Coffee Therapy at Its Best
Many years ago I saw a sign in a coffee shop in Ireland that asked, “Is there life before coffee?” Some mornings I feel like that. But then–Ta Da!–I make my first cup of coffee and I’m alive and well and perked up!
My usual daily coffee making involves a Nespresso machine. I relish the ritual which I have now mastered — warm up the machine, select my coffee capsule du jour–a new one named Paris Black is my current favorite– put a dark chocolate covered almond in the bottom of my cup, press one of the brew buttons, take my first whiff of that wake-up coffee scent, retrieve the almond milk just whisked in the foamer, and voilà–I’m ready for my day. I sip my latte, head to our little porch, look out at the mountain across the way, breathe, and give thanks.
When my husband and I feel like a little change to the traditional ritual, we make French press coffee using beans from a coffee roaster in Ketchum, Idaho, called Lizzy’s. We treat ourselves to ordering from afar because we like Liz, and she is a fine connoisseur of beans and roasting. And she provides a lot of nice touches at her roasterie– all kinds of coffee-making equipment, coffee bags featuring photographs by patrons, coffee drinks Monday through Friday mornings, and an outdoor coffee box where patrons who have placed orders can access their freshly roasted beans after hours. Love this idea! Plus, her website is fun and very informative. (lizzysfreshcoffee.com)
And then there are those days when I go out for coffee. One day this week, I met two friends at Il Fornaio in Carmel. We ordered our cappuccinos, chose a small round table with a view of the fire in the fireplace, nibbled on a muffin, and talked about family and friends, past Bay Area forays, and where we were going to have our traditional holiday meal together. A day later, I joined women friends from my college days at Coupa Cafe in Palo Alto. That day’s spirited conversations leaned toward what costumes grandchildren wore for Halloween and unique trips abroad and in the U.S.
A good cup of coffee makes me happy. It is a relatively inexpensive luxury that allows me to add extra sweetness to mornings at home or to cafe time with friends as we talk about things of the heart. As a quote on paper napkins I have so aptly says: “Coffee with friends is really just a long way to say ‘Therapy’.”
Lynn – I look forward to your weekly thoughts about joy and all its ramifications. I think of your idea of bringing joy to a table as a metaphor for the placement of any joyful or thoughtful or profound experience: the meeting of good ideas, the place for finding solutions to a problem, the place to create beauty and share food and communion. After reading each entry I reflect on ways I might try to bring more joy in my life. Perhaps after November 6th, I will feel even more inspired :-). I think my favorite of your posts to date is the one about Autumn. Autumn is my favorite season here in California with Spring running a close second. Autumn definately fills me with a sense of home, warmth and wonder. On a hill above us our neighbor has placed possibly a hundred pumpkins along their hill’s edge, readying for their yearly pumpkin roll. It is a thrilling event filled with laughter and oohs and ahhs, those sounds ringing in our hills. The pumpkins are left where they land and the rabbits, deer, birds and other wild life feed on the remains. As I walk our hill, I enjoy seeing the less timid animals cautiously observing me and then feasting on their pumpkins. I consider this a gift and am grateful and joyful for it. Thank you Lynn for not only your wonderful musings, but also your art and photography. I, as always, will look forward to next week for your kernels of wisdom and thoughts., but for now I think I’ll enjoy a cup of coffee with a chocolate covered almond melting in the bottom. Barb
Oh my goodness, Barbara. I am touched by the beauty of your description of how you enjoy autumn around your home territory.
Thank you for sharing this with me, and with all who read the blog. May you enjoy that coffee (and with a chocolate covered
almond, no less!) and keep the faith…May each of us do what we can to make whatever little part of the world is
ours just a little bit better.
Thanks for the nice words about Lizzy’s! It’s a joy to have customers like you…you bring joy to us. Win-win!
And thanks to you! We’re just about to place a Lizzy’s order!!