Tag: coffee

June Update

~ Brooke F. ~ 2 Comments

June has been already been rollercoaster. Writing wise. Temperature wise. Emotions wise. The whole shabang. And its been awhile since I’ve updated this little internet corner of mine so why not make a lil summer update for anyone who cares to read about my mostly normal existence.

Grappling with Novel Editing

This month, I found myself immersed in the painstaking process of editing the second draft of my novel. And boy, is it painful. I always tell myself nothing can be worse than banging out the first draft, right? Wrong. Very Wrong. At least for me. Editing has been a task. I’ve wrestled with refining my characters from flat cardboard cutouts to actual functioning people in a narrative, strengthening plot points, and ensuring the pacing flowed smoothly (so the story feels less ramblings and a more cohesive tale). Despite the challenges, I remained determined to bring my story to life and stayed focused on the ultimate goal of sharing my work with the world…and yes we are just now getting to Chapter 5/25. This is a cry for help.

Enjoying the Unpredictable Tennessee Weather

As a Tennessee resident, I’ve learned to appreciate the precious moments of pleasant weather before it takes a sudden turn. This June, I seized (most) opportunities to spend time outdoors, soaking in the sunshine and basking in the beauty of nature. This roughly translates to sitting on my apartment steps and watching the neighborhood cats scurry about before I decided it’s much too humid to be existing.

Taking Life’s Curve Balls

I recently graduated college with my four year degree and, as a breathed the air of freedom, asked myself the question that we all ask ourselves after completing a multi-year long accomplishment- Now what?

For some silly reason, I though I’d know what to do when I got here. I thought job offers would be clambering at my feet or something of that nature but instead I’m greeted with…uncertainty. None of the jobs I’ve looked at seem very appealing- some demand years of experience that I don’t have yet. Some wouldn’t be making any use of my degree and pay like it. Some wish me to travel all over the good Lord’s creation. And still others would require me to relocate to a certain nearby city that I really, really don’t like. (Nashville traffic is legendary).

So here I am. In a season of waiting and looking. I’m not really sure what’s next but at least that does give me time to work on my book in between working my customer service job and trying my hand at home cooking.

Cafe Hopping

As an avid coffee lover, I made it my mission to visit and explore some of the highly-rated local cafes in my area this month. Each cafe offered a unique atmosphere, friendly baristas, and, of course, delicious coffee. It was a fantastic way to meet new people and discover some hidden gems so I will leave you with a little gallery of coffee here (ignore the starbucks one, I just loved the sharpie stars around my name):

Hopefully that gallery put you in the coffee mood. Take care friends! And, as always, thanks for stopping by!

Recommended Drinks for Writing

~ Brooke F. ~ 2 Comments

Admittedly, writing can be hard sometimes and on bad days, a little exhausting. That’s one reason I like to have something to sip on sitting on my desk while I work. It generally helps me focus and takes away an excuse for me to get up and break my writing streak. So, here’s a little list I’ve made of best drinks for writers. Enjoy!

Turmeric Lattes

So, Confession, I really didn’t know what turmeric was until I was searching for good drink options for me to sip on while writing my book. However, upon research, I found that turmeric was a spice, closely related to ginger, that has brain boosting effects. One of the many ways you can consume this spice is by means of a latte which considering how much I love creamy and hot drinks, I’m all for.

Link to a Turmeric Latte Recipe is here

Blue Berry Juice or Blue Berry Smoothies

Second confession, I don’t like blue berries. However, blue berries are filled with polyphenol which is a brain boosting chemical that can aid you when writing. Plus, they’re relatively healthy!

Tea

Specifically ones that help with concentration and focus. This includes Matcha, Peppermint, and Ginger. Or, more broadly, Black and Green Teas.

Coffee

This is a pretty obvious pick considering the nice little caffeine rush coffee offers. Not to mention there’s nothing more comforting than cupping your hands round a warm, steaming mug of coffee as you work on your latest writing project or book.

Chocolate Milk or Hot Chocolate

I really like the science behind this. Did you know that it has been shown that chocolate increase blood flow to your brain? I think this is a very fun fact, especially considering I’m going to be eating and drinking chocolate regardless of whether or not its beneficial to my focus.

Lemonade

Another great option! Lemons have been shown to boost your brain function and lemonade can also help hydrate you much better than say a soft drink or coffee.

That time I Went to a Job Shadowing Event

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

That time I Went to a Job Shadowing Event

I’m in virtual school. It’s a little bit different from the standard homeschool format but I like it cause all of my work it in one place. Online. 

Though one thing about it is they really wanna give us virtual school students a chance at the “normal school experience” (which I don’t want which is why I’m homeschooled in the first place).

And so they arrange a lot of events. Some are fun, some are informative, and some are not so enjoyable. It’s a mixed basket. 

Anyhow, one events that they offered was a job shadowing event. This one actually caught my attention which is pretty rare when it comes to their activities which are usually college fairs and then like. 

I was kind of at a loss at the time at what career I wanted to pursue (still am) so this looked like a great opportunity. 

But one thing the email GREATLY emphasized was professionalism. They had a dress code and reiterated that we were representing Robertson County schools and were to be SUPREMELY PROFESSIONAL OR ELSE.

So I decided to job shadow a writer. Basically I was just going to meet a writer at a coffee shop downtown and talk about writing a career. Sounds fun. 

A week later I found myself in a coffee shop looking for my “contact”. I felt kind of like a spy and I almost wished there was a secret code like “the chicken has flown the nest” or something like that. 

Anyway, he was relatively easy to find. And so he offered to buy me a coffee from the shop. Me, being the very, very, white girl I am, said sure. 

I got an Iced caramel coffee. I’ve never been a huge coffee drinker and I liked it sweet so I thought it was a relatively safe drink. 

So upon getting my drink we talked about writing, getting published, self publishing and going through a publisher. It was all very informative. 

Then I took a sip of my drink. I was not prepared for the flavor that assaulted my taste buds. 

It wasn’t bitter.  Nor was it sweet. It was sour. Incredibly sour.  Like bad milk kind of sour.

Listen, I’m no expert. There’s a lot of things coffee should and can be. Sour is not one of them. 

But, ladies and gents, I live in the south. The very polite south. The south where if someone buys you something or sets food in front of you, you eat it. How nasty it is is not a part of the equation. 

So the job shadowing event was fun except for the fact that I was actively trying to consume this positively nasty drink while still acting professional. Which was kind of hard because spewing your coffee over someone could be seen as “unprofessional”,

So yeah, that was a memorable experience.