4/19/2020 0 Comments #68) A Sunday StrollSo we went for a walk this Sunday - as we normally do. But there was one minor change to our morning routine. And… yeahhhh… I’ve officially become - that person. You know, the one who pushes a doggy stroller around town... Not ashamed. Not embarrassed. Not sad. Not mocking. And not making fun. Quite the opposite in fact. I’m soooooo happy. Very happy. Overjoyed. I actually know quite a few people who have a doggie stroller in their life, and all who do are sincerely happy with their purchase. They are the ones who gave me the idea in the first place, long ago. This amazing contraption and piece of complete and utter materialism was one of the best purchases I have ever made for the life and health and welfare of my precious little angel pooch... My dog is - sadly - getting older. Whether I like to admit it or not. This purchase has been a long time coming. A very long time. My little sugar plum fairy has had arthritis for many years. She limps, and tries, to keep going. Continually moving. Little things hurt her and if she jumps up a chair or down the stairs wrong she’s in a lot of pain for days. And then she limps more. Thus, her walks are increasingly shorter and shorter. But she loves her daily adventures and loves being outside. As is the life of a dog. And really, this whole pandemic “thing” going on in the world is what made me decide to go ahead and just buy the darn thing already. Cause there’s nothing like a pandemic surrounding a respiratory virus to prove how important fresh air really is. And our walks must go on. So the first day of this whole crisis that our little creature started limping, once again... was the very day I went ahead and placed the order. I refuse to have her “stuck” at home just because she couldn’t walk very far. Especially with her humans still out there exercising and walking and getting their fresh air - and the world in crisis… It just didn’t seem right to have to cut the walk short for her, or leave her at home altogether, just so we could go on a very long walk without her. So I made the executive decision to visit Chewy.com. And I quickly bought what I’m calling her buggy - her new ride. Now Miss Madeline can ride around town in style. And not miss out. On FRESH AIR. That we all need in this life. Plague - or no plague. Because fresh air can do wonders. For doggies too! So I purchased the Paws & Pals Deluxe Folding Dog & Cat Stroller, in black. The cost was $129.99, plus $9.10 in tax, for a total of $139.09. And yes, you can zip a cat in the netting, allowing them to sit, safely, so they can’t escape! How cool! Free shipping goes along with any purchase through Chewy costing $49.00 or more. And I set up a free Chewy account while I was at it - so now we can order dog food and medicine and other supplies if needed as well. I don’t anticipate needing to buy much from the site, as most all of her purchases are made at Petsmart, in person, and not online. But then again, I’m always happy to try out new or different pet suppliers. And mostly I’m just happy we finally made this purchase for our little angel. Then the day came when our stroller “finally” arrived to us - with impressively fast shipping actually. And we went on a lovely Sunday morning stroll. And I’m so happy that Madeline absolutely loved her buggy! She walked shorter than her usual route - and slower - and I could tell she was done, tired, in pain. This was when we normally would have gone immediately home. But noooo - not today! Prepared for everything - we finally were! We plopped our little ball of fluff into her new and comfy seat. We gave her some ice water. And then we continued onward. We walked for a much longer time period. Like - a lot longer. We walked a length that Madeline never would have been able to do and something I usually do all by myself. But this Sunday we were able to do it as a family of three! For the very first time. So it was a very good Sunday indeed. And we even made it to The Delicomb - once again. Enroute home on our walk, we just so happened to walk past the coffee shop, and quickly ordered two large lattes to go. You know I didn’t happen to plan things that way, right? And then, as our lovely Sunday morning stroll was reaching its conclusion, we were headed toward home and sipping our coffee, I saw something blue on the ground. I can’t see for anything, and from a distance I thought it was a piece of trash. But we got closer and I let out a gasp. If there is any reason to love Jax Beach that does not include the ocean - it is for all the little things. Yes, these little things. Like rocks! I found another scavenger hunt rock! People all over town paint rocks in their spare time and hide them - some hidden very, very well - camouflaged and tucked away - and some hidden more so in plain site, sitting out front-and-center - so people like me can actually find them. And I have never met a painted rock I didn’t like. And today’s rock was no exception. On the front is usually the artistic and painted design. And on the back is usually written who made the rock and/or how to tag it online to acknowledge the find. #jaxbeachrocks on Facebook is the usual group that I tend to find from. But I’ve found some from much farther away too. After you tag online you can then rehide it - so someone else who may just need a rock in their life at this very moment - can also get in on the fun. And some rocks do not come with a tag and you can keep them for your rock collection if you like. I have a small rock collection going right now sitting in my art studio. They bring me joy every time I look at them. And that is exactly the whole gosh darn point. Joy. There is joy in all the little things in life. And whether we like it or not, life is still going on. And we have to keep going. And we have to keep walking too. I learned a long time ago a very simple equation: MOVEMENT = LIFE So even though my little doggie is getting older. I have found a way for her to keep moving. I’ve found a way for her to still get her fresh air. For her to see the world around her. As I breathed in the delicious and heavenly scent of all the flowers blooming around me. I have found a way for Madeline to do the very same. For her to still keep moving and breathing and living. And soaking up all that surrounds her. And while this societal and economic crisis is affecting the pocketbook to the extreme right now, there isn’t a penny I wouldn’t spend on my little baby to help allow her to have her very best life possible while she is on this Earth. And if buying a doggie stroller allows her to have some more time with us during our day, seeing new things, and going farther on a walk than her four little paws could ever take her, then $139.09 is sincerely worth it to me right now… Plague or no plague. Since this entire crisis began it has been food and rent. Food and rent. Nothing extra. Nothing extravagant. But that doesn’t count for Madeline. I would happily even go into deep and severe credit card debt if it meant even the chance of saving her life somehow. So this cost was so worth it to me, and really not even a significant investment in comparison to the absolute joy it brought her - instantly. If you have a dog. And your dog is older or hurting and in some sort of pain, or injured or disabled. And if you have been on the fence about buying a dog stroller. Or if you have a cat - and always dreamed of bringing them along on a walk. I am here to tell you to go ahead and make that silly and ridiculous and oh-so-funny of a purchase. Yes - it might just be the most comical purchase of your life. And - It may make a lot of people laugh at you along your walking route while you’re on your Sunday morning stroll. But guess what - they’re not actually laughing at you - they’re really just laughing with you. Because it also may just bring your whole family together. And it may even bring you rocks. And mostly, it may just bring you some very needed JOY. ~
