Operation Fun Fest

Operation Fun Fest!

The months of planning, practicing, and anticipation culminated in a fabulous flurry of fun and friendship in Traverse City the weekend of Sept. 21-23. Some of us arrived on Thursday, under the guise of beating the crowd. Truth be told, we just couldn’t wait for the fun to begin. With SUVs, Vans, and Cars loaded to the top with luggage, hat boxes, props, and parade paraphernalia, we headed North, to Operation Fun Fest!

After a couple of wonderful stops along the way, we arrived at the beautiful Grand Traverse Resort, and set about the task of unloading our vehicles and checking into our luxurious rooms. We then impatiently began the wait for the rest of our Plum Pretties arrival on Friday morning so we could officially start the weekend.

Morning broke, promising to bring a beautiful day, full of sunshine. The air was electrically charged, and so were we! After breakfast, we headed back to the Resort to register. After meeting all our friends, we set about the task of putting on our Silly Hats, and heading off to the Welcome Luncheon.

Our very own Lady Marlynn won a prize for her creation of a colander, pasta fork, and strands of “spaghetti” that she wore. Congratulations!
I would not have wanted to take on the task of judging the many wonderful creations that filled the Banquet room!

Since our afternoon was free, and the Vendors were ready for us, there’s no need to guess what activity we undertook. We stalked our purchases like a lioness stalking it’s prey, and then swooped in to make the buy. Oh what treasures we found! What BLING! What glitz! What ooh’s and aah’s they elicited! Some of our ladies chose to relax and rejuvenate by the pool, and take advantage of the hot tub. They looked most relaxed when the afternoon was done.

It was then time to head back to our rooms, and ready ourselves for our Beach Party. We arrived looking stunningly beautiful, and thin, in our rhinestone embellished bikini cover-ups. We had a delicious picnic meal of burgers and brats, and then…AND THEN…the Talent Show began!

We were entertained by differing groups of poets, musicians, cloggers, tap dancers, and comedians. But they definitely saved the best for last! Our Plum Pretties took to the stage to close the show, led by our very own HRH Queen Carolyn, and we set about the business of entertaining the crowd. WE WERE FABULOUS! Now, that’s not an unbiased opinion of course, but it is one that was echoed by many, many ladies for the rest of the weekend. We have even been asked by a local Red Hatter to come and perform at a Nursing Home in the area. So, it looks like we may well be getting our act together, and taking it on the road. We had so much fun, and that was our main goal for the evening. The fact that others enjoyed it too was an added bonus.

Saturday morning brought us together for our Pajama Breakfast. Oh the loveliness of our ladies all decked out in red and purple sleepwear, sleep caps perched precariously on their heads, would have made even the most stout of heart miss a beat, and take a second look. There’s something to the old saying “safety in numbers”, because NONE of us would ever dare to venture out of a Hotel room in our P.J.‘s, or at least I hope not! We enjoyed a lovely continental breakfast, and then hurried back to our rooms to get into our Parade gear. Glitzy, sparkling Michigan Red Hat T-Shirts, Red visors, and our walking shoes were the wardrobe of choice, and with banner and umbrellas in hand, we took our place in line. When the signal was given for us to step out in line, we took those first steps thinking they would be only the first of many S..L..O..W, leisurely ones in the ¾ mile parade. We could NOT have been more wrong! We started out a fast pace, which only got faster. At one point I found myself trotting alongside our troop, commanding, “Come on girls, double-time, double-time!” There was a flat-bed truck in front of us, carrying Red Hatters who were unable to walk in the parade. I was beginning to wish that we could have done our umbrella drill from that truck, and might have, but we couldn’t catch the darn thing!

Oh, we tried! We tried (according to Lady Judy) like a dog chasing a truck down the road, but to no avail. But, in true Red Hatter spirit, we tarried on, cadence calling, umbrella drilling, and sounding off when called. Next time you see one of our Drill Team ladies, walk up to them and say, “Sound Off!” and see what kind of response you get. We were so carried away with ourselves that we forgot to respond with the correct answer, but we finally got there. Later, it was actually very funny, but at the time, we were not amused. Upon arrival at the Park, we were treated to Ice Cream made especially in honor of us, (red and purple of course!) we were informed by our Lady Lois that we had completed the ¾ of a mile parade in under 15 minutes! Not bad for a bunch of, shall we say, “mature” ladies! It was fun, and that was our goal, so we all felt very satisfied. We then ventured into town and had lunch at a lovely little shop called Cousin Jennie’s Pasties. Our own resident uper, Lady Ginna, declared them to be very authentic, and most delicious. After some more shopping in town, we headed back to the Resort and went about the business of shopping, swimming, and resting.

And then, the preparations began to transform ourselves into the visions of loveliness that we are. From our perfectly perched hats, down to our best dressy shoes, we were so embellished and glitzy that they almost had to turn down the lights to keep from blinding everyone by our reflections! Purple “mink” wraps, dripping dangling necklaces, and earrings, and bead-studded, rhinestone glittering dresses and suits were the apparel of choices of the night. And the hats! Oh, we must NOT forget the hats! BIG, RED, FEATHERY, and FLASHY were the creations we wore. The food was delicious (as it was all weekend) and the entertainment began. We danced, we clapped, we sang along with the famous Three Men And A Tenor, a Michigan group that has been featured on PBS specials, and traveled the world to entertain millions. And entertained we were! They were wonderful with their renditions of oldies music, and the blend they achieved was harmonious and flawless. All too sadly, the evening drew to an end, and we thought the fun was over, but we were wrong! We were all invited back to the royal room of the Queen and First Lady for an “after-glow” party. And party we did! We indulged in food and drink, and laughed, and the entertainment continued. Our Queen, who thinks herself vain, treated us to a demonstration of how to properly remove her makeup.

Yes, she was playing QVC again, and she was touting her “Hope In A Jar” products. I must say, it was very effective, and most entertaining. You can bet Lady Happy Snappy Roseann was there to capture it all on digital film.
Now THOSE are pictures I can’t wait to see! The Queen certainly was a good royal, trying to teach her ladies in waiting the proper way to care for their skin, and I personally think that she is not nearly as vain as she would have us think. All too soon, our fun was ended by a knock on our door. Yes, it was Hotel Security telling us to break it up, there was a noise complaint about our happy little band of ladies. Imagine! The very thought of us not being demure, and dainty, and quiet! But, the claim was justified, because we had been anything but demure and quiet. So, we sadly bid each other a fond good night amidst the complaints from the Queen that we had not yet bobbed for apples in the Jacuzzi! She promises that the next time we will play more games when we party together.

Sunday morning signaled the sad end of our fun weekend, and as most of us gathered for breakfast, we were treated to the Blessing of the Hats, and heard some wonderful Gospel music while we ate our breakfast. One by one, we departed for southern parts of Michigan, and the snap back to reality that we knew faced each of us. Back to laundry, cooking, cleaning, and the drudgery of day-to-day life. But days later, I still find myself smiling about something that was said or done at our weekend Fun Fest. It leaves me with just one question….WHEN DO WE PAY OUR DEPOSIT FOR GRAND RAPIDS REGIONAL CONVENTION TO BE HELD NEXT YEAR??!!!!!! I’m already thinking up new cadences….“I don’t know but it’s been said, we look good in hats of red. If in a parade we don’t have to run, maybe we can have more fun!”

Until we meet again, I remain your constantly devoted,
Lady Hatter Chatter Brenda