Drinking Coffee All the Time

“Hunkering down” is a nice folksy way of saying “under quarantine,” and it’s certainly less harsh than saying “sheltering in place.”   That being said, because I am innately optimistic, I like to say that “I am hunkering down drinking coffee while spring sunlight pours in through my window.” Another version of me hunkering down involves “drinking coffee on the porch, watching as the morning light expands.” Later on, I might “hunker down and have another late-afternoon cup of coffee as a way to savor sunlight that lingers as days get longer.” On a sunny afternoon in early March, I was happily drinking coffee  at a ski lodge in Massachusetts. Only 2 weeks ago, feels historic. Despite my optimism, however, anxiety lies right below the surface. My current underlying anxiety often manifests through an intense desire for sweets. Ergo, my new morning habit---freshly brewed, bold, steaming coffee served up (by me, for me) in a large stoneware mug, and topped off with whippe

In May 2019, a young Kenyan journalist, Michael Onsando, wrote an article extolling the virtues of Kenyan coffee, while criticizing the Crop Amendment Bill of 2019, which proposes that all coffee grown in Kenya undergo processing, production, and purchasing locally instead of sending out the raw beans for external processing and marketing. (As it turns out this idea has proven untenable, as lots of coffee has sat in storage awaiting the next step and has rotted. Idealism should never outweigh profits.) He notes: "Here's the thing abut Kenyan Coffee. It's expensive." Onsando explains that the Arabica that predominates in Kenya is very "pure."  Kenyan coffee has a deep, bold flavor profile, with a wine-like acidity and has been a popular go-to option for coffee aficionados for a long time. One favorite is Volcanic Kenyan Coffee AA, which goes for $20 a pound online. Kenyan AA denotes a type of bean. AA beans are the largest beans grown in Kenya, and they