today, i wore an easter bonnet!

"Put on your Easter bonnet

with all the frills upon it

and we will have 

a very merry

Easter Parade!"

That Irving Berlin song from 1933 has been on my mind ever since the theme of this Sisters In Faith luncheon was announced last month.

Such a catchy little number!

I fashioned my head-topper by wrapping the Periodic Table scarf around the bright pink bowl of the hat that always brings happy thoughts of Mama.

Thanks, Cathy of El Cerrito, for that gift!

It went so well with my Spring-time dress!

That's what Linda Combs and Michelle Meece told me, so I know it to be true!

Here they are, with our gracious event planner wearing one of the cutest hats there!

Just look at those bunny ears!!!

Linda, I just know Bugs Bunny would be thrilled, too!!!

Those were more bunny ears, too.

That's Sherry Giddens, at the end of my table, sporting huge ears atop her bonnet!

Judy Wilburn's summer hat boasted flowers against its straw!

And there were three ladies at the table beside us who all wore flower-bedecked bonnets! 

That's Kathy Hodges, in the pink dress, in the middle, between the lady in the orange hat and the one in the green.

My table had a mother and daughter wearing bonnets!

The daughter, Jenni, had her 61st birthday yesterday.

Her mom, Linda, tried to scoot out of the photo, but I caught her!

To me, they were the belles of this ball at Holliday Hall - they brought three boxes of Chick-Fil-A nuggets!!!

I signed up to bring finger sandwiches, substituting two trays of sushi.

(That's them between the chips and tower of cucumber sandwiches.)

Cheri Hester brought sushi, too, as did one other - so much for me bringing something different!

That just meant I had sushi to take home for dinner tonight.

(smile!)

Here's the array of Easter bonnets that came today, arranged in competition on the stage here at Asbury Memorial's social hall.

I bet there were at least fifteen!!!

That's Linda and Michelle, making sure each entry has been assigned a number for the voting process.

 

The winner was worn by Cece Colman!

That's her, on the left, with the Mexican sombrero-style hat with all the fringe and little Easter bunnies.

I bet that laden bonnet weighed at least ten pounds!

That's means I wouldn't have been able to pick it up, per post-surgery orders, for at least another three weeks.

That's pretty impressive, as was the hat with the twinkle lights!

Here's a funny story!

Right after I snapped that photo, the two women realized their hats had gotten snagged.

Oh, no!

But I have plenty of practice with branches in my long hair, so set to work untangling Cece's fringe from Mary's foliage.

I just let my fingers feel their way, loosening the two from each other, just as I've done in my yard on many occasions.

Hooray!

And who was our guest speaker today?

Kim Polote, someone I'd rescued from a clothing emergency years ago!

It was while I was a volunteer usher at the Lucas Theatre.

She was to perform in a Christmas show, but the gown she was in didn't quite fit at the top of the bodice.

I happened to be in the bathroom when she was in distress about her dress...

and I happened to have several safety pins with me...

so, calamity avoided and distress dispersed!

Right place, right time!

Of course, that's been at least fifteen years ago.

Today, she was there to share songs with us at this happy luncheon!

"Wind Beneath My Wings" was merged seamlessly into "Over The Rainbow" before she said her first words to us.

Later, led us all in singing "This Little Light Of Mine", clapping joyously!

Then she gave us "Change Is Gonna Come" and one her own songs, "Everything Must Change".

In between all that music, she told her life stories and encouraged us to "find the message in the mess" life sometimes hands us.

Absolutely lovely!

She also talked of celebrating the joy wherever we find it, even in a movie, such as "Me, You & Tuscany"...

and I spoke up that I'd just seen it yesterday!!!

That made her smile and got everyone's attention. 

Right place, right time!