• coffee life,  quotes

    To Live a Life

    When your life awakens and you begin to sense the destiny that brought you here, you endeavour to live a life that is generous and worthy of the blessing and invitation that is always calling you.

    John O’Donohue

    This image was taken last week at the Lory Student Center. I go there because it is quiet and I find it is a place for solitude, before students arrive. It is windy this morning, bad hair day for sure. Now it bugs coffee shop on the world. Emma is my barista. She is playing some soft easy Christmas music because she is in the Christmas spirit. I found out that two friends died in their sleep this past Friday night. One younger, one older. They both endeavored to live a generous and worthy life. Today will be a day of processing. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

  • coffee life,  journal,  journaling,  quotes

    The Gift-Experience

    The gifts of journaling and a mocha

    The experience of spirituality involves recognizing new and different realities, especially the qualities of the gift-experience, appreciating not only the gift itself but also the sheer freedom and generosity contained in a genuine gift. We need to give ourselves gifts.

  • coffee life,  journal

    Special touch

    Latte Art

    I enjoy the special touch the Bean Cycle offers with my mocha. After adding the mocha and espresso in the cup they begin pouring the steamed milk. When the cup is about a quarter full with steamed milk, they stop and sprinkle a dash of chocolate powder on top of the already poured milk. Next they fill the rest of the cup with more foamed milk adding those two or three hearts, showing their craft. To me the chocolate powder adds a tough to the looks and I love how the powder mixed with the foam sticks to my mustache. ❤️ So, sometimes I start my morning with this gift. Seems to make the day run smoother. I hope I was able to fully espresso how they make this special touch.

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journal,  latte art

    Flat Tire

    I’m now sitting in a coffee shop across from the tire store. I had to change a flat tire this morning on my way to the natural area. So, I drove over here to get it fixed. Surprisingly this is the first flat on this car in the 11 years I’ve had it. No one to blame I tried to make a u-turn and ran up on the curb. Put a good sized hole in the tire and hope I did not destroy the rim. The mocha latte is good and I didn’t get my pants dirty. Not how I wanted to start this day but I’m adjusting. I needed to have new tires put on before winter and so now is probably the time to do it.

    Hope you have a wonderful day!

  • fountain pens,  journal,  writing/reading

    This is not unusual…

    It’s approximately a 40 foot walk from my front door to my car. This morning I had a half dozen thoughts racing through my head and at least two conversations by the time I reached the car. This is not unusual. Nor do I want these thoughts to go away, they are part of my humanity. However, what I desire is to let them pass on, allowing me to stay present to this world I am a part of. On those mornings when I do stay present, letting those thoughts pass on, I receive the gifts offered in being awake. When that happens I notice the squirrel hanging upside down on the tree, their eyes silently fixed on me. Or maybe I notice the small dew-drop globes of the spider’s web reflecting the morning sunlight. Or I notice the multicolored leaves-of-fall blanketing the grass. And, if I listen I can hear the jeers and clicks of a nearby blue jay. Those mornings when I stay present are so much more enjoyable to me. Today was not one of them. However, I think I was much more present to the mocha latte.

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journal,  quotes,  writing/reading

    Depths of Meditation

    The truth is that we can venture into meditation only in our willingness to be, at times, perplexed. What is more, we must be willing to befriend our perplexity as a way of dying to our futile efforts to grasp the ungraspable depths that meditation invites us to discover.

    James Finley

    I’m heading out meet my daughter at a Greek restaurant and I’m assuming to over eat, again. Also, expecting rain later this afternoon. Let it begin.

  • haiku,  Humor,  journal,  journaling,  musings,  writing/reading

    Morning Musings

    blue pen, blue ink
    words fill pages of journal
    morning musings

    mws

    Welp! Yesterday was Friday the 14th with a touch of Friday the 13th in it. Let me explain. The coffee shop I wanted to go to was not open when I arrived at 7:00 am so I went down the street to one that was open. When I arrived at the second coffee shop I noticed I’d forgotten my Fitbit/watch. No problem. When I got home I noticed I’d left my phone at the coffee shop. No problem. Later in the afternoon I stopped to look at one of the new e-bikes, that’s in my price range. Bending down to look at the belt drive I bumped my head on their rack. Hurt like hell! I cursed profusely! Began bleeding so I went to the ER to have it looked at and because I’m new to this blood thinner stuff. Now we have a problem. I had to have staples put in my noggin and a tetanus shot. Will have the staples removed in 5 days. I then stopped and got a DQ blizzard on the way home for any pain I may have. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I then stayed on my porch the rest of the day and kept all sharp objects at a distance. I took a shower this morning, gently washed my hair and then gently combed my hair. Will need to watch that for the next few days. Put on a crockpot of vegetable soup and will enjoy that later today. Hope you enjoy your day!