Mr. Coffee, I love you

Speaking of white…that would be white as in snow.  Lots and lots of snow.  The kind that shouts, “Snow emergency!” and can get you a ticket if you try running to the store for milk or bread.

If you live in South Bend/Mishawaka, that’s how much snow you got on Day 39 – Saturday.

Here, we got plenty of the powder on Day 39.  Looking out my kitchen window, our large pine stands, resplendent in its winter garb.  The pond next door is covered with, and there’s a pile, inches deep, on the hummingbird feeder.

The thick winter blanket sent the Schrock men out the door, some with great reluctance, to shovel the slab and the drive.  Peering out and seeing four stocking caps manning shovels at varying speeds was a delight.  Beautiful, even.  And once, a quick glance through the window revealed Little in his bright yellow Osh Kosh coat and snow pants pulling a bright green sled and monkeying around by the horsey swing, also piled high with snow.

Day 40, Sunday, brought the beauty of a buffet full of pizza (for you locals, I’m talkin’ CiCi’s) where 4 of us were able to eat lunch for just under 20 bucks.  Yes!

Which brings me to today, Day 41.  Nearly every Monday, I head to my favorite place in the world to create, a certain coffee shop in Nappanee.  With a speech to finish, another column deadline looming, and another possible writing assignment, I’m beginning to feel like a hamster on a wheel.  Logistically, though, it didn’t work today for Mr. Schrock, who pulls Gabe Duty when I write, or for me, so I ended up staying home and getting up at 5 a.m. to get started with all I had to do.

Here’s what I did (and here’s my point of beauty) last night:  I loaded one of my favorite creature comforts, my little four-cup Mr. Coffee so that when I got up in the dark, preparing to curl up on the couch with my Bible and my working notebook, the smell of coffee greeted me before I ever turned a light on.

My bean of choice is Jamaican Me Crazy, ground fresh and brewed with filtered water – not that I’m a coffee snob or anything.  What a luxury to wake up and have the coffee ready to go when I shuffle out in my slippers and jammies.

What, I wonder, is your favorite creature comfort?

Happy Monday!