My regular readers might remember a post I made back in December about the Red Hat Society chapter I belong to. In that post, I said the following:

Yes, I confess, I’m a Red Hat. Among the many paradigms I’ve broken in the last two years, this is the one that amazes me the most! In fact, thanks to the Red Hats and a story which I might get up the gumption to tell you at a later time *blush* … I can say that I’ve lived long enough to be an embarrassment to my kids! But that’s another story … all I’ll say for now is: even old ladies like me can enter bathing suit contests … *smirk!*

Well, I’m ready to tell the story – for those who are brave enough …

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This was another of those “hit the deck early” and “head for the door” mornings. You already know how much I dislike having to be out of the house early in the day … well, this time around, it was a Red Hat meeting.

Yes, I confess, I’m a Red Hat. Among the many paradigms I’ve broken in the last two years, this is the one that amazes me the most! In fact, thanks to the Red Hats and a story which I might get up the gumption to tell you at a later time *blush* … I can say that I’ve lived long enough to be an embarrassment to my kids! But that’s another story … all I’ll say for now is: even old ladies like me can enter bathing suit contests … *smirk!*

Anyway, this morning we had our monthly meeting, and a lovely Yankee Swap. For those who don’t know how this works …

1. Each person brings an unmarked, wrapped gift of a pre-arranged value.
2. A number is given to each person.
3. When it’s time for the swap, the person who has #1 gets to choose any gift from the pile.
4. Afterward, #2 chooses. Now, #2 has the choice of keeping what she ends up with, or of trading with what #1 has …
5. Then goes #3 … who can keep what she gets, or trade it for something held by any of the previous numbers.
6. This goes on until the final number, who can either keep whatever she ends up with, or choose from anything which anyone else received. Nice. But it gets better …
7. #1, who really got the short end of the stick, since everyone could have taken hers away from her, while she never got to make any choices, finally gets her comeuppance (in the good sense of the word) … she gets to trade for anything anyone else received!

Well, I’ve always referred to our chapter’s meetings as “geriatric kindergarten classes.” They’re a great bunch of old girls, but things can get pretty rowdy. A particular purple purse made the rounds more than once … and so did a nice “Red Hat” salsa dish. Thought I was going to need my pepper spray a few times … but they finally remembered that they were in a public place, and decorum (of a sort ;) was restored.

I had lost my original “gift,” which was a cute little ceramic lighthouse that you put a candle into. A few “Ooohs!” and “Aaahs!” had gone up around the room when I opened it, but I still fully expected to be stuck with it. One of the newer members with a higher number got my lighthouse, and gave me her teapot. *sigh* Neither of those were good for me – if you saw my house, you’d know why. I tried to think of who I could give a teapot to for Christmas.

Once it was all over, and were on our way out to the parking lot, the girl I was walking with pouted: “I lost my Margarita glasses!” I asked her what she’d ended up with, and she told me she’d gotten a purple scarf. I smiled in anticipation … and offered her a teapot – to my delight, she accepted! Now I’ve got something I can use! I wouldn’t have minded having that scarf when I did the photo essay last week … 0.o

Anyway, I won’t see those lovely ladies again until sometime in January, and I have to admit that I’m going to miss them. Another girl and I are the “babies” of the group, and we get a lot of razzing from the older girls, but they’re a wondeful bunch!

If you ever happen to run into a Red Hat, know that you’ve found someone with a great sense of adventure, identity … and most especially – humor! They’re comfortable with themselves, and with the fact that Old Man Time has had the best of their years … but that’s not going to stop them from making the most of what they have right now, and of every minute between now and when the piper plays their tune. I admire every one of them!

One of our girls was missing today – she’s down at the Lahey Clinic being treated for kidney cancer. She and I have the same urologist down at Lahey. Those of you who are the praying types, please keep “Elaine” in your prayers. Thanks!