Drink Coffee and Live

 A friend of mine sent me an article about the latest scientific research that shows how people who drink six or more cups of coffee a day have a definitive 10 percent increase in their ability to stay alive while others are not staying alive. That’s right. A clear decrease in overall mortality due to a constant consumption of the divinely provided beverage, el Cafe.

Um. But if you smoke. No deal. You throw it all away.

Of course, they didn’t say what kind of coffee these people were drinking. And it’s scary to think that people are living longer if they are drinking one of the major coffee brands, sold in large, coffin like cans, stale and tasteless. That stuff could kill a vulture. I wouldn’t want to live longer if it was only to drink that stuff.

If you could see my face right now you’d see a clear look of disdain as I contemplate drinking such offensive coffees for long periods of time. I mean, I can have a cup at someone’s house, I’m not a snob, but I try to avoid it whenever possible, not because I’m too good, but because it is too bad.

I ran out of good coffee a few weeks ago. I was too lazy to go to the store. My wife had a can of the “good” to the last drippy stuff. Seriously. It was stunning in its awfulness. I had forgotten how bad it is. Soooooo bad. It’s almost like they’re doing it on purpose.

Maybe someday I’ll post about how we’ve lost our taste for decent coffee. It is a historical fact, a tragedy really. A by-product of war and forgetfulness. But, for now, I leave you with this encouragement:

Don’t just drink coffee and live. DRINK GOOD COFFEE AND LIVE!


Peace to you.


© LW Publishing 2011

Antsy

 The dictionary defines “antsy” as: Restless. Fidgety.

Etc.

This word, antsy, is how I feel a lot of the time. I feel antsy right now as I am typing this. I have a tendency toward antsiness. (And, yes, “antsiness” is a real word. Though I'm certainly not above making up words.)

I started wondering if the word means what it sounds like. What it feels like. It kind of feels like ants crawling on you. And, according to some online stuff, it does. It’s rooted in the phrase, “Ants in the pants.” Which people used to say about kids who couldn’t sit still.

I think there’s a game called Ants in the Pants. I remember playing it. I think our kids had it for a while years back.

Why do I feel so antsy all the time? I don’t know. Maybe I drink too much coffee. But, in fact, I feel more antsy when I have less coffee. Coffee settles me down. So maybe it’s caffeine withdrawal? I don’t think so. But you never know. And I don’t really care.

I actually get a lot done when I’m antsy. It makes me feel like I need to get things done. So I do.

Antsy = productive.

But I think it would be nice to be, you know, totally relaxed and calm. At least now and then. But I don’t feel that way very often. Hardly ever, to be honest.

I’m at peace. But I’m not relaxed. I’m antsy.


Peace to you.

© LW Publishing 2011

Chanified

Why, oh why, do I like Jackie Chan movies so much?

I don’t know.

I just do.

They aren’t, technically speaking, good movies. I know that. I know a good movie when I see one. Jackie Chan movies don’t particularly qualify.

But I don’t care. I like them. Mostly because Jackie Chan is in them. And that’s all that seems to matter. The movie itself doesn’t have to be all that “good.”

Besides. I like lots of things that aren’t what you might call “good.” Which doesn’t exclude liking things that are good. I think it’s important to know the difference, but why be a snob about it? What good is that?

I like good coffee. I know good coffee. I drink good coffee. Most of the time. And I don’t understand why people drink bad coffee all the time and think that it’s good. That is a mystery to me. But, occasionally, I specifically, on purpose, have a mug of crappy, instant coffee. I couldn’t drink it all the time. It’s not really even coffee. I don’t know what it is. But, sometimes, I drink it for what it is. I make it really strong, and I like it.

Same kind of thing: I like good movies. I know a good movie from a bad one. Just like there are good novels and bad ones, there are good movies and bad ones. And everything in between. The point is, I know what makes Citizen Kane “good.” Lawrence of Arabia is my ultimate, all time favorite movie. Very few modern films come even close to the artistry of such films. They are, in every sense of the word, "art." They are masterpieces. The word “art” genuinely does apply to some movies and a lot of other things, and we can miss out, big time, if we don’t learn to appreciate the art of things.

But, occasionally, I’ll watch a Jackie Chan movie. And enjoy it.

