Coffee Scoop

 I've decided to start telling stories about my stuff from time to time on FaceBook - just to put something thoughtful out there.  My first one was about my coffee grinder.  Today is was about my coffee scoop.

And I'm going to copy it here, because Facebook is ephemeral.  

Stories of My Stuff

This is what I think of as a companion piece to my coffee grinder, although it's about 85 years younger. A coffee scoop. Because you have to measure your coffee before (or after) it's ground, right?
Any spoon would do, or a plastic scoop. But this is one that my brother made for me. Hand turned, ebony handle, rosewood bowl, held together with a tiny brass pin.

Anyone who knows me will know that "posh" and "elegant" are not terms normally applied to my lifestyle. But this little scoop is both. And like my grinder, I use it daily (to measure both coffee and loose tea), and with pleasure.

I dislike the buzz word "mindfulness" but sometimes it seems that we've become too much of a grab-and-go culture, where so many things seem like "too much to bother about." But what are we losing with those minutes that we save?

Coffee. It takes about two minutes to pop a cup unto a Keurig and have it spit out a cup of coffee. Assuming that I remember to put water on to boil while I'm feeding the cats, it takes me about 4.5 minutes to grind my coffee and brew it. So what exactly are you doing with that amazing 2.5 minutes that you save? And it's not like you have to sit and stare at it for that brewing time. You could wipe down a counter, or do a few stretches, or have a cuddle, scratch, or kiss with whatever companion presents itself. And there is a pleasure in the smell of fresh-ground coffee beans, the little ritual of brewing.

There are some memories that stay with you. I was a work one day, and the dept. chairperson came into my office to talk with me just as I was pouring tea from my little French press into my Russian tea glass with the engraved silver holder. She looked at it, and then at the paper coffee cup in her hand (coffee likely from a Keurig) and just for a moment I caught a look on her face. Almost wistful.

We live in hurried times. But remember to sometimes take that precious minute or two to pause and treat yourself - hug your kid, scratch your dog, admire a flower, or make a decent cup of coffee.