Coffee is good!

So upon researching (or randomly going from site to site looking for great ideas for various topics), I stumbled upon this little article on the website www.shape.com

Essentially, the article touted the benefits of coffee. This was just what I was wanting to see! The following is a snippet from the article: 11 Coffee Stats You Never Knew written by Esther Crain. 

1. Two cups a day can extend your life. Researchers aren’t sure why, but people who drank this amount or more daily lived longer and were less likely to die of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease as were coffee abstainers, according to a study from the New England Journal of Medicine.

2. It gives your memory a kick. The caffeine in a cup or two of java doesn't just perk you up in the moment—it enhances your memory up to 24 hours after you drink it. This provides an assist when it comes to forming new memories, reports a Nature study.

3. It reduces pain. A Norwegian study found that office workers who took a coffee break felt less neck and shoulder pain during the workday. (That's your excuse to get up and move!)

4. It keeps your brain sharp over time. Make a mental note of this: 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day can help prevent the cognitive decline associated with aging, leading to a 65 percent decrease in developing Alzheimer’s or dementia, according to a recent study.

I found the other 7 facts pretty interesting too. These four, however, gave me enough reason to go brew!

~Off to drink more coffee~

Weekend Wonder

Family is an interesting thing. Some we love, some we worry about, and some we wish would wonder somewhere else. In the end, family can bring out the most awkward thoughts inside of us, and at the same time make us feel connected to the world.

At the coffee bar, I often get to observe family in action; however it is interesting to apply that to my own connections in life. I have sat and listened to the laments of people in relation to their sisters, brothers, and cousins. Then I have seen them together. You can tell the ones that really care about each other, and those that just tolerate each other. Often times it seems to be one-sided though. One person wants the connection, and the other seems to have a wall. Old hurts, or fears of being hurt have built the walls of protection.

Over the weekend I attempted to attend my great aunt's memorial service. I say attempted, because through my own muddled mind, I went to the wrong place. I felt so horrible about having done something so...well...dumb! I did, however, make it to the dinner after the ceremony, which made me feel worse. It was probably in my own mind, but I felt false and fake sitting there. Because of this inner feeling (my own personal wall), I spent most of the time watching my family interact with each other. In the end, I was glad I attended the dinner regardless of the circumstances.

You may ask what the connections is between the coffee bar observations, and the dinner. Basically that no matter how we feel about each other, family seems to always find a way to show up.

~Off to drink more coffee~

Mini Moments

Success is such a strange beast. It can come in many different shapes and sizes. Some people view monetary, while others view actions or achievements. And regardless of what markers you put on success, other people view your success (or failure) through their eyes. Sometimes those eyes can be tainted with insecurity, sadness, greed, or fear.

As I sit in my heightened caffeinated state, I see people viewing their success in the picking up a cup of joe, and my success at making it quick enough (and good enough) to satisfy them. What they don't see if my view of success is in a different light. Mostly though I try to help people, and in those acts of trying I actually get to see the good, the sad, and the betweens inside the person I am trying to help and the people around me.

I suppose the truth of the matter is, when we all get down to the nitty gritty, we are constantly trying to prove our worth through gaining the respect of someone who doesn't know us even if that means hurting those that do. I am thusly guilty of this from time to time, but yet it can't help but to hurt my feelings when I am the receiver of another person's insecurities. I think the difference though I occasionally recognize when and if I do this, and try to do better. Some never, or don't see their actions for what they are.

My wish in those mini moments is that everyone can find their value and worth, and not feel they need to prove or to show their insecurities through trying to "upstage" another person. Allowing others to shine, is not something that makes another's worth diminished.

~Off to drink more coffee~

First Posting

As I am sitting here waiting for the business to take off, I have decided to start a blog. To be honest, I have tried blogging in the past, but I was not successful in that I wasn't sure that anyone would even be interested in my ramblings about school.

Little background here for the world. I was a teacher for 12 years, and decided to quit to start my own business. My little coffee shop opened almost 2 months ago. It has been an adventure. I sort of wish I had started the blog back then to record the crazy that happened while trying to get the shop off the ground. That was indeed interesting! But alas I did not...

Now I am sitting at the point where I have enough customers to see potential, but not enough yet to thrive. I am still very optimistic though, and I am just looking for ways to market myself in my area.

I have learned though that this business allows me to people watch and learn a lot about how adults behave. It has been interesting to see how much I observed in kids while teaching, that I still see in adults.

Someone asked me what purpose do you have in blogging? I didn't really have an answer, but did a great job of completely making something up that sounded good. Went along the lines of .. oh so I can share and record my thoughts out to the world. Response: like an open diary? That took me aback. It's true that blogging is a bit like a diary to the world, but not sure anyone wants to see into that dark and weird world. So I have decided that my purpose for blogging is more simplistic than all that. I simply want to put down the interesting things I see, think, and sometimes do. If you find it interesting too, then great! If not, then I suppose you won't read my blog. My hope is not to be cynical, mean, or too political. I want to try to keep it light, fun, and interesting (at least to me.)

Wow this post is longer than I thought it would be for my first post!

~Off to drink more coffee~