Red Hatters for February 2024

Well here we are in the shortest month of the year and we have a lot going on.

We had a brief meeting to discuss all the prospects available to us. We marked our calendars and made the call that would get us signed up for any Senior Center functions we were able to go to, and we are off and running.

We started our outings on the 10th of the month and we headed out to the Flaming Grill Buffet in Malden. Today is the start of the Chinese New Year; the year of the Dragon, and we wanted to celebrate, as we do every year. And we did..

The buffet tables were full, and the restaurant was filled with happy smiling people.

The food was fresh and filled as the customers wound around the tables filling plates.

There was also ice cream...always a way to end a wonderful meal.

We spent about two hours just eating and talking and did a bit of people watching as well. We were recognized as we always are and it was "Happy New Year" from many people as we returned the greetings.

It was wonderful time on a beautiful sun filled day in February.

You can see we were having a great time to start off our month of February.

February 14th ...Happy Valentines Day !..The Melrose Senior Center was our outing today to celebrate the holiday of love and friendship.

Maria Leach and Connie O'Connor set the hall in order with tables and flavorful snacks.

The hall was crowded as we enjoyed the music played by the Graduates of the Longy School of Music. Thai was the romantic songster with a wonderful voice and lovely smile ;and Sage played the keyboard with the art of accompaniment and solo performance.

The Valentine Day Mocktails were served by our Mistress of Mocktails Erica Brown.

The drinks were Blood orange KISS and Strawberry Lemonade Lust with fruit on the side.

James Conforti kept an eye out to make sure everyone was happy. He kept busy while supplying more chairs and moving trash about.

It was a wonderful fun afternoon and there was friendship and love that filled the room.

February 15th..and at 9am 22 people boarded buses at the Melrose Senior Center to go on a tour of the Wang Theater in Boston. (Now part of the Bock Center) Our tour guide is himself a singer , although not famous yet, will surely be one day, He even gave us a few notes at the end of the tour and if you hear the name of Marcus Huber in the future, he's the guy.

The Wang theater is on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the five largest stages in the U.S. operating since 1925. The theater will seat 3500 and the orchestra pit can be closed when necessary for another 100 patrons.

The hour long tour took us to the back stage of the theater and we had the opportunity to stand on the stage where so many legends performed. Mikhail Baryshnikov, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Liza Minnelli and many more.

We learned about the architectural highlights and history of the theater's past; and we had the chance to explore the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame. The theater is also a museum with memorabilia from music legends like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.

The architecture of the building is amazing. Marble posts and painting and sculptures along the walls and ceiling.

Just a few minutes to take a break and sit in the upscale seat.

It was a learning experience and exciting trip, and it brought back memories of some of the shows many of us had seen over the years. A great tour and a wonderful day.

Due to bad weather on the 13th. the Saugus Senior Center rescheduled the Mardi Gras to the 20th.

There was lunch with shrimp scampi, costumes,noise makers and entertainment by the awesome performers"Just the Three of Us"

Full house and lots of laughs for this part of the day.

Later in the day we went to the Melrose Senior Center to watch the Delvina Players perform for the 50th reunion their schools in 1957. The play was called Nun of this and Nun of that; and if you went to Catholic school you got the jest of it right away. It was fun to see as the Nuns played by Lynne Moulton and Fran Baron,asked questions of the audience and gave out rewards for right answers. Always a good show when members of this group performs.

On the 27th. back to Saugus to the Delvina players once more. Different show different actors "Love Letters" was the title for this performance.

Today's performers were Joseph Zamparelli and Lynne Moulton. The play was about a man and a woman who wrote letters to each other over a lifetime. The attachment remained strong during college, the war years and careers. The actors read letters that were touching and funny which gave insight into what it means to have a lifelong friendship.

It was a wonderful time well spent.

This ends the shortest month of the year for us. There are many pictures and my hope is that you will get to see them all come through.

Coming up a new month and more fun and frolic for this Red Hat group. Join us for the experience of friendship joy.