vi‘ olet noun: herbs with alternate stipulate leaves and showy flowers in spring and cleistogamous flowers in summer

vin‘ tage noun:
(1) a season's yield of grapes or wine from a vineyard; especially an usually superior wine
(2) a collection of contemporaneous and similar persons or things
(3) a period of origin (ie: a piano of 1845 vintage)
(4) length of existence
            adjective:
(1) of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality
(2) classic
(3) of the best and most characteristic -- used with a proper noun

Once there was a woodland violet who lived on the edge of a babbling brook in the deep woods. At first glance she appeared to be fragile and delicate, almost insignificant. But considering that she braved the ice and snow and courageously pushed her stem through the carpet of fallen leaves, sprouted her velvety leaves, and then bloomed her sweet lavender smile towards heaven and the sunshine she seemed almost a miracle. Everyone marveled at her strength to become one of Spring's first lovely blooms. But alas, as the days of spring went on she was overshadowed by the perky daffodils, the graceful tulips, the sexy azaleas. And by the time the flamboyant roses burst forth in all their radiant splendor, the tiny violet was looking a bit ragged around the edges, sagging in all the wrong places and ... (gasp) ... there were a few wrinkles, well, make that a lot of wrinkles!

What was she to do ... Shrink back under the cover of the dead leaves? ... Wilt into oblivion with sighs and moans? ... Spend her latter days in a rocking chair knitting sweaters? Absolutely NOT! She was no wall-flower, no shrinking violet!

When gathered into a bouquet with a few of her dearest friends and preserved with a bit of sugar and kindness, she could become a Vintage Violet. Add a bit of lace and a red ribbon, sprinkle with sugar and the sparkle of starshine and together they can rival even the young roses. It is whispered in the garden that even the roses are envious of all the fun and that they too are looking forward a bit to the day when they can become "vintage" roses.

Today we are a bouquet ... a bouquet of Vintage Violets. In the great tradition of the Red Hat Society we will go forth and face the world, not as shrinking violets, but as true Vintage Violets ... with all the pizzazz we can muster. We will don our purple dresses and red hats and we will sparkle!

we are an official chapter
of the Red Hat Society