CoffeeSock

✨ One idea to keep it slow and simple… An account of what matters

Have you watched the three-part PBS series on Henry David Thoreau? Highly recommend!

In Thoreau’s Walden his main goal, as he writes it, is to provide “a simple and sincere account of his own life” in his cabin in the woods where he lived simply for two years.

He takes that accounting quite seriously, and in the chapter on “Economy” he identifies only four necessesities for living: food, shelter, clothing, and fuel. (We might add community to the list.) He then gives detailed accounts of how he goes about acquiring these necessities.

And while he accounts for where his money goes, he is most concerned with accounting for his time and thus his freedom.

If you were to keep a detailed account of everything you spend time and money on for a day or a week, what do you think you would see? How would it make you feel? What would you change if you could?

Got… erm… Nut Milk, Rice Milk, Oat Milk…?? has your CoffeeSock DIY alternative milk making needs covered! 🥥🥛🌰
Check out their sweet spot in Providence, RI!

In ‘Sock Process… always brings a smile to our face 😄

✨One idea to keep it slow and simple… Begin anywhere

On any given day, in any given month, there are so many things that need doing. Some required for survival, some that feel required, even if they could wait, and some that come directly from our hopes and dreams for the future. You know the list. Eat, drink, move, work, tidy the house, mend the socks, mend the relationship, do the laundry, send the email, plant the garden, call your senator, call your friend, buy groceries, compost more, mow the lawn, practice piano, practice patience, walk the dog, read the books on your side table, write a letter, write a check, donate funds, attend the party, attend the protest, meet the new neighbor, save the receipts, save the date, save the world.

The list is long and large. It goes ever on. We may only skim the surface of some of its demands. For a select few, may we choose to dive in. And when we are unsure what to do next, may we remember that imperfect action is still action.

The world is made anew every day by our actions, big and small. And we really can get somewhere just by beginning anywhere.

🍊New Recipe: Orange spiked cold brew…
Add orange slices to the grounds while you steep your cold brew for a citrusy coffee treat. Add more slices right to the cup, too. It’s a new favorite citrus season morning ritual!

Get the recipe and more by signing up for our monthly Simply Sunday newsletter. ✨☝️

✨One idea to keep it slow and simple… Coffee with neighbors

Friends, there is a way forward to a more sustainable, equitable, and caring world. It’s just that we can’t get there alone. Not as indiviuals. Not as siloed families. Not as insular friend groups.

It takes community in the biggest and broadest sense we can manage.

So, fire up that big auto-drip machine and invite the whole neighborhood to drop by. Get out to your locally-owned, community-based business and start chatting up the people you see. Subscribe to community newsletters and follow local sources.

Have coffee with neighbors and neighbors of neighbors and their neighbors, too. Choose a morning or afternoon or evening—once per week or per month—and make it regular and sustained.

Then start talking. If not now, then when?

Sign up for our monthly Simply Sundays Newsletter! Three simple things (and some clickable fun) every month or so… 🌱✨

✨One idea to keep it slow and simple… Little connections
At the end of every December, as I reflect on the year that’s ending and the one to come, it’s the moments with other people that I want more of. The joyful moments, the somber ones, the celebrations and the support—to connect is to be human. And now, more than ever, I remind myself to stay human always.

So, among my many resolutions for 2026 is this one: Little connections. Yes, I’m still excited for the big connections and big moments—those will always be welcome. It’s that I don’t want to wait for the rarer big moments in order to be in community.

Little connections accumulate. A quick hello to a neighbor, a post card to a distant friend, a chat with the person standing next to me in the coffee line, a 10-minute phone call, or a 5-minute phone call. It all adds up to a more connected world for me and others.

After all these years of CoffeeSock, I still believe a more sustainable world and healthy planet is possible, and I’ve seen incredible strides in that direction. To continue on that path in the age of A.I., will require community. This year, little connections—in addition to the big ones—might bring us a little more togther still.

✨New Recipe: Citrus herb healing tonic
Whether it’s the sniffles, a scratchy throat, or something a bit more existential, we could all use a healing brew from time to time. This adaptable recipe uses the fruit and herbs you have on hand—or your favorites from the produce aisle—to create a powerful concentrate to keep in your fridge. Just heat the kettle and add hot water any time you need a soothing boost.

Get the Recipe 👆

🌳New Blog: To tree or not to tree. Paper vs cotton…
How much of what we consume began its life as a tree? Are paper products more or less sustainable than cotton? What are the real costs associated with both paper and cotton? This article does the deep dive and compares the upfront and long term costs of both paper and cotton. Read the blog 👆

Also, if you haven’t already, sign up for our Simply Sunday Newsletter: Three simple things (and some clickable fun), every month or so. Promise, no spam!