Tag Archives: coffee

Gas ‘er up

Refuel.

I cannot help the fact that I have an innate distaste for the Kum & Go gas station chains.  It is the name.  Ew.  No, it does not work for me.  They were strewn all over Nebraska and I hated them then, but now we have not one, but two of them in Brighton, flanking the east and west sides of the city.  Every time I go anywhere, there they are: two Kum & Go stores.  I pass them leaving the house, I pass them coming home.

Refresh.

But they also have the best gas deals near my house and if I run out of my morning blend, they are the closest place to get a really good cup of coffee fast – a really good, BIG cup of coffee.

Uh-huh.  The ones in Brighton look exactly just like this…only with a city and neighborhoods around them.  Why can’t they just have a better name?  Like Refresh and Refuel?

Pumpkin Spice.

This morning Dave “surprised” me with the Kum & Go version of a Pumpkin Spice Latte, my drink of cold-weather choice from Starbucks every year over which I mourn longingly when it is gone for the season.  Ok, thank-you, honey…yeah right.  But guess what?  It is pretty stinking delicious.  I had my own whipped cream and for half the price and double the volume?  Oh my.  I do feel somewhat like a cheater, but Starbucks-darling, watch out for the Kum & Go.   Now when they add nice comfy chairs and wi-fi….

NOTE TO SELF:  Check out the Kum & Go career possibilities and see if I can be vice-president of re-naming the chain.  How about Come Here & then Leave ?

Black Coffee and Pumpkin Butter

Breakfast.  The most important meal of the day.

Joe brought me a present from his beautiful wife and my sweet sister-in-law (aka: Robin – sister of my heart) when we met in Springfield a few weeks ago.  She made me some perfectly earthy cinnamon and all the spices of autumn-seasoned pumpkin butter, beautifully presented in a prismed  jar.  She also sent some of her delicately tangy and ambrosial apple-pear jam.

Breakfast.  The most scrumptious meal of the day.

I brought them home and showed them off under the pretense of sharing, but I hide them in the refrigerator, moving them frequently, so that on early, dark  mornings I can toast some thick slices of multi-grain bread and have one of each: apple-pear jam and pumpkin butter (with real butter, of course…does that go without saying?).  And my black coffee.  My very dark, very strong black coffee.

Black coffee.

In my soul, I am Julie London and this is how I sing about black coffee (and anything I am really into).  Yeah.  That’s right, I am this passionate about black coffee.

A good start to my morning…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF:  Call Robin because I am almost out of my delicate, almost-floral bread spreads.

…and some mistletoe

starbucks chrstmas 2006

In my last post I blathered about the sacred songs of Christmas (which I L O V E !). I thought of another I love singing. It isn’t sacred, but it is classic (hey, I am spirit and soul!). This one says:

“Everybody knows a turkey…”

Sure, I know a turkey.  I know several.  I bet you do, too.  But it’s Christmas, so let’s just let them be.  Let’s let them be who they are and just try to have some peace on earth and goodwill towards men (and turkeys).

AND – guess what!??  Just as I was preparing to post my last entry (“Let heavan and Nature Sing), my daughter, Stephanie, brought me a nice, hot Starbuck’s coffee.  And can you believe what I read on the cup?  It seems Starbucks and I are on the same page about this Christmas singing.  Really the only difference between me and Starbucks is a few billion dollars, but, you know, other than that…

Here is what the cup actually said:

“Singing solo on busy streets attracts a few strange looks.  Join a group and suddenly harmonies tour the neighborhood, playing to packed houses nightly.”

How can you beat coffee house wisdom?

Blessings, Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Perhaps gathering a few friends and my very talented family and singing in a group for Christmas would be fun.  We could call it “Christmas caroling!” Novel, eh? ;)