The Fox is Friendly

What do quiche, birdsong, and sweet cars have in common?

All were part of a couple of early morning hours spent in front of the Friendly Fox yesterday morning.

I’ve mentioned the relatively recent addition of the coffeeshop to our south side neighborhood.  (That is my second neighborhood–not the one in which I live, but the one in which a great part of the rest of my life is connected…church, Michael’s employment at Taylor U.  It’s about a mile and a half down the street.)  Yesterday, my friend Emily and I spend a couple of hours sharing life in comfortable Adirondack chairs in front of the establishment.

I recommend the quiche.  Right around 5 dollars (6, if you add a drink other than refreshing water) will get you a plate which includes the egg dish (I had the apple, ham, and cheddar variety; my friend’s favorite is three cheese; healthier-minded folks can choose veggie, or broccoli and cheddar), fresh fruit (strawberries and canteloupe today), and a scrumptious scone (this was a blueberry morning…maybe every morning is; this was my first time for this item).  I’m sure it all tasted better because we ate it outside.

Outside, because the Fox is one block off the four-lane traffic of Rudisill Boulevard, it is still quiet enough to hear birdsong.  The cardinal which I could hear, and later see, reminded me of the cardinal song with a twist (some little unique lilt in that one’s tune) that I hear most early mornings as I am waking up.  That, by the way, is one of the nice things about the seasons in between heat and air conditioning when one sleeps with the bedroom windows cracked at night.

I don’t usually notice cars, but Emily and I both commented on several truly sweet models that passed us.  My favorite was the snazzy little convertible being driven top down by a fellow pilgrim in life whose hair color and cut might place her in the senior citizen category.  (Michael and I keep mentioning a little convertible fun car in our ”someday”–it will likely be permanently relegated to that realm of life!) 

Located two blocks from campus, the Fox still doesn’t seem to have a huge clientele demographic from among the student population (at least it hasn’t been apparent at the various times I have been there). However, yesterday seemed to be the morning for the male administrators to frequent the establishment because we saw and greeted about half a dozen who came and went.

Why am I telling you this?  Why should you care about this slice of life that was the start of my Wednesday?  You probably shouldn’t.  Except for this:  I think the reason the Friendly Fox has such an appeal on the south side these days is that it is another place where community happens.  And, as anybody who has participated in the blogging world for more than about two days knows, community is a highly valued commodity in our lives.

Upon reflection, I would categorize this little bit of it as a blessing-a joyful, day-making, puts-a-smile-on-my-face blessing. And I am thankful.