On preparing coffee . . .

Simplify your life. It will continue to pay cumulative dividends for the rest of your life.

Learn to like coffee without cream and sugar. Then, you can always enjoy the simple pleasure of a cuppa, without fretting about the ready availability of cream, sugar, refrigerators, clean silver spoons of the requisite size and shape, and the myriad other worrisome complications that are going to contribute incrementally and unfavorably to timing of your death.

All those people you think are happy to have “a good cup of coffee” will spend a great deal more of their lives whining miserably about a bad one.

When a cup of coffee presents itself, just say “It’s good enough” and get on with your happy and contented life.

Moi? I make coffee for Sunday morning breakfast, when my usual daily is unavailable. On Saturday night, I bring a saucepan of water to the boil, throw in a scoop of Colombian, turn off the heat, cover it, and go to bed. In the morning, I carefully pour it off the settled grounds, reheat and drink, as is. I’ve never had a better cup of coffee.