Monday, February 8, 2010

A Word to Morning Coffee Drinkers. You Know Who You Are.

The subject is coffee, morning coffee to be exact. I haven't tried quitting and don't plan to. It's not that I'm addicted or anything. Really, I'm not. I can quit any time I want to, I just don't want to. It's a simple pleasure that gives me another reason to get up in the morning. I like getting out of bed with the sun and almost without fail look forward to another day, even without the coffee. I think. I love the ritual of grinding the beans, transferring them to the filter, pouring the water in, and hitting that button, knowing that heaven is just around the corner. I don't know where or how I fell into this ... habit. It may have started with something like, "The first hit is free." Here's a picture of the really good stuff:


I was talking on the phone to my sister, Chris, the other evening and we both felt that the day had not been one of our better ones. We each were planning on turning in early. She said, "I don't mind getting to the end of some days, I just want to go to sleep knowing I'll have a good cup of coffee to look forward to first thing in the morning." I completely understood, and agreed. We are both particularly fond of the organic Black Lightning made by Aroma Coffee of Santa Fe. I served it when she came to visit, she found it blissful, and now orders it directly, has it delivered right to her door. I'm not that hard core, but next time I get down Santa Fe way I'll be bringing back some beans.

They say if we fall on hard times coffee beans would be a good thing to be stocked up on, which has a down side to it. I have this vision of the town folk at the end of the lane with lanterns and pitchforks. The once kindly preacher, now leader of what remains of the villagers, will gently say, the first time, "We know you're in there. We're not here to hurt you. We just want the beans." When he asks the third time, with a tad more hostility in his voice, I'll high-tail it out the back door and head for the hills with my stash.

I keep it pretty simple, using ye old Mr.Coffee Maker, nothing too hoity-toity. One day I might step it up. I did the whole French press routine, but found I missed my usual ritual, could never quite get in the swing of the new steps required. Plus, you have to transfer it to a carafe to keep it warm. Then there's the clean-up. Yada, yada, yada. I was glad when it broke. Now, if someone else were to present coffee to me in the morning from a French press I would not complain. I would probably be very happy at that moment for all sorts of reasons. That I shall not go into.

So, that's my coffee story. I have this photo I found online that I just have to share with you. It sort of illustrates how very nice a good cup of coffee (or tea) is, under any circumstance.









14 comments:

  1. It is strange, but true, that coffee in the morning is a vital piece to starting the day. If I can't have it for some reason, I feel the void, feel incomplete. Not just from the subtherapeutic levels of caffeine flowing in my veins, but from the void of missing the preparation and anticipation that goes into each morning cup. I am the coffee drinker at my house, so I splurged on a Keurig coffee maker just before Christmas. If you do the math, yes it is more expensive per cup....about 55 cents per K-cup to be exact, but with it being just me.......well, let's just say I convinced myself it was okay. I love all the choices. The variety. Some days it is Gloria Jean's Hazelnut, some days French Vanilla, some days Caribou breakfast blend, some days Donut Shop coffee. The possibilites are endless. I even like to have it for dessert some evenings after supper.......It's all good.

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  2. Oh how I love this post...it spoke right to me. In fact, yesterday morning, I was out of coffee and.......*da, da, dum*....stuck at home with two children whose school day had been canceled due to weather. Well, that couldn't go on. Even if I got stuck in my driveway, I was bound and determined to get my coffee! So I bundled up and headed to get my coffee at the nearest coffee shop. I did in fact have to take about 15 (back up and punch it)tries at getting back in my garage through the snow in my driveway...but I didn't care...I had my coffee and it was all worth it.

    Thanks for sharing! So nice to be in good coffee company!

    Love ya!

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  3. Hi girls! Yes, we coffee-heads, like all, uh, habitual-users, love company. I completely understand your predicament, Dani. Must. Get. Coffee. And, yes, sometimes when I'm feeling particularly risque I do dessert-coffee in the evening, Josette. Love those "subtherapeutic levels" :)

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  4. Great photo!

    You and my husband are birds of a feather. For years he purchased only the finest beans. If the coffee grinder malfunctioned - heaven help us! He got heady just from going in gourmet coffee shops to "score".

    Just last year I started drinking coffee on the weekends. It's our little ritual on Sat. and Sun. mornings. I save a teeny tiny bit in the bottom of my cup for my dog, Chance. He loves it!

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  5. You and my husband are on the same sheet of coffe music. He has his morning coffee/newspaper ritual and gives that contented sigh when the two come together. Guess I'm a coffee pooper. Rarely drink the stuff. Hate that coffee breath. But I did get hub one of those super-duper machines that, I guess, make the beans explode with hidden magic and otherwise humor his coffee bliss.

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  6. Thanks LB and Kittie, for reading and responding. Cabin Fever yet, Kittie?

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  7. I gave up coffee a month ago and haven't so much missed the coffee itself as the bizarre bliss associated with the ritual. I don't get it... I make tea every morning, but it's just not the same. Must be black magic... ;)

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  8. It's the coffee. Used to be coffee and newspaper in the morning. Now it's the coffee and NYT by internet. Coffee is the same, but I miss the feel of the newspaper in my hands.

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  9. Kristy, maybe new rituals take time getting used to, 'cause there certainly are some rituals involving tea... A fab teapot and teacup helps, which I'm sure you already know : )

    Jack, yes, I miss newspapers. I doubt I will ever Kindle anything, as I wrote in a previous post. Love the feel of a book in my hands, the smell, everything. Ditto for newspapers...

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  10. Coffee and the morning newspaper--what bliss!

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  11. Mmmmm. Nothing like a good cup of freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning. I can handle anything (almost) after that :-) BTW, that photo is priceless!!

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  12. Isn't it? Thanks for reading and commenting and again, Welcome!

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  13. Teresa -- Took a peek at this post as it was about coffee. I have just come off a three month hiatus of giving up coffee. I have tried to give it up many times over the years. You sound like a dyed in the wool coffee drinker -- hmm - don't even think about giving it up. -- barbara

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    1. I did recently give some thought to it, but I love the ritual and morning wouldn't feel the same without it. I'm so glad you found this post, and commented. Thank you, Barbara!

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