Red Hat Molls

Sunday, September 09, 2007
 

It seems the Queen may have tilted her hat a bit too much lately. Sorry for the lack of posts but there is no way I'm going to try to catch up at this point.

The Queen of the RHS Molls has spoken.



Thursday, June 21, 2007
 
Here we are picking out our niches... no not really...

Summer Solstice at Chapel of the Chimes Columbarium was quite an event. The music was rather eclectic (for lack of a better word) but we absolutely loved all the attention we got. It was sort of an off the wall kind of place, the perfect place for us to strut our stuff. Of course we did take a wee bit of a break in the middle to stroll down to Fenton’s for a little more sustenance. See more pictures at http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=16903995&uid=2134104
Sorry, if you missed it. How about putting it on your calendar for next year?


The Queen of the RHS Molls has spoken.


Friday, June 08, 2007
 
Micky Ferris
Aug 14, 1939 - June 7, 2007

We met in the sunset of our lives. It's not an uncommon occurrence that two women become best of friends in the Red Hat Society. This disorganization of women over fifty has grown in exponential proportions since its inception only a few years ago. It fills the need for those women over fifty to gather together to celebrate life with fun and frivolity. And that is exactly what we do. We do it with whim and wit flaunting our age in shades of purple topped off with brilliant red hats.

When I learned about this society of women, I felt that my conservative and shy nature made me an unlikely candidate for such a public display. Under the guise of a dare I coerced a few old friends into buying red hats, purple dresses, and showing up for high tea at a local teahouse. We giggled under our bright red brims, a conspicuous spectacle of color amid the dainty pink and white décor. Due to a few inquiring ladies with sense of admiration we emerged a couple of hours later with our hats tilted with a new attitude (hat-itude). The next day I registered with Hat Quarters as Queen of the newfound RHS Molls.

The Molls chapter has now grown into an eclectic group of over sixty members and while I enjoy the exaltedness of being a queen, so contrary to my life before red hats, the biggest reward has been my bond with one new special friend. Micky walked into my life with a handful of silly purple clappers, the biggest grin ever, and the heartiest of all laughs. We had the same purpose in mind… pure fun. And fun we have, time and again.

Neither one of us had a single clue that the biggest problems in our lives would be our biggest bond. It happened a few months after we met. I shared with her a rather personal reason for my escape into this society of women. Her face dropped as she blurted out her reason. They are not the same reason but are equally devastating situations. The point is not what we suffer from but how we take care of each other. We allow each other the space to share the daily trials in our life and then we move past that into fun and friendship. We have learned that sharing the grief, with compassion and a good sense of humor seems to lessen the burdens and intensify the fun.

This friendship that developed is far beyond the friendships of my youth. For me the young friends came and went as we grew apart in our individuality, moved on or moved away. My life has been a challenge of tumultuous twists and turns. But as I settle into my second half of life and learn who I have become through these circumstances of life, the growing pains recede. I begin to let go of the past and enjoy a new set of friends. Friends, who know and like each other for what we are today.

There is a new set of dynamics however in these recent relationships. Youth behind us we now realize evidence of our temporary existence as friends, old and new, begin to pass on. And so, this special friend and I share our last days together in sadness and in joy. She has been given that final diagnosis and we know we must cherish the journey and gifts of each day.


The Queen of the RHS Molls has spoken.

Saturday, March 31, 2007
 


Here we are at our annual lunch before Chinese Musical at Buddha's Universal Church . What fortune we had with perfect walking weather, and plenty of time to shop in Chinatown. Some of us dropped into Macy's to see the Flower Show on the way back to BART.
The Queen of the RHS Molls has spoken.


Saturday, February 10, 2007
 

What a great tea we had today at Something Cherished in Antioch. The gathering of old friends was a good start to a new year of red hat fun.


The Queen of the RHS Molls has spoken.


Sunday, January 28, 2007
 
Golden Gate Fields - January 19th

The Molls joined a Turf Club full of red hatters for special day at the races. What fun we had. Some even came home winners (not the Queen).

They have invited us back in May for another red hat day.



The Queen of the RHS Molls has spoken.