Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share! Can I get you a luxury cup of a dark French roast coffee? During the weekdays I rarely have coffee at home, I have my first cup at work. The coffee there is OK, but the coffee at home is a ‘die and go to heaven experience’, with carefully selected, organic coffee beans brewed to perfection in my French press. Or perhaps a delicious, green, organic ginseng/matcha tea is more to your likings? That is my favourite tea at the moment. There is regular black tea as well. How is your week?
We started this week with a lot of snow, we still have snow, but not as much as we had in the beginning of the week. The temperature have been playing some kind of yo-yo game. For the past couple of days it’s been way too warm and really windy. Before the week started I decided to ride my bike to work as many days as possible, 3.7miles one way. Monday and Tuesday, when we had tons of snow the bike lanes were in perfect shape. It was pure pleasure to ride to work. Riding my bike to work is my preferred way of transportation. I get a great workout, a big chunk of the way is uphill. I listen to uplifting music and start my bike riding days with high overall energy levels. On Wednesday it was warmer and the snow on the sides of the bike lanes had melted some and started to mess up the road, I decided to not ride my bike on Wednesday. On Thursday it was slightly colder, but not cold, around 25F. It was a tad but windy, but not too bad. I decided to take the bike. It was fine, a little icy on the way home, but totally doable. Yesterday (Friday) I woke up to the wind howling outside my window, as I was enjoying my breakfast it sounded like it settled a little, and I decided to take my bike…it was rather windy, and very icy. Less than a mile away from home my bike and I had a slight disagreement with a bumpy patch of ice, and we parted ways, my bike went to the right and I flew up in the air and went to the left. Somehow my ninja powers appeared out of nowhere and I landed on my feet. My bike and I agreed that she could have a day off. What is the weather like where you live?
I’m going to try to talk my daughter into going ice skating today. I know she has other plans, but I also know that she would benefit from at least doing it once before they start doing it at school next week. She haven’t been at all so far this year. She does enjoy it when she is there on the ice, but she absolutely hates putting her winter clothes on, and going to the ice rink (it’s only minutes away.) We’ll see. She also has some homework that we are going to tackle this weekend. I have some educational plans for this new semester to write, and some most interesting books for my new school to read (I am so excited about starting on Monday.) I am definitely going to the gym Saturday and Sunday. I was contemplating going to a yoga class tomorrow. It’s the thoughts of that damn pandemic messing around in the back of my head making me decide against it. I know they’ve taken measures to keep everyone safe during the yoga class, with extra cleaning, limiting the number of participants, and it’s very doable to keep distances in that big room, but still…I’ll wait a little longer. Would you like a refill on your beverage?
Something fun I will do today, is to plant three spider plant cuttings that my little sister gifted me when we visited her over the holidays. I’ve been letting them grow strong roots in water until now, but I believe it’s time to plant them in soil. I have some beautiful terracotta pots that I am going to plant them in. These pots are small, to match the cuttings, but they are of the exact same model as the huge ones that I have my monstera plants in. I believe that is going to look fabulous. The plants are not going to be right next to each other, but the kitchen/living room is an open area, and you’ll be able to see all the flower pots at the same time, sitting at the kitchen table, and sitting in the couch in the living room. I’ll post some photos on Instagram later.
Thank you Natalie for hosting the Weekend Coffee Share. Tell me what’s going on in your neck of the woods. I’m going to try to visit everyone’s coffee share this weekend.
Love,
Maria
GreenDreams 
I wouldn’t dream of going to the gym with so much Covid spread in the community! Maybe if it was large and airy and during times when there are only few people there, but who knows… it’s everywhere now. I’m very cautious also being triple vaccinated because in the past my body used to react violently to respiratory viruses. I’ve been more or less isolating during this time, except last summer and autumn when the spread was much lower and the weather was good to hang out with friends at pubs and similar with outdoor tables.
Oh, the beauty of a well made coffee! When I worked in the hospital I never had coffee there because it was simply undrinkable. I tried once when I was very tired but had one sip and threw the rest in the sink!
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It’s good to be cautious. I do go to a big airy gym, on times when it’s not crowded. I feel at a bigger risk at work, now when the new variation of the virus is spread widely among kids. Its impossible to keep a safe distance to them..I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend.
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Oh my goodness, the icy bike fall! I am glad you are okay.
I have a spider plant and it is wild. I like this plant so much because it seem so hardy and it is happy to do its own thing. I was surprised because last summer is got these little tiny white flowers on it. I had never seen it flower before.
Anyway, thank you for the virtual coffee. Have a great weekend Maria.
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Thank you! I’ve had several spider plants before, and I really love them! My last one was in Las Vegas, and it even survived the air-conditioned, dry coolness there. I have high hopes for these three little babies 🙂
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend!
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Hi Maria,
I miss the days when I rode my bike to work.
These days,I need to carry a laptop and related stuff to function at my customer sites and they are all too far away.
I stopped riding to work long ago after someone along a busy rode opened their parked car door into my knee and flipped me out into the road right in front of a fast approaching large truck.
I looked up just in time to see one very freaked out driver, grabbed my bike and dove into the space in front of the guy who almost ended my career of doing anything that involved, um, being alive.
