Part II: Christmas Magic

"Bells will be ringing......the sad, sad news....come home for Christmas....."

Penny loved Bon Jovi but for some reason this year, she was just not ready to listen to Christmas music. She had always loved the holiday so it was puzzling to her that all she wanted to do was change the radio station when a Christmas song came on. Reaching over to turn the dial, she heard Nick at the door of the office.

"Oh,  let's let the customers enjoy the holiday music, it's not too bad is it?" he said to Penny as she slowly pulled her hand away from the radio. "What is your aversion to Christmas music this year?"

Penny sighed. "I don't know, I guess I'm just not ready. It's not that I don't like the music, it's just....I don't know. Do you think I've somehow lost the magical feeling of Christmas?"

Before Nick could reply, the jingle-jangle of the front door bell at Java Bean interrupted their conversation. As Penny followed Nick to the front bar, she called to one of her most favorite patrons as they came through the door.

"Good morning Cecelia, how are you doing today?"

"I'm right as rain dear, I wanted to stop in a little early this morning because my grand niece is taking me Christmas shopping!" Cecelia exclaimed excitedly, her blue eyes sparkling. "I have my list made out, and am looking forward to the adventure. What is that wonderful aroma that is brewing this morning, you two?"

Cecelia was the epitome of what people see when they think of everyones Grandma. Barely grazing five feet, two inches, she was a petite bundle of all of the goodness this world has to offer. Always excited to see someone, her joie de vivre was contagious. Every Friday morning she had her hair done at the same salon she had been going to for over thirty years. Much like Nick, she never met a stranger, and when you began talking to her and felt her warmth, you soon realize that you could probably talk to her all day long if you had the time.

Penny watched Nick out of the corner of her eye as she led Cecelia to the front to show her the latest concoction, A Penny for Your Thoughts. It was just recently that she noticed Nick becoming a little tongue-tied around Cecelia, and Penny wasn't sure which one of them was more adorable. She was sure that they were around the same age and always thought that it was charming to see them speaking to each other as if they were still in high school and had a crush.

"You know, Nick came up with the name for my latest idea, isn't he creative?"

Nick smiled sheepishly as Cecelia told him that she thought it was truly clever.

"Well I must have a cup of this at once!" Cecelia said as she made her way to the usual table, dead center of the Bean where she could see everything.

Penny asked Nick if he could serve Cecelia while she pulled some extra coffee filters to add to the bar area.

"It would be my pleasure" Nick replied softly as he glanced at Cecelia settling in at her table. Making his way to the large urns to prepare a steaming mug for her, he hadn't noticed that she turned his way to watch him.

"I have Josh scheduled to come in at eight, why don't you go have a cup with Cecelia and keep her company until her niece arrives?" Penny suggested.

Looking over at Cecelia, Nick said, "I don't mind if I do" as he removed his apron and poured a cup to take with him.

Penny smiled as she watched Nick sit down with his friend, and wondered if they might ever see each other socially, outside of Java Bean. She thought they should, but knew that it was really none of her business so she didn't ever say anything to Nick, other than to mention that she really loved Cecelia and was glad that they got to see her most mornings.

Just as she was putting  the finishing touches on the bar , Josh arrived in usual fashion, bursting through the front door as if being chased by ghosts unseen. Tall and lanky, he resembled the college version of  Harry Potter as the glasses he wore were similar. He stopped to say good morning to Nick and Cecelia, who grabbed his hand and asked him how his classes were going, and was he an engineer YET?

"Oh Cecelia, I think you may be my biggest fan. I'm on my way, just have to get that degree first" he replied as he smiled and patted her shoulder.

"Josh is going places!" she said to Nick, as Josh continued to the back to put his coat and backpack in the office and get his apron.

As patrons started pouring in, the shop came alive and Penny and Josh moved about quickly to see that everyone had what they needed as they enjoyed their morning coffee.

Cecelia's niece had arrived and joined her at the table as Nick finished his cup and told them he better earn his keep. Knowing that Josh seemed rather fond of Annabelle, as he greeted a few friends and worked his way to the bar, he told him that she was there and asked if he wouldn't mind to see if she would like a cup of coffee.

"Oh, sure, no problem" Josh said as he moved from around the bar. Cecelia and Annabelle were talking animatedly about their morning plans as Josh approached them and said hello.

"Annabella, good morning!" he smiled, using the nickname he began using almost the first day he met her. "What would you like to have this morning, I hear Penny has a new brew?"

