B E A N S !!!

         BELIEVE                       

          ENCOURAGE

           ACT

            NURTURE

              SERVE

There is a place in Woodstown, NJ where IAllison and I meet- like our own living room away from home.  We can get a cup of tea - today was white monkey and Egyptian chamomile - together in one giant cup.  There's always a special on the board or a giant salad with a huge serving of chicken salad.  Music from the 60s is playing in the background.  The baby grand piano creates a welcoming atmosphere. There are always paintings and photographs from the Salem County Art League and GREAT PEOPLE BEHIND THE COUNTER!!  What more can we ask for??  Well, for Photo Schmoozer,there is one more thing!!  It is definitely to talk to people and learn their stories. Today I received that gift!!   Allison calls Beans "our favorite place" and a halfway spot for us to meet, eat and create (well, the words almost rhyme!)  We were there again today.
The place was crowded and the young children there for a birthday party discovered the ramp leading to the back door and ran and ran and ran.  As an early childhood educator,  I sat listening to the moms restricting their children's movement and all they really needed was to get out and run!!  But it was cold, so inside was second choice.  Then there was the clump, clump, clump.  of Daniel 's roller blades.  He was skating up and down the ramp!!  When I asked why he wasn't in school, he told me that he was home schooled and this was his phys ed time!!  OK he was Ann's son and she is the owner of Beans so it's an ok thing to see happening!!  Then we met Eric.  He joined us in the living room - a recent law school grad who could not find a job in criminal law.  Today, he was taking a break and playing Farmville!!  As Allison and I worked on topics for presentations, Eric used his wit to add comments.  At one point he said, "No don't use that title.  Your words are putting me to sleep!!"  We were  strangers who quickly become friends sharing a space.  When it was time for lunch,and  I was reading the  newly printed menu, I noticed the words you see above.  Oh my goodness!!  What a shared philosophy with DARE to AFFIRM.  It seems these words have always represented Beans, but today,  I saw them for the first time.  They are Ann and all she represents.  They are the staff who work at Beans!  They bring us all a message on how to live our lives each day.  I am sitting here listening to the State of the Union speech and isn't Barack asking us  to live these same words?  Isn't  he saying it time to stop the partisan bickering and realize that there is a bigger meaning to our living, working and caring for one another!!  Now, let's move forward for peace and understanding!!