I hobbled around for a week or so, but driving to work surrounded me with steel rather than much thinner air and I never looked back. My bike and I stayed in much safer areas after that little event.
Life sometimes – can seem to be so capricious.
Have a great week.
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Wow! I do understand why you drive to work. Our cities, and towns are more bike friendly, the bike lanes are separated from the main road, and not only by lines, usually there is some kind fo physical barrier, or on a completely different route. I am sad on days when I can not ride my bike. I am not going to be able to ride my bike tomorrow, it is still way too icy.
I hope you are enjoying your weekend.
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I’m glad that you landed on your feet as the bike slid away, Maria! Lovely photos, have a fun weekend. ☺️🇸🇪
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Thank you so much John! I hope your weekend is wonderful 🙂
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I’m not going anywhere these days, too many cases. Weather here is sucking -17C this morning but no snow!
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I understand you! I feel most at risk at work, with this new variant of the virus spreading widely among kids. I do try my best to avoid crowds, and places with many people. I get my groceries delivered etc, so that I don’t have to enter any stores. I only visit the gym at times when there’s not a lot of people out and about. Work is another story, it’s impossible to keep a distance to kids, (and some parents.)
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I can imagine how invigorating it must be to ride you bike to work…bravo to you! I live in Los Angeles, which as NEVER recorded snowfall in the city..you can drive to it, but imagine a life without gently falling snow?
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I have lived in places with no snow (Redding, CA) and it’s not my cup of tea. At least you can rather easily drive to the snow 🙂 And you don’t have to deal with ice 🙂
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Wow, I admire you for riding your bike to work when it’s so cold and icy outside, brrr. Thanks for the green tea. It sounds totally awesome!
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Thanks! A green tea is coming right up! The cold isn’t a problem, I have plenty of great clothes. You’ll have to wear layer of wool when it’s really cold. The ice is scary. It’s still extremely icy outside, I’m going to let my bike rest a few more days, and hopefully it will get better.
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Sounds like the quiet days of vacation are definitely over, ha! I admire your willingness to bike to work, but perhaps you need studded tires for that ice… glad you are so fit that you land on your feet! Definitely dodged a bullet there. 😉
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and hope all goes swimmingly on Monday when you start your new classes. Bon chance!
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Thank you! ..and YES, vacation is over 🙂 It’s been a fabulous week at work. It was great talking to my colleagues, all the children, and parents again. I’m going to let my bike rest a few more days (…at least one,) it’s still very icy outside, you are probably right – that I would need studded tires for the ice, but there are so very few days in a year that I would need that, that it seem unnecessary to bother with. My little sister that lives further north, has one summer bike, and one winter bike. That way she doesn’t have to change tires all the time, the winter bike is always ready 🙂 She loves bike riding as much as I do, or perhaps more. She even take bike riding vacations in the summer!
I hope you had a lovely weekend, and feel ready for a fabulous new week.
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Your coffee sounds delish, yes please. Glad your ninja kicked in it’s funny the way we end up after a fall, relieved your bike didn’t buckle as that wouldn’t be fun to carry home. Your photos of your area are just stunning the snow looks fluffy fun. I hope you & your daughter have a marvelous 1st week back & year ahead of course.
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Thank you so much! One coffee is coming right up!! It’s still very icy outside, but there is some snow as well. Hopefully we’ll get more snow, and less ice the next coming days. Enjoy your warmer weather ❤
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Excellent ninja powers! Glad you’re not injured and hope your bike isn’t damaged either. Thank you for your #weekendcoffeeshare.
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Thank you so much! No damages on the bike, or me, it all went very well. Almost like if it never happened.. LOL. I hope you had a great weekend 🙂
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That’s awesome you landed on your feet! Dang ice and bike with it’s own mind! I hope your daughter went ice skating, that sounds like so much FUN!! I can’t wait to see a photo or two of your baby spider plants planted. They are so pretty and fun to grow. I’m late getting my coffee share posted and I know you are a day ahead. Have fun starting your new classes!! ❤️🤠 Take care my friend, and thank you for the yummy coffee! 💞
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Thank you Diana! I hope you got a great start on your new week ❤
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If your bike wanted a day off, there are more polite ways of asking. Glad you had those cat reflexes to land on your feet! I think it is great that you ride to work. I’ll admit that back when I was riding a couple of hundred km a week, I almost always took the winter off. These days I do not bike nearly enough. Did your daughter make it out to the ice for skating? I hope you had a great weekend and have a wonderful week ahead! And no falls on the bike…
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Right, I think they are more polite ways to ask as well. . LOL. We did not get around to iceskating. My daughter wasn’t herself, I figured it might be something wrong, and when she woke up on Monday she had a fever (she still does)…it’s a very quiet week this week. I hope your week is better!
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I hope your daughter feels better soon!
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The snow is so pretty! I hope you all got to go ice skating. How fun! When I was young I had such pretty light blue skates with sparkly fur. I loved them!
Glad you did not get injured on your bike… I am amazed that you ride in the snow… it’s so very hard. Good for you!
Have a beautiful week! Stay warm!
