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News Monikered members are listed, not necessarily in alphabetical order. Underscored monikers in light typeface have e-mail links! |
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Members List:
Court of Queens:
Really Rosie
Bubbe Arlene
Mashugganah Marilyn
Sunshine Shirl
Countessa of Cash:
Easy Esther
Co-founding Queen Mum:
Queen of Noorish Thelma
Co-founding Queen & Webinairist:
Gallivanting Gayle
Emeriti Queens:
Queen Pupi Marilyn
Buzzin' Bea
More Members:
Barbara BooBoo
Bubbling Bubba
Bunny Bun Bun
Countessa of Charging Cholie
Duchess Who Cares? Marilynn
E. G. Do Elaine
Elegant Mimi
Freezer Queen Barb
GG Mimi
Giggling Jo
Golden Hands Sheila
G.R.I.T.S. Carol
Hoppin' Helen
Jayhawk Jan
Jazzy Judy
Mamala Natalie
Mickey Mouse Katz
Morada Mama Rhoda
Nancy Red Hat Poet
Palmia Pal Gal Joyce
Pearl Gem
Princess Running Late Elaine
Raging Roberta
Sandykat
Sassy Syl
Shana Punim Ellen
Shell The Bell
Shirley Girlie
Shush Shirley
Snazzy Suzanne
Social Shirley
Songstruck Shirley
Steel City Libbie
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Welcome!
Kool Kats in Red Hats hail from Orange County - Saddleback Valley in California, primarily the communities of Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest and Mission Viejo.
Our mission is to enjoy FUN & FRIVOLITY among ourselves and with other Red and Pink Hatters or our guests.
Kool Kats in Red Hats was formed in February 2004 and became an official chapter of the Red Hat Society in February 2005 as part of our recognition and celebration of our first year of disorganized organizing. By virtue of NEW MEMBER OPEN ENROLLMENT INVITATION MONTHS (February and August), we've grown from 22 to 60 members, with "wannabees" waiting in the wings. We'll be considering welcoming more new members again in August 2009.
Through our Red Hat Society membership we've now started connecting with other chapters to enjoy even more FUN & FRIVOLITY together. Thanks to a member of American Beauties of Redondo Beach, we learned of this fantastic website resource; it's right up our alley since one of our guiding principles, besides embracing disorganization, is to find high value goods and services at low or no cost.
For dates of upcoming events, click on the Calendar Link, at the left.
Digital images of some of our events are sometimes available for viewing! Go to the Links Section on the left to see if it's "on" and when it is click on Photos links . . . once you are at the website, if asked, sign in by entering your e-mail address and giving yourself a password or using your password if you are a repeat visitor. Enjoy the slideshows and share your thoughts, all for free! For other images of our events, visit www.southocbuzz.com and after using the Bee Scene Photo Galleries link, click on Red Hatter listings in the drop-down menu.
Browse this site and get to know us better. Visit frequently . . . it's under construction and re-construction!
Make your reservations now and/or mark your calendars for these hot dates:
THURSDAY, FEB. 11 The four Shirleys (including Avedon, Schwartz, Weinberg and the one who's really named Catherine Linkes)treat us to an entertaining, interactive Bowers Museum outreach program and dessert at a LWV rec room. $7.50 covers it. Reservations due by Jan. 28.
MARCH 8, 2010 BIRTHDAY BASH Laguna Hills Holiday Inn
Just past . . .
THURSDAY, Jan. 14: Queens' Court declared it a HOOT DAY, with an impromtu late morning gathering at Farrell's in Shops at Mission Viejo.
2009: A Year that Flew By
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 16: Specialty coffee and delectable desserts at Canaletto Ristorante in Fashion Island preceded a game that had us laughing and groaning, with prizes for all, before going on to see holiday lights at Rogers Gardens. Margaret Klein, Gayle Gomez and Roberta Berk 'organized' the whole shebang.
MONDAY, November 23: Queen Emeritus / Noorish and founder Thelma generously shared her time and talent to teach us techniques of beading and jewelry making during an afternoon gathering where the only distraction from decorative items were yummy cookies. Marilyn Silver, Bunny Shapiro and Rosie Wade made sure it all went off without a hitch and we went home with appreciation for the discovery or reinforced learning that NAILS ARE JEWELS, NOT TOOLS!
WEDNESDAY, October 21: Kool Kats gathered for a get-acquainted good time, enjoying ourselves while meeting and greeting new members for the first time in about two years.
