More breakfast commentary
Saturday, May 7, 2005
You can always tell how long my husband has been gone on business by what I’m drinking. Normally, my drink of choice is distilled water. Now, my husband works long days, but I can usually get by with my distilled water. Not filtered. Not spring. Not tap. Just the sweet tinge that comes from the distilling process.
If the day is not going right, you might find me with a Diet Coke in my hand during the bewitching hour. For all you male readers, this is the hour before dinner time when all happy kids loose their smiles. If you are already governing kids that “woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” this is the time wherein the phone rings and the pastor knocks on the door while you’re in the middle of yelling at gently correcting them. Since this never happens to me, I’ll move on.
When my husband goes on a business trip for a few days, I usually begin my mornings with a cup of decaf and flavored creamer. I need something to look forward to when I wake up. Since I didn’t happen to read Edwards’ Safety, Fullness, and Sweet Refreshment in Christ the night before, I settle instead for fleeting, carnal pleasure.
But when the trip morphs from days into weeks, you will find me brewing fully caffeinated, overpriced gourmet beans that I pick up from Publix during a late night we-need-milk run. Instead of scrutinizing the calories on the side of the Vanilla Toffee Caramel bottle, you will not only find me pouring sugar laced intoxications liberally, but you might also hear the “squishhhhhh” from the whipped cream can.
I’m not telling what happens if the weeks should turn into months.
All this commentary because I wanted to link you to Doug’s post, You know you’ve had too much coffee when… at Coffee Swirls. I figured some of you just might know what he’s talking about.
One double latte, please.
Remembering…
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ~Psalm 73:25-26
23 Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
« Previous: Top 10 reasons our kindergartners will probably never be hauled away in handcuffs
Next: Prayer for imperfect mothers »
Return Home

I’ll take the red-eye, please. (two shots of espresso topped off with dark roast. no sissy stuff.) Okay, now I’m awake. g’morning Amy.
Comment by Paula (May 7, 2005 @ 11:11 am )
G’ morning? Paula, either you’re on the wrong coast or YOU GET TO SLEEP IN. (Waaaaa…) We’ve been up for five hours, and it’s not even noon yet. :moan :cry :complain LOL!
Comment by Amy (May 7, 2005 @ 11:16 am )
I want to know what you feed the kiddos for dinner. When my husband works late for a couple of nights I’m tempted to head over to “Old McDonald’s” or serve toast or something. I know that bewitching hour(s) and caffiene can be a real friend. I empathize with you Amy. Squish some whipped cream for me (since I don’t have any in the can and I’m too lazy to whip it myself lol).
Comment by Debbie (May 7, 2005 @ 12:09 pm )
I’m a purist, so most of the time I don’t drink coffee. But those good intentions go out the window with my organic health food when I’m hungry, tired, or other defenses are down. I take mine with lots of flavored cream and sugar. The less it tastes like coffee, the better.
Comment by Sandra (May 7, 2005 @ 12:37 pm )
I loved that Psalms. It made me tear up. God is all I have, all I want. Beautiful!
I don’t even have children yet and I must have my tank of coffee in the morning. Something about holding a warm cup early does something for me.
Comment by Amber Lynn (May 7, 2005 @ 12:55 pm )
Debbie, I made tacos for dinner last night. I usually don’t make anything extraordinary when my husband is out of town. I consider it one of the “perks.” (You have to try to find a bright side…)
Sandra, I don’t even like coffee either. I can’t drink it without flavored creamer. Won’t even do it with half-in-half, unless it’s White Christmas coffee. And I don’t even like Coke so much sometimes. You lose a taste for it after drinking tons of water.
Amber Lynn, I may joke about the coffee, but truly He is enough.
Comment by Amy's Humble Musings (May 7, 2005 @ 3:41 pm )
Oh Sistah,
I hear ya. This is my downward spiral when my hubby is away, too. Only, I throw in a Mountain Dew in the afternoon. Only when I really MUST, of course.
And, finally, OF COURSE, HE is ALL we need.
Comment by Holly (May 7, 2005 @ 4:51 pm )
Bewitching hour. I like that. Our children generally don’t get crabby - they get hyper. They end up running around and yelling, screaming and so on nearly uncontrollably. Does anyone else see this phenomenon?
Comment by Tim (May 7, 2005 @ 5:19 pm )
Tim ~ Yes, I see this too. But, unfortunatly, I get maybe one hour in th morning when they are NOT hyper and “running around and yelling, screaming…”.
My husband doesn’t go away on trips ~ he’s a chef ~ but he does work two 12 hour days each week. I can’t imagine knowing he’s not coming home tonight. If it were so, I think it would be me “running around and yelling, screaming and so on nearly uncontrollably”. :0)…either that, or they all would be in bed, say, by 5pm….
