stolen coffee & festive joy

Like his fur hat and his books, this fancy coffee is something that technically belongs to my brother, but I'm not averse to borrowing from time to time. Isn't that what siblings are for?

In a celebration of the end of term and the beginning of the Christmas holidays, I made a cafetiere of stolen coffee this afternoon. It might have tasted even better with extra cream and three spoons of stolen sugar (name that book!) but it was good like this, hugged tightly in my cold hands and warming me through.

I am finally beginning to feel a little bit Christmassy; with all the horrific shootings in Connecticut and the general doom and gloom hanging around this December, it has felt harder to get into the holiday spirit. There are a lot of unspoken expectations in the air at this time of year too, and sometimes the best way to start feeling truly festive -- to feel full of love and joy and peace -- is to step past the gingerbread lattes and the gift guides, and just sit down with a mug of stolen coffee and your family.