Red Hatters at Nuckleweed Place in La Luz, New Mexico

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Members of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter of the Red Hat Society in Alamogordo, New Mexico drove to Nuckleweed Place in La Luz, New Mexico for lunch and to play games. Our hostess of the day was Rosanna Heath and she planned everything. After enjoying a delicious lunch, we played LRC (left, right, center), a dice game which she had asked each of us to bring four quarters and a joke. The quarters were for the game. The joke was just for FUN.

The quarters all wound up at Rosanna's place at the table when the game was over. She refused to take them and gave them all back to us. It is a FUN game and we enjoyed playing it. Most of the girls brought their favorite joke and we had some good laughs. Rosanna also gave each  of us a little gift.

As we were all gathering our things to leave a gentleman asked that several of us sit in the larger dinning area for a photo shoot for a restaurant/food column he is writing for  New Mexico Magazine and we are anxiously awaiting to see the results in the next three or four months.

L to R: Hostess Rosanna Heath, Darla Shelley and Gail Swineford

L to R: Jean Courtier, Carmen Veenpere and Trudy Reese

Lu Mattson

Rosanna

L to R: Lu, Jean, Carmen, Trudy, Queen Ladybird aka Carla Kerr, Gail, Rosanna and Darla

Thanks to our waiter for taking the last shot of all of us. Thanks to Rosanne for introducing us to a really FUN easy game that we all enjoyed playing and for being a wonderful hostess.

This is all I have to say for now.

Red Hatters Day Trip to Iris Farm in Hondo

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Members of New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter of Alamogordo, New Mexico and LOCO Red Hatters of New Mexico Chapter from Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico took a day trip to the Iris Farm in Hondo, New Mexico. It was a wee bit late for the Irises but other flowers were blooming and they've added an absolutely delightful "Fairy Garden" which we all enjoyed immensely. There is also a lovely shop owned by Alice Seely (a fabulous artisan) on the grounds and it seems I can never visit there without buying something. The clothes and jewelry are not to be found anywhere else!

These beautiful flowers shall go unidentified

A colorful area for photographing wedding parties

Some of the fairy homes made from logs

Another look at the wedding area

A lovely bench to take a rest on

Fairies riding unusual creatures

An old creel basket made into a little home

I thought it was important to note this

AND, this is the Fairy Ring

An interesting grouping

These fairies have created a space above the crowd

This is the fairies golf club "The 19th Hole"

This an Indian themed fairy encampment

A gathering of fairies

A couple of fairy homes built into the tree

Another charming fairy home being inspected by a bird

Just beautiful in miniature doses

This is the fairy Feed and Grain Store

A fairy artsy park

The home of an artistic fairy

Fairies and butterflies

Fairy Flying School

Fairy Ballerinas

Another individualistic fairy's home

Yet another fairy art park

The fairy Feed and Grain Store #2

A fairy rocket ship titled "Fly Me to the Moon"

I believe this is a fairy potter's house

This little fairy is out for a swing

An interesting fairy garden character

Another fairy home built into the tree

Fairy Dew Drop Oil

This is one of trolls on the troll bridge crossing the creek from the fairy garden

These lovely flowers are some type of lily

The last beautiful purple Iris of summer

Red Hatter Martha Chavez from the LOCO RH Chapter (Their members are from Alto, Nogal, Alamogordo and Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. The Chapter Name LOCO refers to Lincoln and Otero Counties in New Mexico.)

Trudy Reese with Queen Jean Walthall (LOCO RH Chapter)

Margaret with Lu Mattson of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter

Gail Swineford, Royal Scribble of NM Roadrunner Chapter

I hope you weren't bored with all of the fairy photos, but I wanted you to get the full flavor of our visit. It was like being kids again just immersing ourselves in the moment and ever so much FUN. We left the Iris Farm and drove further up the highway to the Silver Dollar Saloon for lunch.

Lu and Martha

Gail and Trudy

Martha and Queen Jean

Carla (Queen Ladybird) and Lu (our birthday girl)

Lu with her gift and card

We sang "Happy Birthday" with our Kazoos and Lu appeared quite pleased with her 20th Anniversary Red Hat Society coffee mug and her card.

