COFFEEHOUSE CHATTER ~ FOUR GOOD FRIENDS

A series of essays.....

THE PERFECT BREAKFAST

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


From time to time, our neighborhood friends meet at the corner coffeehouse to relax, sip their favorite brew or concoction, and warm-up their hands and hearts...together!

Some might think of their meeting as a 'cleansing' or 'purification of the soul.' Even though they may share similar backgrounds and values, their ideas and opinions are as diverse and variable as the weather outside of the little shop.

Let's grab a cup of our own, take a comfortable seat, sit back and listen to what today's chapter of 'Coffeehouse Chatter' has to offer....









 JANIS: Yes, our favorite table right next to the window! Looks like we beat Dan and Rosie here for a change. Usually, their clock ticks a bit faster than ours ever does and they are the first ones to arrive at every function we go to together. Even when meeting for coffee....

BOB: Isn't that the truth? Dan's stride alone must reach three feet because I can never keep up with him just walking. Thank goodness we rent a cart when playing golf. (Chuckles to himself)

JANIS: I remember when my dear Mother used to say that you and I would be late to our own funerals? I smile now....but, she was probably right. Oh, there's Rosie. Over here, by the window!

ROSIE: (Amid hugs and cheek kisses..) So good to see you. Dan's over getting our morning shot of caffeine. How are you both? Isn't it absolutely gorgeous out this morning? I do believe that spring has finally sprung. Right?

BOB: And, it sure took its long, sweet time!

JANIS: When it snowed on my garden last week.....I almost cried in disbelief. Say, did you get a new watch, Rosie? It's quite different.....

DAN: Hello, hello, hello! Mind if I sneak in here? This coffee is hot!

BOB & JANIS: Good morning, Dan!

DAN: Sorry to be late. We had to slip in a few more steps before indulging in our favorite brew this morning.

JANIS: Dan, you have the same quirky looking watch on as your wife. Are you twins for the day or what?

DAN: The same watch? Oh....no, these are our new Fitbits.

ROSIE: I guess you could say they are watches, too. (Shaking her arm, the current time appears in the small screen on her wrist) Gothic black; goes with everything!

BOB: Fitbits. I've heard of them. Always sounded like puppy kibble or something like that.

JANIS: I've heard of them, too. I always thought they went along with a local gym membership. You know, to check on your work-out progress. (Pause) Say, have you two joined a gym!?!

DAN: Nope. But, we have been taking our health and fitness one step further, lately. It was, sort of, on a dare. Okay, challenge, if you will.

ROSIE: That's right. Lizzy challenged us. It's really a cute story.

JANIS: Lizzy? But, she only just turned nine, didn't she? Challenging her grandparents at such a young age. What on earth is this all about?

ROSIE: Well, for her birthday, as a matter of fact, Lizzie received her very own Fitbit.....a new model called 'Alta' in her favorite color, purple.

DAN: It connects with the Internet and records just about everything you do in one given day: Your heart rate, how many steps you walk, how many stairs you climb, and how many calories you burn, for example.

BOB: I still don't understand how she is challenging you, though.

ROSIE: She connected with us via the Internet, Bob. We can see how many steps she takes in one day and compare that amount with our own steps. A good goal to set is, at least, ten thousand steps per day.

JANIS: Wow! That sounds crazy! Oh, not the Internet connection. The ten thousand steps per day.... That seems enormous!

ROSIE: It really isn't.

DAN: (Gingerly sipping from his steaming cup) The craziest part is how Lizzy's challenge has brought out the 'inner beast' in both of us.

BOB: How's that?

DAN: Well, Rosie and I have always been a bit, shall we say, competitive when it comes to sports, board games, and who's right or wrong about something. (Smiling) Just in case you hadn't noticed after all this time.

JANIS: Really? (Sarcastically) Okay....but, we've never chastised either one of you about it now, have we?

