I was introduced to coffee at an early age. Everybody in my house drank coffee was I a kid. My grandmother drank hers from old thick walled, white crock cup. She liked that cup because it cooled the coffee down slightly.

My mom did, and still does, like it boiling hot. I have seen her put it the microwave straight from the coffeemaker, because it wasn’t hot enough.

My dad really didn’t care what cup it came out of, as long as he had it.

So naturally, when I was young I wanted to have coffee too.

Before we moved to the house I grew up in. We lived in my Granny’s house. I was pretty young and don’t remember a lot about living there. But, one of the things I do clearly remember is, my Granny making me coffee. That’s right. I may have been five or six years old, but I got coffee too.

I had this Donald Duck cup with a lid and a straw. That was “My” coffee cup. Every morning my Granny would make me a cup of coffee.

Back in those days there weren’t drip coffee makers, and we had an old percolator. If you have ever drank coffee out of a percolator you know it is hotter and stronger than what modern day drip coffee makers produce. So, after everybody got “woke up” and functioning she would pour me a cup.

Of course there was plenty of “cream” and sugar in it. Well, my Granny’s version of cream, was can milk. Yep, good ole Pet milk. Granny thought Pet milk made everything better. After adding the cream and sugar  the fun part began.

She would stand at the kitchen sink in her handmade shirt, and apron. Her long hair pulled tightly back and wound in a perfect bun on top of her head. Then she poured the coffee from the Donald Duck cup into another cup, back and forth until it was cool.

Sometimes she would have the cups two to three feet apart while pouring the coffee in an effort to put on a show. I watched in amazement as she poured the coffee, never spilling a drop. When she was satisfied that was just the right temperature, she would pour it in the Donald Duck cup, snap on the lid and insert the straw. Then and only then, was it ready.

So, began my love affair with coffee.