Many years ago, there was a  little country tea room in Temecula.  The tea room was in an old,  white,  flat- roofed cottage by the river that ran parallel to Temecula’s Old Town.  Nearby there were several great antique stores for browsing and looking for treasures. You could have a lovely afternoon tea and then just walk a few blocks and immerse yourself in the history of Old Town and the ambience of Southern California Old West Outpost. 

My Mom and I decided to take my daughter and nieces there for tea.  It was my eldest niece’s birthday and we thought it would be a fun way to celebrate.  When you first walked in there was a small foyer with several mirrors and a variety of hats on several hat stands.  The tradition was to pick a hat that you wanted to wear for tea, give a try and then when everyone was happy with their choice, to proceed to your table for tea. The tea room had several tables of different sizes and shapes laid with embroidered and lace tablecloths and mismatched china tea sets.  There were porcelain teacups decorated with flowers and patterns and some gilded with gold or silver.  Small vases, each filled with a posy took centerstage on each table. 

Once we were seated we took a look at each other and began to chat and laugh about our hats and why we had chosen the different styles. Eventually the waitress came over and took our order. We each chose a different flavor of tea that came in it’s own china teapot. We also ordered scones with curdled cream and jam As we sipped and talked, time was suspended, it was no longer 1997.  We were Victorian ladies gathered together to enjoy an afternoon of conversation and pleasure. Once we were full, it was time to bring our tea to a close.   We decided to go for a walk, a little antiquing and headed out.  As we strolled we chatted more, talked about how great the tea room was and stowed our memories away in our shopping bags.  The most important things that we brought home in those bags that day were the memories of a little old western tea room, favorite stories told over and over again and a day more sweet than any other.

Things I love about tea: 

1. Tea is delicious.
2. Making tea is relaxing and fun.
3. Life with tea is the best life ever. 
4. There is almost always something new and exciting in the world of tea. 
5. We can experience the world through it’s teas. Tea is a world experience.