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Thank you so much Nancy! I imagine your ice-skates being very pretty! Have a great week!
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I used to have spider plants hanging in copper planters in front of the large window in my (at that many-decades-ago time second floor) apartment. Lovely plants! … The bike lanes would seem to be an ideal setup for people use, getting round the area. Happy that you are able to make regular use of them. Best wishes for your week!
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Hanging planters are so beautiful, I imagine your windows looked fabulous ‘at that many-decades-ago time second floor apartment’. 🙂 I am looking for a hanging planter for one fo my windows, but In haven’t seen the right one yet. I hope you are in good health, have a wonderful week.
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Love the fact your Ninja skills came into play. I saw your photo the other day on the cycle lanes and thought wow, that must be magical riding a bike along lanes like that. Also thought how do you avoid the bad patches. As a cyclist in Edinburgh, we need to watch out for pot holes which seem ever more prevalent at this time of year from thawed ice and water dislodging tarmac. The cycle lanes are woeful so the bike sits and waits for the weekends. Thanks for the share.
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Thank you, it really is only on very bad days, when the wind have polished the ice, that the bike lanes aren’t perfect. Most of the time you do not have to worry about a thing. Is there a similar system, with bike lanes separated from the roads in Edinburgh? I was always scared riding a bike in the US, and a big part of it was the minimal bike lanes, in the middle of the road, between different car lanes! I hope you are enjoying a great week!
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Hi Maria – quite amazing reading about your snowy and icy weather. Here in Western Australia we’re in the middle of a hot, dry summer with temps this week all over 35° C. Glad you didn’t get hurt when you came off your bike – that ninja move of yours sounded very impressive indeed. Loved your photos too.
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Awe, thank you Leanne! It’s almsot difficult to imagine a hot, dry summer at the moment. I hope it is not too dry, and that there aren’t any fires in the vicinity. Thank you for your kind comment. Have a wonderful week.
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Hi Maria,
Great to catch up with you after so long. I slowed up on the blogging front for awhile as I was engrossed in a history research and writing project but I’m having a break over our Summer holidays. I realized I was over-focused and rewiring my brain in all sorts of ways I wasn’t aware of. However, writing away on the blog isn’t doing much to get around that. However, what started out as washing our son’s blankets while he’s at youth camp and turned into a taken Spring clean. We now have floor and my husband can actually get into the room to install the air-conditioner he’d bought. So I’ve actually had a lot of exercise this afternoon. I’m glad we got this done as he’ll be going into iso when he gets back until we can get him cleared. This way he’ll be nice and comfortable.
I’m so sorry to hear about your bike accident but you did well with the landing. I have no idea of what it’s like to live in a country with ice and snow. I lived in Heidelberg, Germany for about six months and that was wonderful but I came back to Australia for Christmas. Didn’t want to be away from my family and didn’t fancy the cold and perpetual darkness.
Did your daughter go ice skating? My daughter plans to go locally this week. They’re on school holidays until the end of January.
Hope you have a great week and say safe.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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It definitely sounds like you are keeping busy. My daughter started to feel weird this weekend, so we never got around to go ice skating. She woke up with a fever on Monday, and now we are both wishing for happier days. LOL. We are waiting to get our Covid test results back. I hope your children enjoyed their holidays, and that you are having a great week!
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HI Maria. How did your covid test results go? Our son was exposed probably many times over and immersed in covid soup at youth camp, and then his mate had a positive test. I haven’t been well this week but with symptoms very different to covid. All our tests came back negative but I still have vertigo. Taking things quietly and sorting out photos in preparation for the kids upcoming 18th and 16th birthdays. It’s been so emotional but what touched me most was seeing the love the collective we felt for the kids and the oy they brought people. The very young and the very old have been quite divided since covid and it’s such a shame. Something truly special is being lost.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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My daughter and I tested positive, my son tested negative. We’ve been sick for the past two weeks, but are slowly getting back to life. I hope your vertigo disappears, and that the whole family can enjoy the upcoming birthdays in good health.
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Thanks so much, Maria. It’s weird how you and your daughter caught it and your son didn’t. Hopefully, he doesn’t get it later.
Things feel so precarious and you never know when, or even if, the axe is going to fall and you or someone in your household or circle has got it. We are trying to stay out of circulation until our son goes on his trip, although we have the birthdays before then. So hard. People here have been having “covid parties” to try and catch it when it suits them. Get it over and done with. It’s tempting, but no one can be sure of the outcome so we’re going down the avoidance path.
Hope you’re starting to feel better.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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Thank you! I feel good now. I don’t have all the energy I had before, but I feel good. Good enough to work. We limit our contacts, but I do need to work, and the kids go to school… stay safe and well.
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Beautiful photos and nice job landing on your feet. When i was younger we tied our dog to the bike handlebars so he could pull us. But he saw another dog. He went one way, I went another and down I went…ended up with stitches. Lol.
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Sorry for the very late reply, I’ve been down with that nasty virus. I’ve tried having a dog pull me on my bike, in fact I’ve tried with two dogs, and it was always exciting. Sometimes I ended up like you described.. I hope you are enjoying a great week 🙂
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