Gathering 'Round the Kitchen Table

I asked Mom, "What's your favorite coffee memory, Mom?" She said, "You know, I loved sitting around the kitchen table with Papa and a cup of fresh brewed coffee. Mama wasn't a coffee drinker, but she'd join us sometimes. I eventually learned to drink mine black, but they always added sugar and Carnation canned cream. Whenever I see a can of Carnation Evaporated Milk, I still see it at the kitchen table, with Papa and Mama and one or more of my brothers and sister gathering around, talking, relaxing. I love remembering that. Those were simpler times." I listened and had my own memories stirred by her sharing. Her sister's house was always a gathering place for the family and her friends and neighbors. The house always was crowded with people simply gathering and enjoying each other. And the eternal can of Carnation Evaporated Milk was there, too. It was a staple back then. I drink my coffee black, where you can taste a good cup of Joe. I remember way back when going to Aunty Mary's and Uncle Frank's house after Midnight Mass to have bacon, eggs, and good coffee. It's a happy, cozy memory. Coffee still stirs that in me. So does that red and white can of Carnation Milk, although I haven't drunk it in years, and we don't even have it in the house! I think Coffee & Tea Houses may address the need people have to gather.