*Do you have a doggy stroller? Have you ever considered purchasing one but are on the fence? I’d so love to know your thoughts. Drop me a comment down below: Also, if you’re enjoying my stories - straight and freshly squeezed from The Sunshine State, check out some more of my other adventures right here: 67] Delicious & Delightful Days @ The Delicomb 65] The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter 64] Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday 63] Mercy & Comfort 62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry 55] The Shamrock 52] Keeping Cool - And Creamy ~ In Key West 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe 50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 46] Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don’t We Go? 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road? 41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe 32] Jolly Holiday In Jarboe Park ~ The Beaches Green Market 31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~ 22] Saturday On San Pablo Island 3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer
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*Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series How does one “do” coffee shop outings during a pandemic? In-and-out is the basic and simple answer - in this, our new and current reality. After my visit to the Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry a couple weeks ago, plus many recent visits to other local area restaurants for take-out, I knew exactly what to expect when I decided to visit the Delicomb this week. And I wasn’t surprised at all but the sight of my surroundings. I’ve been visiting the Delicomb for a few years now. It’s one of my favorite coffee shops in Jax to go inside and soak in all the air conditioning, while sitting in a big comfy, leather chair. As well as to sip a delicious and foamy cappuccino, while reveling in the delightful and coffee-filled atmosphere. And further, to always be surrounded by a bunch of unique and local art on the walls. But this time, walking in the shop was very, very different. There’s something quite sad about walking into an establishment - that is open for business - and seeing all their chairs - hanging, in a frown face and upside down - from the tops of every tabletop. It can definitely bring about the feeling of defeat. The sight of depression. And the imagery of uncertainty - and loss. And while all I wanted to do was sit down and chat for a while, I knew that wasn’t possible under our surreal and very pandemic of circumstances. By this point of the coronavirus crisis, I’m simply grateful a coffee shop in town still has their doors open. Especially considering that even my beloved Starbucks is currently closed here at the beach. Located at 102 6th Avenue North, the Delicomb is a charming little cafe, sitting right in the heart of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. They’re open 7am-4pm, Tuesday through Sunday, and always closed every Monday. Situated kiddy-corner from the new Margaritaville Resort - currently under construction - and across the street from the Casa Marina Hotel. The Delicomb offers the typical assortment of hot and cold coffees and espresso drinks, all of which are fantastic. I almost always get the large hot latte - as I did on this occasion. And hubby chose the iced latte. We’ve also had the granitas many times in the past - and if you haven’t had one before, I’d highly recommend trying one. They remind me of coffee flavored Frappuccinos, and are perfectly refreshing on a very hot day, and to bring along to the beach. It was mid-morning when we ventured inside the cafe this visit. We had just finished a long morning walk - a daily act I consider very important and high priority, just as important as the fresh air itself. So with it being morning, and having not had our breakfast just yet - we each decided to grab a bagel, to go, along with our drinks. Hubby chose the everything bagel and I decided on the whole wheat bagel, both toasted with cream cheese, and both fabulous. The Delicomb also has a large selection of sandwiches, açaí bowls, salads, wraps and paninis. I’ve had the scrambled two-egg breakfast sandwich many times in the past as well, and it’s a fantastic grab-and-go hot meal. And because of the circumstances, we literally did just that. We grabbed... and we went. We grabbed hold of our steaming lattes, and quickly left the shop after thanking the baristas. We could not sit underneath the shaded outdoor patio either, as all the tables and chairs have been removed to follow the current social distancing guidelines. We then sat on the curb and ate our bagels for a few minutes, and then headed home. Oh, sighhhh. By this point of the CoVid19 plague we are surrounded by, I’m thinking … Does one go on without coffee? Is life - life - without a coffee bean? Is coffee essential? Are those magical beans a necessary purchase? As I sipped my creamy and steamy hot latte, my answer to all of the above was, and is, yes. And thus, is the reason I’ve been trying to support as many local shops as humanly possible during this critical time period. It is my sincere hope that you also leave the house… and grab a coffee… To-Go. Get out there and support your local area cafes, coffee shops, and diners. Many are still open and very ready to serve - just in a different capacity than most are used to. Offering take-away, curbside, online pickup, and grab-and-go. They’re all a big part of what makes any town special. And besides - It’s absolutely imperative that we all get out there and get some fresh air. Pandemic or no pandemic. So don’t y’all forget to go for a walk now and then - or every day, as I do. Let’s all breath IN the fresh air of our Mother Nature - and let’s breathe OUT the stress of the news. We all can INHALE the aroma of espresso - and EXHALE the worries and thoughts of doom and gloom. We can all listen for the sounds of a milk frother - and not for the sounds of sirens in the distance. Let’s all say HELLO to those working outside the home all around you - As we all say GOODBYE to sticky, and yucky, and very clingy and needy viruses… Or at least attempt to say goodbye… And Good riddance…. And… Oh yeah, one more thing - Don’t let the door hit ya’ on the way out, either. Whenever a hurricane comes to town, all the Floridians always say we’re gonna BLOW it away. No matter what hurricane is headed our way, I tend to think that big and forceful “goodbye” comes with all the strength of all our lungs. It’s the strength of togetherness that makes one think they can blow a hurricane away, or even the mere wish for it to be gone. As one little blow can snuff out a candle. But it takes a much larger gust indeed, to change the course of a storm. So we all need to keep fighting. We all need to keep living. Even while at home. Even - Amidst a plague. Because… life is still going on all around the world. And because pretty soon those chairs will be right side up once again. And because - Pretty soon that frown will turn itself around - right here - and in your community too. And pretty soon those seats will really be filled, once again. Because - We all need to keep going. We all need to keep living while we’re alive. And we all still need our very delicious, and indeed delightful, morning coffee. ~
*Have you been to The Delicomb? What coffee shop are you desperately missing right now? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: And to check out the rest of Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge, as well as reviews of various Floridian diners - check out the links below: 9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida 16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come 19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach 40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners 57] First Watch on the First Coast 60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry 4/10/2020 0 Comments #65) The Sea Life ~ Happy EasterEaster Morning: 2020. It will be very, very different this year. Most years past, after our move down south to Florida, Easter Morning has become a wonderful and tropical tradition… and always, at the beach. We’d wake early - as usual. Make a fresh pot of coffee - as usual. But then, not, as usual… I’d pop a tube of highly processed, cinnamony, and sugary goodness into the oven. As the rolls of spiced dough rise in the heat we’d get ourselves ready for a day in the sand. Surf and turf. And pure fun. As the heavenly scent of cinnamon wafts throughout the apartment in windy swirls, combined with the fresh, salty, ocean breeze floating through the patio door. And coffee beans - doing their thing. We then ready our beach bag and grab our umbrella. When all is packed up and ready to go, and the buzzer finally decides to ding, I then proceed to slide the Easter Morning breakfast treat out of the oven. Something that costs a mere couple of dollars, but brings forth great and priceless joy. In the final step of preparation, I then glide the spatula over the cinnamon rolls and spread the most delicious frosting atop. Standing in the kitchen, I watch as the ice cold frosting melts over the slope of a doughy mountain. And then, finally, the frosting completely melted, meeting in its final descent, gently hitting the baking tray. And with that act, it is our que to leave. It’s then off to the beach for our Easter Morning. To sit and gaze at the ocean. To take in all the beauty of the sea directly in front of us. Stretching all the way out to the horizon. No end in sight. What’s past that line nobody really knows. Going to the beach is something we do all the time. But on a holiday - it’s just all the more special. And all the more peaceful. Hubby plants the umbrella into the sandy floor. We lay out our beach towels. And our doggie sitting between us nestled in the shade. And we swim. And read. And listen to podcasts and music. And mostly, we just drink coffee. But Easter in Florida will definitely be very, very different this year. The beaches here are closed to the public. Wrapped up with police tape. Barricaded. Coned off. Caution and warning signs abound. Parking not allowed. To help stop the Coronavirus spread, of course. So, while there may be coffee, and while there may be cinnamon rolls, and while there may be frosting. There will be no surf and turf. But knowing all that, one thing is still very, very certain. While they can most certainly close the beach, and can do so fairly easily I might add. There is no front door to the ocean. There is no window they can shutter and latch to prevent us from taking a look. And they certainly can’t throw away the key. So while it may be in everyone’s best interest that the beaches remain closed this spring, the sea is still sitting out there - doing it’s own thing - very much alive and breathing - and it will be there still, on Easter Morning. In fact, I tend to think the Sea and all the life within it, are kinda, sorta, wondering, at this point, where all the humans went? I think, maybe, the ocean is getting a little lonely? The dolphins that swim alongside us… what are they up to right about now? Either that - or the sea is laughing at us and saying, “Good riddance! They’re finally letting me take a nap!” And it is with that thought in mind that we have been regularly going for our morning walks, still, throughout global chaos. As usual, throughout this pandemic, we take a peak, and glance out toward the ocean - from afar. As we get our cardio in, doggy included, we take a look outward toward the gorgeous and colorful and ever-changing skyline. And the forever distant horizon. While never, ever, crossing over the strategically placed yellow and black police tape. Of course. And that is what life at the beach is all about, Charlie Brown. The Sea. Life. And The Sea. Life surrounding the sea. On the sea. In the sea. And… looking at the sea. Gazing at the sea. And dreaming of The Sea. Yes - I’ve lived The Sea Life for a few years now. It’s been over three years since I moved to Florida from the Midwest. Dreaming of the sea, ultimately, brought me to the beach. To San Pablo Island. And with that milestone, there’s another kind of Sea Life that I’ve been living since my move to Florida. It has also been nearly three years since I was discharged from the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Clinic - located in Jacksonville. There is a cognitive behavioral therapy tool that all of us patients learned as we went through the long and detailed and rigorous rehabilitation program. It divides our life - the life of an individual living with chronic pain - into three very distinct phases… The A Life. The B Life. &... The C Life. And while my C Life is ultimately why you are reading this right now, I wanted to provide you a brief explanation as to how the A and B life have to be lived - in order for a participant in the program to EVER even obtain the opportunity to have a C Life. Their own C Life. First up is The A Life. And The A Life is just that. It’s LIFE. The A Life is everything and anything and anybody that came before chronic pain took over the body. The A Life, for me, and for hundreds of other patients, was growing up… it was going to school… it was sports, it was college, it was marriage, it was graduate school… it was first jobs, or many jobs. Full careers. Family. Friends. Parties. Travel. Success. The A Life - was life, itself. And then, all of a sudden, that darn, no good, very bad day of a B Life came along - and that was a very, very Bad Life indeed. The B Life enters into a person’s life as chronic pain takes them over. A patient's body succumbs in almost every single way to unrelenting pain. Marriages are lost. Jobs are most definitely lost. Whole careers upended. Some patients even get fired from their life-long career on the very day they choose to take back their own life. To be admitted to hospital. Money = gone. Even responsible and diligent financial penny pinchers and savers - their financial statuses, quickly changed. Debts add up. Lots and lots of bills. Bills that can’t be paid. Bills on payment plan. Bills leaving one drowning in paperwork and dollar signs. A feeling that they will never be able catch up. Financial ruin…. All as the patient, and sometimes their family as well, spends every single penny at their disposal on doctors appointments, tests, experimental treatment, lots of travel to specialists, surgeries, injections, miracle creams, potions, lotions, powders, herbs, capsules and tablets. In search of a cure. Daily life is abruptly changed. All the little things that make up a life. Hobbies are gone. Forgotten in nearly every way. Sports are not even an option. Cooking - gone. Reading - gone. Books sit closed and their bindings collect dust. Parties - gone. Friends - lost forever. Mental strength. Physical abilities. Exercise. Self care. As chronic pain sets in, as chronic pain takes over… everything else is lost. And The B Life can be a very long life. The B Life can leave a young 39 year old with a whole lot of gray hair on top of her head. After the patient has done nearly everything, and lost nearly everything, that tends to be when they find out about Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Clinic. Some kind soul usually refers them. A friend, family member, doctor, or maybe even a quick Google search - a quiet whisper in their ear - informs them of Pain Rehab at Mayo. And yeah - lots of people really do not even find out about the program I am discussing with you today until they’ve lived The B Life for a very, very long time. And a lot of pain has already been experienced. To the point that it’s all sheer madness of a life to live. But then… That’s when PRC comes along. The C Life comes along. And The C Life - is a brand new life. The C Life - is being reborn. Think of it kinda like a cat…. Just as a cat has nine lives… graduates of the PRC Program at Mayo Clinic have three lives. Like - no joke. I WAS reborn - at Mayo Clinic. My life WAS saved - at Mayo Clinic. I WAS transformed - at Mayo Clinic. But it wasn’t a light bulb moment. No one flipped the switch. I wasn’t injected with a shot, vaccinating me into a different realm. No, nope, nope, nope. That’s not how any of this works. I had to earn my C Life. Through a lot of hard work on my part. The C LIfe is a lifestyle choice. But The C LIfe is, once again, Life itself. The C Life is about acceptance. The C life is about making peace. The C Life is about discipline. Diligence. Routine. Adaptation. Moderation. Forgiveness. Patience. The C Life is about faith. The C Life IS hope. And, maybe most importantly, the C Life helps a patient to say goodbye… To say goodbye to their nightmare, of a B Life. And then, to take it even one step further - To say goodbye - for good - even to their A Life. Yes, that’s correct. The A Life is tossed out the window too. It is then and really only then that the C Life can become a real and new Life. We do not look backward in The C Life. We don’t try to meet up with our old selves. We do not try to re-obtain our A Life. We accept that it is gone forever. And we simply accept the new selves we have become. Accepting of our past, and