Sun City Hot Flashes Chapter Hold Reduation in El Paso, Texas

Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 2:00PM

Queen Ladybird aka Carla Kerr and Queen Curvy aka Kimberly Gugliotta of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter were guests of Queen Laura Kidwiler of the Sun City Hot Flashes Chapter of the Red Hat Society at their very first "Reduation" ceremony for Mary O Luna. Mary joined the Red Hat Society as a Pink Hatter, a designation for women from ages 21-49. When one reaches their 50th birthday, a Reduation Ceremony takes place at which time they are presented with their first Red Hat. The ceremony was well planned and executed by Queen Laura and her Co-Queen, Shari Coffman. Also in attendance were Queen Kathy Crenshaw (Betty Boop Chapter, El Paso) and Queen Susan Amtillon (Chaparral Butterflies Chapter, Chaparral, NM);

Mary received many lovely gifts in celebration of her "Reduation" and the food was absolutely delicious to a fault. The owner of Marabosos Tea Shop is a fabulous cook.

Co-Queen Ann and Queen Laura Kidwiler of the Sun City Hot Flashers Chapter

L to R: Co-Queen Shari Coffman, Queen Susan Antillon, Queen Curvy aka Kimberly Gugliotta, Queen Laura Kidwiler, Queen Kathy Crenshaw and Queen Ladybird aka Carla Kerr

Co-Queen Shari presenting the Reduation program for Mary O Luna

Queen Laura continuing the ritual for Mary while Shari looks on

The photographer in the middle of these lovely ladies is Queen Laura's husband

Queen Laura has placed a Red Hat on Mary's head and is fastening a purple robe on her

Queen Laura and Co-Queen Shari look on while new Red Hatter Mary orates her part of the ritual

Presenting Red Hatter Mary O Luna!

This is just one of the many gifts she received and it was made by one of the Red Hatters

Mary just had to try on the fascinator she received from Queen Ladybird

It was a lovely "Reduation" and Carla paid close attention as her chapter will be involved in one in April, 2020.

This is all I have to say for now.

Red Hatters Shop and Dine in Old Mesilla Village, New Mexico

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Members of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter from Alamogordo, New Mexico joined three new Red Hat members from Chaparral, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas for shopping and dining. We got our wires crossed (It's the Red Hat way) and they went straight to the Hacienda de Mesilla while we waited at the town Plaza for them to shop with us. We finally communicated and joined up with them for lunch first.

The new Red Hat members are Queen Laura Kidwiler of the Sun City Hot Flashes who lives in Chaparral, NM; her Vice-Queen Shari Coffman of El Paso, Texas and Queen Susan Amtillon of the Chaparral Butterflies Chapter in Chaparral, New Mexico.

Their enthusiasm just bubbled over and we truly exercised #POWERofFUN visiting with each other and getting acquainted. We celebrated our Pink Hatter Alice Cuevas' birthday with kazoos of course and I keep a supply at hand so the new Red Hatters had their first experience kazooing Happy Birthday to Alice. We gifted them with their very own kazoos. Laura gifted us with adorable little decorated hats she made. All three had on purple shirts with the Red Hat logo and they had ordered red hats, but they didn't arrive in time so they put their creative juices together and decorated some they found and they looked adorable.

Queen Laura has invited me to attend their very first meeting once she is established and I am looking forward to being there in Chaparral which is about 70 miles from Alamogordo. We plan to do events together as time passes. It is just so wonderful to meet new Red Hatters and bask in their enthusiasm and sense of FUN.

When lunch was over, time had run out for Susan who owns a restaurant in Chaparral. Her daughter was graciously working in her place but Susan had to be back by 3:00 pm and it is about an hour
drive from Old Mesilla for her. We said our goodbyes, they left and we returned to the plaza to shop for a while.

L to R: Queen Laura Kidwiler, Vice Queen Shari Coffman, Queen Susan Amtillon and Carmen Veenpere

L to R: Queen Susan, Queen Ladybird aka Carla Kerr and Queen Laura

Our Birthday Girl, Alice Cuevas

Gail Swineford,The Royal Scribble aka Baroness Von Doolittle and Alice

Trudy Reese aka Lady Sunshine

Laura and Shari doing the selfie thing

We are back at the Plaza and this wedding party has just come out of the lovely old Catholic Church for wedding pictures in the gazebo

Beautiful bride

Wedding attendees - Doesn't she look classical and classy and he is the perfect escort!

Finally organized for the family wedding portrait

Queen Laura emailed me the pictures that she took so I am adding them on here.

Queen Ladybird (Carla) and Queen Laura

L to R: Trudy, Queen Ladybird (Carla) and Queen Laura

L to R: Trudy, Carla, Laura, Shari, Susan, Carmen, Gail and Alice

L to R: Alice, Susan, Carla, Carmen, Gail, Shari and Trudy

#POWERofFUN and you can tell from these photos that we indeed had FUN. We are looking forward to getting together again soon.

Thanks to Laura for your photos and thanks to Doug for processing them.

This is all I have to say for now.