Why?

Just. Because.



Peace to you.


© LW Publishing 2011

Busy?

Wow. Almost forgot about the blog thing.

I’ve been so active.

Does that word work? “Active?” It doesn’t really work, but I’m a little tired of the word “busy.” Everyone says they are “busy.” It can mean anything. Watching TV. Playing video games for hours on end. Whatever leaves us out of time is what makes us busy. “I’ve been so busy.”

Doing what?

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been playing video games or goofing around. I’ve been active. Which, it dawns on me, is a word often used for old people who aren’t bed ridden.

Hmmm.

I’ve been doing stuff on the house, accomplishing the holiday festivities, gearing things up for the coming year by getting new calenders going and plans in place. I have seen a few movies to try to relax.

Drinking coffee.

There’s just so much to do these days.

And I don’t think it’s going to let up for quite a while. But I’m okay with that. I like being...

Non sedentary?




Peace to you.


© LW Publishing 2011

Ode De Café

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height of
My cup and cream, when drinking dark, not light,
For the best of beans and ideal Sumatran.
I love thee for the gift of everyday's
Morning brew, aroma and roast.
I love thee freely, as men strive to wake up;
I love thee purely, as they face the day.
I love thee with a passion for single source
For my waking needs, not lame house of Maxwell or other cans.
I love thee with a love that needs not approval
of sinners or saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! And, if God choose,
I shall but love thee forever after death.



With apologies to EBB

Peace to you.

© LW Publishing 2011

Clutter

“We can do no great things; only small things with great love.”
Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Does your house get cluttered? How about your mind? How about life in general?

The Dictionary describes “clutter” as disorder that impedes movement or reduces effectiveness.

Oh yeah. I have a clutter problem.

Not that I don’t work on it all the time. I am always putting things away, trying to find a good place to store things, trying to organize stuff. And my thoughts. Organizing my thoughts is one of the most challenging things I do on a daily basis.

It’s hard, because I’m in a place in life where I’m forced to multi-task, and I am NOT a Multi Tasker. Not by nature. Definitely not by talent.

And here’s where I don’t tell you how I’m going to fix this. Because I’ve learned the hard way that there’s no easy fix for the clutter. There is no three step process that’s going to make it go away in short order. At least not for me. Like most things in life, it is a battle. A long term battle. It takes resolve. It takes strategy. It takes perseverance and courage.

And a whole lot of coffee.

I have learned to try and take it one hill at a time. If I try to clean up the whole battle field at once, I go down in flames every time. I know, I know, I’ve heard the speeches: people of faith are supposed to do “great things” for God. We’re supposed to “live victoriously.” And I realize I can do nothing without Christ. I really do. But you amazing and impressive human beings need to shut up for a minute and realize this: for some people, getting that one hill cleared is a great thing. It is a victory.

And to celebrate, we’re going to have some more coffee.


1 Corinthians 14:33
Peace to you.



© LW Publishing 2010

On The Road Without Jack Kerouac

 We made our way across the American landscape, headed toward Appalachia. I was prepared with the proper music, etc., for the journey. We've got "family" music: The Monkees, a little Motown, some Chris Tomlin, and so on...

While the kids were occupied, I listened to some Jakob Dylan. It's the new one, I can't remember the name. He's riding on a horse "with a good woman by his side." It's pretty good, I like it, but it's a little, I don't know, thick somehow. Too many syllables and, overall, mixed very full in the mid-range. So I pop in Dan Zanes' Parades and Panoramas, which is a set of songs taken from the Carl Sandburg American Songbag. This recording is one of my all time favorites. It has a lot more overall character than most things you listen to, and it's totally fitting for the journey.


So we moved along, and we don't drag on behind.

I read Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions on the way. Honestly not sure what to make of it. It seems to me to be primarily about the madness of dehumanization, which is an essential issue of our times.


I saw a truck up ahead, it looks like this:

I like coffee, but that's a little overboard, don't you think?

Anyway, we rolled the chariot along, moved on to sit at the foot of the great Smoky Mountains in a little cabin. When you open the door of that cabin and look out, here's what you see...

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Etc. And so on...

Peace to you.




© LW Publishing 2010