After using a stronger word in that previous sentence, I replaced it with "silly".
I do like that almost every mug has a story. In my old post, I wrote that fifteen years ago in China, I found Starbucks while walking in the leafy district among the foreign embassies - at that time the first and only Starbucks in Beijing. Inside, I drank an Americano, people-watched, coveted the oversized Beijing city mug on the shelf, and (dork) didn't buy it. So, when a colleague made a similar trip later - and I knew he was staying just blocks from the store - I begged him to get me the mug, and he did.
These days it holds my scoop and grinder brush.
A couple years ago I bought another mug, but its form doesn't follow its function all that well, so it holds my vegetable scrubber, on the kitchen windowsill:
This one's from the Switzerland trip, last August:
These last few mugs all involve my sweet friend, Red Freckle. In Seattle a couple summers ago, we visited the Marimekko store, near Pike Place. Red, who is a classy person, bought a beautiful tray and matching striped mug. I bought this:
The next Christmas, we drove to Los Angeles, with a detour across the Golden Gate bridge. In L.A., I visited Red Freckle again and we got talking about pottery. I mentioned how much I like Heath Ceramics, and she replied, "You were just in Sausalito! The Heath factory is right there!" Two months later on my birthday, Red mailed me a Heath mug.
We have to get into the way-back machine for this next mug. Thirteen years ago I was pregnant with Moon Pie, and we visited San Diego. Red Freckle, a wonderful host and tour guide, took us shopping in La Jolla and we found the most darling mug. I think it seemed darling at the time because something mental happens when you're pregnant to make everything darling. My opinion only.
On the outside, it looks like any ordinary coffee mug,
but no.
I haven't used this mug in years because I'm not sure it's microwave/dishwasher safe. The Total Package found it a couple days ago and I said, "The Bartletts are having a baby! Let's give it to them."
"But I like it,"he said. So it's his mug now. I pour his coffee over the rabbit and say, "Take that!"
