Hello Hive!
For the love of coffee, I'd like to raise my cup of joe in celebration of Cinnamon Cup of Coffee Community's First Anniversary. I may not be present weekly at our Hive's virtual coffee shop but I frequently check on posts in the community to see what's brewing.
February is a love month. Valentine's had been a personal favorite occasion, not because of how many bouquets one would receive but the 14th of February was my Dad's birthday. Having said that, when I was young, I bought single red roses for my closest female friends just because it felt great to see them smile, followed by doing something special for myself. The latter, I still do.
I eventually married a man who never believed in it and viewed the commercial motivations behind the season of hearts. He respected the fact that I love Valentine's but he was true to his convictions. I love him for that and never expected him to change.
What does this have to do with anniversaries? The same way he didn't celebrate Valentine's, like frothy milk, it gradually poured over our anniversaries.
Monthsary was never a part of our menu as a couple, but my sentimental side held on to small mementos. I was the type to keep all of our love letters and movie tickets. They survived the storm by the way under the intention of passing them to our daughter, in case she might be interested in learning more about her parents when she's older.
How we met? @iamyohann and I found each other online randomly back in 2000. This was during the era of ICQ and coin-scratched prepaid internet cards for the modem. We were in a long-distance relationship for 3 years, lived together secretly in the Middle East for 2 years, and later got married in 2006.
When I think about anniversaries, no particular memory stands out. We enjoyed the first years of our married and pre-married life, just us in tandem with our careers so we had plenty of time to go on dates. Most work-free days consisted of dining out or eating in watching our favorite series.
Like most would expect from a Feeling Type, I wrote him love letters, created scrapbooks but when his drawer was filled to the brim with my greeting cards, I stopped at some point. His thinking personality appreciated them but didn't see their value.
Instead of anniversaries, I'm celebrating moments that stay with me.
I remember the fresh cup of coffee next to my bed when I wake up in the morning. The surprise birthday get-away he organized in the middle of the desert. The day we first moved in together. To come home after a long day at work and enjoy the dinner he prepared.
The countless times he patiently fetched me at the airport after work trips and vice versa. His scent, my body resting on his back during motorcycle rides. That time he got seasick surrounded by sacks of onions in a sickeningly scary boat ride somewhere in the Atlantic.
His random marriage proposal while I devoured a chocolate molten lava cake. Brainstorming together while making major decisions. Gazing at him dip his baguette in a bowl of hot chocolate. The loving look on his face while I walked down the aisle of our garden wedding. The way he openly listened to my illogical yet intuitive views on things. The moment we accepted the fertility injections didn't work and we were okay adopting.
The look of confusion on his face when I handed him an unbelievably positive pregnancy test. He stood next to the delivery hospital bed for 11 hours without sitting down holding my hand during labor. The sound of his laughter when I said something silly. The sleepless nights of parenthood. The simple joys of drinking coconut juice together. The hikes and trails we both enjoyed in many places around the world for the last 16 years. Watching him effortlessly slip in the shoes of a strict but loving father.
I am grateful for each morning waking up next to him. Our nightly walks and conversations around the village. Listening to his playlist while I worked and his acceptance of my unusual taste in music.
Life is like a box of muffins. Each muffin is made up of micro-moments. We share them with the ones we love. We learn to savor each bite, the same way we delight in every sip of coffee.
What about you? What are the small moments that stand out in your reverie right now? Which memory worth reminiscing gives you joy?
Thank you for reading! Happy Anniversary Cinnamon Cup Coffee!
P.S. The box of apple cinnamon muffins and coconut chocolate cheese cupcakes are made by Lesly's Bakery in Moalboal, Cebu. They're excellent with coffee!
"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."
Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.
Beautiful @discovergarni… treasure those moments, they are precious.