working toward a better future. And work - each day - to build a life around that knowledge. If a patient fully believes and practices the program… all knowing the C Life Is a lifestyle - and not a magical lotion, potion, prescription, or pill - the C Life can really become a brand new life. A real rebirth. An Easter Resurrection. The C Life, for me, has been truly life-changing. Just as it was meant to be. Just as I allowed it to be. And. Just as I continue to allow it to be every single day. I’ve been practicing The C Life for nearly three years… It’s lifestyle - not a cure. It’s hard work - and not the waving of a magic wand. And, The C Life is not perfect. In fact, there may be newer, stranger, or more horrible nightmares of problems that crop up in The C Life. Maybe even more so than in either The A Life, or The B Life. And I say that to be honest. But with great confidence. Because even with pandemics, massive contagions, and disruption of the entire world order, The C Life - can still be a fabulous life. And anything, anything at all, can be accomplished living The C Life. Despite all obstacle. Despite any challenge. Despite a roadblock, clearly sitting directly in front of a person. The world is at the fingertips of the discharged patient - from the very first day they exit the Program and walk out the hospital doors for the final time. Life - is waiting for them as they enter their third life. Their new life. The C Life has brought me more joy and happiness than I ever thought possible. The C Life has stopped me from waiting… Waiting….. To LIVE. I now am fully alive. Even today. In the midst of the world’s largest global crisis of our lifetimes. Yes, amidst the apocalypse of this plague. This global pandemic. Every day is still special to me. Every day I am grateful. And every day I am truly alive. As we all continue in this, our strange and new kind of life. As everyone on Earth, right now, is also going through a transition of life. And, as Easter Sunday arrives on our doorstep. Churches, for the most part, remain closed. Family and friends will not be meeting up, from afar, to celebrate the special Sunday. Most of us, throughout the entire world, will be having our Easter dinners with only the members who reside in our immediate households. And while we cannot have the beach, and we cannot look out at the beautiful sea - as we sit in the warm sand - we can all still have each other. While we are all far apart. Yes, there will be no beach on Easter Sunday this year... That is - Unless Dr. Fauci goes on television sometime between when Christ dies and when Christ has risen - and then proceeds to tell us that it is all now safe, let’s open up the world again! But something tells me he won’t be saying that any time soon. Yes, Easter Sunday will be very different this year. And with some supply chain disruption, there may not even be those highly coveted cinnamon rolls. But there will be people sacrificing. For the good of humanity. And for the continuation of life itself. I saw in the local Jacksonville news the other day that an administrator at Mayo Clinic Jax is now accepting letters, words of encouragement, drawings, images, etc. They will be sent onward - to all the doctors, nurses, and hundreds of other staff members who make up the Clinic. To thank them. We, the general public, have been asked to pass along our best wishes and support. As Mayo plays a prime role on the front lines of this global war on disease. Mayo will no doubt be on the front lines of research, studies, testing, and treatment of patients - all in the CoVid19 fight. It’s basically like this - As one of the most amazing humans on Earth always says, “We’re number one!” All kidding aside though - They really are number one. And yes - they saved my life. They brought me back into the world. And they lifted me up when I needed it the most. My experience at Mayo Clinic has given me my C Life... As I started my first job outside the home in a decade. As I’ve now completed road races, a half marathon, traveled, met countless amazing people, and various other opportunities I never thought humanly possible. Countless milestones and achievements I never thought would be available to me, merely a few short years ago. But the most important part of what Mayo gave me really is my overall brand new life. The different life. The one that is in no way at all part of my A Life or my B Life. All the countless new doors that have opened. All the boats I’ve hopped on board - to float on out toward that distant horizon line in the vast and open sea. As I volunteered. As I fell completely and madly in love with Art. As I started my own Etsy Shop, Website, Lifestyle Blog, and Art Studio. As I fell in love with writing. As nothing is impossible to me now. As there is no limit to where all my dreams may take me next. As Christine’s Floridian Dreams was dreamed up - because of them - because of Mayo. Doing all things new. With confidence. Doing what was never completed in the A or B Life. Yes, I am truly living The C Life. Even amidst a global pandemic. In fact, I actually tend to think that it is because of Mayo Clinic that I am simply plugging along, no big deal, throughout this sci-fi, apocalyptic life we all now find ourselves within. When I graduated from the Program. I had a whole lifeline of tools at my disposal. Tools I have diligently utilized each day of my C Life. Tools I am continuing to use - right now - through crisis. Life is good. Yes, life is still good. And while there may be crisis. And while there may be death, and horror, and evil, and destruction. There will always be hope. So, to answer the call from the local news stations. These words of thanks are now my words of encouragement to all the doctors, nurses, and staff - as they fight on the front lines. As they battle the evil virus. As they fight for humanity. As they give hope to countless others. As they change lives each and every day. And as they continue to - right in the middle of a plague. As they give countless patients a new life. With each deed, word, and action: THANK YOU. You’ve got this. And we are all here with you. Yes, this may be a very different Easter. All throughout the world. And even right here in Jacksonville, Florida. And, rightfully so - There may not be the beach. There may not be surf to ride upon. There may not be men with metal detectors walking up and down the shoreline - looking for shiny coastal treasures. There may not be little children collecting shells, and building sand castles next to the tide pools. There may not be a grown woman with graying hair sitting out on the beach with cinnamon rolls, hot coffee, and a doggie sitting beside her in the sand. But there will always be life. There will always be hope. There will always be faith. And, there will always be good people doing God’s work - each and every day. And maybe, and most importantly, floating out there on the horizon line… with a door that never closes and most certainly never locks, just waiting for that next someone to step out and push themselves off the sandy floor, onward and outward toward their next high and mighty adventure… forever unknowing of what truly lies ahead… The Sea Life. ~ *Happy Easter to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Florida. Thank you - for everything.* *This painting, titled - “The Sea Life” - is being donated to the Pain Rehabilitation Center at Mayo Clinic Jax - and will be hand delivered, in person… Whenever we can all see each other, once again - In real life.* [Editorial Note]: I am not a doctor. And I don’t pretend to play one on TV either. This article and personal story is not medical advice or a prescription in any way. But - if this post reaches you because you are living in chronic pain. If you found this article because someone thought it may be screaming YOU. If you were referred here by others who thought you might benefit from this story. Let this reading be that whisper in your ear - informing you of possibility. Know there is always hope. There are people everywhere - on all corners of this globe - who know how to help you. Never give up. The people and place that helped me are referenced within this publication. The main phone number to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida is 904.953.2000. Go ahead and pick up that phone of yours. Punch in the numbers. And help yourself - by getting help from others.
Hey - you - over there. If you’re looking for more stories of hope, inspiration, faith and optimism, check out the links below: 64] Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday 63] Mercy & Comfort 62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 55] The Shamrock 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road? 41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish 39] The Very Official &. Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe 36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~ 34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~ 27] Thanksgiving & Pete’s Bar ~ Not All Resolutions Need Be Fulfilled On January First 26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD 24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House 23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair 21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts *Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series Holy cow folks! Here’s my first dining review since the world went ahead and changed on us all… Today, I’ll be visiting an adorable local cafe in Jax Beach. And the only difference between this visit and any other dining review I present you with… is the fact that this is my first review since life as we all knew it imploded before all our very eyes. Yep, we’ve all been thrown for a total loop these last many weeks. And things are only getting stranger and stranger each and every day. And hour by hour. I’m thinking to myself… Maybe we’ve finally gone through the other side of that Black Hole I constantly theorize about. Or - a wormhole? Or maybe we’ve even been teleported to the edge of the universe. And then jumped right over into our real and true multiverse? Either that, or it’s just another day on this - our good buddy - Earth. Yes, Mother Nature is challenging us. And we are at war - with a virus. Either way, as I’ve said since the very beginning and even before that. I’m still going to live my life. I’m going to be alive - when I’m alive. I’m not going to be afraid. And I’m not going to cower. Don’t get me wrong - I’m still going to be safe. I’m still going to follow the guidelines set forth by our leaders. I’m simply not going to panic…. And I will keep living my life. Thus, what I mean is - I’m still going to go about my day. My job outside the home is still open. I work at what the government is now deeming an essential business during this crazy crisis. So I HAVE to leave the home. But I’m extremely happy to do it, and I would be doing it anyway. So in a way, I’m still technically living my “normal” life - while surrounded by much un-normalness. And I’m extremely grateful for my job. Even as things change now by the week, by the day, by the hour, and by the minute. Literally. And during my shift, I am also grateful now more than ever for my lunch break. And each day on my break, I’ve been trying to support an area business to grab some quick food. I have one hour to patronize a local drive-thru. I have one hour to get a drink of coffee or iced tea or some drive-thru food or take out, or drop-in-your-trunk food. And then get myself back to work, and back to sweating my behind off. But like I said - I’m still living. So Sunday Morning in America… I start my day. And I checked my social media as I usually do. I happened to see today's muffin specials at The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry, located @ 115 5th Street South in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. This cafe is the absolute cutest place in town. I’ve been before. But I’ve never been during the Apocalypse...I’ve never been during WW19. So, I’ll give it a whirl, I thought. And better yet, I’ll go, and then tell you all about it. So that you can also consider giving them a whirl on your next morning looking to support a local business, and when you want a fabulous cappuccino too. So according to Facebook and Instagram, The Muffinry was currently open and inviting us to come on over and pick up some take-out. While indoor dining is not allowed at any restaurant in the state of Florida right now, lots and lots of restaurants, coffee shops, diners, cafes, etc. are still trying to stay alive. They are trying to keep their operations up and running. But most of all and very importantly, they are trying to keep America both alive and fed during this Conona Crisis, and at the same time, keep our spirits up. The very least I can do is try to patronize local businesses in return. After all, I gotta eat any way you slice my ugly muffin. So, on this beautiful day at the beach, we went for a lovely walk. The sea mist was beautiful and refreshing. Lots of people out and about walking and biking on the local strip. Countless dogs being walked. And as we approached The Muffinry, I saw people picking up their order and walking to their cars. The beautiful and picturesque exterior of the cafe is beyond charming. I was so appreciative of everything I saw. Life was happening - still - all around me. Yes, any day and every day can be the best day of one’s life. The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry is housed in an absolutely charming old house. About a block from the beach. And yes once again, their location is beyond priceless. Surrounded by other homes, condos, sidewalks, and inviting and open parks, with the ocean on the horizon, The Ugly Cupcake has all the feels that perfectly define the local beach community here in Jax. They have outdoor seating tables and chairs and umbrellas. Now just sitting there - waiting to be used when life is “normal” again. When we can un-social distance ourselves from one another. The property entryway is lined with a white picket fence post front gate, which welcomes you into their front yard. We were greeted immediately, outside at the front porch. They welcomed us inside and said we could come in if we wanted. We went in to pay and their payment Square is just inside the open front door anyway. But they have it set up to pay that you’re “inside” but not inside the building if you don’t need or want to go any further. While we obviously could not eat inside, I have been here many times, and never have eaten inside. The outside is sooo adorable, and besides, it’s Florida y’all. We are always outside anyway. Always, such a friendly establishment every time I’ve been - but this day was even better. I was so glad we could chat with them a bit, before continuing on our walk back home. They informed us they have yet to lay off even one employee - as of my visit on Sunday, March 22. And that they are actively donating during this crisis through their newly implemented program entitled “Muffin But Love” - and I just love that. They are truly helping pay if forward in this great time of need. 100% of the gratuity added to each check is being used entirely to pay it forward. So, if you go, please tip what you can give. They are putting that money to make food to pass on to those in the local community who have been affected by this new and unforeseen crisis, such as business and restaurant and bar workers who have since found themselves abruptly unemployed. And While The Ugly Cupcake has recently since been restricting their dining to take-out throughout the Corona Crisis, they have still been publicizing daily on their social media about their daily muffin specials. Fresh and very healthy muffins made fresh daily. And on a somewhat sad note, according to their social media, starting this week they are closing their doors to customers almost entirely for the unforeseen future of this crisis. They will still be available, but through online order, with pick-ups once or twice a week. As they are trying to do their part to limit interactions and help stop the spread. But on a positive note - this is adaptation. This is the way forward. This is innovation. To stay alive. To stay functioning. We all must change in some way to persevere in an ever-changing environment. If you’re local during this crisis, please consider this wonderful and friendly and local community small business establishment. The next time you need a meal to go, a meal at home that you are too tired to cook for, or simply need to get out of your self-quarantine for a bit when going to the grocery store or pharmacy. Go ahead and place an online order. Stop by and pick up during the scheduled times they set. The Ugly Cupcake has lots of other foods beyond muffins. I’ve had it all before. And I’ll be happy to come back and review their hot menu for y’all once their kitchen is open to the public again. But for purposes of this visit, we got their basics. We picked up a bag of muffins and two coffees. Specifically, we ordered two blueberry muffins and two double chocolate muffins. I then ordered a large 16 oz. cappuccino and hubby ordered and the large cold brew iced coffee with some really cool coffee ice cubes inside it - the creative way of not having one’s cold coffee get watered down is genius to coffee fans. And, of course, because it would not be a visit to the Muffinry without something special happen, they sent us away with a dog muffin as a treat. What a special place in our local community. And as I write this review with joy and love and happiness, I can’t help but feel the sadness still ahead of us through this pandemic. An economic and societal crisis that is really only truly beginning. The ripple effect of everything that has occurred is sending shock waves throughout the world. To receive the doggy muffin during such times touched my heart. I’ll be back. When they open up again. I’ll be back for a full and thorough dining review - with a hot breakfast out on the porch. Oh yeah - side note - while we could not go upstairs this day due to the statewide indoor dining ban, The Muffinry does have an upstairs, outdoor porch. Breathtaking views await us all at their reopening. In the interim, if you’re here in town, go ahead and place a take-out order. Help pay it forward to our wonderful and amazing local community when you add gratuity to your check. Say hello. Say thank you. Stop to have a conversation. Remembering all the humans that are part of our shared and beautiful humanity, while you have yourself a very large - and very ugly - muffin. ~
