Cup of Irony, Cup of No

A well endowed house save a few essentials...

I woke up in Madame Blueberry 's house (in a tree and everything.)

My mother-in-law is a woman who has just about everything...two and three of some things...but yesterday morning, she had no coffee pods. Lots of tea [which I love] but not a drop of the kick-in-the-pants-in-a-cup that I needed to get me up and get me thinking this particular morning.

And my father-in-law Charlie runs a proud "gourmet" kitchen... he even went to a Johnson & Wales Camp once upon a time.  Imagine my surprise when I  discovered the man has no French press,  no grinder. 

And that's what made the bag of whole coffee beans ironic.

Or was it that they were the only coffee to be found in all the house? 

Either way.

I am here to tell you that I was undeterred.

I am also here to tell you that determination alone does not the cup of coffee make.

You need many other elements.

I found the closest thing to a grinder and made. . . well, ...I made coffee nibs if we're being honest. . . but since I was already squinting, my vision unaided by "the best part of waking up",  it wasn't SO hard to believe it was just a coarse grind. . . until I tried to brew it.

The water did change colors,  I'll give me that.

No French Press,  no coffee grinder and not a single mesh strainer to be found. 

 He does have a flour sifter though.

 Oh, yes I did. 

No,  no it did not.

What I discovered was that,  however coarsely ground those beans had been, they were not too chunky to sneak through the sifter and into the mug...not to mention my mouth.

Coffee nibs are chewy bits of goodness when mixed in chocolate, not so much the morning cup of joe, in this case a morning cup of 'No'. 

I mentally demoted Charlie from Grandfather Gourmet  to chief coup stirrer. No man can climb past that rank without a mesh sieve. It just can't be done.

:: rinse everything,  load the weeble wagon and hug the folks at Baker's Pride, who not only have an appropriate cup of coffee at the ready, but a danish to wash it down with::

YULEE

David Levy Yulee was the the first Jewish member of the United States Senate. He was a sharp business man, serving as president of several companies. While living in Fernandina with his family, David Yulee founded the Florida Railroad Company and became known as the Father of Florida Railroads.

 Yulee served as a member of the Confederate Congress where his passionate speeches in support of Confederate causes  gained him another nickname: "Florida Fire Eater" .  These passions also gained him a 9 month imprisonment @ Fort Pulaski. 

He was granted pardon and has since been named a "Great Floridian" 

THE NCHE NICHE

I recently joined a local band of rowdy homeschooling mommas. Okay, so we aren't really rowdy. We're all rather reserved actually... unless you hit our hot topic or favorite curriculum  buttons... then we may have opinions to share... or mildly suggest. But, rowdy or no, we are banded together birds o' feather

(who like to maintain our autonomous natures, thank you kindly.)

 The important thing is we are 'banded together' - something I had let go of for awhile

 (Sometimes my 'autonomous' overflows and I forget that I'm not an island adrift nor The Lone Ranger.)

It is nice to be back in community with like-minded yet completely unique folks again.

It has been a little while since we were last plugged in with a group. 

{Here's one time. This was another.} 

Between my overflowing autonomy and busy, bustling every day life, it just didn't seem like we had the time. But alas, as is usually the case-some of the best things are things we MAKE TIME  for. 

Like French Pressed coffee and homemade Croissants. 

Worth every second. 

This group is one of those things, and we are looking forward to making time for our new NCHE family . 

After the first few meet ups, I was so anxious to get to hobknobbing with our new found friends, I created a Facebook group so that we could congregate and well... hobknob. 

(Hobknobbing is a top secret homeschooling thing...for initiates only) 

I can show you the group, but I cannot let you in unless you are a NCHE initiate...because we're hobknobbing in there. And we like our privacy. 

(If you are a local homeschooling family in need of a group you can join HERE. Then come over to Facebook, perform the *secret door knock and we will teach you hobknobbing.)

Having the constant presence of the group via Facebook should also help me to interrupt much less at Mrs. Janie's house. But I best not make any big promises... I think of so many things that need to be shared when I get around real life people... and homeschooling folks at that! I'm just not sure I can keep it all to myself--even if I try. 

Aside from the happy proof of socialization that yammering on about our wonderful new group provides, I'm also making this entry to save a sample of the group's 'interim logo'. I couldn't find one on our website, so I created a quick one for the time being.

Because,  you know.... I tend  to logo the people I love ;) 

Well, I really should be going now. These lessons won't plan themselves... oh! and it looks like there's a new message in the Facebook group.

(Ha!- not really...but I'm sure the struggle to balance priorities is 'only a day away')

((HaHA! As if I have ANY idea how to balance priorities...I really like to sound as if I have it all together, don't I?))

Come on back another day, when we will talk about Mrs. Janie and The Matriarchs, a very important alpha-flock of homeschooling birds who teach us how to keep our wits & feathers as we tend our modest nests and  nudge our fledglings along.

*There is no secret knock, we just check the member roster

Princess Amelia

Amelia Island was named for Her Royal Highness Princess Amelia Sophia Elanor of Great Britain, from the House of Hanover, descendant of King George II. She loved to hunt and ride and in later life was a park ranger. She is known for commissioning a bath house, giving generously to charities and having a penchant for the truth. Lady Promfret described the Princess Amelia as:

"...one of the oddest princesses that ever was known; she has ears shut to flattery and her heart open to honesty."

To those who knew her well, she was known affectionately as Emily. 

Pippi on Behaving

"I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL TIMES THAT PEOPLE DON'T THINK I KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE, EVEN WHEN I'M TRYING AS HARD AS I CAN."  ~pippi

*Let's Get Graphic: Coffee4Lunch Design* 

The Nude Beaches Of Nassau County

While pulled alongside  a county vehicle recently, I discovered a lesser known area  attraction: nude sunbathing, apparently. 

Also, floating livestock & paper mills- but who doesn't have those? 

Nassau County- Coffee4Lunch will donate services whenever you're ready. 

ABC

 

From the drawing board to local print and koozies... one of my favorite parts.

Check out Amelia Boat Club  online (and in person!)

Coffee4Lunch helped with the web site too.

Borrow a boat or a waverunner while you're there and be sure to compliment their new image. :)