A Note from Jo
 | Jo and the London Bus
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We had a wonderful time celebrating our 10th Anniversary at the beginning of this month.
The London Bus showed up again, we all wore hats and had a 'jolly good time' drinking tea with some of our long-time customers. It seems the Tea Room really is THE place to go if you are coming to Carefree...everyday this month we have served scones by the hundreds....and to think some people said we wouldn't last six weeks.
The hat I am pictured wearing, was purchased from Mumbo Jumbo in Carefree. If you want to see more of their fabulous fashions, make sure you come to their Spring Fling & Bling Fashion Show this Sunday, March 25 at the Tea Room.
Well, spring has finally 'sprung' and everything in the garden is looking much rosier. The trees are budding, the birds are nesting....yesterday it was 85 degrees and sunny, and today it's pouring with rain and freezing...yep, welcome to March in the desert.
It's raining as I write and I must say, it does remind me of the old Country, that is for about two minutes. In Arizona, "out comes the sun and dries up all the rain," usually about an hour after a downfall, now that's MY kind of weather.
It occurred to me recently why the British are SO obsessed with talking about the weather, present company being no exception. Oscar Wilde famously condemned it as the "last refuge of the unimaginative" but apparently, research shows six out of ten Britons use talking about the weather as a social prop;
"How are you today?"
" Fine." (First lie we ever learn to tell, by the way.)
"Isn't it hot/cold/wet/chilly/misty/muggy/freezing/damp/lovely for this time of year?"
Personally, I blame it on the laundry. If the services of an enormous washer and dryer, like the one I have here in the States, were available to all in the UK, I am quite sure it would nullify our fixation with whether or not it is going to rain. Back home we all hang our 'washing' out to dry and then spend all day wondering if it's going to pour down. As a child, I remember countless times being told by my Mum to "get the washing in, it's going to rain." Then there is the upside of course, there is nothing like the smell of freshly laundered sheets when you bring them inside and make up the bed...mmm, lovely, I can smell it just by thinking about it. Yesterday I bought a can of "pretend-your-washing-has -been-out-on-the-line-all-day" room spray from Home Depot, it's called 'fresh linen' scent. Only in America.
 | | Snowbird. |
So, a busy season is ahead of us with the 'snowbirds' having now officially arrived. Snow birds do not have feathers. For the benefit of those of you not from around these parts (and my Mother), I am referring to the migration of North Americans to warmer climes, who show up by the thousands during the months of December to May. Our business sees an influx of such customers from far flung regions such as Illinois, Minnesota, New York and Canada and they all come to the Southwest in pursuit of sunshine and of course, my scones. It is lovely to see our regulars return for a few months and catch up on all their news before they literally all fly off again as the weather heats back up (aargh, stop me I'm doing it again, talking about the weather!)
The patio at the Tea Room is looking very 'springy', with lots of newly planted pots of typically English flowers decorating the outdoors. We have some wonderful spring merchandise too and lovely gifts for Easter. Now is the perfect time to stop in for tea, but please remember to call us for a reservation ...with all those sun-seekers in town it's getting pretty crowded at times!
Cheerio for now!
English Rose Tea Room
480.488.4812 | 