BOB: So, Lizzy opened-up a 'can of worms' or is this a good thing?

ROSIE: Lizzy motivated us to move more. Walk more. Exercise more. But, most importantly, live more.

DAN: And, by doing it together, it's a gratifying experience that we share every day. Oh, and Kay has an Alta, too. She and Lizzy challenge each other, as well as us.

JANIS: When on earth does that daughter of yours have the time in her busy schedule to be motivated to walk, run, or exercise? Kay has so much on her plate already with her stressful office job while helping to raise two active children!

ROSIE: You see....that's the point. The dilemma is in thinking that within all of life's hectic busyness, we don't have time to think about ourselves. Our own health and well being.

DAN: Challenging one another to keep moving, no matter what, is the general idea behind all of this. And, it took a nine year old to show us the light! Kay walks to have lunch with her co-workers. Lizzy checks out how many steps she's already taken by pushing a button. See....here, I'll show you on mine. (Footsteps tracking across the small screen) Over five-thousand steps and the day is still young.

BOB: I, for one, am duly impressed.

JANIS: It's really all about CHANGE, isn't it? I mean, changing your lifestyle for the better. Appreciating the life that we have....

ROSIE: It is. Thank you, Lizzy! Now I park farther out in a parking lot, use the stairs as much as possible, and Dan and I push one another to remain motivated all of the time. In a good way.... (Smiling)

JANIS: The four of us have understood the benefits of eating well with more fresh vegetables and fruits, and no processed sugars. That was a huge change. And, we've all survived. I suppose you're never too old to learn something new.

DAN: Absolutely!

BOB: Well, your marriage is strong. I think this might work out.

JANIS: And, ours isn't? You old goat. Please rustle us up another cup of coffee and then these two are going to walk us through securing a pair of these cute, little 'handcuffs' for ourselves. Change for the better is always a welcome experience....

DAN & ROSIE: No problem!


Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

KEEPING THE BUNNY FROM GOING DOWN FOR THE COUNT!

A series of essays.....

THE ENERGIZER BUNNY IS DOWN FOR THE COUNT
Picture Courtesy www.flickr.com

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


How do they do it?

Such a simple question. But, can it garner a simple response?

High energy, seemingly non-stop itineraries, and selling/defending one's self each exposed step along the journey, pretty much sums up the political candidate running in a Presidential Primary Race. Every four years, 'we the people' become more and more aware of this hectic, fast-paced schedule due to constant media coverage and the twenty-four hour scrutiny of each candidate.

Growing older hasn't debilitated me whatsoever in the sense that climbing an Irish mountain or swimming sixty laps of the pool are activities best not left shelved in my doting old age. A few aches and pains come along with the territory but, most of us wear them like a badge of courage marking the long, full lives we've been blessed with, so far.

It is essential that we play hard, work passionately, which helps to maintain mental clarity, and rest incrementally while eating well to sustain health and well-being.

Even though running for political office would appear to completely drain a person both physically and mentally, the possibility of becoming the next leader of the Free World would certainly be a hyper adrenaline rush; seeing an increase in the rate of blood circulation, breathing, and preparing the muscles of the body for extreme exertion. High levels of adrenaline, the hormone epinephrine, can cause these temporary increases due to the amount of sugar in the blood, which can be used by the body as fuel when more alertness or greater physical effort is required. These hormones prepare the body for "fight or flight" in conditions of stress.

Wow! That completely explains why Hillary, confidently, consumed an entire ice cream sundae on camera during the New York Primary!

The old adage, 'what goes up must come down,' would surely apply here. Gravitational pull is a force to be reckoned with whether speaking of facial wrinkles (not that I would know anything about this example!), planes flying from place to place, or throwing a stone up into the air....these things can't remain 'up' forever! Even the body while 'up' on adrenaline, will come back down to normal hormone levels, eventually.

When do these stalwart political warriors crash and burn-out along the long road of campaign living? After all, they are only human, aren't they?

