Making a 'Not-to-do' List

There’s a familiar holiday song that goes something like, “He’s making a list, checkin’ it twice…” etc. Well, first of all I’ve always thought the lyrics should be changed to reflect what really happens during the holiday season: “She’s making a list, checkin’ it thrice (then running ‘round like crazy and NO, it’s not so nice). And then I began to wonder if making a ‘to-do’ list is really the best way to deal with the stress of the holiday season (and life in general) – after all, a list is a tangible reminder that we have way too much to do and no time to do it.

Then last week I discovered there was a far less stressful way to approach things: Turn the concept of the list on its head and start making a ‘not-to-do’ list. How? Well, like me there’s probably stuff on your to-do list you actually don’t need to do, especially during the holiday season. For example, do you really need to head to the malls a gazillion times, fight through crowds of stressed out people, just to buy run-of-the-mill presents and made-in-China stocking stuffers? Or can you move ‘mall visits’ to your ‘not-to-do’ list, and shop at local stores, make your own gifts or, better yet, move all your 'purchase-presents tasks' to your not-to-do list and give a gift of time to your loved one. For example, you could have tea with you Great Aunt Mabel or take your Mom out for dinner or build a gingerbread house with your kids. It's such a wonderful concept, although you may get some resistance from your family, especially if it's your turn to cook the turkey dinner. But, if anyone complains I would just tell them you’ve just double-checked your ‘not-to-do’ list and if they want dessert they’ll have to bring it themselves. Already the weight of the season’s expectations is lifting from my shoulders. Now, I’m actually looking forward to the delights of the holiday season – both the nice and the little bit naughty. 

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Coffee That's Top of the Crop

It’s used as an aphrodisiac, was once hailed by religious scholars for its ability to give them divine insight and today, millions of people around the world don’t feel quite human until they’ve had their first sip of morning java.

It’s quite an achievement for the small cherry-colored berry that was discovered 1,500 years ago in the mountains of Arabia. The story goes something like this: A young goatherd was watching his flock munching obsessively on trees bursting with red berries. He noticed that after their red-berry meal the goats were friskier than usual, so one day he decided to try a few of those berries himself and discovered what dedicated java-junkies around the world know – coffee is the elixir of life.

Since that initial discovery, coffee has established itself in almost every corner of the earth and is the world’s second most-traded commodity (the first being oil.) More recently, it’s started to get kudos from the medical world for its health benefits, with the latest missive declaring it might reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Of course, all coffee is not created equal and being a passionate connoisseur of the beverage, I’ve had my share of the good, the bad and the ugly. Because of that there are a few cafés that have won my undying loyalty as I know that every time I go I’ll be served a coffee that’s sublime (and Fair Trade, Direct Trade and/or organic, too). Here are a few of my favourites:

Mad Rona’s: I may live on Gabriola Island, but unfortunately the only time I get to indulge in Mad Rona’s coffee is on the weekend. When Chris and Lana opened for business they offered a different brand of coffee. In search of perfection, they soon switched things up and today brew Drumroaster Coffee roasted in Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island. Every weekend I bless them for making the switch when I head in for my shot-in-the-dark – a shot of espresso, with a perfect ‘crema’, poured into a dark roast coffee. Yep, my weekends are gooood (Bonus: Lana’s baked goods taste like your mom’s).

Café Artigiano: I first discovered this Italian café on Hornby Street in Vancouver. It was before Mad Rona’s had opened and frankly it had been a long time since I’d tasted a really good cup of coffee. I ordered a latte, cozied into the beautiful Italian décor and took a sip. Tears literally sprang to my eyes as the strong, bittersweet taste of good espresso, perfectly balanced with steamed milk, hit my tastebuds, delighting body, mind and spirit simultaneously. (Bonus: They have a number of different locations including one in Victoria.) 

Elysian Coffee: My first experience of drinking coffee here was after I did the Grouse Grind in the pouring rain, following an 80-year-old man, who sprinted up the trail, leaving me panting with embarrassment and exhaustion behind. I was cold, wet and humiliated when I arrived at Elysian, so I barely registered that the barista was brewing my coffee personally – grinding just the right amount of beans for my cup, carefully heating the water and then deftly combining the two. Too desperate to waste time with milk and sugar I took a sip and – epiphany – it was the first time I realized coffee could be divine just the way it is. (Bonus: Here, you can try rare and limited roasts of coffee)

And one on my “to do” list:

Freakin’ Coffee Shop: I have yet to taste the coffee here but a friend of mine swears it’s the best on Vancouver Island. And apparently the décor lives up to its name, too.