Friday, November 1, 2019

Coffee Talk

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Let's catch up over coffee! Once a month, Deborah and Coco host a coffee chat where a bunch of bloggers talk about what's going on in our lives. Besides running, that is! I'm having a cup of that yummy Colectivo Co-Optiva that I picked up again in Madison last week. Don't you love regional coffees? Do you take anything in your coffee? I've got half and half over here...


If we were having coffee, I'd whine, big time, about our weather. I'm writing this post on Halloween and it is snowing. There are a couple of inches on the ground, with more to come. It's cold and the wind is blowing. What the what? This weather would be bad enough in January, but October? Seriously. I'm already over it. Time to start planning some vacations to warm destinations. Oh wait, I just got home from one...


If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that I've been having an uptick in RA symptoms this week. No fatigue, just joint pain, which I can usually push through. People always ask me if the weather bothers me and I never thought it did--until now. I recently learned that Accuweather has a handy dandy arthritis pain index. It doesn't tell me anything different than I already know.


If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that I nurtured succulents all summer long. I'm not much of a green thumb, but I planted a couple pots with small plants that I picked up at Home Depot. They flourished in the warm sunshine in my back yard. When the temperatures dropped, I brought them inside where there is a south exposure. Sadly, they are not doing so well. Stay tuned to see if I can nurse them along.


If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that I finally got my new car!!!! If you remember, we tried to buy one at a dealership close to home, but after 3 hours of negotiating abuse by the salespeople, we walked out. Scarred by that experience, I figured I'd drive my old Jeep into the ground. My husband surprised me and on a trip to Madison earlier this month, we stopped at a dealership where he had made an appointment. Guys, it couldn't have been any different from the previous experience. The salesman was kind and respectful. He made us a great offer and we drove home in a new Jeep Cherokee. We paid much less than we would have in Illinois and it's exactly the Jeep I wanted. Why can't all car buying experiences be like this?


If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that my husband and I just wrapped up the Country Music series on PBS. The series does a great job of telling the story of how country music started and how it evolved. I grew up on country music and the middle episodes of this series were truly the soundtrack of my childhood. In the 1990s, I saw Johnny Cash live before he stopped touring--in Door County of all places--and after watching this series, I appreciate his music even more. A lot of the show revolves around Nashville and after visiting there last year with my sister, it was so much more meaningful. The music is great too.


If we were having coffee, I'd talk about the books I've been reading this month. The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett, was a winner. Another family drama like her last book, Commonwealth, this one is about the bond between 2 siblings. So good. I finished this month's running book club selection The Pursuit of Endurance by Jennifer Pharr Davis, but have yet to post the review. Davis is the fastest known time (FKT) record holder on the Appalachian Trail. She shares her experience and those of others. It was a really good read and I'm hoping to get the review up next week. I just finished reading Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out by Josh Noel.  This is a really interesting book about craft beer and Chicago's own Goose Island brewery and its sale to Anheuser-Busch. As many of us predicted, the beer has gone downhill since. There's a lot to learn here and you might want to do your homework before picking up a so-called craft beer.


Wow, I had a lot to share this month! Maybe I'm just over-caffeinated! What would you tell me over coffee? How's the weather where you are? Have you wintered over succulents? Any tips? Have you seen the Country Music series? What books have you read lately? The Kindle version of The Pursuit of Endurance is only 4.99 on Amazon! Do you follow me on Goodreads

I'm linking up with Coco and Deborah as well as Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness.







38 comments :

  1. I dragged all my succulents inside as well. Now we wait, and hopefully hang on. Mary Beth sent me a pineapple 3 years ago and I've been growing it since. It's doing great although still no fruit. The winters inside are very tough for it though. OMG country music. That's all my mom listened to growing up so I know it well. I do love me some Johnny Cash. I caught snippets of that PBS series.

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    1. If you have any secrets to keeping the succulents going, please share!

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  2. I am a plant killer too. Luckily my husband has a pretty green thumb. I've heard great things about that Country Music series. We will have to check it out. I just spent $$$ to fix a squealing noise in my car. Of course it was some expensive thing going wrong. I asked the mechanic if I should just buy a new one, but he promised my car is in good shape now. I hope your RA pain goes down soon!

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    1. My car was 10 years old, so it was time. It was a great car and gave me very little trouble. I hope the new Jeep is as reliable!

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  3. I am the worst with plants! I don't understand what happens. I give them water and put them in sunlight and still they die. I am currently trying not to kill 2 orchids they don't look good! What kind of vegetarian am I? lol. Thanks for catching up over coffee

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    1. I had an orchid that would just keep blooming forever! I did nothing to it. My cleaning lady would give it water once mostly. Now it's suddenly dying....

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  4. Half and half is a MUST for coffee. I have the same situation as Courtenay where I'm the plant killer and my husband has the green thumb. Opposites attract! I am in a big reading slump right now but I really want to see the country music series, so maybe I'll start that this weekend.

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  5. My father had a green thumb. Alas! Mine is black. I suck at plant growing, indoor or out.

    My 1999 Honda Civic has less than 65,000 and is in tip-top shape. A couple of years ago we had it re-painted (It's fire engine red). When I bought it, my first new car, in 1999 I said I would have it until I retired. They all laughed. Looks whose laughing now.