THE BUNNY GETTING ZAPPED WITH
A HIT OF ADRENALINE....POWER CHARGED!

Both Hillary and Bernie have several years on me and they are, seemingly, nonstop-able! Not that you would ever find me with my eyes on such an enormous prize but, I would settle for at least one 'bestseller,' before too much longer....

Anyway, the question remains, how can such a fast pace be sustained without interruption for long periods of time without taking a toll upon each candidate? Motivation, competition, and power. These are the aromatic carrots being dangled from the tall White House ceilings today. It's the 'Out with the old. In with the new' kind of vibes that are reverberating around Washington D.C. these days as President Obama and First Lady, Michelle, begin the arduous task of vacating their home of nearly eight years. Your comforting presence there will be gravely missed by so many, Mr. President.

By the way, in this age of social media, we can find out a lot about a person just by what he decides is necessary to tweet about others on his Twitter account. His (difficult for me to even type his name) shaming of the color 'Red' has been highly successful given a heart filled with hate, fear, and ignorance, as well as via personal hair coloring and fake skin tone. I suppose it doesn't take much time or thought for some candidates to show their hate for others these days.

The point is......and, I am not referring to being pointless and asking Bernie to please refrain from impolitely indicating things with his fingers.....are we ultimately the 'winners' here if it means taking precious time off of the life of our candidates by putting them through such a grueling campaign process?

Taxpayers, the press, and economists often speak about the high cost of campaigning with its many corrupt implications. Well, I am here to empathize with the political candidates themselves, their demanding schedules, and the idea that they must be seen and heard in the right place and time at any given moment of the day or night!

All I ask is that the educated and intelligent among us choose wisely this November after considering all of the facts. May the right, albeit exhausted, candidate hang a hat in the White House this November and serve to continue the long, difficult job that Barack Obama so astutely began with honor and grace for all people....no matter the color of their skin or religious beliefs.

Both of you should get some much needed rest whenever you can. The next few weeks promise to be a roller coaster of a ride.

I am very proud to say that.....

Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

THE REDBUD TREE

A series of essays.....

~~A ROOM WITH A VIEW~~
THE LITTLE YELLOW COTTAGE

 .....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


The Redbud tree grows wild and free outside my bedroom window. The rising sun has set it on fire as each fledgling bud is bathed in brilliant morning light. Oh, how I love the morning hours.

My Spirit exists within this tree.....

Inevitably, someone will inquire of each of us, "Are you a morning or a night person?" What would you say to them?

"I feel incredibly alive in the early morning hours," I would reply, without a moment of hesitation. The pure, rose-pink light of dawn awakens the senses with its perception of a new beginning that offers a blush of warmth to the new sky like a young girl's cheeks following her 'first kiss.'

The feeling of hope gently spreads out along the horizon like a healing salve of slender tentacles of light inching across both land and sea, seeking every nook and cranny, each foaming wave of water arching magnificently before breaking onto the shore.

My naked bedroom window, like a huge 'eye on the world,' pulls the newborn light into the small room. I stand speechless, in awe of the spectacle materializing both inside and out. Running to retrieve my camera, I stumble back to the bedroom, the old wooden floor creaking with every step, echoing my early morning solitude.

My Redbud tree is screaming, "Get your spring on! Look at me. I am a feast of blossoms; a breath of fresh air after a long winter."

Its presence cannot, will not, be ignored. I have captured its image and beauty to take back home to Florida. I will forever remember the subtle, gentle screams of delight as the rising sun saturates each wild pink bud with its heady warmth and light.

I may not be there when these showy pink flowers, naturally, drift to the ground under the peaceful persuasion of a spring breeze. The picture of my Redbud tree taken that glorious morning at sunrise will remind me that the vivid springtime beauty of the Redbud will always have an impactful effect on my Michigan spirit.

The Redbud tree grows wild and free outside my bedroom window....


Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved