Monday Ramble

Had to buy a new coffee maker, this morning...need my coffee, especially in warm weather, that's when iced coffee is my drink of choice, above all others. Started drinking coffee as a wee bit of a girl, around age 4, but of course it was more coffee milk than anything else. My mothers friend Mary would have the peculator bubbling when we arrived at her house for a visit. Back in the olden days you visited your friends for a cup of coffee or tea and chatted for an hour or so. Marys house was a delight to visit, the kitchen always had wonderful smells, and so didn't her mothers house, which was next door, a duplex, sharing a back hall, their back doors were always open and I used to visit Mrs Lucia too when we dropped by. She might be making home made ravioli and have this huge pot of sauce simmering. Mary's house had a beautiful statue of the Infant of Prague, which I used to stare at and my sister did too, totally taken by its beauty. Marys living room was off limits to most visitors, actually I don't think they EVER used it. The furniture was covered in plastic, custom made, like the old car seat covers. Nothing was ever out of place in that room, you just sort of peeked in as you walked by on the way to the bathroom. We always visited in the kitchen, where the cooking was going on and the coffee was brewing. Mary gave me my coffee in a fancy espresso cup, which she told me was made just for children my age to use. I believed her. It did fit my fingers perfectly after all. My love of coffee will soon span 5 decades .

I have a statue of the infant of Prague and always think of Mary when I look at it. Funny how seemingly insignificant things like special cups for a child's coffee stay with us, makes you want to be more attentive to the details of your life, more considerate to the wee ones around you...careful to view them as little people that will someday make memories of the moments you share.

Many of you know that Under the Tuscan Sun is one of my all time favorite movies and since the first time I watched it, I have been looking for a statue of Saint Lorenzo just like the one in the movie to put in my kitchen. Yes, I do have a fondness for certain saints : )