Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Places of Solace: The Coffee House

Where some folks might stare into a whiskey glass for a little contemplation and insight into life and human nature (particularly at the Silver Queen, my fictional Leadville saloon), I prefer a coffee mug.

Since my espresso con panna days at UC Berkeley I have found and continue to find solace in places where the coffee's strong and the caffeine level high.

Coffee houses are great places to read, write, ponder, be comfortably alone while comfortably surrounded, and (uh-oh, confession time) eavesdrop on nearby conversations (kind of puts things in perspective, sometimes).

Other people are there, life goes on, and with a good cuppa Joe in hand, how bad can life be?

8 comments:

Laurie Powers said...

Another good one. I have found coffee houses to be the best place to write. Something about people milling about - maybe I need the background noise.

Jean Henry Mead said...

My writing retreat is on Laramie Mountain, where I was recently snowed in for four days. Our house has a gorgeous view of the other mountain peaks and with my cup of chai tea topped with whip cream, I'm all set to escape into my latest WIP.

Jean Henry Mead said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Coffee is one of my solaces. I'm at home at the bigger one's with lots of elbow room. The Starbucks right around the corner is always filled with high school punks so I have to travel a couple miles to one more condicive to writing.

Stephen Termp

Patricia Stoltey said...

One of my favorite places of solace is the easy chair in my living room early in the morning, before my husband wakes up. Another is a comfortable chair at the library.

When I think of solace, however, I don't think of a writing place. I think of a reading or meditation place.

Patricia Stoltey said...

By the way, glad to see you're blogging again, Ann. I like your topic of choice for this week.

Other Lisa said...

Wow, so many. Depends on my mood, the weather and the time of day. Lately I've been loving jumping on my bike and riding on the bike path through the docks at the marina and down to Dockweiler Beach. So beautiful.

In fact...I might go do that now...

Ann Parker said...

Glad to see so many folks and so many different offerings on "places of solace." And, Patricia, I too see "solace" as a meditative frame of mind. Sometimes, though (if I'm lucky), the meditative "quiet" times turn into times of writing as well. It's nice to have a place/situation that allows flowing from one state into the other...
Of course, there are the folks (and I know a few), who find solace walking down/up (directionally challenged here) Madison Ave in NYC. And there is something, I'll admit, about becoming one with the crowds... Although that not one of my "places." I think the solace for me comes more from the walking.
Ah! Walking! I think I'll address that tonight...