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GREETINGS (top of page)
======= My schedule has been hectic lately and it has definitely been a while since my last newsletter. So hopefully beginning this month, things will start getting better and I will be getting back into the swing of things again. Last month I attended the 2nd Annual Take Me 2 Tea Expo, which was held from March 28 through the 30th in Las Vegas, NV. While the city has its appeal, attending the Expo was absolutely worth the trip and experience. It certainly opened my eyes to how far reaching and popular tea has become in the United States. It is now a way of life for many people.
I met tea room owners, potential tea room owners and tea suppliers from the United States as well as abroad. Not to mention all sorts of tea experts and specialists, from Pearl Dexter, Editor of Tea A Magazine to Sue Ellen Cooper, Queen Mother of The Red Hat Society. The Expo's attendance doubled in size to over 2,000 participants in only it's 2nd year. The seminars and classes that were held added a lot of value to the trip and made it well worth the investment.
I came away from there with a much better understanding of tea, and people who enjoy tea and tea rooms. After being around like minded people and their enthusiasm, especially people who love tea and tea rooms, one can't help but be sad to have to say goodbye. Now I have even more that I can share with you in the future as we discover the world of tea and tea rooms together.
Featured in this month's newsletter, which I hope you'll enjoy, is a place located in Des Moines, in the general area of the Drake neighborhood, where one can take High Tea or even go for a retreat and a little R & R. It is the Rev. Daniel Mulvihill Retreat & Guest House with the Benedictine Monks of St. Gabriel's Priory. So, until the next time, have a splendid month!
Warm wishes,
Annette
TeaRoomsOnLine.com
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========================================== HIGH TEA @ REV. DANIEL MULVIHILL RETREAT HOUSE (top of page)
==========================================  Right in the area of the Drake Neighborhood, just a stone throw away from the Basilica of St. John, sits a house on the corner of 21st Street. This stately Victorian mansion, built in 1895 and completed in 3 years, once housed its owners, Nicholas and Emma Johnson and their 8 children until the 1900s.
Prior to moving to Des Moines, Mr. Johnson, whose occupation was a sea captain, later retired with his family to Madison County and lived there in the house now known as Francesca House. He became a ranch owner and farmed over 1,000 acres. Later he sold this farmland and moved to Des Moines and became the owner of Valley Bank and built this mansion. There are 3 floors, with the very top of the floor being used as a living apartment, which used to be a ballroom.
After the original owners died, the house was sold and became known for 70 years as the Caldwell Breen Funeral Home. In 2001, Daniel Mulvihill, a philanthropist, who resides in California and has worked with the Benedictine Monks of St. Gabriel's Priory in Oceanside, purchased the house. He wanted to provide a place for the monks here in Des Moines and so he purchased and renovated the interior of the home and later donated it to the Benedictine Monks of St. Gabriel's Priory for their use in the memory of his great uncle, the Rev. Daniel Mulvihill who was the first pastor of St. John.
 The Retreat and Guest House opened its doors in March of 2003. With 5 guest rooms, including one suite, the place allows for quiet solitude and welcomes all denominations. As you walk up to the Retreat House today, you can just imagine how impressive it once used to be. Instead what you'll see is that the house needs a lot of work on the exterior. But wait until you enter. As you are welcomed by Rosemary Sloss, the oblate (defined as a lay person living under a modified rule and without vows) who resides here, you can't help but be taken aback by the difference in what's been renovated inside versus outside once you enter.
The primary function of this house is to provide guests with a place to retreat. Serving High Tea on Saturdays as a fundraiser was one solution to help maintain its upkeep and necessary improvements to the house. By definition, High Tea is a meal, taken in the afternoon or evening, with meat and other dishes, where tea is the main beverage. The Retreat and Guest House setting was ideal for such, and with that the preparation began and ideas began to form. In December 2003, the Retreat House opened its doors to serve High Tea. Since then, they have served 10 High Teas in total at last count. Bear in mind that this is not run as a business, and since they only serve on Saturdays, this may seem like a small number if you compare to other tea rooms, and there is a reason for this. For one thing, the nine oblates that make up the group, have careers outside of this. Therefore, Saturdays are the only times available. By the way, the food are all homemade, prepared by the oblates with some oblates having their own specialty. In addition, the dining room is also limited in its seating arrangements. The maximum that they can seat is 12 people. However, in the works is another room, called the "Solarium", that is being prepared with seating for 4 people. This will then allow for two parties to be seated at the same time.
 I had the opportunity to experience High Tea here recently, and it was simply wonderful. In total there were 7 of us that were having High Tea on that particularly chilly and dull Saturday. But soon enough, the chills disappeared as I started feeling the warmth of the welcome. As we waited for the last member of our group to arrive in the parlor (pictured above left), Rosemary started filling us in on the history of the Retreat House. After giving us the historical background of the house, we were invited to tour the house. This led us up to where the High Tea was to be served, in the dining room on the second floor (pictured at left). Once we were seated, and after we had made our choice of the two teas offered, our gracious hostess invited us to look over the menu card. In case you're interested, the menu is posted on the website. The dining experience began soon after. The setting and ambience was simply perfect.
During this time, as we dined and visited with each other, the hostesses were never far. They continued to appear in perfect timing to serve and refresh your tea. They were simply unobtrusive. Pictured at right are our hostesses Rosemary Sloss, Mary Wise & Linda Fellner. We were served scones with clotted cream and jam, followed by fresh fruit and a variety of finger sandwiches. To top it all off, was Mary's Almond cake, which you simply must have. I was really well fed. The whole High Tea experience took approximately an hour and a half to two hours. The afternoon simply flew by. And according to Rosemary, since we were the only group, the room was entirely for our use that afternoon, within reason of course. Donations of $15.00 per person for High Tea was a small price to pay for the dining experience, the ambience and slice of history and tranquility.  Pictured left are friends Judy, Lisa, Tina, Nancy, Sr. Virginia, Geri & Rosemary at the High Tea.
The Rev. Daniel Mulvihill Retreat and Guest House is located at 2100 University Avenue. High Tea is served on Saturday and by reservation only. For more information about Retreats and/or High Tea, please contact Rosemary Sloss at 515.243.7571. For menu and other information, please visit our website at www.tearoomsonline.com.
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