Resisting the New Year-Again!

Coffee Novelist

January 1, 2025

New Year’s Day at six in the morning. No, this isn’t one of those posts written to celebrate and commemorate. One of those posts that looks ahead, looks back. One that includes a top ten list, the best of, the worst of this or that. This then, is actually a repost from this day one year ago. I was looking over old posts to possibly repost later this month and found this one. I have done almost exactly the same things this morning as I did last year, except I have yet to change the cat’s litter box. I am not sure what to make of this. My first thought is that I am grateful that my life has stayed stable enough over the Pandemic ridden year of 2020 to have lived such a normal, steady life. I am grateful. I am grateful for any and all who have read even one of the posts of 2020. With that, I promise to keep putting out one post a week. If I find myself doing the same boring, predictable thing at exactly the same hour next year, I hope I can still find it in myself to appreciate that. On with the repsost...

I took a sip of my coffee a second ago. I was hoping that the small amount of caffeine included in said sip would provide the bounce I needed to begin working on my road novel, Back outta the World. Well, it didn’t work.

As you may or may not know, the novel is done. It was completed over two decades ago. I have reworked it at least three or four times already. It sits on my laptop a few steps to my right on the table I cleared off over Christmas. I cleared the table off to change the energy around the laptop. I wanted to provide a clear space in order to provide access to Back outta the World. I hoped that it would be easier to start review and revise it one last time. Well, it hasn’t worked yet.

In fact, I hope you are enjoying this post so far because it is simply the product of my resisting working on Back outta the World. As fellow writers or bloggers it should be a familiar situation for you. I am resisting doing what I got up this morning to do. I set out this morning to make a big dent in revising and self-editing of BotW. Instead, I’ve done the dishes, started the laundry and changed the cat’s litter box.

Maybe this is one of those New Year’s Day posts after all. It’s possible that I rose from bed on the first morning of a brand-new year carrying all the contrived expectations and resolutions that the New Year brings, in spite of my best efforts to ignore them. No, I don’t pay attention to that stuff. (For proof of that refer to the post published just before this one.)

Hey! Hold on a second. I feel better now. Thanks for joining me for these few moments. By resisting working on BotW and drafting this post, I just cleared my mind. The above paragraph was a cleansing and redirecting of the mind. I am just that quickly ready to see what Rick, Jay and T are up to in Back outta the World. I’m going to click “publish” now…. Happy New Year everybody!

Thanks for reading in 2025. This is a repost, btw

May I help who’s next?

New Years Day, July 26th.

Coffee Novelist

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January 1, 2025

red apron recipe-practices to put your mind in writing shape

This year I celebrated New Year’s Day on my yoga mat in my garage. That is what I have been doing for the last several years now. If you are a little confused, I will be happy to explain.

It not about the calendar. I fully realize the appointed NYD is January 1st. That day is the designated day to begin a commitment to a resolution or two or three that will change us all for the better. However, as most of us have experienced, after a week or two, they gone. Why is that? If you will allow, I think I understand a little about why that happens.

In this unfathomable existence here on earth, in the constantly changing time period we take on our physical forms, there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” solution. We are all very different. Take a look around. Am I right? In fact, there is no other way it can be. It is the fact that we are all different entities (as safe a word as I can find to use, which is a discouraging enough practice, reflecting these times) that ultimately unites us. But, in the case of New Year’s Day, this is not be good for advertisers, alcohol sales, and the people who make the pointy party hats. Since we are all unique and wonderful as we set upon our life’s journey, our point of true reflection, recharging and rejuvenation must all be unique. Think of someone you don’t know very well giving you a gift of a new outfit that you will be obliged to wear. It doesn’t fit, the colors look bad on you but it’s from your boss or in-law so you feel like you have to wear it from time to time, mostly for their sake. An extreme example would be having to wear a life sized pink bunny suit like Raphie in a Christmas story. It just doesn’t’ work for you.

Let’s share the customary New Year’s Fun as we should. But to start on a path of real change that has a way better chance of taking hold, I think it works better and makes more sense to find your own starting point.

My point of renewal and recharging happens to be late July on the shore of the Ohio River. Cue Dick Clark. Don’t know him? Is Steve available? Ryan..? No matter, Here goes.

My realization journey to the Ohio began seven years ago as purely a get away from a recent family tragedy. I found the immense and indifferent flow of the Ohio River soothing to my core, to my mind, heart and soul. I had to get back. That much I knew.

I have returned with some or all of my adult children each and every year. Over the years the mid summer trip has, for me, evolved into as much a spiritual pilgrimage as a summer holiday. It’s a holiday week. I spend it having fun but also taking spiritual stock of myself during the past year and even years.

