05.04.15 How you bean?

Last month I titled a post "April Showers", well what rained down on me in April was life, all aspects of it, all at once.  Family crises, which caused me to fall behind on an ever expanding pile of paper demanding my attention, which lead to spending the last two weekends working.  All fueled by coffee.

Weekend work and coffee
and my "college MOM" mug

I refer to coffee as "the elixir of life" - because that's what my mother (who drank hers black - I do not) called it.  Coincidentally, one of my favorite places to grab a cuppa is a great little coffee truck (a modified Studebaker) called...Elixer Coffee.  Two dollars will get you the espresso drink of your choice, as long as you have your own cup.

[I know, you're thinking - this is a JEWELRY blog - why is she prattling on about coffee - well, bear with me].

It's no secret that I run on caffeine, and this year my friends and family gave me some very clever coffee gifts.

First, there were the socks from a friend - who  said to me "you'll probably never wear them, but you had to have them".  She found them on a trip to visit her son at Ole Miss, at the famous independent bookstore Square Books, in Oxford. Actually - I think they're great, and I probably will wear them in the winter when I need to keep my feet warm.

Then, there was the jewelry - you knew I'd get to it - a necklace with a silver coffee bean from my sister in law, which I will wear, a lot.  On a dainty chain with a pearl and my initial stamped on a charm - this is a really fun addition to my collection.

As it happens, my wonderful sister-in-law, has a May birthday...which gives me a reason write about May's birthstone - the emerald.

Emeralds are a gemstone variety of the mineral beryl, known for their deep green color, which is generally a result of chromium impurities.  The "emerald cut", my personal favorite, is used for many stones.  The cut is so called because it maximizes the shape and weight of the beryl's natural crystal structure.

Emeralds have been prized since antiquity; the crown jewel in Cleopatra's crown was an emerald. The name of the stone comes from the Medieval Latin word for green "esmaraldus".

Although I couldn't find any references, I can't help but if wonder part of the reason emerald is May's birthstone is that this is the time of year where everything is so green. The grass, the leaves on the trees, all shimmer like gems when the sun shines on them.

Perhaps I'll grab one more cup of joe, and go take in some of that beautiful spring color before it gets too hot.

Until next time.