Cozy and Warm at Willowbrook ~

Hello Again! How are you doing? 

Can you believe that we are half-way through March already?  February brought us snow, but winter is giving way to spring here at Willowbrook and the pandemic is easing up to allow me to open soon!  

I want to welcome all of the readers from my mother’s mailing list.  I’ve merged her mailing list with mine, so if you get more than one Willowbrook Word, please click HERE to let me know and I will do some digital weeding.  I have the results from the tea sampler giveaway from last month’s newsletter and the custom card giveaway for the newcomers, but I’m keeping that, and today’s giveaway, until the end.  

First I want to tell you about a recent adventure!

Red Rock Country ~

This last weekend Jim and I trundled off to Kanab, UT to visit my folks. Southern Utah is called the ‘Red Rock Country’.  It is a wonderful playground for ATVs and since my dad recently purchased a second side-by-side, we felt we had to go and help test ride it.  

Flying High ~

My brother Wayne and his lovely lady, Jaime, flew down from Reno to join the fun.  I have great respect for Jaime getting into a small engine airplane and traveling cross-country.  (It is not my cup of tea.) Wayne, of course, was born to fly, and when he lived here in Sedro Woolley, he would often buzz our house.  Once he even landed in the field next to us to say hello! 

Wayne and I reminisced of when we were kids and dad would fly our family of five from LA to Nevada for family reunions.  I have vivid memories of flying over the grand canyon as a 7 year old girl.  It is jazzy that Wayne is carrying on the flying tradition.

A Family Outing ~

It was a great day for a ride. Though it was cool, the sun was shining and made for a feel-good adventure.  This picture was taken where we stopped to hike in to an overhang to view the petroglyphs there. 

There were dozens of rock carvings, and I took a lot of pictures.  This is one of my favorites.  It makes me think about the people who lived in the barren and beautiful desert centuries ago.  I think I like this one so much because it resembles what I could draw using paper and pen…..(such is my ability for art).

Speaking of art, how about a dinosaur footprint?  We went to a place where there are over a thousand prints from various sizes of dinosaurs, but you have to search to find them.  I couldn’t help but feel the magnitude of time gone by when I found these dinosaur tracks.  

Jim and I got to ride in ‘Oscar’ the newly acquired side-by-side.  It is an amazing machine with a kickin’ stereo.  We were the last in the caravan, and it made Jim hearken back to his days Army days bombing around in fast attack vehicles.  Click HERE for a video sample of our ride.

My Dad ~

My dad is an outdoor enthusiast.  He always has been.  When I was 6 he started taking our family backpacking.  He taught us kids how to make matchless fires.  I hated hiking back then.  Now I hike every day that I can. It is my therapy. My dad loves the southern Utah desert, and galavanting around in it is his therapy.   He marvels at the geological time that the rocks and mountains attest to, and often says that being out in them is his ‘church’.  

My Mom ~

Mom was content to stay at home and create yummy food for the crew.  She has always kept the home fires burning, nurturing the people she loves with the most delicious home-made meals.  If you watch her, you will see that she pats the dough, the bread, the freshly made sandwich.  I find I do the same thing, and I believe we got it from her mother.  Love pats.  It makes the food taste better.

Switching Gears… How about Tea?

I typically set the tea tent up on the East Lawn on Mothers Day.  I feel giddy when the tea tent goes up.  So you can imagine my glee when last Tuesday found us setting up the place where so many good memories are made.  The pandemic closed my business for a full year, and I am extra anxious to welcome guests to my home to enjoy the gentle tradition of having tea together.  The manor is allowed to seat up to 50% capacity, so we will have the heated tea tent accommodate the other half.  Click HERE for a video of the tea tent set up day. 

Friendship Seeding and Tea ~

SWAN Foundation (Serving Women Across Nations) is hosting  Friendship Seeding and Tea  March 26th and 27th. Guests will enjoy sweet cream tea and scones in a warm garden setting, then plant chamomile seeds into propagating trays.   This is a fundraising event for the Friendship House in Mount Vernon.  I love this organization that helps homeless in our community better their lives.  I cant say enough good about what the Friendship House is doing.  Click HERE for some history about SWAN and HERE for information on the Friendship House.

I want this brick to read ‘Seeding and Tea 2021’.  I need 100 readers that will donate $10 towards our homeless remedy effort.  Will you be part of this project to create the first brick under The Giving Tree?  Please participate HERE.  

Tea and Tulips ~

This picture was from last year when the tulip festival was cancelled.  The tulips are growing as we speak and the garden promises to host another beautiful display of blossoms.  

Tea and Tulips is offered every Friday and Saturday in April and features delicious tea sandwiches, sweet cream scones and home-bakes goodies, all served with a pot of Willowbrook’s luxury loose-leaf tea.  Reservations are filling up fast, so make sure to save your table.  Space is limited.  Click HERE to make your reservation.

Teacup Time ~

My fun-loving and wonderful niece Lizzy, came to visit and brought her dear friend Kathy and her adorable daughter Aliiyah.  I was tickled when Aliiyah chose the groovy ’70s  demitasse cup that reminds me of the Partridge Family (for those of you old enough to remember).  I found it in a box of teacups that my friend Cynthia gave me, and it hearkens back to memories of my childhood with bellbottom jeans and polyester double-knit dresses.  

Giveaways ~

In my last newsletter I offered a giveaway of three Willowbrook tea sampler sets. Here are the winners!
Christine ~
Julie ~
Ashley ~
Click HERE to see the video of the drawing.

Click HERE to read this special issue. 

Today’s Giveaway~

My oldest daughter Addy is an amazing artist.  She paints using only primary colors and mixes them to get just the right hues. Today’s giveaway is a set of three note cards with art by Addy.  I am giving away ten sets, so make sure to get your name in for the drawing.  Click HERE to enter. 

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