Really? REALLY? Sigh.

So, I know that the last place we should be eating is McDonalds, but, it was dumping snow, and the kids needed a snack, and it was close. I have a soft spot for driving through somewhere rather than trying to haul the kids in, and I wanted their tummies to have something in them in case we were to get stranded on the long drive home. I usually choose McDonalds, as we can pick up decent goods. This time was fruit and walnut salads and mochas, all around. Warm and sweet, just what everyone was jonesing for. This is the conversation that ensued at the order screen. (And as evil as everyone makes McD's out to be, honestly that is a pretty decent and healthy late-day snack.)

First lady (possibly Middle Eastern, nice but green, not been an employee long, so she may have a bit of an excuse): Hello, may I take your order?

Me: Yes, I would like three fruit and walnut salads,

FL: fruit and walnut salads? How many?

Me: Three. And I would like…

FL: Okay, would you like anything else?

Me: Yes, please. I would like three small whole milk caramel mochas.

FL: You want what?

Me: Three small caramel mochas.

FL: Wait just a minute. (Shuffling ensues. Some whispers in another language. Not Spanish-I would have recognized that. More shuffling).

FL: Just a minute

Me: Okay.

New Lady-young, peppy, but apparently no more of an idea of what’s going on: What do you need? (Wow, the customer service skills here just blow me away)

Me: THREE whole milk caramel mochas. (I was rather polite through the whole thing, never getting snotty, no matter how much I wanted to.)

NL: Um, we only have 1%.

Me: Okay, well your sign says whole milk or nonfat milk. I do not want nonfat milk, so whatever isn’t nonfat is fine.

NL: So you want them in cartons, or what?

Me: NO, I want caramel mochas, small, three of them, without nonfat milk.

NL: Oh, caramel mochas. So, nonfat or regular?

Me: ($B$*DGHFI…composure) I want regular, please.

NL: What size?

Me: Small. Three of them. Please.

NL: Does the screen look correct? Is that all?

Me: Yes.

OMG-what an ordeal. Luckily the kids were in a good mood, or we would have just left. I didn’t think it should be that difficult. Apparently, I was wrong.

It's A Good Morning...

Love that song that Chris Rice sings :) Not too long ago, Dad came forth with the fact that he had been stopping to buy coffee at Caseys each morning before work. He just couldn't bear to drink what they made at the shop (and I can't blame him). He asked where our coffeepot was, as he thought he'd start making it at home.  I have always owned a nice coffeepot, usually programmable, though we'd never use that feature. I have serious trouble dragging myself out of bed in the morning, being a night owl, so me getting up early to make coffee when he leaves, has never worked. It'll last maybe a week and then I fail from exhaustion.  A year or so ago our most recent pot died some sort of death and at that time I decided to start using a nice large french press my grandmother-in-law had left behind. We loved the flavor of it, so we didn't buy another pot. When this recent desire to just make coffee at home came up, though, we were left with a dilemma. Either I get up and make it, Dad makes it, or we get another programmable pot. That weekend we went out garage saling as well as making a trip to a local big box store for a few house necessities. In all of the pre-lunch running I had forgotten that I agreed to buy a coffee pot. As always, though, God smiled upon my forgetfulness, blessing me more fully than I had remembered. At the last garage sale we stopped at I stumbled upon the exact same coffeepot we used to own, only in white instead of black, for five dollars. This same pot would have cost nearly $100 had I purchased it new. The other bonus was already owning paper filters for it, as I never discarded the ones from the previous one, knowing more than coffee can be strained through them. I intend to use the money I saved to buy a nice reuseable gold filter for it. I still love my french press, but I am more joyed at the blessing of being able to help my husband feel remembered and loved each morning in walking out to the coffeepot to a freh pot of good coffee to start his day off with, as well as the blessing of it being ready for myself as well, when I finally get up each day. It seems like a small thing, but I think that is one of God's way of teaching us to trust him in the big things. Yes, I forgot the pot, but only briefly, and in being willing to do something Dad had requested, I opened a door to bless each of us.
Let this remind us to try to keep those little doors open, through acting in accordance with God's Word and plan for us, to have him bless and refine us. When the major things roll around it will be that much easier to trust him, even though it may be very difficult.

Thoughts from the weekend

1. When eating barbecue, wouldn't it seem better to have a heavy duty, dark colored cloth napkin rather than a stack of thin paper ones? At least, would it not be nice to have a stack of napkins on the table rather than having to ask for them? If it weren't for the place we were going being closed (more on this in the next thought) we would have never ended up at the large but not that great place in Toona Town for barbecue. Not impressed, as usual. Guy Fieri should come to Iowa. (Yup, I just totally said which state we live in. I never was happy with hiding anything).

