"A Quick cup of Coffee!"

Story told by Winston from the Old Lantern Inn on November 04 2005
As the nice weather approaches leaving winters bitter cold just a memory, it's great to get outside at the Lantern Inn and sit on the bench at the opening of our driveway and feel the warmth of the sun again.

This is so much more enjoyable than getting the garden prepared for a long winter!

The spring flowers are in full glory, and everyone is coming out of hibernation after a cold and miserable winter, it's a good day for catching up on the neighborhood news.

I don't know why? But even the coffee tastes better when you sit on the garden bench!

Not only are the flowers in their full glory, Linda is also when she can get her hands in the warm spring soil, doing what has to be her most favorite things to do in this world, working in the garden and talking with our neighbors as they stop by and exchange gardening ideas.

Linda can talk for hours on this topic, she would tell you that, " It's better than looking through a frosted window in a house that's all closed up to keep out the cold!"

I have to get another cup of coffee. Don't go away I'll be right back, I don't want to miss a minute of this fabulous day.

Okay I'm back, where did l leave off? Oh yes I forgot to mention that our neighbors include Patti and Gordon, they live at the other end of Rosemere Avenue. Linda would look up from her gardening and say, "Here comes Gordon out for his morning walk."

Even though Gordon's hair has turned mostly white, you can still see a glimpse of fiery red in the morning sun. Most every morning in the nice weather Gordon would go by our place to get a newspaper and a bun for breakfast.

I asked Gordon, "Wouldn't orange juice go better with the bun?" Gordon would reply, "You get more pulp in the paper!" And he would laugh out loud. Linda tried her best to spar with Gordon and his humor, but she couldn't keep up the pace. Linda would say, "Gordon is the master of puns!"

After a few more puns he would say, "I've got to go and see if buddy has my breakfast ready, I'll see you later on today, I want to run a new tune past you that I'm working on to see if you can catch it." And off he went like a Viking man on a mission.

Both Linda and I would look forward to Gordon returning later in the day; it gave us the pleasure of hearing some of Gordon's music while he was in the process of creating the most beautiful cords in open tuning.

Page two "A Quick Cup of Coffee" Later that day:

Gordon returned with his guitar and said, "I'll just play the part that I've been working on for the last couple of days, let me know what you think of it." Gordon called this one 'home thoughts' It was for his first CD North Atlantic Dance.

After a bit of time and some of the most creative finger picking and chords. My imagination could see a picture of what Gordon had just played so beautifully! Gordon asked, "what do you think Winston? I know it needs more work!"

I said, "The part that you just played is magical, and if the rest is anything like the first part you have real good start for your CD."
I then asked Gordon, "Do you have time for a coffee?" Gordon answered, "Well maybe a quick one."

As a rule on those fantastic days in Ninety-three our coffee breaks would last for a couple of hours. On Gordon's part most of the conversation would be about music, and how he felt about living in Ottawa. Gordon said, "Every morning I get up and ask myself where am I? When I'm fully awake and I realize that I'm not in Newfoundland, I feel like a fish out of water!"

I asked Gordon, "Are you homesick or is it just the way you feel about Ottawa in general?" Gordon answered, "Don't get me wrong Winston I like the people, everyone has been really nice it's just not the same as home."

We talked about how life in a city like Ottawa, can have an effect on how the music turns out.

I asked Gordon, "Do you think it would be possible for you to come up with a tune for these times that we enjoy so much, and call it a quick cup of coffee?" Gordon laughed and said, "It would have to be a two hour selection!"

After Gordon and Patti returned to Newfoundland, although we miss seeing them, I think that it was exactly what Gordon had to do! After his CD North Atlantic Dance, In ninety-six he went on to his next CD that was released two thousand and one, Gordon called this one Molly Bawn. And most recently in two thousand and five we received a CD from Gordon it's called 'from a Christmas Guitar' it so beautifully captures the sounds of celebration and the true meaning of Christmas.

Gordon talked about making this one when he and Patti lived on Rosemere Avenue.

Now when I play Christmas music, Bing Crosby plays second fiddle to Gordon!

I know that I'm a dreamer and it could never happen! But if it were possible for everyone on this troubled earth to hear Gordon play his Christmas music, I would stand beside him and ask them all, what do you want to do? Hear more of Gordon's music or keep on fighting a holy war that has no end!

All the people on this earth would stand up and ask Gordon to play silent night!

And the world would become a better place.

Page three "A Quick Cup of Coffee"
When I think back to that time and so many days of sitting on the bench in our back yard, enjoying friendly conversation with a good friend like Gordon.

I treasure those memories, and I can't help but think what I would do to make those times return once more, Just to have a cup of coffee with Gordon and hear him say one more time. Well okay Winston I have time for just a quick cup, I'm working on a tune and I'd like to run it past you, I call it, " A quick cup of coffee" it's for my next CD.

The story is not over yet as long as Gordon keeps on writing and playing his music, I am sure that everyone with an ear for good music, someday all will know Gordon's music.
When the nice weather returns I'll be sitting on the bench, at the Lantern Inn and I will raise a quick cup of coffee and say this one is for you Gordon!