Catching Up Over Coffee - January 2016 at Landmark Cafe

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

January, 2016 - My sister and I met one evening in late January for some dinner and coffee at a small cafe in Manchester, CT. We had decided to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state.

For our first outing, we met closer to her home. She lives about an hour north of me with our father, so I got a chance to see him as well. Since we were in her area, she got to pick where we would go and chose The Landmark Cafe. 

I got there first and picked a table, which was a bit of a challenge for me because each table was unique and had its own charm. Even each set of salt and pepper shakers were different. I picked one and sat down to wait. 

My sister and I ended up ordering sweet potato fries for an appetizer, which came with a mayo based dipping sauce, which was very tasty. She had a Alfredo pasta dish and I got a veggie wrap. Both were quite tasty. 

After dinner, we finally got to the coffee. We learned that Landmark Cafe has specialty lattes and mochas, which made our night. My sister ordered the Caramello and I had the Banana Fudge (closer mug). Both were very delicious! 

The Caramello tasted just like you would expect a latte version of the candy bar to taste. The thick foam carried the taste of the toasted marshmallow and smooth caramel from mug, over taste buds, and into the stomach. It was a joy to sip. 

Sweet chocolate and creamy banana pair so well, it seems, in any form. Each sip of the Banana Fudge latte was a treat. This is the kind of experience I hope to have each time I order a latte. 

Now for the real test - would I visit this cafe again? The answer is yes. In fact, I already have. I happened to be back in Manchester to go wedding dress shopping and brought my entire party here for lunch. They all enjoyed it as well! 

If you want to learn more about our coffee adventures and why we are doing this, read the first post, Catching Up Over Coffee 

Next - Catching Up Over Coffee - February at Focaccia's Cafe

NaNoWriMo 2014 Day 5 - Behind & Distracted

I am 2 days behind in my word count and trying to stay focused on my story. It has been especially difficult today since today was the day we laid my Grandmother to rest.

NaNo has become a way to distract myself from the sadness and a way to keep doing something besides mourn. However, trying to focus and write is difficult since I do have all of these emotions to deal with. I find myself procrastinating by checking Tumblr and Facebook even more than usual.

It doesn't help that I have also been thinking in terms of stories (as I do every November) and have come up with another idea for another story. I want to write this new story while these emotions are fresh since it has to deal with the events surrounding my Grandmother's passing.

Instead of writing a full length story, I will attempt to write it in one paragraph:

Grandmother's Passing
My Grandmother passed away Halloween night. They say that Halloween is a special night during the year. It is the time when the vale between the living and the dead is at its weakest, making it easier for the dead to cross back into the world of the living. My Grandmother's husband and youngest son, who have both passed on years ago, realized this and came to see her. She was unsure about crossing over and they came to help her break free from the suffering of this world and join them. She smiled when she saw them and, after a long conversation, decided it was time. She was in fact done with this world and was ready to move on. That was when her journey with this life came to a close.

Book Update Read in 2013: The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest 
by Oscar Wilde 

4 of 5 stars

bookshelves: 2013

Read in October, 2013

A local organization, Center Stage, was putting on a production of The Importance of Being Ernest, which was one of the classics that I had downloaded on my nook. "What better time to read it than now", I asked myself.

It was a very quick read and I found myself enjoying it more with each page. The plot, two men fall in love with two women, the men each tell the women their name is Earnest, and the women both state that they will only marry a man with the name Earnest, was fun and funny.

This is definitely not a story for someone who is looking for something serious!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and appreciated its shortness. It made me want to go see the live show.

Things to be Grateful For

I have a Tumblr that I keep up. It is very simple. Each post consists of a list of 5 things that I am grateful for.

I call it Grateful ForThe Small Things.

It is a great exercise for anyone to do and I encourage others to do it too. Having started almost a year ago, I now have a list of over 400 things that I am grateful for.

Check out the blog and if you have a Tumblr, follow me!

Books I have read in 2013 - The Great Gatsby

What can I say that hasn't been said already about this book?

The Great Gatsby has been on my reading list for some time now and since there is a new movie coming out, I figured now was add good a time as any (if not better) to read it.

The story starred off a little slow, but by the time I finished reading, I wished it was longer. Even a couple of weeks after I have finished reading, I still think about the book and its characters.

Such Great Neighbors

So my neighbors put up a chicken coop on the back side of their property against my apartment property. It has been up for about 2 months now without anything in it. 

I was walking the dog during lunch and I happen to see a chicken out from the chicken coop. I don't have the best eyesight, and I really believe what I had just seen. So I take two steps past the curb, still well within my side of the short shrubs that mark the property line, to take a look with the dog, from a distance I hear "hey! Excuse me! Private property!"

Now, I would have shouted back, "This is really cool" or something to that effect but, I am not a loud person, and I'm also battling a cold, so I just walked away.

I would have thought a neighbor would have been nicer than that.  If I had started a chicken coop, I would have assumed people would be interested. I would not be shouting across my yard to my neighbors and pushing them away. 

In fact, I would want my neighbors to like me and to know what is going on in front of them. That way if anything were to happen they would be more likely to help me out and not ignore me. Now, if I happen so see anything wrong with the coop, I will simply ignore it, since they obviously don't want anything to do with anyone around them. 

So much for love thy neighbor and such.