Coffee Mugs

I love coffee. I have been a coffee drinker for almost 60 years. Deep, dark chewy coffee with a little bit of half and half to make it light caramel looking.

These COVID -19 days I mostly drink my coffee alone, and I have come to really love my coffee mugs. Not only does the fresh brewed KIND (local Estes Park café and roastery) coffee smell and taste delightful, but each morning I choose a cup from my cupboard that brings back memories that make me smile for the second time each day. (My first smile is from my kitty who jumps on the bed as soon as she hears me stir in the morning and demands head pats, but that is a topic for another entry).

Almost all of my mugs and coffee cups were gifts from someone, so that makes them extra special. I choose the one that matches my mood for the day. Some of my favorites are:

              – My NC State PRTM 50^th anniversary cup reminds me of my colleagues at NC State who were my friends long before I worked there—the Department is now almost 75 years old.

              – “Always keep a little Wisconsin in your Heart,” a gift from my UW coworkers, is well worn but takes me back to my early career in Badger land.

              – My SWOOP (Strong Women Organizing Outrageous Projects) mug attests to what caring North Carolina women can do to help people in communities who are “elderly, disabled, or simply overwhelmed.”

              – A sheep mug prompts me to think of my farm roots and how much I loved raising sheep when I was a 4-H kid.

              – A Guggenheimesque looking mug that all attendees received at a World Leisure Conference in Bilbao, Spain over 20 years ago is reminiscent of special friends and colleagues all over the world.

              – A gift from my friend, Dan Dustin, of a rustic mug with Mt. Whitney written on it harkens me to the magnificent backpacking trip on a major portion of the John Muir Trail and our climb of Mt. Whitney.

              – Often I use a plain yellow ceramic mug with an inscription on the bottom about placing 2^nd in my age group on a 10-mile trail run in North Carolina. I love the sturdiness of the mug and it strikes a chord about how much I love movement, as well as that trail running is not something I want to do very often.

              – A Starbucks Cup from Lukla, Nepal that takes me back to the breathtaking and arduous trip to Everest Base Camp a few years ago.

              – My most recent mug from the Trailmasters (Park Volunteers at Bear Lake) retells the unforgettable summer of 2020—a bear with a mask on his/her face! I wonder how I will feel about that mug in the future.

I suspect everyone has special objects that bring a smile to their faces when they wear or use them (e.g., ball caps, beer glasses, dishes, teacups). At this time in my life, it is the little things, like coffee and coffee mugs, that bring me joy and remind me how grateful I am for special times in my life.