*Have you been to The Ugly Cupcake? What small businesses are you supporting during this Corona Apocalypse? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: Hey there, my fellow cupcake lovers - here’s some more local bakery, diner, and coffee shop reviews for you, all located right here in the Jax, FL area: 9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida *Part of ~ Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge ~ 16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come 19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach 21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners 57] First Watch on the First Coast Plus - check out these other fun adventures below - all from my Floridian Dreams: 2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens 3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer 8] It’s Fall ~ In Florida ~ Y’all! 11] Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South 12] Paint N’ Pints @ Intuition Ale Works ~ Downtown Jacksonville, FL 14] Finding Trinkets & Treasures @ The Jax Beach Vintage Flea Market 15] V Pizza ~ The Very Best Pizza In Jax Beach! *Part of ~ Bean’s Best ~ Award Winner 2019 18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand 22] Saturday On San Pablo Island 31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~ 32] Jolly Holiday In Jarboe Park ~ The Beaches Green Market 36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~ 40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 45] Dessert First, My Friends ~ Cantina Louie 52] Keeping Cool - And Creamy ~ In Key West 53] Totally Terrific & Tasty Thai @ Blue Orchid Thai Cuisine 54] Um, Open @ Angie’s Subs A funny thing happened last Saturday night. The Earth went through a black hole, and came out the other side, roughly an hour into the future. Either that, or we all jumped at once, head first, into Daylight Savings Time. Ahhh - the time change. Spring ahead. Bleh Bleh Bleh. Fall behind. Blah Blah Blah. And spring ahead, once again... Is it all God’s way of laughing at us? Is he in charge? Or are we? After all, us humans are the silly ones who invented the logistics of changing the clock. Sometimes I think the whole time change thing is the universe's way of treating the Earth like a snowglobe. Or God - he picks up the Earth, with both his large hands, and gives it a big shake, jostling everything and everybody around. And just to really mess around with us, he does it not only once, but freaking TWICE a year. Then laughs at us. All while watching the snow fall. Personally, I think the time change is a whole buncha silly nonsense… an outdated notion - and way past its time - no puns intended - sorta concept. In this era of sheer technological innovation, and where lights can remain on all evening and then late into the morning if one wants, do we really need this twice a year time warp? To save light? Of course some say yes. But more and more people, and many governments included, are stepping onto the #freezetheclock bandwagon. Also - are bandwagons outdated as well? So…. yeahhhhhh. The time changed. And with that the whole world was thrown for a little loop. Household pets and animals were confused. Babies and children’s routines were abruptly interrupted. Everything changed - once again. But I can tell you one, little, minor, insignificant detail that for sure did NOT change because of Daylight Savings Time… and that’s food. Cause every BODY has to eat. So, we awoke Sunday morning. To greet the new day. The sun rose at a different time. We watched the shiny and happy orb situate itself in the sky amongst the clouds at a different angle at a different time. We adjusted the digital clock above the microwave to the new, correct time - cause, if you can’t beat em, join em, right? And, also with that act of stepping into the kitchen… and just like every other morning on the face of this planet, our tummies got hungry. Nope - the time change did not mess with our stomachs, at least. It was then decided that going out to breakfast was going to be a fabulous way to start our new day. We made the executive decision to finally try First Watch. A daytime, breakfast cafe, headquartered in the Sunshine State. And with locations in 26 states and still growing, we were excited to finally give it a whirl. So our tummies lead the way. To the Cafe. Apparently the whole world had the same idea as us, as even the hosts and hostesses commented that they were inundated with guests at a different time than they normally are… Located @ 13470-1 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida, First Watch is known as The Daytime Cafe. And with hours appropriately matching the daytime hours in the Eastern Time Zone of the United States, and then closing their doors well before the sun ever decides to set, the slogan makes a whole lot of sense, even if the time change itself doesn’t. And for those who live an hour behind me in Central time, like Chicagoans, good news is on the way to you - via way of a wormhole. Chicagoland is set to open its first First Watch in the fall of 2020. Right in one of my favorite suburbs - Oak Brook! So with hoards of people all going out to eat on Sunday, we had a wait. But we didn’t mind. They had chairs both inside and out for waiting. And menus to puruze to pass the time. I also took note that First Watch has its own cookbook, published and for sale in the lobby. And, of course, I had to check out the bags of coffee for sale to take home. I must admit I was tempted, but did not purchase. After all, I already have a lifetime supply of Folgers back at home. Or do I? Once seated in the crowded and friendly and Edison lit dining room, we were both immediately served hot coffee, priced at $2.89 per mug. With the fresh pot then left at our table for our convenience. And, by the way, I am absolutely in love with the old-fashioned jug our water was served from. I must buy one of the same shape some day. I ordered the traditional breakfast with bacon at a cost of $10.99. And it was worth every reasonable penny. First, there was whole wheat toast topped with whipped butter. Why is bread ALWAYS better in a restaurant? The bacon was out of this world, and the best bacon I ever ate, other than at The Ice Plant in St. Augustine - Let me know if you'd like me to reinvestigate that place, by the way? All for the sake of the written word of course - and not at all because of the free samples they so happily pass out. And the potatoes! Don’t even get me started on the potatoes. Well, ok, here goes anyway. Did your grandfather cook you fried potatoes with butter and onions when you were a child? Did he allow you to eat samples fresh and hot off the skillet, while they were frying? Did you then consume the whole pan of potatoes and then could easily still eat more? Did you then grow up, and forever miss those fried potatoes you so freely consumed in your youth? Well, I found us those grandfather-fried-potatoes, folks. Even though my grandfather is now long since passed. Turns out they were sitting right here in Florida all along. Just waiting for me to come find them. Maybe they thought I went into an alternative universe, and it was going to take me seven million light years to find them. But I found them, gosh darn it! Yes, that’s right. If you’ve been looking for fried potatoes like Grandpa used to make, First Watch is the place to go to. I’ve been to A LOT of diners. And I’ve never had any fried potatoes that tasted this terrific. And let’s not forget about the eggs. ‘Eggs are eggs.’ As they say on Seinfeld. All kidding aside, the eggs were fabulous as well. Seasoned and garnished and perfectly scrambled... yes, they are eggs, but better than I could ever make at home. And onward to the hubbies plate - he ordered the same coffee and the classic eggs Benedict at a price of $11.79, plus a side of four slices of bacon at $4.89. A picture perfect platter. Our total check came to $35.80 with tax, plus a tip. I would for sure go back to First Watch in a heartbeat. And am already planning to visit the Jax Beach location at my earliest opportunity - located in the Marsh Landing shopping complex. I’d highly recommend you go ahead and plan a visit as well. If you’re just passing through Jax, you’ll be able to feast on a fabulous breakfast to start your day. And if you’re local to the area, I’m sure you'll want to be planning your next visit as quickly as I am planning mine. But just as quickly as I’d like to jump aboard the next bandwagon on over to the diner, I’d rather just as quickly leave the time change gathering dust behind me. ~
