youtu.be/FyaU84VoRfs

I was going through my pictures today and came across so many photos of this lovely lady . video is above on utube. Sorry utube seemed to have deleted a little music at the beginning

So today I spent the morning piddling around with these picture. Such memories they are.

It has been 9 years since I have first came to meet this lady. Her name is Bev and she is one of many who have rocked my world in the last 9 years.

Yeah, yeah, I am talking about the red hat society again. Nine years ago in September I saw an ad in the local newspaper. The ad said that if you are women of age and wanted to get out and have some fun give her a call. Well I tore that page out of the newspaper and held onto it for a few weeks. Humming and hawing as to whether I should call or not. Well I eventually got up the courage and decided to call.

That was the beginning of my history of having some fun. I joined the Red hat society a few days later. Joined a group of 8 ladies who went out on a few different outings. We went to the movies and festival’s and many lunches. Getting together once a month to sit and chat.

My enjoyment was so much that I started reading newsletters coming out for other events. I started branching out a little on my own. Oh what fun. I went on my own as no one else was much interested in going. I attended my first pirate event. Well it was just a lunch, but we all dressed as pirates and wenches. This was my first experience that there was more to life then sitting around the house or going shopping. There was ladies out there who have different ideals about how they are going to celebrate their seasoned years. It opened my eyes to so much more.

I didn’t know it, but Bev was one of these ladies. Dressed in her pirate garb and smiling away and laughing with all the other ladies. As I look back on pictures I can see Bev in some of the pictures. I could have met her sooner if I hadn’t been such a quiet person.

Well a month or so later I get my gutsy girl self out together and I head for my first convention. There will be hundreds of ladies there and I am traveling alone. What the heck am I thinking. I am putting myself out there in hopes of having some fun. Well if nothing else it is a little travel, but to do it on my own? Well yes I am doing it on my own.

This convention or should I say funvention as they call it is in Sacramento. The theme is over the rainbow. So you get to think about costumes to go with the theme. So there is witches, munkins, Ruby red slippers and following the yellow brick road. Sounds like so much fun.

So I started asking around to see if anyone else was going from the area so I wouldn’t be traveling alone. I finally connected with Norma. She is the head of the queens council at the time. So she took me under her wing, along with another lady who was also traveling, and hadn’t been to a funvation before. We went to her house and she gave us all sorts of info to help us out. She then said what flight most of the ladies that where going were on. So if we wanted to make the same reservations we would be on the same flight.

So now travel plans where made. The day of the flight I traveled down to Bellingham with Norma. As we where in the airport waiting for our flight. Two more ladies came in that were flying on the same fight to the same funvation. We all sat together and chatted away. Well I listened allot, but the conversation went along the lines of how they all got here. What fun they where going to have.

Well Bev was part of this group. This is the first time that I have met her. Her and another lady. Her name was Lorna. These two ladies traveled together to many places. They are fast friends with each other. Complimented each other and all round had a great time. A few years ago Lorna passed. So sad she was such a beautiful lady. Her and Bev accepted me into what they where doing.

So through the funvetion there was down time. Free time to go shopping or take in the city and see some sites. For the first day I went to the pool during the day. Pull out a book and sat and read. Bev and Lorna caught up with me and asked if I wanted to go down to the older part of town. There are costume shops there and delectable places to eat. So I jumped at the chance.

We wandered the streets. Checked out the costume shop. Tried on a few and enjoying ourselves. Laughing away at how we looked. Enjoyed an icecream down the street. Then caught the shuttle back to the hotel. I headed to my room and a few minutes later they where calling me to come down and have a drink with them. They later introduced me to Micheals store. Where I bought so many feathers to decorate a hat. They included me in as a threesome. Not just the two of them and me as a third wheel hanging around with them. They made me feel so welcome. Not just someone else who was just there.

I do miss Lorna. She was such a vibrant lady.

Then there is Bev. A beautiful lady. She has invited me to many events going on in our area. She has also included me into her group of ladies the Crimson Brims. Her group is mostly made up of military wives, but has expanded over the years with other ladies in the area. She is a warm charming lady who will welcome you with open arms. She has been a member of the red hat society for over 13 years. Maybe even more. A queen and an ambassador.

She has listen to my troubles. She has wiped my tears. She has held me close. Most of all she has included me with opened arms as no one ever has. She has been and still is one of my closes friends. Just as a few other ladies in the red hat society are now.

Well as close as I do get to people. I feel for anyone who is my friend. I may not show it, but I do feel for them. I feel their pain. I cry for them when they are hurting. I laugh for them when they are happy. I will hug and I will be there. I do this in private. My feelings run deep, but always in private. So you may not see much of my feelings.

So now we come to this year. Covid has hit hard with some people. Bev would be included in that. No she did not contact covid, but it left her isolated. She didn’t go out much. Her social life of going out with ladies and being a member of the lions club and all of her other social outings have gone to the wayside. Her condo felt smaller. Everything was smaller and quieter. So much so that she decided that a move was in order. This move would take her to another province. To be closer to her family. A new life so to say.

Well what can I say. She has made her move now. Bev is still here in my heart, but I now can not hop in the car and see her. I am not going to see her at events in the area and sit and chat with her for a bit. I miss her smiling face. Her happy stance on life. Her welcoming manner. She will always stay in my heart though and she is happy again with her family in another province.

I do hope to see her again in my travels. I need another one of her hugs. Not for me but for her. She is in a happier place now, but things happen and her health has been bothering her lately. In my thoughts she needs a hug. A very large one to be exact. One that takes in our whole heart. One that takes in both of our hearts and heals. I love her to the moon and back as I do with the rest of my friends. I feel for her and wish her well in her new life, but still I do miss her and wish her well.

Well sorry this is not my usual adventures, but a little sentimentality. Well will talk to you next time. Until my next adventure