Coffee Shop Friendships

Its always a great day meeting your "coffee shop friends" -- where the only place these friends ever meet you, see you and know you is from & in the coffee shop. It can be a great place & safe haven to be oneself and possibly perceive yourself to be someone your not or someone you've always wanted to be with no judgement or preconceived ideas of expectations -- just being oneself.

My husband and I were listening to the folksy music of one local musician last Friday night while sitting at the window side coffee bar on stools with no back bone... while doing so I was viewing/noticing/observing the coffee shop friendships that entered the door. Hugging, smiling, greeting, conversing and sitting with one another -- expectations of no kind, just laid back casual coffee drinkers. 

There was the urban coffee drinker at the table in the corner for seating for one and a half with the super thin lap top--cell phone on vibrate pretending to work while surfing the web for that extra special something. 

Then there was the couple with newly developed child & carrier on wheels that rolled in for that drip coffee while meeting their friend of tall double latte' status. Sitting beside the small group was the urban-folksy blazer t-shirt guy with espresso in hand.

All joining in to one accord of laid back music and one goal -- coffee. 

Its a great thought knowing that coffee can bring together all sorts of talents, groups & personalities that can last from five minutes at a glance or a lifetime of mutual enjoyment.

SNOW IN SEATTLE?

Yes...

Snow in Seattle! Over theChristmas holiday it snowed about two feet where we are -- Bothell. It was great! The first time it has snowed this much in Seattle (where the entire city shuts down completely) for over 18 years. Amazing! Well, needless to say we had a great time in the snow with neighbors & friends and created some great artwork.

Nathan built an "Alligator" 

Darren built a "Dinosaur"

Breeya built a "Lounge Chair & Table"

Jenn built a snowman...

Enjoy the pics!

 

SALMONELLA SOCK DOWN!!!

Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped Gramnegative enterobacteria that causes typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and foodborne illness. It was named after Daniel Elmer Salmon, an American veterinary pathologist. He was the administrator of the USDA reasearch program at the time and thus the organism was so named! 

Salmonellae are bacteria that may cause food poisoning; the illness itself is often referred to as Salmonella or Salmonella infection. Salmonellae cause a moderate illness with nausea, vomiting, crampy diarrhea, and headache, which may come back a few weeks later as arthritis(joint pains). In people with impaired immune systems (such as people withkidney disease or HIV/AIDS or those receiving chemotherapy for cancer), Salmonellae can cause a life-threatening illness. The illness is transmitted by undercooked foods such as eggs, poultry, dairy products, and seafood.

On any typical News Years eve a large amount of people are riding the porcelain pony or hugging the porcelain god due to the copious amount of alcohol being rejected by the body. On this eve I was poised in this exact position, not due to alcohol poisoning but from the above mentioned bacteria! 

Dateline... Bothell Wa..... Jan 1st 2009 12:08 am. I was awoken(yes I was asleep on the couch) by a painful twisting and turning of my stomach that I recognized from past experience. Why me? Why now? The bacteria plays no favorites and takes no prisoners! I will spare you the gory details, but after a days rest and very little food I recovered and am looking forward to this new year. 

We wish everyone a safe, fulfilling, and adventurous 2009!!

PS- Please remember to take safe measures in food handling, cooking, and storage. Bacteria cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted.