If you Google “wind powered coffee shop”, the first relevant result is a 2005 article about how Starbucks decided to offset their energy usage by buying wind power credits. But what about coffee shops that actually create their own wind power? What about coffee shops that are energy independent from the beginning instead of offsetting their energy through credits?

Believe it or not, we have one right here in Tennessee.

I read about Jo Jo’s Java Wind Powered Coffeehouse is one of the newer local papers a few weeks ago. It mentioned a new coffee shop that had just opened in October that serves 100% fair trade and organic coffee. It also talked about how the owner, “Jo Jo” Chapman, installed a windmill to generate the energy she needs to power the equipment in the coffee shop. All of the key words were included: sustainability, alternative energy, wind power, organic. It was enough to excite me to no end. So much so that I immediately picked up the phone (I was at work) and called Jim (the hubby) to tell him all about it. After all, this is big news for our “neck of the woods”. We knew instantly that we would have to make a trip to see this place in the near future.

Yesterday was the day.

Jim and I traveled the 33 miles to Jo Jo’s Java Wind Powered Coffeehouse located at 8478 Murfreesboro Hwy in Manchester, TN. Seeing as how I am “spatially challenged”, therefore sucking at directions, I consider it a blessing that my husband is the complete opposite. Then again, it helps that he knew exactly where the shop was located due to having worked in that area for a while.

When we pulled up to the building, I was immediately taken with the design. Nothing about it said “traditional coffee house”. Anyone who knows me knows that this is always a big plus in my eyes. The angles of the building, the large windows, the color, the lack of commercial feel were all selling points to me before I even stepped foot inside the door. I also appreciated being able to see the windmill working in the back as soon as we pulled in to park. Good feelings all around on initial arrival — I liked it. Walking through the front door and seeing the inside was wonderful. The openness of the floor plan, the absence of clutter, the fresh smell of “fair trade, organic” coffee, the beautiful reflections of light bouncing from one corner of the building to another, the beautiful bare floors, the local artist photographs hanging on the wall — all of these things and more just spoke to me and made me feel very at home.Jim and I were immediately welcomed by the owner, Jo Jo, and we talked for a while about various things as she prepared our coffee: iced mocha coffee for me and a double-shot mocha (hot) coffee for Jim. So, how was the coffee? Let’s just put it this way. Remember how I mentioned a certain gift certificate to my favorite coffee shop? SCRATCH THAT! I now have a new favorite coffee shop. The coffee was out of this world delicious. Jim thought so, too. And this opinion was formed on both of us trying both coffees. The official verdict is: two thumbs up, WAY up! Now, if only it wasn’t freaking 33 miles. That poses quite a problem.

After devouring our delicious beverages, Jo Jo was kind enough to let us take some photos of the place. We talked a little more alternative energy and she shared some insight with us about wind power. She explained how she stores the wind power in batteries and how she hopes to have solar panels installed in the near future. We briefly talked about biofuel (her car runs on biofuel), strawbale houses, and living off-grid. She talked of her support of the local arts and how she hopes to have some more displays in the shop soon. We discovered that we share many of the same interests, such as simple living. All in all it was a very nice afternoon visit with a likeminded person, something very hard to come by around here.

If you’ve made it this far, you may be wondering why I would post about this here. I have a couple of reasons. One is that I strongly believe in supporting local people, like Jo Jo, who are out there making a difference and daring to step up and do something against the grain. I want to spread the word and offer up some exposure to them, even if it’s only a small amount. Another reason is that it all ties in to “The Reason” for our upcoming traveling adventure. One of the things I hope to incorporate in our travels are visits to places like Jo Jo’s Java Wind Powered Coffeehouse. I want to be part of the change, support the change, learn from others who are out there doing it. And if at all possible, I’d love to participate and help out as much as possible. I want us, as a family, to immerse ourselves in the life we intend to lead. And the best way to do it is to just get out there and do it. So why not start local?

It’s my hope that if you are in Tennessee or passing through this part of Tennessee in the future that you stop by Jo Jo’s Java Wind Powered Coffeehouse for a visit. The coffee is outstanding, the owner is very nice and friendly, the atmosphere is comfy, the scenery is beautiful, and the experience is memorable. And tell her Lee and Jim sent you.

Do you think “philosopher” when you hear the name George Carlin?

Chances are, you don’t. Chances are, you think of a stage in a comedy club with the raspy voiced comic spouting off some vulgar obscenities and popping some blood vessels in his neck. At least that is the initial visual that pops into my head. But then I stumbled across something that totally changed my perception of Mr. Carlin.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, & pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon & back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less & less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men & small character, steep profits & shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, & pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window & nothing in the stockroom.

source

I took the liberty to put emphasis on a certain phrase for a reason. The reason is that this is part of “THE REASON” why our family has decided to give up the conventional lifestyle that seems to be the norm for Americans and replace it with one of nonconvention.

The American culture is not one to be proud of in the least. We are a throw away nation, disposing of items ranging anywhere from paper plates to children. We are a society that is riding on the wave of mass consumption, strongly convinced that buying more things will bring us more happiness. We are bombarded with advertisements every minute of every day, reminding us that we haven’t spent every single dime we have yet. Banks and credit card companies strive to keep us indebted to them for the rest of our natural life, yet we don’t have a single thing to show for it.

We throw our children into public school systems that only care about making a grade and wonder why we have kids graduating from school that can’t read. We feed our families junk food and then wonder why there is an increase in obesity. There are prescription drugs on the market for everything imaginable, yet natural remedies are met with upturned noses and thought to be quackery.

We are a rude and selfish lot. There is no compassion for our fellow man. There is no compassion for the Earth. We have no patience. We have no tact. To make it all worse, it seems we have no desire to change.

There is such a disconnection within our society. It is our hope to find a connection with this journey. We want to connect with the Earth. We want to connect with people. We want to connect with the plants, the trees, the sky, the dirt. We want to connect with anyone who is willing to step up and make a connection with us. We want to be better people, better human beings, better stewards of the Earth, and better neighbors.

Isn’t that what we should all want?