The best part of waking up......

When I was a little boy, I could often be found on a fall day sitting in the yard swing or on the back porch with my aunt, “Nanny” Louise, next door. Even though I was a child of about four or five, she would always share a cup of coffee with me. My parents didn’t mind, but some in the family thought it was horrible for a child to drink coffee. Whether it did any harm or not, I guess is up to interpretation.

I remember fondly that she would make sure it was cool enough not to burn my mouth, by either adding a small amount of cold water or milk. We would sit outside and of course I would talk endlessly about anything that came to mind. It was in those days that I found deeper affection for her and a new love of coffee, both of which I still carry today.

As I grew a little older I would make coffee at my house and my dad and I would share a pot, since mom didn’t care too much for it. He liked his black but I needed a little cream. Neither of us took sugar. He too enjoyed swinging while enjoying a cup. Sometimes we would drink in the living room, the dining room, and yes he would even sometimes carry his with him…… well, you know. (I didn’t go there with him.)

During a trip to Atlanta, I discovered Starbucks Coffee. I fell in love with the variations and the possibilities that they made possible within a cup. All of my life I had found myself shackled by the limitations of what a cup of Folgers could do. I was more than in ecstasy. It was there I first experienced an iced coffee and so many other treats. I almost feel as if recanting this story is somehow risqué, because of the unusual flood of emotion I can find in its memories.

I remember buying beans and bringing them home and brewing them in the Bunn. The smell was so different. I had to share with friends and family and just used them all as quick as could be.

Today, I consider myself a bit of a coffee connoisseur. I enjoy sitting on my porch, though mostly alone, on a brisk fall evening gathering my thoughts and watching the sun setting behind the beautiful trees along the river. I still like my coffee with a touch of cream. No sugar. I figure I’m sweet enough.