My partner is the same… we enjoy just like you, those little gestures together. 🥰
Hi Jackie, wishing you both many enjoyable times and blissful moments. Raising my mug for you both😊
Thank you so much @discoveringarni 🥂 and all the best wishes for you both too 😊
You're welcome! 😊
What a beautiful story about love.. You and your husband have different ways on showing your love for each other. Sometimes, we do end up with people who can be vastly different from us in some ways. Maybe, they're meant to make us see the other side of the coin. I'm not really sure about that but that's how I feel with @marcusen
Thank you for another poignantly written post
Cheers to you guys and Happy anniversary to the one of the best communities here on Hive 🥂 ☕
Hi Lavie, thank you 😊
Well said, I love that idea. Speaking of which my husband and @marcusen both share a love for motorbikes. We both checked his previous post on various motorcycle models. Cheers to you both as well 🥂☕️
That's so cool that they both liked motorcycles. To be honest, I was initially against him getting one before as it's very dangerous. But he was so excited about it so there's nothing I can do but be happy for him. He did promise me that he'd be extra careful
Men and motorcycles, I see what you mean. They get really excited with the sound. He'd sometimes mention the brand and model of the bike from hearing the engine roar. He'd identify which neighbor is passing through with the sound of their bikes. 😁
Those are some beautiful and full of gratitude thoughts dear @dicoveringarni. It is such a delight to go through your publication with such captivating content and eye-catchy pictures with fun & loving typeface.
Also Happy Anniversary Cinnamon Cup Coffee!
Cheers!
Hi Sahiba, thank you. The last few years had stripped us bare enabling us all to appreciate things that we would have otherwise overlooked. I enjoyed writing this so I'm glad to hear lovely feedback like yours. Have a beautiful Valentine's weekend!
You too!
Such a beautiful story you have right there. I love reading this post! Thank you for sharing your story! :)
Hi Klause, thank you I'm glad to hear that. I must confess I wanted it to be an online love letter to him even though I know he's never going to reply to this post because that's just the way he is. 😊
I did, just to contradict you. Albeit a bit late, I did 😁
Love you!
Haha so unexpected, but for the sake of contradiction - the motivation behind it doesn't surprise me 😂
I love the fact that despite of his choices, you know something a usual man would do, you are still in love with him. It didn't bother you anymore and you accepted him as he is. That is something very admirable!
I haven't thought about it but thank you for making me see it this way.
I haven't thought about it but thank you for making me see it this way.
You're welcome. :)
Very nice story.
I've read several times that a love story involving coffee is an amazing story 😃.
Hi @fabian98, thank you, I guess love and caffeine blend so well together.
👍😃😃
Your story is beautiful, I think we will live happily with the right person. wish you always happy
Hello @ndari, thank you, being with the right person makes a lot of difference, having experienced a difficult relationship in the past. I guess we'd only be able to appreciate them, even more, we have seen the opposite. Wishing you happiness as well!
This post almost made me emotional 🥲
Beautifully written 👏
Hello George, oops 😁 thank you, you have no idea how much you made my day with your comment.
very nice moments you told us. and a surprise trip to the desert haha, that's really an original idea, it must have been a great experience. moments are the essentials in life, and so is keeping them in memory.
Hello Mary, indeed, a philosophy that I have only embraced in the last several years. He may not be expressive with words but he has this penchant for surprising people he cares about. He's the type to fly overseas and show up unannounced to surprise them.
May we all enjoy these moments, however trivial or simple or seemingly little they appear to be. Wishing you a lot of those today.
Thank you very much! I have to say the older I get, the more I remember it. We should enjoy it with our loved ones. I hope you have a good start into the week! Warm greetings
Happy Valentine's Day!
i love every inch of your blog dear... i can sense the love, the appreciation... i can't put my feelings into words like you do... so I so much enjoy this time of reading...
Hello @junebride, I am touched by your message, thank you very much. I enjoyed writing it after many cups of instant coffee (feeling lazy to brew hehe), words just fell from nowhere.
am a fan.. and we also drink instant coffee here heeheh
💐Hey Arni, I found so many things so beautiful in this. You buying a rose for each of your friends, and love letters that you've kept for your daughter (I'm glad the letters weren't damaged)...so many things made me smile. Random marriage proposal.... commercialized Valentines, etc.
