Coffee

As an extra gift for my birthday, aside from surprising me with her actual presence, my sister bought me a coffeemaker. You see, when we were in Costa Rica, we drank coffee every morning. That wasn’t that new for me. I tend to favor mochas, but I’ve had plenty of brewed coffee. I just didn’t really know anything about it. I thought it was supposed to taste slightly bitter, and that the more bitter or black, the more caffeine. Both of which are wrong.

My sister tends to pick up habits or just little traits from almost every vacation she takes, whether it’s hot sauce from the Caribbean or wanting to have more plants around her living spaces, she’ll note little things she can bring back or somehow incorporate into her home life. It’s an excellent quality. What she brought back from Costa Rica was coffee drinking.

They had a coffeemaker in their house because she’d bought one for when her in-laws visited. So she busted it out, bought some beans and started making coffee at home. And she very much enjoys it and wanted me to enjoy it as well. And I do. There’s something very satisfying about filling the filter with spoonfuls of grounds. Something rhythmic about the routine. I don’t think I’ve quite hit on the right ratios for everything yet, but that’s also part of the fun of it.

I also like rinsing out the pot, throwing away the used grounds, and washing my cup every morning, preparing it all for the next day. We went for a wee 5-cup pot, but it’s perfect for just me. Mom never did develop a taste for it.

I’ve already bought a second bag of coffee and a new creamer flavor to try. Sandy has realized she prefers milk and sugar. I don’t think I’ve ever had coffee with just milk. I have always used cream or half and half. I’ll probably get some half and half when I’ve gone through the creamer I have.

I still enjoy my weekend and mid-week Starbucks in the mornings, but I like taking in a hot coffee to my desk when I log in for work too. I like that it makes me feel like we’re sharing a morning cup of coffee together, too, which may sound silly, but I like thinking of her working from home with her cup of milky coffee next to her. Thanks, Sandy, for adding this little ritual to my mornings.