Monday, February 16, 2009

Starbucks

I love Starbucks! Now you know! I haven't really been trying to conceal this fact. We don't have a Starbucks in our town. In fact the closest one is about one hundred miles away so there is no way I can be addicted! 

I don't know what it is but I love the atmosphere of a Starbucks. You walk in and there is an amazing aroma that greets you at the door and beckons you to make yourself at home. So I usually make my way to the bathroom first.........after one hundred miles this is usually a necessity not what I really want to do...........just what I really need.

 I LOVE their bathrooms by the way..........first of all I fit nicely in them. They are Very Big.  They are usually clean and well stocked and the toilet paper holder will usually let the thing roll so you can actually get your normal handful of paper. I hate it when public restrooms only allow you a corner off a square of toilet paper because it tears off in your hand...........Does this only happen to me? 

I didn't really mean to get into all that.........I probably posted too much information........we call that TMI in our house!

After my trip to the RR, I find myself drooling over the baked goods that are artistically displayed in the food counter........I hardly ever get anything from there because I usually want to eat at a good restaurant when I am out of town so I need to save some space for a good meal........so I just gaze at it as long as the people behind me will allow........

Then I order a venti latte with whipped cream..........I live one hundred miles away so I figure I can work off the cream before I get back home........

Then I often go to the shelves to window shop, looking at their wonderful mug selection. I usually have to pick up and hold in my hands the different styles of mugs and imagine what my morning cup of coffee would feel like if I owned that cup. A few times..........a mug has begged to come home with me..........and let's just say I have a tender spot for Starbuck mugs........and I have weakend under such pressure.........My husband always reminds me that we have boxes of coffee mugs in the garage in storage so we don't really need anymore and there are starving children in Africa.....and probably even in the USA if I think about it very long.........but sometimes I just have to succumb to the pressure of a cheery mug..............Somehow I get convinced that drinking out of a cheery mug in the morning will brighten my whole day...........I think I have brainwashed myself into believing that.

Sometimes I get two or three of the same kind of mug because I picture my friends sitting around the table with me enjoying a cup of coffee in a smiley Starbucks mug.......That has actually happened. My friends have come over for Bible study or sometimes just a visit.........And you should see their faces when they actually get a little bit of the Starbucks atmosphere at MY house which is one hundred miles away from an actual Starbucks store!!!!! This is the reason there aren't ANY Starbucks mugs packed away in our garage storage room...........I might just send those nameless mugs off to Africa......maybe I will put some rice in them before I ship them...........I feel better just thinking about it.........

I also love the music in Starbucks...........you are not going to believe this!!!!!! This is so unlike me but I bought a Swing CD in Starbucks a week ago........I love the music from the forties.........I grew up with it! I was not even alive in the forties..............I am MIDDLE aged so let's not take me any further over the hill than we must...........but my grandmother played the piano..........could play anything..........so I know music from the twenties, thirties, forties.........and just about every decade following........NOW that is a heritage!!!!! For the last several years, 90 % of the time  I listen to music or (possibly even higher) is spent listening to worship music..........That is my favorite all time music........I LOVE praise and worship.........But that swing is just fun!!!!!

I had the swing cd on in the kitchen the other night when I was fixing dinner and suddenly I felt the urge to make coffee..........not to drink necessarily but it seemed that the aroma should be in the room dancing to the rhythm of the moment..........and it was so much fun! I don't even remember what I fixed for dinner, I only remember that I had a really good time swinging to the beat of the music with the aroma of the coffee in my kitchen.........I don't know if anyone was peeking in the windows or not........but I loved the freedom of it........I just really had a great time........This is something I could never pull off one hundred miles down the road in an actual Starbucks location. I was so happy that I brought that cd home with me.........it really made a difference in my day........and probably in the meal too..........

So now you know...........I really like Starbucks..........I haven't ever really had the opportunity to just sit in one and enjoy the atmosphere for a long period of time........I always have so much to do when I am out of town.........and who would sit with me? I wouldn't really want to sit in there and read the newspaper.......as some do........or work on my computer as some do.......not that those things are wrong, but my dream would be to sit with a friend for a couple of hours and just visit.......and drink my venti latte with whipped cream with swing music accompanying our fellowship........now that would be fun wouldn't it????? Do you want to meet me there sometime? I kind of have to plan ahead on these things so give me plenty of time to prepare.........in the meantime I will be enjoying my morning cup of coffee from my Starbucks mug and thinking of you!!!!!

Love you lots!!!!!

MMMMMM!

Cheri
ps. I think it is healthy to visit the lighter side of life...........it brings some energy to the mundane!

5 comments:

Paula V said...

I enjoyed this, Cheri. I felt your personality coming out in this...so light-hearted and fun. I'm not a Starbucks fan...just don't drink much coffee except my decaf coffee bag once during work mornings. I get the shakes if I drink the heavily caffeinated stuff like Starbucks.

You are so comical...I just loved this. I think it's just what I needed today. I know what you mean about mugs. There's such joy in drinking from certains mugs. I don't have many because I don't drink much from mugs.

I went to a Panera Bread recently and I bet the atmosphere is much the same minus the coffee smell. It was very cozy in there. I love the smell of coffee and also listening to the pot brew. Maybe I should brew some decaf tea...it would have the same sound but not the smell.

Oh, the bathrooms...I love a nice bathroom that feels like home...unlike Walmart or dredded gas stations. I DO know what you mean about one square. I find it's not so much the tp but the roller is so old or generic that it won't turn. I hate that.

I said TMI also.

I have high hopes that we will meet one day.

I have a small US map and I've penned all my friends on it. I have you in KS and Kandace in MO along with a handful of others.

Love ya,

Joyful said...

Cheri, I practically have a Starbucks in my backyward....literally! I have a $10.00 Starbucks card in my purse and oh how I wish I was using it to treat you to a cup of coffee and a treat.

I have gone in and enjoyed a time of sweet fellowship with a friend. We've sat in those big comfy chairs, with no agenda and no schedule, just time to share and open hearts and let all our senses be nourished.

This morning our Bible study group was talking about how we need our fellow pilgrims on our journey. We long to be deeply loved and to connect. We have to make the time to get past superficial and enjoy that sweet fellowship that comes with time...and listening...and coffee :o)

Reaching across the borders and giving you a big hug! I thoroughly enjoyed every word of this post. I think coffee is the excuse for developing friendships, and it's never a waste of time.

Love ya,
Joy

Laura said...

I love starbucks too! The way you describe the whole scene left me with my mouth watering. I'm not much of a foofoo coffee girl, but I don't mind a little mocha every once in a while. Only getting to do it infrequently makes it even more special, no?

Your comments on my Valentine post made me smile. You are such a sweet person, Cheri. I would love to be sitting around your table drinking out of one of your starbucks mugs with you!

Kaity said...

Here's the plan: Come April 30th (give or take a day or so) I will have this baby. Then I'll call you. When you get here we will a) go to Starbucks while my hubby has some alone time with his new son or b) brew some coffee, turn up some tunes and chat, chat, chat or c) we will do both of these at some point during your visit!

Corrie said...

oops. my sweet girly has a gmail account now and I just finished helping her read an email from her Papa. so this computer was logged on as her. Oops!!