Comment by Jennifer D (May 7, 2005 @ 6:01 pm )
Hello, my name is Laura… and I’m addicted to coffee. Amy, I envy you. I wish I could hold off as long as you do. However, I’m weak. I must have my cup of java first thing in the morning. In my home, when the going gets tough… I just brew more coffee. (I’ve been reading your blog for quite awhile, but I finally decided to comment in a blatant effort to advertize my blog… in which coffee plays a vital role!)
Comment by Laura (May 7, 2005 @ 6:39 pm )
Hilarious post, as usual…

Comment by Molly (May 7, 2005 @ 9:40 pm )
Molly, I’m just doing my part to help that baby arrive soon.
Comment by Amy's Humble Musings (May 7, 2005 @ 9:49 pm )
Thank you for that craving.
(my very favorite, quick and easy, highly caloric, foolproof coffee drink: 1 serving of hot cocoa [made with hot milk instead of water if I have the time] in a large mug; fill with coffee to about 1 1/2 inches from the top, add vanilla ice cream until I can’t add any more.)
As far as husbands being gone — mine is away for two-week stints several times most summers, and we tend to go a little crazy in a lot of different ways while he’s gone. So I feel your pain, although as always you’re far more articulate than I am about it.
Comment by Rachel (May 7, 2005 @ 10:50 pm )
Ah yes, we are so much alike. Apart from only gently correcting my children (cough!) I too can only drink “sissy” coffee as my dear hubby calls it. Vanilla Toffee Caramel is one of my greater pleasures. I’ve heard the new Creme Brulee is quite..um…tempting as well. Alas, wouldn’t it be wonderful to only desire Him and not these “worldly pleasures”?
Comment by Michelle (May 7, 2005 @ 11:01 pm )
When a busy day confronts me and too little time passed the night before with my eyes wide shut, please give me a very large mocha, chilled or hot depending on the weather, and then watch me manage to chase all 5 kids right through nap time while homeschooling them at their brother’s therapy sessions. Oh, how I love that I do not drink coffee daily; it is the greatest BOOST for me when in a pinch.
Love the way you write…
Comment by Khyraen (May 8, 2005 @ 5:41 am )
OK…here’s a truck drivers trick.
I do NOT want everyone’s husbands emailing me and complaining that they can’t get their wives off the ceilings.
Put one-third of a zero candy bar in your favorite cup of joe. Let it dissolve, enjoy, hold on.
Comment by Tim (May 8, 2005 @ 10:04 am )
Great Post! I just got over DH’s 5 day long “emergency” business trip during my mother-in-law’s visit. However, on the second day, I was introduced to a wonder product called Ice Java. This is a very sugary concnetrated coffee syrup (in coffee, vanilla or mocha) that is stirred into cold milk like Hershey’s syrup. By day 4 of said trip, MIL and I made milkshakes with vanilla ice cream and the vanilla Ice Java syrup. This stuff is dairy-free and even makes my son’s almond milk taste great!
andrea
Comment by andrea (May 8, 2005 @ 10:22 am )
Isn’t drinking distilled water bad for you? It can leech minerals out of your body due to the water’s lack of said minerals - trying to reach equilibrium.
Comment by Anonymous (May 8, 2005 @ 6:51 pm )
oops - not supposed to be anonymous above. That was me.
Comment by Alice (May 8, 2005 @ 6:54 pm )
My mom always told me not to drink distilled water because it’s bad for you. When I lived in Europe distilled water bottles were labeled “not for human consumption”
It takes carbon dioxide from the air which makes it more acidic: http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/acidrain/experiments/exp1.html
My veternarian says it kills fish, hamsters and guinea pigs, and my pediatrician says to *never* give it to babies because it leaches minerals… so I just wouldn’t drink it! It’s for batteries, irons, cooling systems, and cleaning (because it demineralizes!)… not for people! Good gracious, I had no idea people really drank it.
Comment by Hindsfeet (May 9, 2005 @ 2:31 pm )
Alice and Hindsfeet,
Really?!?!? All this time I thought I was being healthy!
I’ll have to look into that; thanks for the heads-up.
Comment by Amy's Humble Musings (May 9, 2005 @ 2:36 pm )
I read that it is ok for a week or two if you are trying to detoxify (which just sounds way too New-Age-y for you Amy :-)), but beyond that it is better to stick with regular mineralized water.
Comment by Alice (May 10, 2005 @ 7:22 pm )
Hey Alice,
Detoxifying is a good thing.
So long as you’re doing something real and not hocus pocus. I ran out of distilled water today, so I just added a lot of lemon to my tap/”filtered” water to cover up the chlorine taste, and it wasn’t too bad. Maybe I’ll stick with this. 
Comment by Amy's Humble Musings (May 10, 2005 @ 10:00 pm )