Day 95 ~ Coffee Crawl

Day 95 ~ Coffee Crawl

Apr 5, 2014       

My first: I went to my first coffee (not pub) crawl.

My friend Maureen asked me to accompany her to the 5^th Annual Maplewood Coffee Crawl. I said great because it would be a “first” for me and it really sounded like something I would enjoy and do again!

The morning was crisp and sunny, perfect for the warmth of coffee conversations. We arrived at the Maplewood Coffee Crawl about an hour and a half after the start time. The lines of people were staring back at us confirming that this was the place to be! We joined the ranks waiting for that first sample of the “perfect brew”. Maureen likes her coffee black and strong enough to chew. I, on the other hand, have to add my sweetener and creamer to make it palatable. We then stepped into the world of “Strange Donuts”.  Maureen enjoyed a chocolate mint doughnut while I ventured out and had my first bacon-topped doughnut. It wasn’t bad, but it would probably be better when freshly-made with crispier bacon. Also, the extreme sweetness of the doughnut was too much competition for the saltiness of the bacon. Gosh, am I becoming a food critic!

We went on to the next shop called “Pie Oh My!” That was a very quaint establishment with warm sunshine coming through the window where a bar and stools awaited its customers. Of course, we ended up right there with two of the shop’s creations. Maureen had an asparagus quiche and I had an apple, green chili, pecan pie. Yes, I said green chili! It was surprisingly very tasty. I think the green chilies had much to do with the enrichment. I am on a roll with food “firsts”, right! At “Pie Oh My” we met a mother/daughter tag team (Polly and Mary Jo) that was so delightful. They immediately warmed up to us and we talked like friends from a past life. I told them about my “firsts” and my aspirations to write a book at the end of my year. They were so engaged and ultimately gave me their contact information so as not to lose the connection we all had. Often we say “it was nice meeting you” or “it was a pleasure”, but neither phrase describes the joy and mutual excitement we all shared that morning. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it and I didn’t…because I said yes to Maureen’s request to join her for a coffee crawl…another “first”.  

We continued to enjoy the sunshine and conversation until the morning became afternoon. Coffee people are a different breed…tea people too! They take moments like these and make them almost magical with their friendly spirit to share and to listen. Maybe heaven will be like one big coffee crawl…and there will be no lines.

Not so bad standing in line

Apple pecan pie with green chilies?



Bacon-topped doughnuts



Like friends from a past life