Recent Happenings

It's been a busy fall for us. Since it's been awhile since I updated this blog, I'll try to fill you in on some of the highlights:

Capanna

• We started selling bulk coffee and pints of gelato at the Gateway Market grocery store in Des Moines. They also are using our coffee in their cafe. Now all of our friends and family who live closer to Des Moines can experience the goodness of Capanna more often!
• Capanna received the honor of being named the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce "Small Business of the Year" for 2007! We got to accept the award at a nice ceremony and then I got to schmooze and network with Mike. Not my favorite thing, but I'm getting more comfortable with it.
• We had a really nice write up in the New Pioneer Coop's newsletter. They also wrote an article about the Uganda missions group that has been supplying us with coffee direct from the plantation.
• The New Pi Coop in Coralville is now using our coffee in their cafe. This was a huge blessing to get this account. They will also soon be selling our gelato pints.
  

Mishaps

There's really only one mishap (fortunately), but I have to share it. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving was not such a great day for me. It all started when I decided I wanted some hot chocolate after supper. I went to start some water boiling in my tea kettle, but what I didn't realize is that the water that was already in there had gotten really hot while I was cooking dinner in the oven. I opened the lid to put more water in and steam poured out, burning my thumb badly. It was the most painful burn I've ever had! Not to be defeated, I did fill my tea kettle, turned on the stove, and headed out to the living room to wait for it to heat up. I was out there a few minutes when I heard a huge pop, kind of like an explosion. I rush to the kitchen and realize I had turned on the wrong burner. The burner I'd turned on had a pizza stone on it which had shattered and was now in pieces on the floor. I was freaked out, so Mike tried to calm me down and told me to wait just a few minutes to pick it up until I'd calmed down. Well, when I went back to pick it up I realized that the hot shards had melted into the linoleum! One piece tore the floor a little when I pulled it up and one piece I couldn't even pull up. Eventually I got it up, but I now have some nice brown spots on the floor in front of the oven :(

Travels

Mike and I got to take our first real vacation since the store opened. We went this last weekend to Boston!! We had a nice four day weekend with my good friend Pam, and her husband Matt and six month old son Gideon. We got to go with them to Maine to cut down their Christmas tree, went shopping at the outlets in Freeport (unfortunately we missed the concert with 50 tubas!) , and got to visit my old neighborhood and some of my favorite Boston sights. We also got to visit the spot where we were engaged four years ago :) It was definitely hard to come back. I love Boston!!! Here's some of the highlights. There's more pictures if you click the pictures link on the right of the screen.

With my two good friends from college- Carolyn and Pam

We were all roomates sophomore year (Which has been five years ago now- yikes!!)

Matt, Pam, and Gideon at the tree farm.

Do you know how cold it is in Maine in December? REALLY COLD!!!!!!

Our engagement spot!

4 years ago that bench was covered with chocolates and roses. You can't really tell, but we're under this arbor type thing that's covered in blue Christmas lights. It was a perfect spot to get engaged!

It snowed Sunday while Mike and I were out enjoying the sights.

This picture is from the North End.

Me with Pam and Gideon- the cutest baby ever!!