sprouts

It's mornings like these ... that I wish I still had Sprouts.

Just over six years ago, I opened up a little cafe in an industrial area in Calgary.  The food was all fresh, healthy and homemade (yes...I used to make bread everyday!).  Daily, a new soup creation was put on the menu (soups given names like "Billy"!), there was baking ready to be eaten, and coffee always fresh and brewed.  The view wasn't the greatest ... the cafe front was east facing directly into a lumber yard (!), but the morning sun made up for it.  Hours were from 6am-2pm ... never have I had more ideal hours.  Well, minus the round-the-clock work I did the rest of the day :)

After the breakfast rush and my soup was simmering, usually, I'd sit outside with my coffee and read/crossword-it-up before friends would visit me through the day.  As a public place, the amount of friends/family that would just "pop by" has way surpassed the amount of guests I have had in my own home!

 It was during my time at Sprouts that I fell more in love with m'love, got into some wonderful discussions/conversations with strangers and friends (that I learned a LOT from), hosted many "functions" to where close friends and new friends gathered and grew ... oh how I miss that daily community! 

Like anything, there were things that were really "hard" about it.  Running a business like that presented risks and challenges and sometimes, I didn't always feel so flexible.  I grew so much personally that time of my life (almost 2 years before I sold it), and wouldn't not have wanted to do the difficult parts because of how rich the experience was.       

Looking back, I was so incredibly blessed to have that opportunity and am blessed today to reminisce about this special, unique time in my life.  Wish y'all could've been there with me ... 

pic pix: SPROUTS Cafe, Calgary.AB, 2006-2007