    I am so not a fan of country music but that PBS series was magnificent and gave me a new appreciation. I still don't like the twang but there's a lot to love. And I discovered Rhiannon Giddens. Wowie wow wow.

    I put the Ann Patchet book on my voluminous TBR list because of your review. So many books. Only a lifetime to read them.

    I hope the snow is short lived.

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  6. I'm a brown thumb, too! I'm at my brother's now and am marveling on all of the beautiful plants. Our mom has a green thumb, too. Thanks for the book recs. Needs some for vacation in a few weeks!

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    1. Let me know if you have any to share. Good luck at NYCM this weekend!

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  7. Love my coffee with flavored creamer...so bad but so good, right?

    I have killed a number of plants. I never brought my succulents outside and they are ok...but need to be repotted.

    Thanks for the book list...always reading and need recommendations.

    My car has 130K but it still runs so I am keeping it...

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    1. Mine had 100K and ran great--but we knew that it was now or never....

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  8. Hooray for new cars but boo to RA symptoms flaring up. That must be so hard. Snow on Halloween? So not ready. It was oddly 70 degrees on Halloween here.

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    1. I would have loved 70 degrees yesterday. We had zero trick or treaters.

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  9. Congrats on getting a new car! It's always exciting. Especially when you get a great deal on it and the one you wanted

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  10. I'm sure I've said it here before - I love the idea of Fall, but hate Fall weather in So Cal. The "Easy Fire" is in our town in California. At this time of the year we sit on pins and needles waiting for evacuation warnings and wondering if our power will go off. Everyone has bad weather, it just comes at different times.

    I haven't seen the Country Music series, but I'm sure I'd recognize all the oldies. My dad was a country boy through and through - he grew up on a farm, loved watching westerns and country music was the sound track of my childhood.

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  11. Oh, no, snow! What a shame! Come to Florida, I could do with another running buddy here. I'm looking forward to your book review next week. All the best with the race this weekend. Let's hope that the RA symptoms will not get worse.

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    1. Most of the snow melted today, whew! I'll be in Florida in March. I'd love to meet up!

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  12. I drink my coffee black, and boy, am I missing that good coffee we got in Spain! We were spoiled! Anyway...our fall has been just wet and warm so far. Our temps did hit 75 yesterday, but a big storm blew through and it is much cooler today. I have friends who still have their houseplants out, though (I live in PA). Hope those RA symptoms go away quickly. Good luck this weekend!

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  13. It's probably a shock to the succulents to be inside after spending months outside. Along with the southern exposure, I'd really limit their watering - mine seem to be happiest when I let them dry out and stay dry. Once a month is all I give my succulents. Good luck with yours - I'm rooting for them!

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    1. One of them is clearly in shock--he dropped all his leaves! I'm going to take your advice and let them go dry. Thank you!

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  14. Congrats on the new car - that's so exciting!

    I honestly couldn't believe the weather in Chicago yesterday - SNOW?! Meanwhile it was pouring rain and 90% humidity here, lol.

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  15. Sadly, we have the same frigid weather in Iowa. This is why I embrace all things summer. I brought a bunch of potted mums home from work today, and I'm gonna try to keep them thriving all winter in my sun room. I've done it before, but not with this many...

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    1. I'm hoping my succulent who shed his leaves is just in shock! As we all are with this snow.

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  16. Boo for snow!! But yay for a new Jeep Cherokee! I'm still loving our new car too and it's been almost a year. I'm afraid I'm terrible with plants - I can even kill a cactus. And.. I don't read much these days. I just don't have time. How do you have time??? I probably don't manage my time very well actually.

    by the way my coffee is always black, unless I have a latte. But even then I add extra shots of expresso so there's not much milk.

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    1. I used to be a black coffee person until I was pregnant and had to tame it! I can drink it black but I have definitely developed a taste for milky coffee.

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  17. SNOW! Gah! None of that here although I did get wetter than I think I've got ever (or for a long time) and cold on my run this morning. Sorry about the flare-up, too. My friend had a bad one as soon as it got colder and damper here. Me, I'm aching from yoga, of all things. We did very little, very slowly, always one to give me DOMS!

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    1. Sometimes I do my little videos Yoga with Adriene and I'm surprisingly sore! It just goes to show you that you should never underestimate yoga!

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  18. I bought a lot of succulents this summer too, although most of them are inside (to help with the air inside). Some are doing great, others are just hanging on -- mostly because I just haven't had much time to take care of them.

    I enjoy country, some of it, anyway, but it most definitely wasn't the soundtrack of my childhood! My parents never, ever listened to any country. Heck, almost any time we asked who sang a pop song, their answer would be Billy Joel because they didn't keep current on music at all.

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    1. I'm sorry! I grew up with all kinds of music, but mostly country--my dad nurtured my love of music. I also played piano for many years. I could tell the story of my life in songs.

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  19. I hope your succulents survive! I'm trying to keep mine alive right now too (they're pretty much indoor only), but I don't think they're doing that well either even though I'm in CA. I think our house just doesn't have a lot of spots with good sunlight(?).

    I'm so glad you got the jeep you wanted! Crappy salespeople can really ruin the whole experience, but I'm glad you found a good salesman in Madison!

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  20. I gotta say seeing snow fall this early would push me over the edge - so not ready for THAT yet!

    Congrats on the new car! I will never understand why so many car dealerships have chosen to make the buying experience so painful. Glad you found a good one to deal with.

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