"Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations."
- Jean Paul Richter, German Romantic novelist and humorist
I am on a flight back to Philadelphia from having spent the past week in Seattle, WA. My family and I lived out in the Seattle area from 2001-2004 and we took a short trip out there to visit a couple of colleges that have accepted my youngest son.
Being in Seattle for a week reminded me of the strong “coffee culture” that we left behind. Although there are many places around the U.S. to find a good cup of coffee, there is no place that fully encompasses the total coffee experience quite like Washington State. In the short time I was back, I found it hard to move from one activity to the next without first stopping at a Starbucks. This is not much of a stretch as there is some type of coffee shop or espresso stand everywhere you go. Everywhere. Even way up in the mountains at the foot of a trail you’re about to hike in the middle of nowhere!
One thing I came across on this trip was a Caribou Coffee Shop in the Minneapolis airport. At the shop they had a stand of re-usable coffee sleeves. While I stood waiting, I read the sign by the sleeves giving stats about how many coffee sleeves are used and discarded daily. Thinking about this and about how much coffee this trip encompassed, I really liked the idea. It’s one of those things that could seem frivolous to some but, if stopping for coffee (or any other hot drink) is part of your daily grind (sorry, I couldn’t help myself!) then getting or making your own re-usable sleeve is a small way to start making a big difference. Even though the cardboard sleeves are often recycled and biodegradable, why not keep from adding to the tons of garbage we create. Besides, the re-usable ones are sort of nifty!
I’ve looked up a couple of sites, like Caribou Coffee and She Sews Lovely, where you can order one of these sleeves. They can range from as low as $1 to $8. Check ‘em out!
I’m going to order one and plan on having a “craft day” this summer to make some myself - keep an eye out for some pics!
