Today’s gratitude is brought to you by coffee, that magical drink of ages. You know, the one that also may have fueled the Enlightenment?

This is what great coffee looks like — it brews up thick, and rich, w/ lots of lovely crema on top. It’s where the coffee’s volatile oils (those yummy fragrant & tasty things) live, after you brew it. Or, in my case (this is my beloved’s coffee), pull the espresso shots. That then go in to a glass with a dollop of condensed milk, ice, and milk to top it all off. Ah, Việtnamese coffee — shades of my youth.

I’m trying to focus my gratitude this month on the little things in my life that I sometimes take for granted: great coffee, great tea, my (currently weed-ridden) garden.

No one doubts that I’m very grateful for my beloved, my wonderful sons & DIL & grandson, or my incredibly loving sisters and their children. But sometimes, we forget that our everyday lives are also rich in magic.

So here’s to coffee, and to the focus required to make it well. And to the clarity it provided for my comprehensive exams, every conference I’ve ever attended, and just my daily slog. 🙂 What in your day is equally appreciated?