Don’t Mind Your Messes

From this mess comes more powerful prayer, stronger friendships, growth in spirit and laughter and tears.

Beside this mess is self-reflection, release of frustration and redemption; a moment of healing.

Under this mess is motivation, success, independence, blessings and miracles waiting to happen.

Inside this mess is ambition, anticipation, yearning, love and salvation.

Don’t mind your messes – Recognize their Significance.

Small Victories = Big Motivation

Today I opened a bank account OFFICIALLY for my business! BAM! Just a small $500 to start but the fact that I have it “on the books” makes it feel so much more real! That was just one of the many things I have gotten accomplished in the last couple of months.

Opening the bank account has been on my do-to list for a while and for some reason I felt like I had to be especially prepared to go speak with them…like i had to be fancy or something ha ha. I’m using the local bank that I have been visiting for business classes over the last year or so. They have a great small business department and really cater to the community. I’m excited to start making some relationships there. We opened an account for each of the twins also and my peanut was really excited about that too. It would be great if this starts the kids on the right path to being more financially responsible than I was when I was younger.

My motivation has been at a whole new level lately – so much more confident that I will accomplish my dream: we ARE going to have this coffeehouse. Not only will we open the coffeehouse, but it’s going to be amazing. I am so deeply passionate and intrigued now by the coffee culture, the history, the craft behind a good cup, all of it.

I am actually reading books… yup…big deal. I am not a book reader – could never keep my attention long enough. I used to read a lot of Dean Koontz but now I can’t read things like that so it’s been years since I started a book and finished it. I read the abridged version of “All About Coffee” by William Ukers. It’s not a long book but it could be difficult to read if you are just a coffee drinker and looking for some entertainment. I found it really sweet and enriching. The work is a result of his travels around the world, studying coffee – which is to be admired in and of itself. What pulled me in most was his underlying belief in the power of coffee, not just the bean but the story it has told and artistry. Ukers stated “Tea and coffee promote a harmony of the creative faculties that permits the mental concentration necessary to produce the masterpieces of art and literature.”

Now I’m reading The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee, by James Freeman, Caitlin Freeman, and Tara Duggan. Blue Bottle is a well known roasting company based in Oakland, CA. I chose this one because of reviews I read online about their coffeehouse in New York and because they use the pour-over method for brewing coffee, which is my intent as well. I feel like I’m reading a text book – in a GREAT way. It takes you through the fundamentals of the coffee plant, processing, equipment, how-to’s, etc and there is a fun, sarcastic tone to the book that makes it a very easy read. I’m about halfway thru. I have three other books in line; to include the book by Howard Schultz of Starbucks (aka – the way I don’t want my coffeehouse to feel).

Within the last few weeks I have been able to attend two different coffee brewing classes. New Harvest coffee roasters in Pawtucket,RI hosts classes at their training center. Huge score for me! It’s close and the peeps teaching are very friendly and quirky just as one coffee fanatic would expect and love. Not mention – its in the same building as The Met, where I saw the most absolutely amazing, best, Needtobreathe show to date. This was the extremely small venue they played during the Stomping Ground tour. Siigghhh… Okay okay back to class.

The first brewing class was several brewing methods: Aeropress, french press, Chemex. I had never seen an Aeropress before; knew about the French Press but don’t like the sediment, so I was pretty pumped to play with the Chemex. They let me take home the rest of the Colombian coffee beans we used which I was also very happy about because its quite delicious. The second class I took was just about the Kalita Wave – one specific dripper for pour-over. Having a flat-bed verses the cone-shape of the Chemex, would assume that all grinds would be evenly brewed rather than having those at the tip of the cone extracted more than the grinds at the top of the cone. Now I need to try brewing them against each other. The next class i’m booked for is espresso! Yes!! I am loving espresso more and more lately and the idea of getting more creative with coffee beans is enticing to me. New Harvest also just recently opened a cafe/whiskey bar so a friend and I of course visited to enjoy a very yummy latte. The espresso used a was a blend of an Ethiopian bean and something form Kenya. Again – yummy.

I also have started to pickup some fun pieces for the coffeehouse – mugs, teapots, cups, etc. There of course, will need to be standard equipment to service in – that hold temperature, have the right shape, and all those necessary things. In my place there will also be some unique pieces that we can use to serve and host tea parties and such. I bought a cheap grinder, a Moka coffee pot and my own french press so I can start to experiment at home. Next to come is a legit espresso machine for the house. I need to become an expert in pulling shots and want to start trying latte art

The reading and classes (oh and hours of online tutorials I’ve been watching) are helping me to become more familiar with equipment, which should help push me to get my business plan further along. This coming week my goal is to chat with a friend who works for USFoods – hopefully to gain insight into suppliers, so I can start to understand realistic costs.

One more quote, before I go, from William Ukers that I loved: “Coffee has promoted clear thinking and right living wherever introduced.” I concur Mr. Ukers.