November Gratitude Challenge 2013

Oh coffee!

I love coffee. Love its smell, taste, energy, history, plants, processes, people who grow and sell it to me. Love my own roasting of green beans and then 24 hours later grinding and brewing.

I look forward to my morning of sitting with a clear and double paned bodum cup that lets me see my coffee and keeps it warm.

It’s a good companion.

I like knowing that coffee houses in the 18^th century were outlawed because people were not getting drunk and complacent in them but rather were discussing ideas and revolutions.

I like that coffee connects me to exotic places. This morning’s cup is from Sumatra! Sumatra! The name even in the “shrinking world” sounds so far and intriguing.

I dream of having a finquita, just a small plot of dirt, in the cool highlands of Nicaragua where I can grow (organic of course) elephant coffee beans (so called for their size but geez anything with elephant in its name has got to be wonderful).

I love coffee for its social connecting rituals that I first discovered in college but were taken to another level in the cafeterias of Miami and the tapas bars of Madrid. A colada here is sold with a number of small cups because the buyer is expected to share shots  with others.

I love shots of coffee more than any liquor because I can still seriously, humorously, truly connect with another.

So, anyone up for a shot that maybe we can send round the world?