Plum Thicket Tea Room

This morning started out with a beautiful bright-pink and dark-purple sunrise.  (Blessing #317)  I love to sleep in, and I would much rather stay up late than get up early.  However, the blessing of getting up early is that I get to see the sun rise.  My definition of "early" probably isn't the same as yours.  "Early" in my book is 6:30am.  After I catch a glimpse of the sky as we're getting ready for the day, I always tell the girls to "look at the awesome sunrise that God put in the sky for us today!"   (#318).  

As soon as I pulled into the garage after dropping off the girls at school, our friendly little cardinal flew over to my passenger side mirror and began his normal routine of fluttering back and forth from the mirror to the reflection he sees of himself in the car window.  Back and forth, back and forth.  The pretty song he sings brings a smile to my face, and the girls and I try to mimic his tune.  (#319)

He's been living in our evergreen trees for several years, and is so proud of his appearance that he loves to check himself out in our mirrors every day.

I've been looking forward to today, as I love hanging out with my best friend from college. (#320)  Lanise and I go way back to grade school, but we became great friends when we went to college.  She's always so upbeat, positive, and a very genuine person.  So, today was a special treat when we met in Grand Island for some girl-time.

Lunch was fun!  (#321) We ate lunch in a beautiful Victorian Tea House, called "The Plum Thicket".  I wish I would have taken a picture from a different angle, so you could get a better look at the beautiful turret and lead-glass bay window.  Everything inside was decorated in the traditional Victorian style.

The home is a Montgomery Ward turn-of-the-century mail order house, and was built in 1904.  These mail order homes were sent by rail, and the buyers had 10 days to unload it, according to the brochure at our table. 

The tea room and gift shop are open from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Tuesday through Saturday) and Lunch is served from 11-2.  I ordered the "Combo Lunch," which is half a sandwich (I chose chicken salad), salad (I picked fresh fruit), cup of soup (I had wild-rice chicken soup), and dessert (which was girl scout cookies today).  Their iced tea was a mango-infused tea today.  It was all delicious!! (#322) However, it's not at all a place where Chad would want to eat.  It's much too girly for him.

They also serve gourmet coffees and teas, muffins, cheesecakes, cookies, and ice cream sundaes.  And their gift shop is full of pretty things.  Here's a peak at one of the rooms on the second floor.  Even the closets are full of gift items. 

Everything is fancy here.  "Fancy Nancy" (one of Jillian's favorite beginner's book series) would love the Plum Thicket.