If We Were Having Coffee: Slice of Life #sol21 7/31

If we were having coffee, I would have to take a couple of photos of our cups before we begin our conversation. Because in this dream coffee date, we’re not on Zoom, we’re not drinking coffee we made ourselves in our own kitchens. We’re at my favorite coffee shop, the one I haven’t discovered yet.

If we were having coffee, I’d share the random things I love to photograph. Latte art. Chipotle’s paws. Lost cat posters. Rocks. Tree bark patterns. I’d ask what random things you love to photograph. What surprises would I find on your camera roll?

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I surprised myself by signing up for the Slice Challenge again. And that I shouldn’t have been surprised because I do this every year. Assure myself I’m not taking on a 31-day blogging challenge, absolutely not no way no how unh uh. But somehow there I always am on February 28, clicking on the participant form and signing up. I’d tell you that it is more challenging to slice as a classroom teacher than it was as a college professor. I had so much more free time then, so much more schedule flexibility. I’d tell you that I’m behind on commenting, but I’m planning to catch up this weekend.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m feeling a little anxious about teaching two full days in the building this coming week. I have a handful of students coming in, and I’m not sure how to keep an eye on them and also teach my online students. I would tell you that it’s an odd feeling to meet my students in person for the first time in March. We have spent so many hours together this year and chat via text and email and direct message in Zoom so often, yet we’re all a bit shy when confronted with this other person face to face. Especially masked and socially distanced.

If we were having coffee, we would have to talk about the weather. So many beautiful sunny days after so much grey. Enough warmth to melt all of the ice and most of the snow. I saw the first iris peeking up yesterday. Tomorrow will be sixty degrees! I anticipate more snow in March or April, but in my mind, it’s already spring.

If we were having coffee, what would you want to share?

Thanks to Tammy for the inspiration for a Weekend Coffee Share.

Posted

March 7, 2021

slice of life

Elisabeth Ellington

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22 responses to “If We Were Having Coffee: Slice of Life #sol21 7/31”

jumpofffindwings

March 7, 2021

Tammy always has great suggestions. I’ll be using this at some point. (I have so many terrific suggestions saved and end up starting from scratch almost every day! Why?) Good luck this week—seriously. I have thought about how strange it would be to actually meet my students at some point; the likelihood is small from across the country though. I hope you write about that! I wish you nothing but JOY in the encounter, happiness on both sides for you and them. (You guys DO already know each other, after all.)

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 10, 2021
  
  I so often do the same–have my file of slicing ideas and then don’t use it! I know I will be filled with joy meeting them!
  
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TammyB

March 7, 2021

Thank you for the coffee! I always love our chats.
I can understand your nervousness. I have the same feeling and we aren’t going back until April! My kids are going to be so tired because the schedule is going to be different. It will be great though.

Thank you for the linking as well!

I love your photographs! I miss going to the coffee shop and getting a special coffee. One day again….

Have a wonderful Sunday!

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 10, 2021
  
  Yes, one wonderful day we’ll be able to go to coffee shops again! We don’t officially go back until April either–just have a special opportunity to host students on occasion in March when they’d like to come in. I don’t think we will have many students coming to the building, but I intend to enjoy every interaction I get to have!
  
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Denise Krebs

March 7, 2021

Ah, Elisabeth, what a beautiful post. My favorite part is the first section where we are not on Zoom or drinking our own coffee, but at your favorite coffee shop you haven’t found yet. Those are just welcome and wonderful ideas.

If we were having coffee, I would be having tea, and I’d tell you about my less than a handful of experiences when I’ve actually drunk a cup of coffee.

If we were having coffee, I would bring along some home baked cookies to enjoy with the coffee and give you the extra ones to take home to your family.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 10, 2021
  
  Oh, that is so kind! There is little I love so well as home-baked cookies and I rarely bake them myself. I didn’t acquire a taste for coffee until I was in my 30s, but now I’m entirely hooked. (I like tea too!)
  
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Kristy L

March 7, 2021

This is a lovely format and I would enjoy a cup of coffee (well, tea for me) with you! On my camera roll you’d mostly find pictures of my dogs sleeping. Because, you know, they look different–and sooo cute–every time they fall asleep. It’s honestly embarrassing. I love where you find your photo inspiration. I bet you are a details person, where as I’m a “big picture” person. Where you take a picture of the tree bark, I take a picture of the forrest. 🙂

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 10, 2021
  
  Yessss! I will admire your dogs’ various sleeping poses, and you can see my cats in THEIR various sleeping poses. Because they really do look so different and so cute every time they fall asleep! And I’m a big picture person too. I generally can’t be bothered with the details, but there’s something about tree bark…. maybe because I can’t ever squeeze the whole forest into my photo!
  
