Want to surprise a reluctant honoree? Try this!

What party? From left, front, Dan Hamilton, Dawn Ford, Robin Gibson; behind them, Jeannie Dulaney; coming in door, Diana Condon.

If you read this blog very often, you know that one of my best friends is Dawn Ford. And her husband is one of my husband’s best friends. We go back forever. We travel together. We are in clubs and organizations together. In short, I want to make her happy.

And she was quite clear about one thing recently. Although she had a birthday last month, she did NOT want a party. She ESPECIALLY did not want a surprise party. If she said it once, she said it a hundred times — not just to me, but to all her family and friends. I reluctantly agreed. She would not have to worry about me!

Her son (and only child), Christopher, agreed, too. At least he SAID he agreed.

But a few weeks before her birthday, he gave me a call. “We are going to have a party,” he said. “And I need your help with the guest list. Who’s in that movie club you all have? I need their contact info.”

“Oh, no!” I told him. “She will kill you. And if I help you, she will kill me, too!”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “It’s gonna happen. Send me that list.”

“If I do it and she gets mad, you have to take full responsibility,” I said. But I was really worried.

“It’s on me,” he assured me. “I have a plan.”

Richard Ford praying that his wife wouldn’t murder him if she discovered his involvement!

It turned out to be a pretty good plan. He would invite Dawn and his dad, Richard, over to his house for a family lunch on the big day with his wife, Kari, and their two children, Presley and Townes. He would order and prepare one of her favorite foods — crab cakes from Faidley’s Seafood in Baltimore, Dawn’s hometown. She wouldn’t be able to resist lunch with the grandchildren. Especially since Presley was home from college for the winter break. After lunch, the real fun would begin when everyone else showed up. But he had a plan for that, too.

Except for one thing. Dawn apparently started to get suspicious. Before the set date, she called and told him that she wanted to host the dinner at her house instead. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. In desperation, he decided he would have to pull his father in on the plan.

Poor Richard. He was torn between his wife and his son. But he reluctantly agreed to encourage Dawn to go with the original plan. “She’s going to KILL me,” he worried.

So, here’s how it all went down.

Christopher Ford taking those amazing Faidley’s crab cakes out of the oven.

Dawn and Richard arrived at Christopher and Kari’s house at noon. Alan and I showed up at 12:15. “Surprise!” we said as we walked in. She laughed and didn’t seem mad at all. She thought that was the surprise! “I KNEW something was up,” she said. “You all fooled me.”

We all enjoyed a delicious crab cake lunch with wine and champagne. It was lovely. Dawn was cool.

At about 1 p.m., though, another dear friend of hers, Jackie Fisher, came strolling in. “Surprise!” Jackie said! “Oh, you all got me again,” Dawn said. She clearly thought that was the extent of the surprise.

About 15 or 20 minutes later, Todd and Fanita Overstreet, Christopher and Kari’s best friends, walked in with Todd’s parents, Chuck and Shirl. Still, it was a pretty close-knit group and Dawn thought it was possible that this small gathering would be it. “This better be all,” she said. We all just laughed and poured another glass of wine.

This lasted until about 2:30, when Kari’s mother, Diana Brandon, came.

Then members of the movie club, some with husbands in tow, and a few other close friends started arriving pretty quickly in succession! The jig definitely was up then.

But, thankfully, after the champagne and that great lunch, and with so many of her close friends arriving in a steady stream, Dawn kind of relaxed into the vibe and had a good time opening cards and presents and wondering who would show up next.

Anyway, thanks to Dawn for being such a good sport. And I’m passing this along because I think it’s a plan that could be replicated. Thank me later! And let me know how it goes!

From left, me, Alan Carmichael, Dawn and Richard Ford. Kari Ford took this photo shortly after we arrived and Dawn thought this was the extent of the surprise!

Crab cake mail-ordered from Faidley’s. Here’s a story about our trip to Faidley’s a few years ago.

The second surprise: Jackie Fisher!

Christopher helps Dawn open birthday card/present from Alan and me. It was dinner for Dawn and the person of her choice at J.C. Holdway. Christopher was trying to convince her that he should be her choice!

The Overstreets arrive! That’s Chuck and Shirl with Dawn.

Dawn with Julia and Gary Bentley.

Three of Dawn’s favorite people: Kari, Presley and Richard Ford.

Dawn greets Kathy Hamilton.

And Diana Brandon, Kari’s mother.

Fellow movie-groupers: Robin Gibson, left, and Julia Bentley.

Jamie Crawford, left, with Presley Ford and Diana Brandon.

From left, Dan Hamilton, Jeannie Dulaney, and Richard Ford.

Diana Condon, left, and Marty Begalla.

Fabulous snacks! My favorite: that pimento cheese, top, from Sweet P’s, the barbecue restaurant Christopher owns.

Andrew Crawford arrived with champagne reinforcements!

How many people does it take to open a bottle of bubbly??

Jeannie Dulaney, left, with Kyle Spence and Andrea White.

Townes helping his father put out plates and napkins.

Presley with her two grandmothers, Dawn and Diana Brandon.

From left, in front, Jamie Crawford, Diana Brandon, and Kari Ford. In rear, Chad Chappell, left, and Andrew Crawford. Jamie and Kari are sisters. Chad is their step-brother.

Kathy Hamilton, left, chatting with Dawn and Christopher.

Haha. I think I surprised Richard and Alan!

From left, Julia Bentley, Robin Gibson, Marty Begalla, and Presley Ford.

Townes visiting with Jeannie Dulaney.

Andrea White and Alan Carmichael.

Diana Condon, left, and Jackie Fisher.

Father and son: Richard and Christopher.

Richard and Kari demonstrate a classic Ford family pose. (It’s a long story.)

More arrivals! Susan Brown, left, with Dawn and Madge Cleveland.

Gail Rymer and Dawn.

Helen Hewitt and Dawn.

Katie Kline with Dawn and Christopher.

From left, Gail Rymer, Richard Ford, Lynne Fugate, and Alan Carmichael.

Lynne Fugate and Kari.

From left, Katie Kline, Dawn, Andrea White, and Lynne Fugate.

Presley and Townes: cute siblings.

I think Hank, the dog, was getting tired of all the company. Kari decided to keep him company.

At about 5 p.m., Dawn opened some presents!

Jamie and Andrew Crawford gave Dawn a professional chef’s apron.

Christopher explained some of its features.

I was glad to see this! I think he gets to live!