COFFEE: THE DRINK OF CHOICE FOR ME

Ashley started quite a conversation on Facebook recently on drinking coffee. It seems that people either hate it or love it and like to express their preference. The discussion made me think back to when I first started drinking it.

My parents both liked it with no sugar, just real cream (no half 'n half for them!). Whenever I tried it like that it had no appeal to my taste buds. But sometime in my first year of college I sampled it with sugar in it and I liked it -- a lot! I believe I started off with both sugar and cream, then later switched to just sugar and that's what I stuck with for years. Later, when Sweet'n low came out, that was my sweetener of choice.

I think that one reason I began to drink it was because it tasted so good with that first cigarette of the day. I used to think that if I stopped one, I would have to quit them both. But it didn't work out that way -- I was able (FINALLY!) to stop smoking in my early thirties and I have continued coffee to this day.

The only times I didn't like coffee was when I was "in the family way." I knew right away when I was pregnant with Jim IV because I got up one morning, poured me a cup and immediately it tasted like it did when I was expecting Ashley. So I did without all through my pregnancies, but as soon as I woke up in the hospital after giving birth, that first cup was heavenly!

I still enjoy drinking coffee, but when I retired I came up with a new set of ingredients. Now I like it with sweetener, cream, and a scoop of Ghirardelli chocolate in it. That is usually my breakfast and it staves off the hunger pangs until lunchtime!