Tall Tales from Kansas

Harebrained Scheme #437

Several years ago I saw this book at a local coffee shop. 

At the time I was trying to think of something to get a friend for Christmas.  Thus was born Harebrained Scheme #437.  Buy book.  Give to friend.  Include note that you will take her to each of these places and buy her a coffee.  Book will be used to record experiences.  It will be fun. 

There are 17 places in the book.  We have been to 9.  Two of them are closed.  We have 6 left to go. 

The project was supposed to take a year.  It has been 3 years since we started.  The problem is once you find a few great places you want to go back again and again and you don't try hard enough to get to those out of the way places.  But we are NOT giving up.

We are committed to completing this coffee journey. 

One table and one cup at a time. 

a public service announcement

The Season of Love Latte menu is up at The Blackdog Coffeehouse. 

I can personally vouch for the Sweet Heart Latte.  Liz thought it was good too :-)

I do not know the owners and receive no free drinks for my endorsement.  This is a public service announcement to those of you who reside within driving distance of this establishment on 87th St. in Lenexa Kansas.  

an equal opportunity drinker

I like the ritual of tea.  I like it at home where I can boil the water in a kettle and pour it into a cup my sister gave me many moons ago and dip in one of those lovely Haney & Son's sachets.

And I love it at my desk at work where I have to microwave the water and pour it into a cup my friend Hilda gave me in 1993 when we worked together and shared an office. 

There is something soothing about the dipping, followed by inhaling that mildly fragranced steam, and wrapping your hands around the mug while you hunch your shoulders up and go "ahhh".    

I don't think I will ever give up coffee.  Coffee with breakfast is a must.  Espresso after a meal in Italy is a requirement.  Cappuccino at the locally owned coffee shops while on vacation is a preoccupation.  I am an equal opportunity drinker though which means tea in the afternoon at work and in the evening at home is not only allowed, it is encouraged. 

someone is waving a snickerdoodle under your nose

If you haven't scheduled your post-holiday debriefing session yet don't worry.  There is plenty of time.  I had one today.   It goes like this.  Meet friend for coffee.  Swap holiday stories.  Talk about what a mess your house is.   Console each other.  

If you live in the Kansas City area I am going to suggest you try the Black Dog Coffee House on 87th street in Lenexa as your therapy location.    You can't go wrong with the Christmas Cookie latte.

This is NOT one of those sickeningly sweet drinks.  It's more like someone is waving a snickerdoodle under your nose each time you bring the cup up to take a sip.  It melts away any residual holiday regrets and absolves you of the need to make resolutions.   My session today was so therapeutic I went ahead and set up another one for later in the week.   

p.s.

My sister Dottie who is the Moss sister with the most miles under her belt in terms of globe-trotting, sent me these images to use for my meeting with the Dunn Brother executives this coming week.   I felt certain you would enjoy them. 

It's very nice to have a sister who can supply original, high quality, photos for use at such  meetings at the drop of a hat.   

You will have to send me your Brazil photos next.  I might have bought a pound of beans from there too.  


I will of course be talking to them about adding a photo to the labels.  Stand by for travel assignments.  All expenses paid of course.   

I have a very active imagination

This morning as I drank my coffee on the front porch I imagined I was on the plains of the Serengeti.  It was the freshly roasted coffee from Africa that had me closing my eyes and feeling the thundering hooves of migrating animals.  I saw gazelles, zebras, wildebeests.

Dunn Brothers should hire me to write the descriptions on their labels.   I went ahead and called them this morning and shot them a few ideas about incorporating the visual sense into their "bold, fruity, full-bodied" description of the brew I was having.  Their corporate headquarters said they would be in touch about setting up a meeting.  I am thinking I will get a call probably early next week. 

spellbound by mums

I am spellbound by mums this year.  Actually I am every year, but this year the enchantment seems especially strong.  I love that faint unmistakable fragrance of a mum.  You can't miss it when you squat down so low you almost tumble onto the mums when taking a picture.

I'm pretty sure no one saw though.   In the unlikely event that the near tumble was caused by a low blood sugar, I staggered down the street and had a little breakfast.

 
Coffee cake with maple glaze and a "brewed to order" coffee.   I felt quite steady on my feet after this.   I am calling it my new breakfast of champions.  Sorry Wheaties.  You have been de-throned. 

The iced indonesian

The heat wave broke last night with some big thunder-boomer (send your cat to the basement) rainstorms.  The morning glory's said thank you this morning.

 
I did too since I was off and the grass needed mowing.  As I made my neat and orderly passes with the mower I wondered if being content to be mowing the grass on a day off was a sign of something.  Something like, oh I don't know, being a boring adult?  Then I remembered that my friend Nancy loves to mow the yard, and she is perhaps the most hip person I know so I put the thought out of my mind and just kept right on enjoying myself.  

 
I high-tailed it downtown as soon as I had showered to collect my reward.  The iced indonesian.  I needed to be sure they were still on the menu and they were still the best thirst quencher around.  I must keep up on these things.  You know, in case anyone asks me where to get the best iced coffee in my town.   I can now say with confidence that they are and they ARE.   Note to self:  reward yourself with one of these more often.  And definately say yes when they ask about the whipped cream. 

Rock on Coffee Girls!

 

Today between meetings I was on assignment.  Working to get another of the things on the "52 by 53" list done.  Plus I hadn't been to a new coffee place for awhile and it was time.

 

Fresh baked goods under glass domes sitting atop an orange sideboard.  Orange chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.  I'm getting a good feeling.... 

 

If this nicely foamed, perfectly roasted cappucino had been served in an orange cup I would have moaned out loud.  That's probably why they don't do it.  This assignment was pure pleasure.  I set up my writing, knitting, drinking, station and spent a delightful hour looking out the window and listening to some pleasing tunes in the background.  You know just loud enough so every once in a while you get the urge to sing along but not loud enough to make you get those irritated squinty frown lines between your eyes. 

What with the orange color and the vintage Bob Dylan "like a rolling stone" I was transported back to the 60's for a minute (or ten).   Rock on Coffee Girls!    

A key component to optimal thinking is the right environment

I wish I had more time to think.  You know, just sit and think.  Reflect on the events of the day.  Examine the details of my latest great idea and figure out how to make it work.  Contemplate what I would be doing right now if I had married Ricky Mergner after we kissed during a "spin the bottle game" in Panama in 1972.  Ponder the pros and cons of accepting the offer to be on the next season of the amazing race.  You get the idea.  Sitting.  Thinking.  A key component to optimal thinking is the right environment.

 

I have conducted some experimental thinking sessions at the Roasterie Cafe in Brookside.  I am currently having a 73.6% success rate at achieving what I meditate on while I am there.  I can therefore recommend it as a good place to sit and think.  The capuccino and frosted cookie with sprinkles on top have nothing to do with this endorsement.