2. If your coffeeshop has been closed for two years, take it off the sign of your giftshop. Serious disappointment. I won't be going to your gift shop, no matter how cute, as I was pretty upset about the lack of responsibility in letting us know your food was no longer available. All I wanted was a good cup of coffee.

3. McDonalds is not my first choice in anything, but when I NEED some stinking coffee, theirs is not awful. That being said, put a sign out SOMEWHERE when you manage to RUN OUT of coffee. I was so disappointed on the coffee front yesterday.

*Note, I even smuggled coffee into church in my water bottle. Wasn't insulated, though, so I never got to drink it as it was too hot to hold. I did finally get coffee after church at the coffeehouse I used to play at in town there. It was good, and much anticipated. I made coffee first thing this morning so as to not repeat yesterday's misery. :)

Another reason I love coffee shops

After reading several awesome articles on using scraps from businesses to supplement your chicken operation, both as feed and also use in compost, I decided that it was something I wanted to do. I thought about what I was interested in most, and came to the conclusion that I really want to keep my birds vegetarian fed. That being so, I decided to start asking local businesses what they do with their fruit, vegetable and dairy scraps. Carlisle was a bust, as they were already supplying local farmers, though it was nice in that it meant that I was not necessarily going to get shot down all the time for reasons like the idea being too odd. I moved on the Altoona, where Fareway was pretty rude about the situation, throwing perfectly good fruit scraps away right in front of me as I asked about bringing in covered garbage cans for them to use instead, that I would empty a few times a week. They said the state "frowned upon that sort of thing" and took my name and number to talk to a manager about. I never got a call back, but aim to go back in just to prove a point later, armed with the articles published my waste management groups applauding city vegetable big wigs, like Loffredo produce, for actually having similar programs in place. They actually DELIVER to local farmers, I was going to do the leg work. But, you know...Anyway, I moved on to Coffeehouse Hollander, one of my faves anyway. They were EXCITED to have someone take the coffee grounds (for my gardens) and scraps (for the chickens) off their hands, and glad to know they weren't going to waste. I have talked with the wife of the owner many times now, and am finding friendship there in us both enjoying a natural, country lifestyle. They are always kind and I cannot push their business enough, as they continue to always welcome us, and by us I mean my kids as well, in, are always accommodating my drink splitting tendencies for the kids, plus now are partners in recycling perfectly good foodstuff for the farm. I hit up another great little coffee joint in town there, Being There Coffeehouse. Kara, the owner, was very accommodating as well. Her business is another I love to frequent, and I was excited to have yet another source for my birds and plants to find nourishment. It is comforting to know that people are open to new ideas. It actually helps reduce the amount of waste going out on their part, which should help with the waste pickup costs, and also make them feel good in knowing the waste is not "wasted" but being put back into the earth in a very earth friendly manner. I happened to swing through Des Moines to pick up some free tomato plant extras from Ed Fallon and his wife Lynn, and may have talked them into trying something similar with their city bird set up, possibly asking Gateway Market about their waste food and such. I talked with Smokey Row in Pleasantville, and was kind of upset with the response I got. I think I will be calling the owners to talk with them. The Row is definitely owned and run by very liberal thinkers who try to keep up with the green movement. That being said,I would have thought it a shoe-in to start a setup with them. Rather, the lady working was very cold about the idea, saying that there would be health inspection violations. With covered buckets. Picked up every other day. Because that is different than the uncovered garbage cans I see you using. Right. Then she made off about how she couldn't guarantee anyone would actually put the grounds into the bucket, but I could bring it in and try, and so long as the health inspector doesn't disagree, we would give it a run. Seriously, folks. COVERED BUCKET. If it starts to draw flies (one of her arguments) set it outside. But its covered. And picked up more frequently than your trash is. We'll see what the discussion with the owners goes like, but I was not happy with a coffeehouse I try to give business to because they are local. That is the big news on our chicken front. I am excited,both because it will help with the bird health and my bird budget, but also because it is yet another aid in keeping things healthier, earth-wise for my kids. I am hoping to continue adding business, I just have to keep them within a certain driving distance a on a certain schedule in order to not make it worth my time to make the rounds.

Coffee love

I have liked coffee for quite sometime, but rarely liked it black. When I bought flavored coffee, I just didn't taste the flavor and it always had a slightly bitter metallic taste. While sorting through some of the things of Grandpa H's mom's recently, I found a french press. Hardly (really if ever) used. I LOVE IT! The coffee has sooo much more flavor. I got some eggnog flavored stuff of the Coffee Barn's (a roasterie in Altoona). So good. I put the coffee machine away and just keep my press out. And, because I drink like I read-several different things at a time-I can boil a pot of water and brew my tea and my coffee at the same time. No extra electricity or filters needed. Way cool.