"It's delicious dear, you should try it" Cecelia told Annabelle as she sipped from her mug.

"I'll have that please" Annabelle told Josh as she tried not to stare at him for too long. "What is it about this guy" she thought to herself. It was nothing short of a fluttery feeling that came over her when she talked to him. She wondered if he had a girlfriend as he turned to get her a cup. One thing was certain, she knew Cecelia loved him which made him even more endearing.

"I feel Christmas in the air" Cecelia's eyes twinkled as she watched Annabelle's expression.

Being nearby, Nick couldn't help but hear Cecelia. He smiled, and whispered, "indeed".

to be continued.......

There's only one place they call me one of their own

I recently went to my extended families hometown for a visit, thirsty.....but I didn't know I was. Needing to be close to my family where love seemingly flows from a spring, and where I receive reminders of who I am and where I came from, I returned to where I live now, what I now call home, restored, quenched even. I didn't realize how thirsty I was actually. I think it hit me when I was driving on a long highway stretch, within an hour of my destination. The sun was starting to lower behind me, and everything looked green, even the air if thats possible. I don't know if I can describe this well enough to give it justice. I could see the completely round sphere of yellow orange in my rear view mirror, I had music playing, the highway ribboning in front of me as I pressed forward. I glanced to the left and saw a barn sticking out of an almost sepia-like color of field and fence and farmland, the roof the most vibrant red I've seen in a long time. I wanted to stop and try to capture it with my camera, but my right foot refused to ease up on the gas pedal, I was going home. To family. As I drove I came across a highway sign that was dedicated to a couple who have been married for over 50 years, and have since passed on. It hit me right then. This is what I'm talking about. Love. That lasts a lifetime. Family. My roots. Where I go to ask, who am I again? I seem to have lost myself somewhere, in the mix of the pace we all run beginning with each morning at the crack of dawn. The busy-ness of life, the rat race, the day to day office politics that I detest, the traffic, the details, the paying of bills, and mundane things we have to do when we signed up for adulthood. "Hey did I sign up for this?" I often muse to myself, jokingly mind you.

See, when I go home, I get to relive that carefree feeling of childhood. I get to go to my moms and let her do her thing, which is, be my mom, and she does it well. I get to go to my sisters, my favorite part of my childhood, and say things to her that only she would understand, things that sprang from various stories from when we were growing up. I get to see my Dads smile light up his face because I'm back in his town for a visit. And one of my most favorite things, I get to make a few calls saying, "hey, I'm here, lets get together" and then see my whole family show up for the very thing I invited them to. I drink from the well of familial love and adoration. These people would do anything for me, and I know this like I know my name is Tiffany, and always will be. There is nothing greater than this feeling. My friends are very important to me, but so is my family. I am part of them, and they are a part of me, it feels like the biggest circle of love and life I've ever seen.

I did a lot of reflecting this short trip home. Every morning I took some time for myself at a very early hour, journal and camera entow, to the coffee shop on the quaint little square of my hometown. Once I had my cup of awesome, I sat down at a window table, overlooking the street directly across from the courthouse, and I wrote out my thoughts. After I finished, I then drove around and took pictures, something I have always wanted to do but never took the time. There's something about the sound of driving down a brick street, YES they still have them!, listening to my favorite music, and whipping the car into a parking space quickly if I instantly became inspired enough to turn the camera on and snap a few pictures. I was laughing at myself the first morning that I did this, because of the early hour I found that I just stopped in the middle of the desolate street, hopped out of the car, and snapped away, not realizing that I didnt even bother to get out of the middle of the road. There was no traffic, who was I hurting? =)

I remember the third day I went into "Java" (thats the coffee shop, appropriate yes?) the guy behind the counter asked, "are you a student?" Dude if you want a tip just let me do it, there's no reason to butter me up here. (I'm laughing as I type) I said, "Yes. Of life" He smiled and said, "rock on", as he handed me the iced coffee.
When he asked, on the last morning, "see you tomorrow?' I replied, kind of sadly now that I think about it, "not tomorrow, but soon" and smiled.

If you don't have a coffee shop, go somewhere. Anywhere you can find, where you can gather your thoughts quietly. Write them out. Take a walk, and some pictures along the way if you want to. The end result is something you will have with you always.

For breakfast lets have coffee, writing, music, and the food of your choice. Okay?
Until next time,
Tiffany

Jon Bon Jovi said it (sang it) best, "who says, you can't go home? There's only one place they call me one of their own"