Coffee Moments

The Coffee Moment is something I've grown to greatly enjoy during my first week as a homeowner.

It's just coffee, you goofball... you must surely be thinking.

Or maybe you're more clever than that, and know just how important coffee is. In that case, I commend you.

For the rest of you, let me explain.

The first items that moved into the house were a nightstand and the coffee maker. This is because saying that coffee is a staple in our home is an understatement. Boyfriend of Amazingness is self-admittedly horrendous without caffeination. As such, he'll drink a couple of cups on any given morning, with a few extra on weekends just because he enjoys it so.

To that end, even though I find it a little more difficult to stomach, coffee became a staple for me as well. In the morning, I'll toss a tablespoon of hot cocoa powder into a coffee mug. Along with a hearty dose of cream (weekends call for the Irish variety, of course), I'll fill the mug with coffee and have a sweet, decadent beverage to get me cranking on the road to a productive day.

On Friday morning - our first morning in the house - we were awakened at 5:00 by the sun peeking in the bedroom window and a little bird outside speaking up to greet the day. The excitement of the first day in our new home ahead of us, we both voluntarily rose and shone. The coffee was brewed and the kitchen - where we had eaten our dinner the night before seated upon lawn chairs - regarded. Then we both looked out at the back deck.

The choice was simple and unspoken: Coffee would be enjoyed on the deck where we could look out at our garden and enjoy the simplicity and novelty of a quiet country morning.

As we sat and enjoyed our beverages, the sun rose slowly over the trees and began to shine on the yard. The grass was a vibrant green that only fresh vegetation can eminate. There were no screaming neighbors. There were no jet engines echoing through the clouds. The city sounds were so far away as to be unheard.

Complete peace was entirely within our grasp.

I took a picture that morning and posted it to my favorite social media site. I entitled it simply "This Doesn't Suck." Immediately friends and family began to comment:

"Soooooo doesn't suck. :-)"

"I like it!"

"Home!"

And they're so right.

This doesn't suck even in the teensiest.

Unfortunately the weekend came to a screeching halt on Monday. Reality rained down upon us as the grasp of the workweek took hold.

Boyfriend of Amazingness, in an attempt to better understand his new morning commute, left home 45 minutes before I had to get myself in gear.

I had gotten up with him, and was dressed for the day. I had only to pack my lunch.

In the apartment, I hadn't bothered to make coffee at home. The difficulty of transporting it to the office outweighed my need for caffeinated libation, so I typically opted instead to wait to drink office swill.

Monday morning, faced with 45 minutes to enjoy the solitude of our newfound haven, I made myself a cup of coffee.

Because we had recently moved (and had previously been attempting to empty our pantry in anticipation of this move), I had run out of hot cocoa. I considered trying to doctor it simply with sugar and cream, as normal humans might do. But then I realized I had already unpacked the baking cabinet, and that the cocoa powder was right there.

So, yesterday morning, I made myself mocha completely from scratch. A tablespoon of cocoa powder, a tablespoon of sugar, a healthy drab of cream and a strong cup of dark coffee.

I sat on the back patio and listened to the birds.

A neighbor's cat prowled across the yard, regarding me with intensity upon noticing my presence.

The sun slowly rose.

My friends... if I had realized that this was one of the best kept secrets of homeownership, I would have started itching to buy a house years ago.

Best. Decision. Ever.