This year long intention has come to be manifested by the “drift log” rite or practice I now perform annually on the shores of the Ohio. The river never fails to give me a sturdy, nearly two foot long drift log to take back home with me. The river bank is full of them. Once back home it I put on my front porch in summer, on the buffet in the winter. Both places easily in view and accessible. They need to be because as the year proceeds I take physical reminders of the year and attach them to the drift log: receipts, lists, appointment reminder cards, flyers for Tripio events, personal notes. The good, bad, happy and sad get stapled or glued onto the drift log. By vacation time each year, the drift log is full, carrying the attachments of the year with it.

Then, on one of the days of the summer vacation when the river seems receptive I head to the shore with this years drift log. I’ll call this New Year’s Eve. It is always very early in the morning when the river is calm like glass, and I can feel the power and energy of the water. I know it is time for the toss. It is like the ball dropping on Times Square, less crowded, less noisy but with a hell of lot more significance, intention and energy. I begin my countdown. I take some breathes as I review the array of glued and stapled reminders of the year.

10– post it from last August with Tripio’s Amazon sales figure

9- a sticker I was given to wear declaring I had been scanned

8 -reminder card for a trip to the dentist-

7-a appointment reminder card for therapy

6– quick concept sketch for cover of Back outta the World

5– flyer for a Tripio event

4- post it to remind myself to renew WordPress account

3 a card I wrote over twenty years ago to the mother of my adult kids

2– receipt from a trip to Kroger- and at

1– I throw it as far as I can throw it! I release this year’s drift log. It take its time coming down upon the indifferent water. It splashes, settles for a second or two and begins it’s trip to New Orleans or somewhere I will never discover.

I am lightened, renewed, freed of attachments to events from the previous year and years. I can go back to the laptop and work for the sake of working, write for the sake of writing. My New Years Eve. Not the midnight ball drop on Time’s Square, but considerably less random a lot more effective starting point to begin intentions for the following year. I have space to take them on now. I have already started to prioritize them. I will begin to incorporate them into my life in a few days on my yoga mat as I mentioned above.

I will follow up on this red apron recipe post in the very near future. I really prefer not to do that. I did not intend for it to become two parts. Oh well, why attach?

May I help who’s next?

**It’s no longer 2020!**–**This is obviously a repost!!**

New Years Day on July 4th

Coffee Novelist

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January 1, 2025

New Year’s Day this new year

This year I celebrated New Year’s Day on the day after Thanksgiving on the shores of the Ohio River. That is what I have been doing for the last several years now. If you are a little confused, I will be happy to explain.

My point of renewal and recharging usually happens to be late July on the shore of the Ohio River. Cue Dick Clark. Don’t know him? Is Steve available? Ryan..? No matter, Here goes.

I have returned with some or all of my adult children each and every year. Over the years the mid-summer trip has, for me, evolved into as much a spiritual pilgrimage as a summer holiday. It’s a holiday week. I spend it having fun but also taking spiritual stock of myself during the past year and even years. This year’s trip, however, was moved to Thanksgiving weekend.

This year long intention has come to be manifested by the “drift log” rite or practice I now perform annually on the shores of the Ohio. The river never fails to give me a sturdy, nearly two-foot-long drift log to take back home with me. The riverbank is full of them. Once back home it I put on my front porch in summer, on the buffet in the winter. Both places easily in view and accessible. They need to be because as the year proceeds, I take physical reminders of the year and attach them to the drift log: receipts, lists, appointment reminder cards, personal notes. The good, bad, happy and sad get stapled or glued onto the drift log. By vacation time each year, the drift log is full, carrying the attachments of the year with it.

Then, on one of the days of the weekend when the river seems receptive, I head to the shore with this year’s drift log. I’ll call this New Year’s Eve. It is always very early in the morning when the river is calm like glass, and I can feel the power and energy of the water. I know it is time for the toss. It is like the ball dropping on Times Square, less crowded, less noisy but with a hell of lot more significance, intention and energy. I begin my countdown and take some breathes as I review the array of glued and stapled reminders of the year.

When I’m ready, I throw it as far as I can throw it! I release this year’s drift log. It takes its time coming down upon the indifferent water. It splashes, settles for a second or two and begins its trip to New Orleans or somewhere I will never discover.

I am lightened, renewed, freed of attachments to events from the previous year and years. I can go back to the laptop and work for the sake of working, write for the sake of writing. My New Year’s Eve celebration. My drift log tradition or rite is not the midnight ball drop on Time’s Square, but considerably less random a lot more effective starting point to begin intentions for the following year. I have space to take them on now. I have already started to prioritize them.

