Coffee and Friends

"Mmmmm..." copyright 2011, Caris Cerdwyn, All rights reserved

This is another one of my favorite spots in Ithaca.  There is a lovely chair off to the right of this photo...a pair of chairs, that I often find available when I stop by for a rest, and a latte.  How in the world did I get introduced to this world of flavored, foamy, so strong coffee you need half the cup filled with milk?  I suspect my interest was left over from my early 20s when I lived in Brooklyn for a time, and my friend Virginia would ply me with this thick Spanish coffee.  It was more like syrup than coffee.  You had to add 3/4 cup of milk, and she would put in about 7 teaspoons of sugar to make it palatable.  I had never had such coffee before.  But then when you grow up in a house where decaf instant is a staple, you can probably see why I didn't develop a true taste for coffee until my adult years.  I loved that Spanish coffee.  Or maybe I loved sitting and talking with my friends around Virginia's table, our bellies so full of rice and beans and her favorite Sarah Lee Pound cake that we had to unzip our jeans to be comfortable.  The coffee was part of the deal at the end of that exquisite meal, and part of the company.  The laughter that filled that inner city Brooklyn apartment was loud and raucous and beautiful.  Friendships with women are a staple in my life.

My Tuesday night women's writing group that gathers around the table in a wonderful local coffee shop each week is another experience rich in its own flavor.  I sip a sugarfree Hazelnut, skim milk latte, my little splurge for the week, as we write together, read the surprising and wonderful things we've written, and laugh hugely.   Last night we sang to each other as we ended.  What a terrific group of women...from someone who is known internationally for her sculptures, to a woman who writes grants and works hard for justice issues, to another who cares for an aging mother in law and is one of the most giving and loving people I know, not to mention a gifted writer, to an ordained interfaith minister, to an amazing musician and well known singer, to the most gifted storyteller from Wales, to a young woman who loves the environment and works to educate others about it, to a few others who pop in from time to time that I don't know as well... and then there is me, poet, writer, musician, photographer and sometimes preacher, who is about to embark on a long journey to a new home.  

And then of course there is my very best friend from Canada, who makes coffee so strong and bitter I can't begin to put enough milk in it, and I am trying to cut back on my sugar!  One with whom I laugh, and feel so able to be myself...someone who sees me for who I am.  Someone who gets my humor.  Someone who shares my same commitment to faith, and has such a kind and generous nature. We have shared many a latte over the 7 years we have known each other, sharing our secrets and dreams as well.

Over the years, from the time I was a young adult working in inner city Brooklyn, to my present life, my dear women friends and all those cups of coffee have been consistently present.  I wish you such a life, full of rich flavors, belly laughs and dreams.