THURSDAY, September 10: LUNCH AT CHAPORSA GRILL in Laguna Niguel followed by a MYSTERY TOUR. Event planners Arlene Mukamal, Rosie Wade, Judy Sterndale, Shelly Ellman,and
Sheila Busch out smarted everyone when the group arrived at the mystery destination: the local Fire Station for a very interactive tour. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7: Trader Joes Grand Opening on Aliso Creek Blvd. Wear your Red Hat!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, everyone had fun adding on or clipping o n decorations for their hats, hair or clothes and playing Red Hatter Bingo. Prizes, cookies and soft drinks topped it all off, making it a special afternoon from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Marilynn Sortino's Recreation Room for MEMBERS, ASSOCIATES & WANNABEES. Kudos and thanks go to event organizers SANDY ELLIOTT and SHEILA CUMNOCK!
July and June, 2009: WEDNESDAY, April 29, 2009, TUESDAY, April 7, 2009: marked our 4th Bash Afterglow + business as not so usual, held exclusively for members. The hubbub of passing the torch to successors katapulted Queen Pupi and Queen Bee Bea into the folds of Emeriti Queens. Now that they have more than earned the right to "rest on their laurels" they'll be continuing to share in our good times. Special thanks for volunteering go to all who threw their hats in the ring as successors.
MONDAY, March 9, was a special day of fun and frivolity when our chapter had the privilege of hosting our 4th Birthday Bash at Holiday Inn, Laguna Hills. Designed for only 270 participants this year so we could freely roam the room while table hopping, we had a full house and know those disappointed Red Hatters who were too late in making reservations will be early birds in the future. Coverage by the OC Register in the next day's edition of the newspaper was better than ever with their on-line photo gallery.
TUESDAY, February 10, we celebrated, a bit late, a rather loony Lunar New Year at Asia Buffet. The goody bags and fortune telling with a twist topped off a lunch aimed to please any palate. Peggy Klein and Gayle Gomez, event organizers, also orchestrated blackout Bingo,y keeping the game going until everyone was a winner. Janaury 15, 2009:Watch this section regularly for more info on what's coming up in the months ahead.
Madcap Recap
FROM A YEAR GONE BY: 2008:
Monday, December 15, 2008: we converged upon Loretta Sheppard's rec room bearing bags of groceries for a food pantry, appetizers to share, and surprises for Queen Pupi before toasting another year of Red Hat togetherness.
Thursday, November 6, 2008: we roared with delight at Merlin's Magic & Comedy Show Luncheon at Rib Trader Restaurant. Organizers of the affair, to whom we extend sincere gratitude, included Janet White, Pearl Nydell, Connie Schuman, Nova Madlock and Kay Taylor. Friday, October 17, 2008: We went off for an all-day Red Hatters Shopping Ball with Shirley Wolk and if we weren't bleary eyed when we departed at 8 a.m. our tootsies were surely tuckered out when we returned at 6 p.m. The outing included a stop to shop at the largest Red Hatters store in the Inland Empire, sandwich+ buffet lunch, and more shopping at Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Cabazon. September 2008: Led by Queen Pupi, we graced the grand opening of Nordstrom Rack at Laguna Hills Mall with our presence and our open pocketbooks. Thursday, August 21, 2008: Elaine Cantor & Cynthia Tuchman arranged for a roped-off section of LWV Pool One for the annual Aquadettes Show, from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets were just $5 each and pre-paid reservations went quickly when they became available in June
Thursday, June 5, 2008: members and guests enjoyed an evening at SOKA University. Buffet dinner was available at 5:30 p.m. for $10 pp and a Jazz Concert started at 7:00 p.m. for $10pp. Kudos to Roberta Berk and Ellen Newman for accepting reservations.