Have you been to a First Watch? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below. Also, here’s some more diner reviews for y’all: 16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come 19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach 40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville 50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners Y’all may also enjoy: 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 54] Um, Open @ Angie’s Subs 55] The Shamrock 3/6/2020 0 Comments #55) The ShamrockOne day - a day that started like any other - I was walking the beach. My beach. My Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard of the United States. Walking along the Atlantic coastline was always the best way to start a fabulous day ahead of me. It was morning. Low tide. Very. Low tide. I followed the tide lines. I walked, and I walked. I had a bag for collecting shells, as I always do. My eyes - searching every which way. Looking for shark teeth. Looking for the best shell God ever created. Looking, searching… for treasure. Treasure - of any kind. And then, NOT just like any other day, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. Was it a shark's tooth? No way, I thought. It couldn’t possibly be. I had only come across two shark teeth in three years of Coastal Living. The odds were against me, greatly. Or the luck. So, as I always do, I walked ahead to check out what caught my eye... what was resting amidst the sand. In the seaweed and brush washed ashore. What was resting among all the tiny and shiny shells? It was a Shamrock. A clover? At the beach? It must have been a fake. Yes, some sort of garbage, washed ashore from distant lands? Fake, plastic flowers? Of course, I thought. I’ve seen all kinds of one and anothers garbage wash ashore. But that was mostly only after large storms or hurricanes had just passed through. Today, and all the previous days beforehand, were perfect. Florida. Winter. Perfect. There were no recent storms. I bent over. I kneeled in the sand and crumbled shells. The skin on my knees pressing onto the rough sandpaper feel of the sand itself. I examined the specimen before me. I blinked. Trying to refocus my eyes on what lay before me. The sunlight was now blinding my vision - light reflecting off the sand and water, making my ability to see the details of the clover challenging. I blinked again. Yes, it was a Shamrock. And actual living and breathing Shamrock. Resting on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. I reached over to it and I picked it up. And I was instantly transported to some new and unfamiliar place - very far away from home. Where was I? I was so confused. What just happened? I was standing inside a Cafe. People around me, everywhere. Friendly conversation, at a most peaceful volume. A calming sound of chatter. Chit-chat. Every table was full. All were talking with one another. Reading books. Scanning the local paper. Chatting with the barista. The building was old, with a low ceiling, and exposed, wooden beams, seemingly holding the roof in place on top of us all. The semi-large room had a very aged, yet warm, and inviting, heavenly appearance. Warped, dark cherry red wooden walls. Photos and paintings and drawings and sketches covering most of the empty space along each wall. Detailed, and shiny baseboards, enveloping all that wood surrounding us. Very dark wood floorboards. And looking up, I noticed the most gorgeous crown molding I ever saw. Crown molding fit for a grand, old, theater lobby. With another shiny glaze of paint atop that wood as well. Where was the beach? Where was my Atlantic Ocean? Built-in bookcases intermixed amongst the walls of the shop. I love books. I was standing directly in the queue for coffee. I love coffee. I looked down. My left hand held my bag of shells. Sea shells of the Atlantic coast. Where was my Atlantic Ocean? Where in the world was I? My other hand also held onto something. Something much lighter. Still looking down, I looked directly to my right hand. I slowly raised my hand up. I uncurled my fingers to see what I felt inside my hand. I tried to open my fingers - they were in a tight grip. After much concentration, my fingers finally opened to show me what I was carrying. I was holding on tightly to The Shamrock. Slightly shocked and confused at the sight of The Shamrock… I gasped. My body shook with this audible gasp. My hand moved abruptly; and during that shake, it was then that I dropped The Shamrock. Not even a millisecond had gone by, when, “You dropped something, Mam,” said a man in line behind me, very politely. At the same time of his words, he bent down and picked up The Shamrock, for me. After picking it up, he paused, still bending over. He was looking at The Shamrock. The Shamrock cupped inside his right hand. Still paused. I thought I heard him gasp? As if in shock? After a short while, the man finally stood up. I disregarded the gasp I thought I heard him make. “You better hold onto this very tightly, Mam.” Huh? I thought. Looking at him, thoroughly confused and unaware. “You have something very special here... Try not to lose it.” Still confused, I thanked him for picking it up and giving it back to me. He handed me back The Shamrock and I accepted it. I once again cupped it in the palm of my right hand. He smiled. And then I turned forward in line again, my eyes glancing at the menu; but my thoughts on the brief conversation that I just had with a stranger. Those thoughts were interrupted, when, “Next.” Said the barista, with a large smile on her face. Looking at me. “What can I get for you today? Would you like to try our Irish Coffee?” “Yes,” I instantly said. And then I was very confused, once again, as to how quickly I agreed to a drink I never drink. “That will be $3.00, please,” said the barista. I looked down at my hands again. Where was my purse? My wallet? I moved my shell bag and hung it onto my right arm; the arm of the hand that held The Shamrock. My right hand gripped tightly on the small and delicate clover. I used my left arm to reach into my pocket. And I pulled out some cash. I felt the cash in my hand and stared at it as I brought the cash up toward the counter. I was as confused about the cash as I was over the sight of The Shamrock in my other hand. I never have cash on me. Ever. Where did this money come from? So, very confused once again, I dropped the crumpled bills onto the counter. “Thank you,” said the barista, with a smile. “Have a seat anywhere you like, and we’ll bring your drink out to you in just a few minutes.” I turned. Wondering where I was going to sit because all the tables were full. In the far corner of the Cafe, surrounded by books, I saw an empty table. I made my way through the crowded tables and chairs, over to the empty table, and sat down. With a sigh. There were three chairs at the table. I sat in the corner, middle chair. My back to all the books behind me. I love books. I placed my bag of shells onto the wooden chair to my left, next to the crowd of people sitting around me at the other tables. My other hand - my right hand - still held The Shamrock. For the first time since I dropped the clover while I was standing in line, I let it out of my hand. I delicately placed The Shamrock on the cherry red, round, wooden table. To my right. Next to and facing the window. I looked at it. I stared at it. I looked up. I looked around me. Everyone around me still chatting. Smiling. Reading books. Flipping the pages of the local paper. A couple sitting next to me got up to leave. They left a newspaper on the table. I followed their walk to the front door with my eyes. I was watching them as they were going to leave the shop; but then, they did something very strange... They didn’t leave the shop. They simply got back in line. To order again? Another coffee? Another Irish Coffee? Yes, they were waiting in line. Starting all over again. Why would they leave their newspaper and table for someone else to claim it, if they were staying for another round? I heard the barista say to them, “Hello. What can I get for you today?” Assuming they were new customers. “Scones…. coffee….? A newspaper?” But they had already read the paper. The paper they left on the table. The paper. Instinctively, I leaned over and grabbed the paper, but very gently. I laid it atop my table, to the left of The Shamrock. I was, for some unknown reason, treating the newspaper as delicately as I treated The Shamrock. The date at the very top of the paper read: March 17 [no year] St. Patrick’s Day. Then, under the date, in large black print, the paper read: Doolin, Ireland. The Doolin Daily. Ireland? What is going on? How did I get here? I stopped my gaze on the newspaper. I didn’t read even one story. I stared at The Shamrock. I quickly glanced out the window. Little shops and businesses surrounded me outside. And beyond the shops, and heading out toward the horizon, there rested, in all its heavenly glory, the Atlantic Ocean. I only saw a bit of salty water, peeking through the buildings and landscape, and the initial appearance of it was very different than it was back at home, but somehow I knew it was my Atlantic Ocean, instinctively. I looked around the interior of the Cafe. I looked at The Shamrock. I drank my coffee. It was the best coffee I ever had. I gulped it down until it was gone. I wanted more. The barista instantly came over and refilled my cup of Irish Coffee. I looked up at her, confused. “Free refills during your length of stay,” she smiled at me, sincerely. Just come on up to the counter if you’d like to try something different. Free refills? Luck of the Irish? I pondered in my head. I watched as the couple who were in queue again placed another order. I was too far away and it was just a tad too loud in the Cafe for me to hear what they ordered. Obviously they were trying something new? They didn’t order Irish Coffee with free refills? I reached into my pocket for my IPhone. I had to call my husband. Was I dreaming? My phone wasn’t there. In its place was a pocket full of shells. My phone was not with me here. Inside this Cafe. I looked at everyone around me, and in front of me. I was going to ask someone if I could borrow their