Before I leave the shores of the Ohio to begin my new year, I chose a new drift log. It’s hard to tell from the photo but this year’s is a bit smaller. I’m hoping that means that fewer attachments will find me in 2024. Happy New Year!

This is a repost, but you get the idea: Happy New Year!

Coffee Novelist Goes Fishing

Coffee Novelist

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December 23, 2024

Coffee Novelist Goes Fishing- Most folks take coffee breaks. But America’s Premier Coffee Novelist is taking a break from coffee- to go fishing. What that means is that I’ve reached an agreement with Pete’s Press to publish my YA novella, Ironjaws. And I am thrilled to have such a great partner in this endeavor. Pete’s is about as far away from the mainstream Big Five offices as one can get- Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and publish books that make you think. This will be fun and I will keep you all updated along the way!

Born to be trad, or not

Coffee Novelist

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December 20, 2024

“What else to you do, besides work for Innetech?” Asks random person at holiday party or work event.

“I’m an author,” You reply, holding a cookie decorated like a wreath.

“Like James Patterson or Jane Austin?”

“Not exactly,’ You pause searching for a quick answer, wanting to bite the cookie instead of going into details you know the rando will not remember. Or you try to decide if it is even remotely possible to get this person to get buy one of your books. Admit it, you are always thinking about it.

I’m guessing I’m not alone among indie authors out there this Holiday Season in trying to explain to a stranger, or even family and friends, what an independent, or indie author, does and why. I sometimes get that question, and when I do, I’ve never felt like I’ve done a very good job explaining myself. I always seem to come off as a deluded, confused, introvert who’d rather spend hours alone at the laptop doomed to remain anonymous, penniless, clueless. Sure, in my case, all that is true. But I chose that path and am quite content to remain on it.

But you may not feel the same way. So, I did a little research and came up with a few quick reasons to help you out in those awkward Holiday party moments.

Most folks immediately think all authors are, or want to be, published by traditional, or trad, publishing houses. There are only five of those remaining as we look ahead to 2025. A steady flurry of mergers and acquisitions has dominated the book publishing sector since the 1990s, which sounds familiar to anyone who works anywhere near corporate America.

And that is the best place to start. Trad Publishing is a business. They are in that business to make money. The most important factor for the Big Five is to make sure that they turn a profit. That flurry of mergers and acquisitions didn’t happen because of anything to do with prose, poetry, words, characters, editors, or anything else but the almighty dollar. In other words, traditional publishers take the financial risk upon publishing a novel, anyone’s novel. And no one is going to risk finding themselves delivering Jimmy John’s on a ten-speed in Manhattan for your latest passion project. Not going to happen. As you are talking to someone who has likely been downsized or whose company has been bought four times in ten years (like my employer), they will understand why you don’t see trad publishing as making sense.

“Love Betty’s cookies. She brings them every year.” The random person says. “So, what about indie publishing. Don’t they just press publish on Amazon and call it book?”

Now that the person has seen the wisdom of your ways, try to sell them your books. Kidding. Not yet. And don’t mention Betty just told you she heard her position is being eliminated and is going to give her two weeks, cookies be damned.

The reason I use indie publishing is to help eliminate that legacy ol’ boy referred to above. A true indie author never publishes by his or her self. It has happened on Amazon because it is so easy to do anything on Amazon, as all of us who use the “buy with one click” button can attest. One way to assure the folks you are talking to is to say something like “As an independent author I am in charge of my book’s editing, design, production, distribution, marketing, promotion, licensing and rights.” This will get their attention and empathy because Innetech is paying him or her to do five or six jobs now, with no pay increase.

You then explain that 50% of Kindle’s Top 400 for 2023 were from Indie authors. Or that as a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, you get access to vetted professionals who help you with all aspects of indie book publishing you just mentioned. And they could even check out the Authors’ Guild’s Indie Versus Traditional Publishing for more info.

“I see what you mean. Where can I buy your books?” The newly impressed, but still random person says, ” I’m going to send one to my sister-in-law who works for Hachette in New York. I’ll keep you posted,”

“Thanks!” You say, exchanging contacts and taking a bite of the cookie. “Happy New Year!”

stop me if you’ve heard this one before

Coffee Novelist

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December 19, 2024

I chose that to headline for this list of mediation wisdoms that resonated with me while reading A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation.

