Doug Kerr
Well-known member
As many of you know, the Red Hat Society is an international social order for women over 50 (although there is a class of membership for younger women). It operates via chartered chapters. A large city may have 20 or more of these. Our little desert town, Alamogordo, N.M. has a single one, the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter, which was founded by Carla a number of years ago. She still heads it, as its Queen.
The chapter typically meets once a month, which may involve a trip to a museum or a historic site, or to the theater, or perhaps to a member's home for board games, followed by lunch. But is is not a "lunch club"! Nor does it do any charitable or civic work. The members have all done a lot of that, and many still do. But this is just "to have fun".
In 2021, these activities were essentially foreclosed by the COVID-19 pandemic. And on top of that, Carla's surgery for ovarian cancer and the ensuing course of chemotherapy put her pretty much out of commission for most of that year. Fortunately, her vice-queen, a wonderful girl, took over much of the administrative work required to keep the chapter operating, albeit in greatly reduced circumstances.
By the beginning 0f 2022, Carla had regained enough "stuff" to begin participating in chapter events, and in March of 2022 she hosted an event, a tea, at our home. She put an enormous amount of work into it, getting special table setting items and special teas and baking numerous goodies and arranging wonderful decorations. She made custom napkin rings.
A friend and neighbor, not a member of the chapter, came aboard and helped so much in the preparations and in the kitchen during and after the event. It was all a grand success.
I'll start with a shot of some of the baked goods, several kinds of scones.
Next, one of the tables set up for the tea.
Here is that table with some of the the guests (members of the chapter).
And here we see the hostess, pouring from a fancy tea pot (in a cozy, of course).
It was all great fun, and I was so proud of Carla. The Queen is back!
By the way, Carla has now beat (serious kinds of) cancer four times, and chemotherapy once.
Best regards,
Doug
The chapter typically meets once a month, which may involve a trip to a museum or a historic site, or to the theater, or perhaps to a member's home for board games, followed by lunch. But is is not a "lunch club"! Nor does it do any charitable or civic work. The members have all done a lot of that, and many still do. But this is just "to have fun".
In 2021, these activities were essentially foreclosed by the COVID-19 pandemic. And on top of that, Carla's surgery for ovarian cancer and the ensuing course of chemotherapy put her pretty much out of commission for most of that year. Fortunately, her vice-queen, a wonderful girl, took over much of the administrative work required to keep the chapter operating, albeit in greatly reduced circumstances.
By the beginning 0f 2022, Carla had regained enough "stuff" to begin participating in chapter events, and in March of 2022 she hosted an event, a tea, at our home. She put an enormous amount of work into it, getting special table setting items and special teas and baking numerous goodies and arranging wonderful decorations. She made custom napkin rings.
A friend and neighbor, not a member of the chapter, came aboard and helped so much in the preparations and in the kitchen during and after the event. It was all a grand success.
I'll start with a shot of some of the baked goods, several kinds of scones.
Next, one of the tables set up for the tea.
Here is that table with some of the the guests (members of the chapter).
And here we see the hostess, pouring from a fancy tea pot (in a cozy, of course).
It was all great fun, and I was so proud of Carla. The Queen is back!
By the way, Carla has now beat (serious kinds of) cancer four times, and chemotherapy once.
Best regards,
Doug
