Warm Memories of Coffee and the People Who Brewed It

Warm Memories of Coffee and the People Who Brewed It

The first thing I do when I get up each morning is make a pot of coffee. Many times, I wish someone else had made it for me and all I had to do was go pour a cup instead of waiting for it to brew. I could make it the night before and pre-program it but somehow, it wouldn’t be the same.

It’s funny, the memories that center around people with whom I’ve shared a good cup or two, or a whole potful. My first coffee maker, of course, was Mom. I guess a person’s mother is always the yardstick by which everything else is measured, but really, she could make the most excellent coffee. Some of my warmest memories are sharing a good talk with her and Dad, all while sipping a hot, strong cup of coffee.

At times throughout my life, I’d spend a night or two or several days, in fact, with my sister and brother-in-law in Texas. Ray was an early riser, going to get the morning paper first thing, but he always made the coffee. I was an early riser too. I remember getting up, my sister Helen still in bed, and pouring a cup of Ray’s good coffee, already made and waiting. I’d sit down at the table with him. He’d hand over pages of the paper and we’d sit and read together. A good way to start the day.

Photo by Missy Day Albrecht

 

 

My brother Tracy was a coffee maker too. When spending some time with him and Carlene in Minnesota, he’d make the morning coffee before going to bed every night. “Just push the button when you get up,” he told me. “You’ll have a fresh pot of coffee in no time.” So, that’s what I did each morning. He and Carlene slept later than I. I’d pour a cup of coffee, being careful not to wake them, and carry the cup to a lawn chair beside the lake. As the sun turned the sky over the lake into pink, then crimson, I’d watch it reflect in the water, listen to the cry of the loons swimming about, and watch a fish hawk high in the sky. A good way to greet a new day.

My son is a coffee connoisseur. The times that I eat a meal with him and his family, he finishes it off with a fresh pot of coffee. He really abhors my sometimes habit of putting a cold cup into the microwave for a re-heat. And, some really special times are when I drop by on Saturday morning and he makes a fresh pot just for me. No one can beat the way Matt makes coffee. Nothing is better than a warm chat with the ones I love.

This morning, I woke up to the sound of a gentle rain tapping on the deck. Restful, peaceful, refreshing. And, what could start the day better than a cup of hot coffee, a welcome rainfall, and a chat with you through the marvel of the internet?Whatever your day has in store, I hope it is brightened by friends, a cozy chat and a cup of hot coffee or maybe a whole potful!

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