Category Archives: December

Winter Solstice 2025 As I’ve shared in recent posts, much of my inner turmoil over the last few years has come from feeling pressured to make and keep commitments. I want to acknowledge here that the commitments themselves are not to blame. Rather, there is a people-pleasing perfectionist within me who doesn’t want to letContinue reading “Reset”

Photo by Reunion Restaurant on Facebook December 8, 2024 I seem to have devoted a disproportionate amount of blog space to describing the closing of various restaurants and coffee shops. It made at least some sense during the pandemic. Today’s installment, however, comes from a place of shock and knee-jerk reactions. This could be theContinue reading “Setting the Record Straight on Reunion”

December 30, 2023 It’s no secret that I love coffee and coffee shops. In the nearly four years since I started this blog, I’ve mentioned (or included a photo of) coffee 35 times. There is even a coffee musical in my recent past. For some reason, the subject is endlessly fascinating to me. I alsoContinue reading “Coffeeland Elegy”

December 31, 2021 I recently walked into a local restaurant and was greeted by five employees shouting my name. Cheers jokes aside, it felt wonderful to be both recognized and welcomed. I know how much effort it takes to process the hundreds of faces encountered in customer service, especially during busy hours – let aloneContinue reading “Welcome(d)”

December 22, 2020 The other day, in a fit of boredom (okay, let’s be honest: procrastination), I made a mental list of the things I wished I could be doing at that moment.  In no particular order, they were: 1) sit in a coffee shop and people-watch; 2) get a big group of volunteers togetherContinue reading “Pause and Reflect”

[Merry Christmas to me! Driftless Grace now has a shiny new domain name, driftlessgrace.com.] December 12, 2020 I moved to my apartment building in December of 2017. (If you’re a longtime reader of this blog and feeling confused, I’m now onto my second unit in the same building.) Those first weeks were magical. I lovedContinue reading “Deck Them Halls and Ho Ho Ho”