three of her lady friends just came back from a cruise. (I asked her which ship or line , but she forgot)

 

Okay.......... mind you her lady friends are the dearest sweetest ladies you will ever meet (just like my Mom:) however we are talking about mid to late 60 year old "Donna Reed" type suburban housewives who didn't get out too much *LOL*

 

Okay so Flo, Norma , and Dorothy (do you see where this is going yet?) go on this cruise. Having the time of their lives, and they are really fun loving gals and they just love to go, go, go (God Bless them) and they read the daily schedule and participate in all the fun and games and classes and what not.

 

So one day, they see a listing for a Friends of Dorothy meeting in such and such lounge , at such and such time. And Flo (picture Karen on Will and Grace at 65 :)) figures it must be a bunch of ladies named Dorothy on a group cruise and if they go to this lounge with "their" Dorothy they might get some free drinks or something.

 

I swear am not kidding hear , if you knew these ladies you would know this *LOL*

 

Well the three of them get there and it was a little odd they thought because there were mostly men in the room , and the 3 ladies that were there introduced themselves and "NONE OF THEM WERE NAMED DOROTHY".

 

I would give a years pay to have been there when one of the guys finally explained to them what this meeting really was *LOL*

 

The story has a happy ending.

 

These are 3 really sweet innocent grandmothers ,and the Friends of Dorothy felt so bad by how embarressed they were , they kind of made the 3 ladies like their surrogate moms for the rest of the cruise :)

 

The 3 of them , like my mom, are all widows. They haven't had so many dancing partners in their lives as they had in those lounges at night on that cruise.

 

The funniest part of this is that my mother was telling me this story like she knew all along what FOD was and how dumb her friends were for not knowing. I know my mother had no idea either until these ladies told her *LOL*

[Oceanwench]

Good story!

I can see my mom doing the same thing.

 

Maybe a CD will read this thread and incorporate it into his/her repertoire!

[babyher]

Good story!

I can see my mom doing the same thing.

 

Maybe a CD will read this thread and incorporate it into his/her repertoire!

 

 

*LOL* You truly have to know these ladies to know how sweet they are , and how funny this had to be. *LOL*

[RuthC]

Funny story. It's not the one I thought you were heading for (I thought you were going to say they packed their disembarkation clothes); yours is even better! :D

They sound like nice, good-hearted women. Just goes to show ya---if you're nice, and accepting of people, they'll be nice and accepting right back.

[the2ofus]

Delightful story! Thanks for sharing. Those must be some really sweet ladies. They saw the human beings, made no judgements and made some good friends.

[jhannah]

That is halarious! Thanks for sharing it.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Great Story:) While I am reading this I am picturing the "Golden Girls" and their Dorothy. I bet they did have a great time and some good stories to bring home to their other friends. I bet they felt like you girls being able to dance the rest of the cruise.

[ger_77]

That's so funny! It sounds like something my Mom would have done - lol. Thanks for a good laugh.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[DAllenTCY]

On the Oosterdam last July, for my mom's 85th birthday cruise, she came across the sign on the Promenade deck that indicated that it was 3 or so laps around the deck to equal a mile. She turned toward us and asked if that was "running or walking?"

David

[stanford's girl]

What a great story, babyher!! :D Thanks for sharing it with us.

Sounds like it could have been my Mom too.;)

[Copper10-8]

Very funny story Babyher! Great to hear those FOD's had a sense of humor about it too!

[jhannah]

David, that's a good one, too! It certainly belongs on the CD list!

[kakalina]

Babyher, This is priceless, and I must join the group in admitting this is something my Mom would have done also.;)

[CruisinGrams]

Love it, love it, love it. BTW maybe the joke is on us, they got some of the best dance partners for their cruise and probably some great new friends. Glad they had fun.

[serendipity1499]

Oh what a delightful story..This is exactly what my Mom would have done! What a great story for Readers Digest!:)

[babyher]

Glad everyone enjoyed :)

 

I figured a lot of people have a mom like mine and her friends.*LOL*

 

I was dying as she was telling me this story :) And remembering how many threads have been on these boards asking "What is FOD and Friends of Bill W.?" I thought everyone would get a kick out of it.

 

Lisa: You are sooooooo right about the Golden Girls *LOL* That fits these ladies to a tee. Like I said as funny as the story is as I told it. If you knew each of these ladies individually for as long as I have, it would be 10 times funnier. *LOL*

[djallar]

The first time I saw an event for the "Friends of Bill W.", I remarked to my wife..."That's so nice for his friends to remember him this way!"

 

It wasn't until a week after we returned home that I found out what it really was. I hope no one else heard me...:p Watch, the next cruise I'm on, it will be part of the CD's top ten list of stupid comments. :eek:

[Stevedan]

I am embarrassed, but have to ask, what is Friends of Dorothy?

[RustaRoo]

Friends of Dorothy are 'usually' gay;) But Babyher's friends obviously were made honorary members of the community! What a fabulous story; I laughed so hard:D

[cruiser2523]

After going on a couple cruises, my husband wondered who is this Bill W. guy, he seems to have private parties on every ship that we go on. Needless to say he decided t check it out and walked into a meeting with a drink in hand. He hasn't forgiven me to this day for not telling him what it was beforehand.;)

[gofigure49]

I am embarrassed, but have to ask, what is Friends of Dorothy?

 

 

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the Dorothy reference is from the Wizard of Oz...Judy Garland and this movie are special favorites of the gay community. Years ago I used to bowl on a bowling league and the league following us was called "the over the rainbow league" and was a gay bowling league.

[SDHALFAN]

Babyher: that story is so funny and so touching and so sweet. I, myself, am in the mid-60's range but unfortunately have long since lost that wonderful innocence that your mom's friends still have. Maybe it's because I lived in Hollywood for several years?;)

 

Gofigure: no need to be embarassed. You have the Friends of Dorothy all figured out.:)

 

Valerie

[marti2282]

The is one of the funniest things I have ever read! I tried to read it out load to my DH, and he finally came and looked over my shoulder, because I was laughing so hard I couldn't speak!! Bless their hearts! and thanks for sharing!! Marti

[babyher]

*LOL*

 

Just came in and saw this post of mine has been bumped up.

 

God that was almost a year ago that that happened (man does time fly) :)

 

I have since found out it happened on a Carnival ship (not sure which) out of Miami (so maybe Valor or Triumph ???)

 

Happy to report all the ladies and my Mom are still well and going strong (Thank God:)) and planning another adventure.

 

God help the travelling public *LOL* :)

[carolcp]

We were on the Prinsendam 2 years ago (Iceland-Scotland-Ireland) and we were sitting with the cutest lady from Holland, in her 70's - named ------ Dorothy. We were talking and she was looking through the daily activity sheet and said "oh a party for me?" While her English was excellent, we did have a little hard explaining to her that the party was not really in her honor, but "I am sure they would be glad to welcome you to the group if you choose to go".

 

 

Carol