I use it because the list will only make sense if you’ve practiced meditation before, or at least you will recognize the wisdom in them. It is like having someone explain the punch line of a joke to you in a way. If you don’t get it the first time you ain’t gonna laugh the second time.

I am not a serious resource on mediation by any means, but I view my writing as part of a larger “meditative practice,’ so that is my context for the list below. I hope they find the punch line in your meditative practice; however you chose to apply it.

All the elements of a positive sense are already there within us
The wisdom is not to be found somewhere out there; it cannot be learned. It is a direct experience of ourselves and our true nature (Example: I replace wisdom with writing here)
Over time we may become quite different, and this will have repercussions
The less busy our mind is, the closer we are to the truth
A person may conquer a million men in battle, but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors
All of us seek happiness, but most look outside ourselves to find it
There is no absolute division between thoughts, emotions and physical sensations
In order to take responsibility for ourselves, we have to realize that we can and do actively create our own states of mind
We should pay at least as much attention to the difficult times of our practice as the enjoyable ones
The glory of life is in its movement and change, its growth and decay, and the new life that comes out of decay

I always do yoga before I meditate, btw.

Doppio Drips

Coffee Novelist

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December 13, 2024

Every morning comes early. So I use my DeLonghi espresso unit to make a doppio to start my day. It starts my body. Next, I start my mind by making a few entries in my journal. I’ve called my journals Sketchbooks of the Mind for as long I can remember. I borrowed it from the poet Lawrence Felinghetti, whom I once saw read live and in person.

It fits my approach to journaling. I see the practice as clearing the mind of thoughts and getting it ready for a new day, much like defrosting the windshield of your car. It is a powerful, simple process. In fact, simply noting the date and time each morning helps release yesterday. I think so anyway.

Below is a more recent sketch- thoughts I’ve written down and released over my morning doppio. See what you think.

A workday may be seen as exchanging a portion of our life force, the essence that has always animated us, for the opportunity to purchase a lifeless object.
Consider not what your coffee can do for you, but what you can accomplish with your coffee.
The issue with pursuing money is that it invariably stays one step ahead.
By the time you settle down to write, the moment has already passed.
Money – you must earn it before you can burn, gather it before you can toss it, secure it before you can consume it.
From your first breath to your last, there lies a vast expanse of gray area; nothing is purely black or white, and little is certain.
One cannot see the coffee bean for the pound it’s part of.
I don’t feel like I write. That’s too restrictive a description. Rather, I unearth thoughts, using an energized, fearless, tranquil, and focused energy within my mind; writing with it is a choice, not an inevitable path.
Anything that is too easy, too convenient to not have an apparent downside cannot have the upside it claims to offer.
For me at least, the midnight oil never burns as efficiently as the early morning coffee.

That’s all for now. Have a good day!

More valuable human interaction

Coffee Novelist

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November 11, 2024

Had a great time at the Cincinnati Coffee Festival meeting coffee lovers and readers. The intention is to return next year with the next novel in the Trier series.

Have a cappuccino today

Coffee Novelist

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November 8, 2024

Happy National Cappuccino Day!

Today, we raise our cups to one of the world’s favorite drinks—the cappuccino! There’s nothing like the perfect blend of rich espresso, steamed milk, and a touch of frothy foam to start the day or fuel a creative afternoon. For those of us who love coffee and a great story, check out the work of Jerry Vanschaik, the “Coffee Novelist.” His books capture the essence of coffee culture in a way that’s as satisfying as that first morning sip. In The Trier: A Week in the Life and Death of a Coffeehouse, Jerry takes us on a journey through the highs, lows, and mysteries of a beloved coffeehouse. And for a unique twist on self-discovery, Tripio follows one man’s search for meaning, all set against the backdrop of the coffee world we know and love. Curl up with a cappuccino and dive into these books to celebrate the day with a blend of caffeine and creativity. #NationalCappuccinoDay #CoffeeCulture #JerryVanschaik #TheTrier #Tripio #CoffeeNovelist #BookLovers

Yoga and writing practives

Coffee Novelist

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November 2, 2024

Yoga and writing practice

They say that the issues are in our tissues. As I writer, I’ve found that holds true for all the mental time and energy put into writing a novel. You get up early, work on it for three hours if you’re able to make the time on a weekend day. So what? You gotta do it again tomorrow, even if you have to work and have time for only a line or two.

With either outcome is best let go so you can move on. For my part, I do yoga with the intent of letting the writing release from my body, my tissues, and my mind. I found this captured wonderfully in a journal entry came across. If you know your asanas, I think you’ll like it:

Pigeon to let it go,

Exalted warrior to let it flow

Shavasana so you know.