Thursday, May 29, 2008: We took off on the Metrolink again early in the morning (scheduled departure from Irvine at 8:34 a.m.) for a one-hour supervised walking tour of Alvera Street plus free time for lunch, exploring shops, and enjoying the music and culture of old Mexico. Our thanks for event coordination go to Carol Epstein, Suzanne Conran and Esther Frank. we rode the Metrolink and a bus to downtown LA, where we led ourselves on a tour at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. While we modeled our red hat apparel, we viewed the current exhibit featuring gowns of award-winning movie stars. Before returning by train to OC we enjoyed no-host lunches at nearby eateries; a group of us hoofed it over to Clifton's Cafeteria for a blast of the past. Shirley Girlie, Gallivanting Gayle, and EG Do Elaine Goldstone were the dis-organizers. >
MARCH 10, 2008 marked our third big Birthday Bash, at Laguna Hills Holiday Inn. We hosted 300 members and guests for a day of fun and frivolity that included shopping, lunch, and once-in-a-lifetime surprise entertainment that elicited giggles and guffaws before a fashion show. Queen Bee Bea puts special emphasis on this event as our third annual affair, so watch for an announcement on the date of the next one, coming up in 2009 before we know it. Will Queen Pupi again don her clown costume or resort to flamboyant regalia? To see images from the Bash, please visit http://www.southocbuzz.com the website of SouthOCBuzz.
Click on the link at the upper left for Bee Scene Photo Galleries and then, in the drop-down menu, select
Red Hatters March '08 Luncheon. If you'd like,choose other Red Hat events listed in the drop-down menu and enjoy the wide assortment of hats topping off the smiles!
February was a two-fer after a month-long recovery from a December members-only year-end celebration and "work session" preparing for our 2008 Birthday Bash:
On February 25, 2008 we carpooled to Carlsbad for a lovely visit to the Museum of Making Music, followed by lunch at the Daily News Grill and a visit to the Front Porch Gallery. Thanks to Marilyn Silver and Bunny Shapiro for all they did to make this a lovely day for us!
On February 14 it was a sweetheart of a deal for those who participated in a fine-dining luncheon experience and BUNCO, organized by Morada Mama and cohorts.
There you have it . . .more than a year's worth of our comings and goings.
For info on events during 2007 and earlier, contact gallivanteur@fea.net
by Nancy, our Red Hot Poet
I wear a hat upon my head
The hat I wear is Red, Red, Red!
Sometimes it's straw, sometimes it's felt.
Some times I'm hot enough to melt.
I wear clothes of purple hue,
They're never yellow, black or blue.
I join my friends to paint the town.
We paint it Red, never blue or brown.
We laugh a lot and have great fun.
We play and eat come rain or sun.
They call us, "Red Hats," yes they do.
We hope one day you'll join us too!
If you're a poet
and want to give us
(we do mean GIVE
as in gratis; no fee;
no money, honey)
a poem or ditty
you have composed
that is suitable
(in our esteemed estimation) for reproducing in this space, send your contribution for consideration to:
gallivanteur@fea.net
The Battle Hymn of the Aging
Unknown author.
(to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic)
We reach the age of sixty-five, our golden years are here.
They tell us that the age begins a happy new career,
For now our Uncle Sam becomes our permanent cashier,
As we go bravely on.
(Refrain)
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
As we go bravely on!
Our Social Security from Baltimore is sent.
We buy a little bit of food and maybe pay the rent,
And after that we're stony broke and left without a cent,
But we go bravely on.
(Refrain)
As for checks from Medicare, will someone tell us how
They always find some doctor bills they sadly disallow,
And dental costs, as well we know, they wholly disavow,
But we go bravely on.
(Refrain)
We live with our arthritis and dentures fit us fine.
We're used to our bifocals but fine print is still a bind.
Our blessings we all number but we sure do miss our minds,
As we go bravely on.
(Refrain)
And first of all, let's thank the Lord that we are still alive.
The dreams we have may still come true when we are ninety-five.
So, please, Dear Lord, give us the strength our troubles to survive,
As we go bravely on.
(Refrain)
Laughing while Singing . . .
When we first acquired the lyrics and got together as a group, the lyrics were read aloud by a professed monotone. In solidarity (indicated by wild cheering and applause???) we said we'd try singing it the next time we got together. For our "DEBUT REHEARSAL" the lyrics were copied and distributed and we sat in a circle, each of us holding a brown bag we stuffed with something (anything) red or purple. As our very own harmonaire led us in singing, we passed the bags to our right. Upon hearing the command, "SWITCH," we changed the direction of our bag passing, all the while continuing to "sing" and change bag-passing direction on cue.
If you're wondering how we laugh while we sing (or what we now laughingly refer to as singing) we'll share our history and little secret for robustly belting out The Battle Hymn of the Aging.
Sound silly? . . . Trust us, it is!. . . Sillier even than what we discovered in the bags we were left holding as we ended our rehearsal.
