Willowbrook Wonder~

Photographer Dwight Ueda came for tea, then asked to film the night sky at Willowbrook Manor. I am amazed at what he captured with only starlight. You can find more of Dwights captivating photography on Facebook at DH Ueda photos.

Sending Heartfelt Thanks ~

Today I am sharing an abundance of gratitude for the outpouring of support from you, my newsletter family. Thank you for all the birthday wishes back in August. Thank you, especially, for the recent letters written to Skagit County asking that my farm and teahouse be able to continue to serve the public. I am astounded at the number of people who took the time to write on my behalf. I should have a report next newsletter. (Click HERE if you are new to this newsletter.)

Mom & Me ~

For those of you who are new to The Willowbrook Word, I’m Terry, owner and caretaker of Willowbrook Manor English Teahouse and Farm Stay. My mother, author Liz Adair, lives here as well. (This picture is of the two of us beginning a Red Falcon Road filming at Shawn O’donell’s restaurant.) Mom has her own corner of this newsletter. We always have a giveaway, so make sure to read to the end.

Story Time ~

There is a table set for two just steps away from the front door of the manor. Because of its proximity to the foyer, it rarely is selected by tea guests. Several years ago, an older couple got stuck an hour and a half in traffic, arriving very late for tea. I could feel their frustration when they walked through the door. It was compounded when they realized that this was the only table available. I appologised, made sure they were comfortable, and personally served their tea, sweets, savories and scones.
There is something about high tea that is a game-changer. When I came to check on this lovely couple , who had arrived out of sorts, I mentioned to the gentleman that I liked his tweed hat. He removed it from his head and placed it on mine. “It’s yours,” he said. His wife and I were both dumbfounded. “That is your favorite hat!” she said. “Now it is hers, ” was his response.

I wore that cap the rest of the day and keep it with my aprons where I can see it regularly. It is a reminder of the soothing effects of sharing tea together. Frustrations evaporate like whisps of steam as tea is poured. Troubles melt like butter on scones.

Meet Thomas Prosser ~

Thomas was the gentleman in the story who gave me his hat. He and his lovely wife came to tea recently, and I learned that Thomas is an actor! He will perform Bobby Peep’s Lost Generation on October 16^th, at 7:00 PM at the FireHouse Arts and Events Center in Fairhaven, WA. If you attend, please tell him that you love his hat.

Launch Party #2

We hosted our 2^nd Red Falcon Road Launch Party! It was so much fun. This time I brought cat sunglasses for folks to wear as they had their picture taken with the Falcon. Dawn Cross drove from over an hour away to attend. She is a regular at Willowbrook tea events. It warmed my heart to have her drive so far to attend.

White Branches hosted our 2^nd launch party. (If you haven’t experienced high tea at White Branches you MUST book yourself a tea time.) In between door prizes, we watched the three latest episodes of Red Falcon Road featuring the towns of Anacortes, LaConner, and Mount Vernon. They are live on YouTube now. Please watch, like, and subscribe. Click HERE to watch.

Downton Abbey Movie & Tea ~

Our Downton Abbey Movie and Tea was a wonderful event! It was especially delightful to have people dress up, like Andi McCarl, pictured above. I hope to partner with the Concrete Theatre again to provide another progressive tea at Willowbrook / movie in Concrete experience.

Best of the Best ~

This is my selfie with Miss Washington at Skagit Valley’s Best of the Best awards banquet. She had just returned from the Miss America pageant and was the honored guest who presented the Best of the Best awards. AND…For the second year in a row, Willowbrook Manor was voted best Bed and Breakfast in Skagit Valley!

Letting you know I have extended the season for overnight guests. So…if you want to enjoy the feel of the English countryside without flying overseas, come to Willowbrook Manor. Click HERE for availability and rates.

Willowbrook Winter Workshop ~

Homemade for the holidays begins here at Willowbrook Manor. Bring a friend and enjoy sipping tea, sewing a Nin or Oley doll, making gingerbread cookies, creating your own tea blend, and taking a class on pie-making. The workshop begins Friday November 7^th at 6:00 PM and ends Saturday at 6:00 PM and is $295/person. Click HERE to book the workshop. Meals are provided but the workshop does not include lodging. Guest rooms are available for booking. Email me for room availability.

Holiday Tea ~

In December we deck the halls with holiday warmth and invite you to come for high tea. Reservations are already filling up for Holiday Tea. Click HERE to book your table. The Friday 4:00 sessions are reserved for businesses to bring their staff. I have three private rooms that can accommodate up to twenty guests. Click HERE to schedule Holiday tea for your staff. (Forward this to your boss as a subtle hint.)

Time for Liz ~

This is where I turn the pen over to my mom, author Liz Adair.

High in the Sky Pie Story ~

I just did the math. In the years I had the little family-run wholesale baker, I made somewhere in the neighborhood of 200,000 pie crusts. I had great arm muscles.

Two people were responsible for those muscles. The first was a friend and near-twin (we were born two days and four states apart) named Barbara Brainard.

We had tea together last month and reminisced about how she was responsible for me being known as the Pie Lady back in the 1980s.

At that time, the women’s group of our church had monthly meetings where we taught each other homemaking skills. On the day that Barbara was to demonstrate how to make a great pie crust, my unreliable VW Beetle, the Green Weenie, chose not to start, and I didn’t get to attend the class. Barbara drove about 10 miles out of her way to come by and see why I wasn’t there. I told her how disappointed I was to have missed her class, so she gave me a private lesson right then and there.

The second person responsible for my awesome arm muscles was Terry. At age sixteen, she was waiting tables at a local restaurant whose homemade-pie baker had just quit, and they were in need of a replacement. My mother and I had a small catering business and so had a commercial kitchen. Knowing this, Terry said to her boss, “My mom can make the pies.”

And I could, because Barbara had taught me how to make a great pie crust.

By the time I stopped doing pies in the bakery, I was supplying twenty-three restaurants in Skagit and Whatcom counties.

I’ll be passing on Barbara’s secrets at the Winter Workshop. This year we’re going to roll and flute crusts for single crust pies. We’ll talk about all the possibilities for that single crust, but the pie we’ll be making is the underrated, seldom served but delicious custard pie.

I like it because it’s simple, easy, and not overly sweet. Pumpkin pie is its better-known cousin, but for my money, there’s nothing as satisfying as an unpretentious, unadorned custard pie.
Hope to see you then!
-Liz

Now back to Terry.

This Month’s Giveaway ~

I promised to do two giveaways since the last two Willowbrook Word emails didn’t have any. Here is a two-item tea giveaway which includes my Apple Cinnamon Tisane and Willowbrook’s signature scone mix (as seen on Red Falcon Road). Eight lucky winners will get to have the flavors of Willowbrook Manor in the cozy warmth of their own homes. Click HERE to enter to win. Don’t forget to include a little note to let Mom and me know how you are doing.

That’s All For Now ~

Thank you for reading to the end. This past couple of months has made me especially grateful for you, my newsletter family.

I truly love welcoming guests to my home for tea in the country. My hope is that I will be able to continue. I will keep you posted.
-t

P.S. Here are links to the newest Red Falcon Road episodes (In case you didn’t click on the earlier link):