A huge thank you to Willow for asking me to coffee today. Friday’s haiku about coffee and cookies give her the perfect opportunity to invite me to try her weekly post titled, “If We Were Having Coffee”. I’ve often found her poetry challenging my reality, as she often writes about the tough stuff life can dish out, and I thank her for it. Willow’s lovely photos over coffee express her day to day travels in a charming way, and prove how blessed she truly is to enjoy a full life, so stop by and say HI soon.

The photo that brought us here

I’m not entirely sure how this works, but I believe I hand out coffee and cake, while you listen to me ramble on about my world a bit. You have no idea how much anxiety I have just thinking about talking about myself. We should start with conversing over my anxiety, but this isn’t a therapy session. Well, actually, isn’t coffee with friends sorta like that? I mean, don’t we normally end up offering each other advice over a cup of coffee? Only problem is that I prefer to be the one giving the advice. I pride myself on how well I deflect. Okay, I’m just digging myself a hole here, so let’s get started.

If we were having coffee: I’d have cleaned my kitchen, if this was our first visit together at my place, and I’d have probably made a brown sugar coffee cake with bing cherries. Since we’re friends you have this amazing ability to go on and on about how lovely my chickens are placed about the room, how great the coffee smells and how delicious the cake looks, which is all so stickin’ cute of you. I’ll explain that chickens and pitchers remind me of home, my parents and my great grandmother, Elsie, so I keep them here so I feel a little closer to home.

I’ll turn sixteen shades of red, while sitting through your praises, I’ll try and thank you as quickly as possible and turn the subject to you with a comment like, ” Wait, didn’t you go to the doctor yesterday? Tell me how that went…”

If we were having coffee: I’d offer plenty of creamers, sugars and milk.You’d tell me I was tough for drinking it black and I’d tell you not really. Taking my coffee black is all I know. My grandparents drank, and still do drink, their coffee black, as does my father, so I didn’t see a world with creamer until I was in my twenties. I wanted to be part of the conversations the adults had growing up, so I asked for coffee when it was being offered and took it as it was served. Figuring I was so much like them that I would like the flavor as is, and I do. The red Folgers can was the coffee can I grew up seeing. I love seeing that can of coffee today, even if I’ve moved on to other brands.

If we were having coffee: You’d ask me how my writing was going and I’d brush it off. Sayin’ oh pretty good. You’d have to be the friend to push me through that comment and expect more in return, if you really wanted to know. I know you’re the friend who does want to hear, so I offer a bit more. I’m having some trouble with a few characters and even more of an issue with expressing myself. Explaining also, that I have no time to focus on what I need to get done. Writing becomes a hobby during the school year and I miss it terribly. Boo hoo…

Pretend Audrey Tear

If we were having coffee: I’d show you a few pictures that I took and would like to use, but probably won’t, as the lighting was terrible and the background unforgiving. However, it is such a cool place to visit here in Houston. This is Discovery Green and the sculptor, Jorge Marin, has an exhibit currently gracing our grounds and it truly is exceptional work. Click on his name if you’d like additional information.

If we were having coffee: I’d offer that Dad was doing really well with his chemo treatments. The doctors fixed his allergic reaction to the medicine beforehand, so this month’s appointment went well. He seems to be in good spirits, too. I’m so proud of my dad. My sisters went with him and kept him company for two days during his second round of medicine. I should have been there, too. Only makes sense that I would be, as I’m the oldest daughter. I have loads of guilt about that…I struggle with being so far away from them. I don’t suppose that’ll ever get any easier to deal with, so let’s change the subject.

If we were having coffee: I’d say church was nice this morning. I served through the service, but I don’t mind. I’ll catch the video online later. Some mornings I find fellowship with other woman more important than sitting through service. Our conversations can so easily turn from pleasantries to important life discussions quickly. I’ve become more intuitive through the years and grasp onto those moments when I can. I truly do find such peace in helping women and more than anything offering my ear as a listening tool is where I’m best suited.

If we were having coffee: I’d offer you a ride along today, as I have plans downtown. Here’s hoping today is a better picture taking day.

Houston, Texas

If we were having coffee: I would ask you if you would like another cuppa, or another cake. If we were having Coffee Original idea from http://parttimemonster.wordpress.com/