• coffee life,  fountain pens,  journal,  poetry

    The gift of the poet…

    March 25, 2026

    a poet drinks from the
    well of the people, and
    then gives it back to
    them in a way that may
    help them understand
    themselves and the
    world even better

    Garcia Lorca

    Reading poetry is something new for me, coming in the latter stages of my life, and I must say enjoyable. I have found poetry that helps me understand myself and the world around me. I am drawn to poets who are connected to nature, creation and speak to me about their spiritual life. But there are poets I just do not understand. Yet, I know there are people who connect to them while not with the poets I connect with. I have come to agree with Lorca that in the short period of time I have been reading poetry I have come to believe that poets help us understand ourselves and the world better. I also believe that people can and need to drink from the well of the poet. I therefore see poets as a gift! 

    Read More
  • coffee life,  musings

    An Hour at the Library

    March 10, 2026
    Cortado at Mugs this morning

    I spent an hour at the Harmony Library this afternoon. It has been a cold day so the library sounded inviting. I was a librarian my senior year in high school to pickup a credit or two. As I reflected I realized that working in the library today is much different than in 1968. Back then nothing was digital. The old card file system worked just fine and an ink can with an ink soaked sponge and a rubber stamp. Interestingly I watched as librarians helped people with the many desktop computers that they have everywhere. So a librarian needs to be tech savvy now a days. They also have a media center where people can print papers, articles and assignments. My media center back then was a notebook and pencil. As I sat and journaled with my fountain pen, I noticed a crackling and rustling sound as a woman sitting near me turned the pages of a newspaper. Now that’s a sound I don’t hear much any more. I also watched several people carrying stacks of 3-6 books to check out, which means there are still people who read books rather than watch television.

    Read More
  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  moon,  quotes,  trees

    Keep me on schedule…

    March 8, 2026

    Collect moments, not things

    Paolo Coelho

    This moment happened this morning as Jeff and I waited for Mugs to open. And, this moment happened an hour earlier than it would have yesterday due to the time change. Strange as it may seem I was not even aware of the change until we got inside the coffee shop. Goes to show how much I care about it and how dependant I am on my phone and watch to keep me on schedule. Anyway, it was a nice moment to share with Jeff. I hope you had a wonderful Sunday!

    And back in September the Department of Defense was renamed to Department of War and that is what they are doing. No defense involved nor any attempt at peace. The president’s 2024 campaign prominently promised to be a “president of peace” by ending “forever wars,” preventing World War III, and not starting new conflicts. What happened to those promises?

    Read More
  • architecture,  campus,  coffee life,  quotes

    The Power of Love

    March 4, 2026

    “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

    Jimi Hendrix

    Rather than ride the bicycle ride this morning to Mugs, I decided to take the bus to campus. I stopped at Sweet Sensations coffee shop and got a mocha then spent time in the Paul and Elsie Legacy Lounge by the fireplace to journal in the quiet. I usually have the area to myself until about 8:15 am before the groggy students begin to stumble in. It had been a while since I was in the lounge area and I was pleased to see they had changed all the furniture. We had a warm sunny day and may see rain Thursday night into Friday. Time to push the publish button and read for a while. I hope you had a good day!

    Read More
  • coffee life,  latte art,  quotes

    Meg’s rosetta from this morning

    February 15, 2026

    This morning I made my way to Mugs for this Old Town mocha and the blueberry scone, which is now eaten. The sunrise just before I left for the coffee shop was spectacular as the eastern sky was aflame in red and orange. I was too lazy to take a photo but just watched the miracle of it. This is a photo of Megs rosetta she made this morning. I hope you are enjoying your weekend, rain or sunshine.

    The only thing more dangerous and more common than narcissism is group narcissism.

    Richard Rohr

    Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration, a lack of empathy, and a heightened sense of self-importance. Individuals with NPD may present to others as boastful, arrogant, or even unlikeable personality. This personality has no capability to be of service to others because its only goal is to serve the self. And, I would suggest this is also a true definition for group narcissism. We are seeing it running amuck in our politics, churches, corporations, professional sports, celebrities, the wealthy and the ideology of superiority.

    Read More