Today I thought I would take a short moment and write about coffee. I LOVE coffee. I love the smell, the flavor, the experience of sitting and sipping a nice, smooth, warm cup. And while, yes, I DO enjoy a cup of Ethiopian coffee, it was NOT the determining factor in adopting my eldest daughter!
Wen I was younger I used to drink coffee for the caffeine and I felt I “needed” the caffeine buzz. I have not had caffeine in years – YEARS….. but I still love coffee. I realized it is more the experience of drinking a cup of coffee that I enjoy… I do not need the caffeine to be part of the experience.
Both of my girls love coffee too (yes, particularly my oldest, from Ethiopia). From an early age we acquiesced and allowed them to freely drink decaf lattes and cappuccinos alongside us. (My oldest came home from Ethiopia drinking tons of black, caffeinated coffee, so I felt this was at least a step in the right direction and better for her health.)
I cannot stand instant coffee – to me it takes like burnt coffee mud….. yet so many people in this country drink it. In fact, it is easier to find than filter coffee. I suppose it is just another symptom of the fast-paced world we live in. It takes too long to wait the 10-12 minutes for a full, fresh pot to brew.
For my birthday my partner bought me a new coffee pot… but not just any coffee pot, one with a timer! For the first time in my life I have enjoyed setting the timer and waking up to the smell of coffee permeating our apartment. (When we are lucky this is all we smell… with three cats, well – you never know.)
I think the best part about coffee is the ability to stop and take that momentary pause when you drink it (thus, the classic coffee break). Even when I cannot pause, the memories of the many times I have paused with my cup of joe is enough to spark warm fuzzy feelings every time I hold my warm mug in my hands.
As we continue through winter, I wish for you all that you are able to pause at a moment in your day and take a deep breath in that calming moment as you cradle your own warm cup of coffee in your hands.
The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., “Over the Teacups,” 1891
~400daystil40
Fortuitous Forty!!! 
genevieve
March 22, 2012 at 07:09
I could sing songs and write books about how much I love coffee….and even though I quite like the kickstart to my day that I get from the caffeine hit, I think it is mostly the smell and the flavour and the ritual of coffee that I love the most. My espresso machine is without a doubt the most used appliance that I own – even more than my hairdryer and GHD, which is really saying something – and I feel the same – instant is just a crime against coffee, I cannot understand how people even drink it.
400daystil40
March 22, 2012 at 07:45
Yes, Genevieve, me too!!! The smell and flavour do something for me emotionally that makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside – I know it is these ties, because I only drink decaf now! 🙂 In fact, as I write this to you I am sitting with a cup of coffee and smiling :). And so nice to know I have another person out there with similar views on instant! I love freshly ground beans and freshly brewed coffee – yum!!! 🙂
genevieve
March 26, 2012 at 00:16
Oh, I’m so with you on the emotional connection to the smell and flavour….and I have to tell you that you’ve inspired me to give decaf another go – I’m all about removing toxins from my life at the moment and my morning coffee is pretty much the last one to go but I just haven’t been able to do it yet….so I’m now officially on a mission to find a good quality decaf! 🙂
400daystil40
March 26, 2012 at 07:49
I am glad that my coffee ramblings can be an inspiration!!! I can tell you that I have been on a healthy, basically toxin-free diet since December and it has made such a difference in my life – I have so much more energy! I am still very much a sucker for coffee (only decaf, of course!) 😉