My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
There is a coffee shop that I have not been to in awhile because they are pricey and on the other side of town. They advertise themselves as serving quality coffee and roast their own beans. I must admit I have enjoyed their espresso roast in their Americano. But one day last week I ordered a 12 oz. mocha and was flabbergasted by the price. It was a good mocha and the latte art was good but sure not worth $7.99. It’s a bit frightening to think that someday I could be priced out of my coffee addiction. Then what? Cuz I sure ain’t going back to work! Well… I hope you enjoy your weekend!
This moment happened this morning as Jeff and I waited for Mugs to open. And, this moment happened an hour earlier than it would have yesterday due to the time change. Strange as it may seem I was not even aware of the change until we got inside the coffee shop. Goes to show how much I care about it and how dependant I am on my phone and watch to keep me on schedule. Anyway, it was a nice moment to share with Jeff. I hope you had a wonderful Sunday!
And back in September the Department of Defense was renamed to Department of War and that is what they are doing. No defense involved nor any attempt at peace. The president’s 2024 campaign prominently promised to be a “president of peace” by ending “forever wars,” preventing World War III, and not starting new conflicts. What happened to those promises?
“Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey. At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.”
Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration
As many of you know I spend a fair amount of time visiting coffee shops and not just for the coffee, I’m also a people watcher. I tend to sip on hot chocolates for that mocha fix that sometimes over powers me or a steamed chai latte over the past few months. This morning I spent time at Mug’s and noticed two young ladies in a heavy discussion at a table nearby. I watched them add to their conversation buy including their hands for more details and expressions. Most of us talk with our hands and I enjoy watching people who add that to their conversation. Some research suggests we improve our conversations when we use our hands. Next time your at a coffee shop or even at home, watch how we use our hands to hold coffee mugs or beer mugs or how we express what we feel and think. And, the weatherman was right. we have about 1-2 inches of snow on the ground and predictions to continue throughout the day.
Every coffee shop will have its regulars. They make up an important part of them. Along with the quality of the coffee, the personalities of the baristas,and the decor, they help develop the ambiance of the coffee shop. The baristas and customers know them by name and they know the baristas and customers. If they do not show up in their regular chairs, people will worry. Here are a couple of regulars at a local coffee shop with their thinking caps on. Not sure if they are all talked out or they decided they’ve finally solved all the world problems.
These two are regulars at the coffee shop. They come in and sit at the same table. He plays with a game while she reads. He drinks a juice and she drinks coffee. I took this image without them knowing it then showed them the image. I was surprised how excited she was. It tells a story of a mother and her sons morning ritual before school and work. Hope they had a good day!
We arrived in Albany, NY last night just before the clock struck midnight. As I walked down the hallway towards my hotel room, I could hear the bed inviting me to much needed sleep. And, I slept well, even sleeping later than normal. This morning after a shower and a bit of quiet, I journeyed over to Professor Java’s Coffee Sanctuary located near our hotel. I’ve enjoyed my previous visits to this establishment for several reasons: the ambiance is comforting to me in style and feel, the exceptional service of the young people working there and because the coffee is good. My taste buds this morning were focused on a cafe mocha. While standing at the counter over the freshly baked scones, I weakened and succumbed to the temptation of a freshly baked pecan scone. Life is good.
I located a small table near a window that offered wonderful light for me to write and read. I find it important to keep myself present to where I’m at, to visually see, hear and experience the world around me. Photography has helped me in that area of my life. I’ve always been able to be present in nature when waiting for a sunrise or sunset but not necessarily within the hustle and bustle of city life. Being a dreamer, I fly off to distant worlds rather than noticing all that is around me. As I stayed present this morning, I noticed the young man in the image above as he dreamed, or planned, or studied within his coffee sanctuary. I could hear the two women behind me sharing events of the Christmas holiday season within their coffee sanctuary. It’s easy to identify those regular patrons as they came in for their daily dose of caffeine and are warmly welcomed by their names. I could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and tempting smell of the blueberry, cinnamon and pecan muffins. Life is good. And, ya gotta love the craftsmanship of the girls when they brought over my cafe mocha. A work of art! I really do like this coffee sanctuary. Hope everyone has a great week and finds a sanctuary.
PS: My sister informed me that mom is going home today. Yeah! Recovery is moving right along. Thanks for your prayers!
I’ve spent way too much time debating within myself to purchase an e-reader. I’ve weighed the pros and cons and in many ways can distort them to suit my desires for that day. I’ve been interested in them since they first came out. As much traveling as I do it makes sense to only carry one book which actually can have hundreds of books loaded. I moved closer to purchasing a Kindle few days ago I added one to my shopping cart on Amazons website but did not take the next step. Well, after some prodding and feedback from friends who use them I pushed the purchase button on my monitor and am now the owner of the new Kindle. So far, I like it. The first book I purchased was called The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball. It was one I’d read about and jotted down the title for future reference. And, I consumed it in two days.