My favourite pastime as a teenager was spending hours at a huge pharmacy reading all the cards, and spending my pocket money buying them, till I started making my own....that was my "feeling" personality. Now my "thinking" personality does not see the value either 🤣
Makes me smile, I'm a feeling and thinking, but more of a thinking now I believe 🤣
😊😆
🥂 You two (well, three) have a beautiful story:) It was beautiful to read:)
Cheers to many more happy years 💐
Hi Camille, how are you guys doing? Same 🙌, I enjoyed browsing and choosing the perfect card to send inside bookstores, even when I didn't have to buy anything it was fun reading them. Designing and writing cards would have been an awesome job back in the 80s and 90s. I admired the creators of those cards, splashing their witty lines, humor, sometimes cheesy, some really artistic.
I'm there with you, with the lifestyle change, I understand the practical views, so instead of writing him another card for Valentine's, better do it on the Hive lol. Less clutter and paperless haha.
Speaking of the cards, yes they survived 😀 The sentimental balikbayan-sized box with photo albums and love letters, and scrapbooks made by the family were the first items we searched for when we reached the flooded storage after the typhoon. There were also old recorded videos there that needed digitizing.
You strike me as someone on the borderline of thinking and feeling. Thank you and happy Thursday! 😀
Hey Arni, we're ok, cruising along slowly:)
That was some stroke of luck 🙏😍
Happy Thursday to you too:)
the idea of the roses for your girlfriends that you had when you were young is really great. I haven't heard anything like that before, but I think it's a great thing even at our age. I just think I'll give away flowers sometimes! the little things are so important:)
Given the opportunity of meeting close friends, I'd like to do the roses again so yes it is applicable at any age 😊 Just the thought of the wholesale flower market where I used to buy them as a student took me back down memory lane. 😊
Aw... that is so heartwarming. Your hubby has his unique ways of expressing his love for you. Simple things really stand out and they are precious. Some of the things you mentioned here resonate with me :) Cheers to you both!
Thank you 😊 We are complete opposites. I began to understand his ways of expressing his love over the years. He'd be one to sit on the mall benches refusing to enter a store though lol. Thanks for your lovely message. 😊
I think the differences between couples make everyday even more interesting :) You are very welcome :)
My thoughts exactly :) Have a good night
Very nice trip down memory lane. So many great moments for you guys.
Those muffin flavors sound good and nice quote as well. It sounds like it belongs in a card 😁
Love the muffin flavors. I didn't expect coconut would work with layered chocolate cheesecake with graham powdery crust but it surprisingly did.
Haha, I'm compensating for not being able to send him greeting cards Lol. I gave him one last Christmas for a change and it went straight to the drawer as expected 😂
Love the muffin flavors. I didn't expect coconut would work with layered chocolate cheesecake with graham powdery crust but it surprisingly did.
Haha, I'm compensating for not being able to send him greeting cards Lol. I gave him one last Christmas for a change and it went straight to the drawer as expected 😂
Oh and one of the bakers who made the muffins is originally from Alsace, true story, which explains his love for cinnamon 😁
That's pretty interesting. Funny coincidence 😄
Who doesn't love cinnamon!?!
Lol
My husband and daughter haha, it's okay more for me 😄
Oh and one of the bakers who made the muffins is originally from Alsace, true story, which explains his love for cinnamon 😁
@discoveringarni Oh wow! You are so right in the little things in life, everything needs to be treasured.
I must say that I am more of a quality time type of person so for any special occasions with friends and family it is not about gifts over and above a coffee, tea, cake, meal or walk somewhere. Though I did buy my friend an orchid for her birthday the other day, the colour was amazing but we also all got together and had dinner to share moments together, those will stick in my head for a long time.
Thank you for an inspiring post about looking for and doing the smalls things with great love :) Have a wonderful day.
Hello @serowa, with pleasure always. Oh yes, quality time is precious. I think the orchid is such a sweet gift to receive or give away. Wishing you a day full of joy 😊
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Hi Malomi, thank you for the greeting. Hope you had a great one!