Mommy Writes Fantasy: A Writing Blog

Ode to Coffee

+J.M.J.+

~ODE TO COFFEE~

Okay so this isn't really going to be a poem. But I just want to take a minute and do a fun blog post, because I'm sure you all are getting tired of my weekly laundry lists of stuff I've accomplished (or not accomplished). So I just want to talk to you for a minute about what is perhaps the greatest weapon in any writer's arsenal: coffee.

Coffee, for me, is a substance so magical, so necessary, that I literally have not gone a day without it in close to a year. I tried switching exclusively to tea for a while, but after a couple months I caught a whiff of that magical bean potion and came crawling back.

Don't get me wrong, I love me a good, strong cup of tea with milk, and on nights when I'm feeling especially bubbly, I like to curl up with my husband, warm mug of cocoa in hand, and watch Disney movies. But that "mineral water" filtered through ground beans from heaven is what gives me my cheery disposition back after a short night's sleep and keeps me going through mountains of laundry and freelancing day after day.

The only note of sadness in this story is that I...alas...suffer from a condition known as IBS. Therefore, too much caffeine can send my stomach on a whirling, hurling adventure, and make my limbs so jittery that I can hardly type straight. While I see others on Facebook groups announcing their second, third, and even fourth cups of coffee with glee, I'm reminiscing about my early morning cup, sipping boring old water to soothe my digestive tract, wondering how much time is enough time to wait between doses--I mean, warm, steaming, healthy mugs--of that wonderful stuff.

I never drink more than two cups a day, never without food, and never very fast. My second (if I have it) is taken up to 5 hours after the first, and always heavily-laden with whole-fat milk and a touch of vanilla creamer to avoid unpleasant, jittery after-effects and the roiling complaints of my stomach.

Aside from the fact that my consumption must be strictly monitored and limited, I'm happy to even be able to drink it at all. If anything, it keeps me from spending too much money on coffee and creamer--and forces me to stay hydrated in between mugs.

All in all, I don't know what I'd do without my precious bean potion each morning (especially since I get up with my husband at 6AM on weekdays). It's my go-to, my reward for a morning of writing well done, and my pick-me-up on sleepy days.

Do you guys LOVE coffee? What's your favorite beverage to drink while writing? Let me know in the comments; I'd love to start a conversation!



AlyCatAuthor