On another note: We will not be returning to this restaurant. They have new owners and the food was very disappointing. Two of us ordered cheeseburgers "done" and they came out charcoaled. I ordered a 6 oz glass of red wine. The waitress said "We only have "Lohrs" and it is our house wine." To which I replied, "Fine." When I got my bill, that 6 oz glass of wine cost $18.00. I complained, but they just looked at me like I was a bother. Between the burnt cheeseburger and the $18.00 glass of wine, I was not a happy camper!

This is all I have to say for now.

Red Hatters Attend an Eclectic Tea

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Members of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter of the Red Hat Society in Alamogordo, New Mexico attended an eclectic tea hosted by Queen Ladybird aka Carla Kerr and Marquesa Corte Alegre aka Jean Courtier in the Queen's home.

Fourteen were in attendance and two tables were beautifully appointed with the Queen's antique collection of teacups, crystal plates and gold cutlery, red tablecloths with purple or red napkins. Teapots were covered with various tea cozies keeping the water hot.

Offered were an assortment of teas, scones, cookies, finger sandwiches, along with Devonshire Cream and various jams, jellies and lemon curd for the scones. A beautiful red velvet cake decorated in the Victorian style with purple icing with roses and red icing lace was also enjoyed.

Queen Ladybird gave a short talk on the history of the Kazoo as it was also National Kazoo Day and the ladies played "Happy Birthday" to the Kazoo on their Kazoos.

There was also surprise salon entertainment in which Queen Ladybird changed into costume to sing a cute song from "Oklahoma" titled "I'm Jist a Girl Who Cain't Say No". She also stated that this musical opened the first time on Broadway on March 31, 1941 with Celeste Holm singing this particular song.

Attendee Darla Shelley won the door prize, a lovely Red Hat cup showing "Share the Love" and each Red Hatter had a new button at their place setting showing a Red Hat and "Share the Love" on them. There seems to be so much negativity in the world these days, we thought we would accentuate the positive!

One table setting

Second table setting (chairs were on the way)

The assortment of scones and a plate of pecan sandies

Red Velvet Victorian Cake made by Albertson's in Alamogordo

Queen Ladybird aka Carla in her tea hat

Vice Queen Donna Williams being welcomed by hostess Jean Courtier

Alice Evans and Flo Dean visiting in our bedroom

Bobbie Tanner and Margie Purcella (still in the bedroom) visiting

Queen Ladybird in conversation with Darla Shelley

L to R: Lu Mattson, Gail Swineford, Carla, Darla, Bobbie and Margie

L to R: Lu, Gail, Rosanna Heath, Carla and Margie visiting while waiting for everyone to arrive

Carla speaking with VQ Donna behind her. She is tickled about something as she speaks about the Kazoo

L to R: Rosanna, Carla, Donna and Darla

Alice Johnston-Evans

Carla, standing, finishing up the history of the Kazoo

Playing "Happy Birthday" to the Kazoo on our Kazoos

The other half of the attendees playing "Happy Birthday" to the Kazoo on their Kazoos L to R: Flo, Jan Jennings, Jean, Trudy Reese, Darla and VQ Donna

Enjoying the tea and visiting

On the left are Alice and Carmen Veenpere visiting and enjoying the scones and tea

Isn't this a lovely looking group of Red Hatters!

Alice doing a lovely job of pouring

Carla finally got to sit down at her table and enjoy tea and scones

Co-hostess Jean (standing) making sure everyone has what they need

Flo is apparently trying to share some of her Red Velvet cake with Jan

Carla is in costume to sing the song from Oklahoma and all are apparently still discussing the Kazoos

Margie and Alice just looked too cute not to photograph

Sitting L to R: Carmen, Trudy, Donna, Flo, Alice, Margie and Carla. Standing L to R: Darla, Gail, Jean, Rosanna, Lu, Bobbie and Jan

Alice graciously volunteered to photograph Carla and Doug. Doug is the photographer of merit on these pictures and he is deeply appreciated by all, especially Carla

VQ Donna is busy telling Carmen and Trudy all about her plans for her 85th Birthday Party to which all of the Red Hatters are invited

Carla with Bobbie, the newest member of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter

It was such a FUN day and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves so much. Carla made it to the couch and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening mostly sleeping and Sunday was another mostly lazy day. These teas can take a lot out of older gals and Jean was in the same mode when she got home. But, it was definitely worth the efforts and we #ChooseFun!

Again, thank you to Douglas A. Kerr, Photographer for the great pictures.

This is all I have to say for now.