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Completely Full Bookshelf

March 7, 2021

What a wonderful post! I completely agree how weird it is that there are people we know quite well that, in a sense, are just “Internet friends” because of the pandemic. I also love the part about things you photograph—I don’t take as many photos as I like to, but I do always have a tendency to take photos of baked goods or table spreads that my relatives make. I’m glad you signed up for this challenge—I’m not too familiar with it, but I’m thrilled to see all of these great posts this month! Thanks for sharing!

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 10, 2021
  
  Thank you! I have really enjoyed the times when I have gotten to meet blogging friends in person and have that extra enriched friendship with the online relationship as well as the in person relationship. I love photos of baked goods too! I was just dreaming about bakeries I want to visit post-covid and admiring photos of their sweets taken by happy customers and shared online!
  
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jarhartz

March 7, 2021

I so want to sit with you and share photos, talk about tomorrow when you see your students, the weather. Then I’d have to talk about the cats and what I’m reading. Love this post
and the thought of a time to
sit and sip for an embarrassingly long amount of time.

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1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  March 10, 2021
  
  I very much hope we will be able to have just such a coffee visit! There is so much to talk about!
  
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Cathy M

March 7, 2021

Elisabeth, I enjoyed having coffee with you this morning. (This is a great idea and thank you for sending me back to Tammy’s post too.). It sounds like you have a lot going on right now. I think everyone is trying to find their way in this transition back. My daughter is in a situation much like yours where she teaches students online and in-person at the same time. It surely comes with its challenges.

If we were having coffee, we would probably laugh about how we both thought this might be a year to take off from the challenge – and here we are. We are already one week into the writing. Time flies.

Oh, and I can’t wait to find that coffeeshop!

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arjeha

March 7, 2021

Ah, yes. To actually be out with other people sharing time and conversation. I would have to talk about how I miss going to NYC to see shows. I would also have to mention how there is a big gap in my March blogging due to the fact that no March quilt shows are being held this year.

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Teachingnest87

March 7, 2021

You make me long to have coffee with a friend in a public place. My friend would be drinking tea but the drink isn’t the important thing.

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Amanda Potts

March 7, 2021

Obviously I’d share photos of the cats – Hera has allowed me to take a few lately (well, she wasn’t looking, but whatever) & then I’d reassure you that hybrid can be done: it’s exhausting & a little complicated but I’ve been doing it since September, & I know you’ll find your rhythm. I’d ask all about your new job & we’d laugh about teaching and slicing. I’d let you know that Eric is now able to tie his shoes & hours and hours of tutoring mean that he’s reading well. And then, frankly, we’d probably go back to the cats.

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If We Were Having Coffee Day 7 #SOL21 | Teaching from an Empty Nest

March 7, 2021

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Shari Daniels

March 7, 2021

Having coffee with a dear friend definitely ranks up high on the delights list. One day, we will truly make this happen! I would haul my notebooks to our coffee date, and also share with you my despairs and fears in my teaching and human-being life. We’d talk about the aches and pains of our midlife woes and certainly, our children and our pets. But, mostly, I know we’d talk about our dreams, our possibilities, and we’d reflect to each other our genius and tell each other these things! Oh, we’d be such better human beings from just having coffee at the coffee shop each day, I’m sure. 🙂

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Fran Haley

March 7, 2021

Fabulously structured piece, sharing all that you’d share IF we were having coffee (love that the setting is a place you haven’t discovered yet, and I for one am craving that cup in the photo!). I think I’d share ideas about places I want to go when COVID isn’t a thing anymore, and I’d confess that a line from a Beach Boys song is playing over and over in my soul, during these recent sunny days: “We cannot wait for June…”

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karpenglish

March 7, 2021

I love that your coffee break would be in person! It’s been soooooo long since people could do that. I also photograph a lot of random things, including tree bark (it’s fascinating!). If we scrolled through my phone, we’d probably also find a lot of weird pictures taken by my son. I don’t know how he keeps getting hold of phone, but since it does not need to be unlocked to take pictures, I frequently find presents from him. Most recently, about 25 pictures of his kitty from random angles, and pictures of his chalk art on the driveway before the rain washed it away.

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Trina

March 7, 2021

I would love to have coffee with you! I miss coffee shops. It’s hard to think that I haven’t been in one and sat and talked with someone for a year now.

I would ask you lots of cat advice, apologize for not writing you back yet, and pick your brain for teaching strategies.

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livinglife816287820

March 8, 2021

Yes of course, this is such a great idea and not so foreign to me because we’ve been having coffee in coffee shops for quite some time now in Australia, but I’m still searching for the one with the perfect ambiance and best tasting coffee…! I hope it’s not much longer for you and your week goes well…

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