Tag: nonfiction

Coffee Shop Chronicles: The Details of People

Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company Detroit, MI July 2015 Here I am. How dependent we are on our electronic devices. I love that the baristas here write names on the for-here mug.  I feel personalized.  I’m drinking the Brazil, so this reminds me what cuppa of coffee to get next : this or try something new. …

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Up from Under the Bridge, Eh?

Pure Michigan campaign ads had persuaded trolls—residents of Michigan’s lower peninsula, like me—to crawl out from our homes south of the Mackinac Bridge. It was Labor Day weekend, the last chance for many families to head up north before the start of a new school year. For my family, this was the perfect time to explore the …

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The Best Seat in the House

“This is my command: Love each other.” ~ Jesus (John 15:17, NIV) Oliver sits directly in front of me. The five-year-old was a student in my vacation Bible school class. He snuggles up to his mom. With a broad smile and a gleam in his eye, he leans in to kiss her cheek. She puts …

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Coffee Shop Chronicles: The 5 Senses

Starbucks Route 1, Princeton, NJ September 2000   Why do we stop ourselves? –5:42 PM– There’s a woman here without socks on, sandals with toes sunning themselves as legs boldly thrust forward into the world.  Chunky heels, a firm step, a heavy stomp.  Somehow it makes them stronger.  Women who wear pointy high heels, they …

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Coffee Shop Chronicles, Father’s Day edition: Saying goodbye

Starbucks Rt. 40, Delaware April 2006 Last week, I hugged Roomie down in Maryland, and that’s when it hit me: I’m saying goodbye. I almost cried. I’m moving soon, so it’s time for those farewells, that talking to the people I should’ve been talking to all along. My Grande Java Chip Frappuccino turns into a …

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