Bonnette Acres

I arrived in Kraków this past Friday to a couple of feet of snow, icy sidewalks, and a frozen Wisła river. I realized as I was on the bridge that goes over the river, that I had never seen a frozen lake or river before. It's one of those things that you are sure you have seen before, but then you remember it was just from years of seeing it on television and movies. I have to say it was pretty remarkable. Like always I wish I had my camera with me, because just a few days later it already had begun to melt. Apparently while I was back in the states, Poland and most of Europe had been in a record breaking cold spell. My friends told me that it was so cold, it hurt to walk home. Am I thankful that the day I got back was the end of the serious cold spell? VERY! Oddly enough the same thing happened last year when I came in January. Before I came they had tons of feet of snow, then the day I arrived it had already began to melt. It did snow some later that winter but apparently no...

So... it's been a long time since I posted on here. Ok, you got me it's been a really, really long time. But I am here now, and hopefully I will get back into the groove of updating regularly. For the last month I have been back in the states raising money for my next year in Poland. It has been so great to be back with my family. Playing tip toe with my two year old nephew, laughing so hard I cry with my brother and sister in law, and going out to eat with my parents. I love those regular moments, those every day, normal seconds that you don't realize you miss so much.  But even though I have loved being back with my family and my home church, I can not wait to get back to Kraków. I am super stoked for this next year, and I can't wait to see what God will do.   So now I just have to raise about $8,000 and were good to go :) 

September is coming to an end and October is right around the corner. The days are getting shorter, and here in Poland the weather is getting cooler. I wouldn't say fall is fully here, but I can feel the beginning signs. Decorative scarves & chai tea latte's have re-appeared in the shop. Soon the shop will always smell like apple's and cinnamon. It will also smell like cloves but I try to act like it doesn't exist- since I am allergic. So it is now known as "The spice we don't speak of." But I love fall. It use to be a toss up for me which season I liked better, fall or spring? But over the last 5 years I think I have just had so many good fall memories that is has proudly won over as my favorite season. It is just so cozy, ya know? The colorful leaves, filling your lungs with the crisp cool air, and drinking lots and lots of coffee & tea! So like the headline up there says, I have been doing a lot of anticipating lately. Because as a shop ...

This past week me and 14 other staff members from all of the "Sweet Surrender" coffee shops headed to Copenhagen, Denmark. This is where we attended the 8th annual Nordic Barista Cup. The event is part competition/ part conference. It is where all 5 of the Nordic countries (Iceland, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden) come together to compete to see which team knows the most about coffee. Also during this time there are many lectures and MANY coffee tastings (also known as a cupping in coffee lingo) helping all of us coffee interested people learn all about what is happening right now in the world of coffee. You might think it is strange for a group of 10 Polish people + 5 Americans to go to a event where are countries are not even represented. But in Poland "Well made coffee" is still on the rise. It is still at the beginning stages so there is not a big championship for Poland and surrounding countries to compete in. This is as close as we can get to the expe...

So this past month, much like the previous ones, I have STILL been dealing with immigration issues. At the beginning of this week I had turned in everything I thought I had needed, and was ready for my official meeting on Monday morning.  I sit down, to my left sat Jarek my wonderful translator and my biggest help in getting everything I needed for my residence card.  My case advisor went on to tell me that I had turned every thing I needed in, BUT..... The last document I had turned in was not what they needed. I have now heard that phrase way too many times. They told me I had to open a bank account here in Krakow, and have the bank print a paper saying that I have enough funds to live in Poland. I had to have the paper in by Monday. Ok, I can handle that, right? Well I go to try to open an account. The bank tells me it can open an account for me a Non- resident, but the computer did not. The lady tried for an hour trying to make the computer understand. But it would not...

This morning I sat in a cushy red back movie theatre seat, and sang along while the polish choruses flashed up on the wide movie screen. In this moment all I could do was think "Wow, God you really have shown me so many different Easters in my life." When I think of Easter growing up in Alabama, I think of waking up so so very early for sunrise services up on Burritt mountain (I think that was the one...) , I think of listening to "He's Alive" on our way to church. I think of a perfect spring afternoons flying our new kites we got in our easter baskets that morning. The whole family together out by the abandoned lot of land on the other side of the road from our house in Owens Cross Roads. Easter in Tennessee never left me hungry. From a huge pancake breakfast to amazing dinner at J. Alexanders. Sorry to talk about food first. But it was soooo good to not remember. I am also reminded of just peaceful moments of being with my friends and family. Oh and the ...

This past week, weekend, and 24 hours have been a bit crazed. Millions of emotions packed into a fortnight. Ok... maybe not exactly a fortnight wikipedia says it officially means 14 days. But the wording sounds so perfect, I am going to keep it.  Moving on. Right now I am sitting in our tall swirling stool, behind the bar, looking out onto the coffee shop. Eating a chocolate chip granola bar, dunking it into my perfectly creamed & sugared Guatemalan coffee. While old Jars Of Clay songs echo in the background. In this moment, I am able to finally breathe. Remember why I am here and why I want to be here.  A lot of things have tried to make me forget that lately. From literal pain on Saturday getting through irate Ukrainian mobs to yesterday getting a call that my horrid trip on Saturday was pointless, and I had to leave again. NOW! I was confused, mad, and very angry that I had to go through all that crap and it didn't mean a thing.  But in less then two hours...