Yesterday I mentioned how one thing leads to another, with cats.
In my world, one thing can lead to a multiplicity…
Recently disaster struck. Probably because I always knew that one day, it would.
My favourite mug sailed off my desk and crashed onto the base of a standing lamp.
Disaster? Hardly, but having the right mug is important.
.
Surely my Panther mug would have been my favourite? When I moved he got put somewhere safe.
Didn’t want him getting broken.
Shopping for other things, I’d picked up a mug with a pleasing shape and appearance and found it fit my hand just right. And it was a better size.
.
Picking up the broken pieces, I sighed and went to fetch out a replacement from among my small collection.
Panther went back into action.
Dear, beloved Panther. He was my main man for 14 years. I carry him in my heart.
But the mug no longer fit.
.
At one time or other, I used all of these mugs.
Well, except for that one.
How was I ever satisfied with such a small cup of tea?
.
What’s the point of having a cup of tea, or coffee or Milo, or whatever it is you choose, if you can’t enjoy it?
.
And take your time over it.
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Panther’s mug seemed large but next morning when I took my time over breakfast, I realised that if I wanted my tea to stay warm, it would need a bigger receptacle.
.
The flower mug not quite right.
When Grant volunteers to make tea, I sometimes ask for camomile. Then I only want half, but he isn’t capable of not filling a mug so I tell him to use the Puffin!
It’s the right size for herb tea.
.
Even the old Bah Hum Mug wasn’t big enough!
Someone gave me this a very long time ago. I’m not sure if it was an expression of his feelings for the time of year or mine!
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A new mug would be a small indulgence, so I went about it methodically.
Historically I’ve not been good with measurements.
Grant’s mug is the right size so I employed a measuring cup and then went searching online and saw hundreds of mugs I didn’t want.
.
A search I thought would take minutes stretched on. I could not believe the awfulness of what I saw.
After a break for a small cup of tea, I tried again and found this. Nice shape, nice design…you’ll do.
So I ordered it.
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Next morning, doing the dishes I looked at the measuring cup out of the corner of one eye and decided:
“Shit! I messed up!”
So I recalculated and went back online and scrolled again through the dreadful inventory.
.
The mug I liked was not available in a larger size but I could get a pair of very plain ones.
Fine. We can always use an extra for next time there is a breakage.
.
My friends at Amazon obviously know my talent for messing up and they waited until the new order came in so they could ship them together. So efficient.
In the meantime I worked out that the mess-up hadn’t actually been a mess-up at all.
So when Grant asked what was in the big box I had to tell him.
.
“What we have here is a double mess-up but now you have an extra large mug.”
“And a spare one!”
If you’re a mug in this house, it’s very important to be the right size!
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And why exactly am I saving bits of broken crockery?
There was a time when I might have done something creative with them, but I am happy to pass them on to the school Mr Katz supports.
The art students at Bishop Gibbons, Schenectady are extremely talented and imaginative.
Hopefully they will be able to re-cycle my mum’s Portmeirion.
I got lost in all your mugs…….but I too had a great mug collection. I am now in permanent mourning for all the “stuff” , mugs included, which I had to abandon when we moved and now I am selling the house. Well, after all, it’s just “stuff”!
Indeed “stuff”. I dumped a lot when I left Seattle yet I still have far too much. Keep saying I am going to deal with it…..
It has to be a china cup and saucer for me!
Ha, ha, you make me laugh Carolyn with your daily tales!
Isn’t it weird when you have a favourite mug that breaks your heart when it’s broken…but at least it’s still going to good use.
Can’t believe you had a mug for 14 years.
Well know, it was Panther the cat I had for 14 years. Some of those mugs have been with me much longer.
My mistake! I get confused with all the names, sorry. 🙁
I really like your mug collection … each one tells its own story. And I also like your mug that broke – it’s a shame you can’t get one like that again! Berto inherited his mother’s beautiful tea set – it’s packed away in a box. Just the other day he said we should take it out and use it. That set must be more than 50 years old … I’ll have to be extra-extra careful 🌼.
Yes, you’re afraid of breaking it but it deserves to be used and appreciated! I have an old, old tea cup and saucer that belonged to my grandmother. It’s not much to look at but I treasure it. Sadly no one else will ever care for it.
I really related to this, as we also have lots of (as in too many) mugs. I have to have certain drinks in a particular mug, and stick to that rule. I have smaller mugs for drinks late in the evening, and a very large one for the morning cups of (strong) tea. If I happen to break a favouriue mug, I almost ‘mourn’ its loss. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.