Red Hat Society..............
I'm not a member but I was invited to join a group of "Red Hatters" last night for dinner and I accepted the invitation. I was a stranger in a strange land.
These are lovely ladies, many of whom I knew as a child (like my very first piano teacher), some I know as an adult, and others I knew not until last night. Our dining destination was a location that was very small when I was very small. Back then, my family rarely, and I do mean rarely, ate out in restaurants. I can count, on one hand, the number of times I recall eating 'out' and those were as guests. My parents were married in The Great Depression and carried a certain mind-set with them there entire lives.
Basically, if there was food in the house, we ate it, no matter how old or what color. The color was of no consequence. If the color was offensive to the eater (me) then my mother (or I) either scraped it off or cut it off. Offensive odor was another matter and was (usually) seriously considered. For our household to discard any food, a serious health risk had to be involved.
But, I do digress. Back to my evening's dining experience.
The women's attire was eye-catching, to say the least. My sister's and my entrance into the establishment was seemingly noted by every diner. Most would point and say, "they went that way", indicating the area of the restaurant where our reserved table was. My sister knew well over half of the people she walked past and I knew a couple of them myself.
I was dressed as close to the 'dress code' as I could come and my red hat, courtesy of my sister, was perched perkily on my head. The hat and I would later part company as quickly as I was seated back in my sister's van, having made my head itch most of the evening. The red scarf, tied around my neck, completed my ensemble's accents nicely, but would be removed first upon arriving back at my sister's place. Scarves look great.........on other people who don't mind their necks feeling hot all evening!
I found food choices to be curious. A few of us made menu selections that were reflective of trying to eat healthily, but most others did not. Not a drop of alcohol was ordered even though the restaurant does have a bar. I followed suit, similarly, and chose not to order a glass of merlot. Dessert was enjoyed by all. I indulged as well, sharing the largest bowl of strawberry shortcake I've ever seen with my sister. There was only one other coffee drinker besides myself.
My sister had asked me if I could create an ice-breaker game that we could play while waiting for our kitchen orders to come. I composed a pop-culture, trivia fill-in-the-blank 'game' that I was confident would be easily completed by all or most there. Boy, was I wrong! The name of the Clinton's ''first cat' or the breed of the newest 'first dog' was not easily identified by the women.
However, all-in-all, it was a fun time out with my sister and her friends. I felt a little like a fish out of water, but the ladies were pleasant and good conversationalists.
Thank you, Red Hatters. It was my pleasure!
Ancora imparo