phone. Yet, not one person had theirs out. They were all either deep in thought, chatting, or reading. And smiling. I did not want to bother any of the customers. They were all deeply involved in what they were doing at their own tables. Never mind about the phone, I thought. I’ll wait a bit. And then, when someone pulls out their phone, I’ll go up to them and inquire to borrow it. I waited. And waited. And I waited. I sat there for hours. In the Cafe. Not one person pulled out a phone. People came and went throughout this time. But they never really left. They merely ordered again, and switched tables. An entire day passed. But I didn’t seem to mind? Smiling - saying hello. Saying goodbye. Thanking the barista on the way out of queue. The Barista - smiling at every patron, on both their way in and on their way out, of queue. The world around me was at peace, I thought. Inside this quaint little Cafe. A Cafe I didn’t even know the name of. Only after the entire day had passed did I realize that not once did I ever really physically attempt to actually LEAVE the Cafe myself. I was really and truly enjoying my time in this lovely little coffee shop. I had not tried to leave. We were now approaching the Golden Hour. Still soooo, very confused. Hours later. I couldn’t leave. Yet I also knew I couldn’t stay. I had to get home. My dog and husband would be wondering where I was by this point in the day. Having never come home from my walk along the coast since early that morning. What time was it? Certainly, my husband was trying to get in touch with me? Of course. But I didn’t have my phone. I looked around the Cafe again. No one argued. No one yelled. No one cut in line. Everyone waited their turn - with patience. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their drink, and no one complained. No one crabbed about the taste of their drinks, or about the very friendly, yet somewhat slow, service. And the Barista just kept smiling. And yet, still, during all these hours, I hadn’t read anything in the newspaper resting in front of me, except the top header. Finally, I flipped the paper over and I read the headline on the bottom front half. It was an editorial story. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day. In large, bold, black, and Times New Roman font, the paper read: “The Shamrock & The Holy Trinity ~ how the small three leaf clover became a symbol of God himself.” I put the paper down, once again. I didn’t read the story. I didn’t need to... In the past, I had heard about what The Shamrock symbolizes. I knew offhand that each of the three leaves represents the following: The Father. The Son. & The Holy Spirit. So, I thought about The Shamrock. And I thought... I thought about the Cafe. I looked at the Barista, who was still smiling. I thought about how I could not seem to get up and leave the Cafe. I was still sitting in this same chair, after hours and hours had gone by. I looked out the window. The sun was starting to set. I still could not find a cell phone, I still did not call my husband. But I also just now fully realized that I did not make much of an effort during these past hours to get out of my seat, to walk around the Cafe, or even ask one person if I could borrow their phone. I never actually tried to leave the Cafe. Not once, in all these hours. I was at peace in the Cafe. I enjoyed my time here. A simple and relaxing time. A time and place where everyone was happy. And everyone was at peace with themselves and the world around them. Focused on the present moment. Focused on the here and now. Not rushing onto their next errand or appointment or other destination, but happy and content to be where they were, presently. I looked to my left, on the chair next to me. My drawstring bag of shells. I’d like to get them home and put them in the kitchen sink to soak for a while. To wipe off all the excess dirt and sand. Home. It was the first time I actually truly wanted and desired to leave the Cafe - to really get back home. And in that next instant, I looked up, to my right, and out the window. The Golden Hour was now upon us. Shoppers were carrying packages. Paper shopping bags with large handles. Green and gold and shiny bags, with tissue sticking out the top. Themed for the holiday. Amongst the carefree crowd, I saw a man, and a dog. Walking together. I watched them with the sun back-lit surrounding their shapes. They appeared to me as black silhouettes. Floating in the coastal winds. They walked closer. As they inched toward the Cafe and came into light, closer to me and toward my window. I noticed the two silhouettes were my husband and my dog. They had found me! Without a cell phone. Without a text. Without an email. How had they found me, across the world from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean? In a Cafe. In Ireland. I stood up. I went to gather my things and run out the door. To make my first real and physical attempt to leave the Cafe that day. I refolded the newspaper and placed it nicely aside on the table, leaving it for the next customer, just as the table next to me had done when they got up hours ago. I picked up my shells. I stared at The Shamrock. I bent over one last time to pick up the small and delicate clover. When The Shamrock was in my hand, I looked at it, resting in my palm. Ready to leave. And then, I looked up. My husband and my dog were standing directly in front of me. Inside the Cafe. In front of my table. Both smiling at me. “How did you find me?” I gasped. Smiling back at them. Breathless. Shocked. And thoroughly confused. “Easy,” laughed my husband. “They have the best coffee this side of the Atlantic,” he paused. “And free refills,” he declared. So matter-of-factly. “Where else could you possibly be?” He reached for my right hand with his hand. Dog leash in his other hand. The Shamrock was tucked neatly inside my right palm. He grabbed my hand gently. The Shamrock now gripped inside both our palms. Both our fingers weaved together, holding The Shamrock securely in place in both our hands. I wondered if my husband even knew or felt its presence, I thought. And then I thought - I have a lot to tell him. Even though I had nothing to say really, about my very simple day. We started walking, headed for the front door. Finally. Our furry creature barked with happiness. In agreement with our action. She then easily led the way toward the front door of the Cafe. Guiding our way to an unknown future. We laughed. We pushed in unison to open the front door. It was stuck. All three of us stopped. We pushed again. No movement. Was it jammed? All the customers in the shop stopped their conversation, and had their eyes on us. My dog barked. The door wouldn’t budge. Was it locked from the inside? I turned around to face The Barista. At the very same moment, she said to me, “You have to give it a little kick, and then it’ll open just fine,” she smiled. So simply. So calm. So matter-of-fact. All the patrons looked at her as she spoke, and then looked quickly back at us. I thought I saw a hint of confusion in their eyes. Then, they all turned away. And began chatting with one another again. My dog barked again. I said, “O. K.” And I gave the door a little kick. It didn’t budge. But the force of impact hurt my knee. We both pushed on the door, it wiggled just a bit, and we saw it had some momentum, but was still clearly stuck in the shut position. My dog barked. Impatient, and ready to walk outside. So, I stood back just a tad, to gain what little momentum I could, and then pushed forward and kicked my right leg into the door with all my strength. The door slammed open. A wave of fresh and salty air rushed into the warm Cafe. I inhaled. And smiled. My dog barked again, and this time she kept barking. She was very excited. All three of us walked out. Walking forward. Me, having no clue where I really was. But I didn’t care. Yes, I really could care less. All the confusion stopped as I walked out the door and into the coastal air. I inhaled the salty breeze. I was at peace. I was calm. I was patient. I was so very happy. I knew not what was around the next corner. I knew there were cliffs at the edge of this small town. Cliffs that overlooked the other, unfamiliar, and far away side of my Atlantic... Cliffs that shared the same water as my Atlantic, thousands of miles away. I saw a sign in a corner window of a small restaurant across the way. Free refills with drink purchase. The window of the restaurant was warm and inviting and enticing. Yet… How would we get home? Where were we going? And most importantly, where was my IPhone?... Ahh, hush, I told my brain. I really didn’t care. I kept walking the pebbled street. My feet heading in the direction of the neighboring restaurant. I held on tight. To my family. And to The Shamrock.~
What do you love most about St. Patrick’s Day? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: And, for more stories straight from all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, check out the links below. Plus, you can sign up to be a SunShine Subscriber while you’re at it, ya know: 2] 3 Wow Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens 18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand 21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts 23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair 24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House 26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD 34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~ 36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~ 41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe |
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