I think this mug had a hard life before making its way to my kitchen. There's a stain that runs completely around the mug as if it were left sitting on its side half submerged in the sink for an extended amount of time. I think the water had to slowly evaporate creating a mineral deposit that is the stain. I've tried soap, the dishwasher, and good old fashion elbow grease but it won't come off. It's a simple but elegant mug beyond that, deep navy blue leaves set on an earthen off-white background. I personally the seamless way the leaves run to meet the rim where the blue expands and fills the inside in its rich dark color. This mug is larger than the standard coffee mug, able to hold a few extra ounces to get you going. I cant say why, but it's one of my favorites those far, and I'm an extremely curious to know how it got that stain line. Who abandoned this mug? Was it just left in the sink by a careless roommate? Did someone put it down meaning to wash it, walk out the door, and never come back? Was it rescued from a bin of rubbish that was left outside after spring cleaning? I just don't know, but I do know it has at least got my mind going this Monday morning.

This is a Gibson Elite mug. Yes, it's elite! It turns out Gibson is a major leader in the housewares market and they have two lines. The Elite brand is the refined line and the Home brand is the elegant value line. Gibson also owns a ton of other common brands Oster, Sunbeam, Crock-Pot, etc. AND this mug and likely most of Gibson's stuff is "made in China."

So maybe it's not morning coffee (not that I didn't have any), but I could feel that I would need an afternoon cup to keep me running. I know it's not a workday, but weekends are starting to become just as busy. There are groceries to be bought, meals to be cooked, bills to be paid, and relaxing to be attempted. Not to mention the other half of household chores that get shouldered by my wonderful wife. To top all this off we've added working on the small townhouse we purchased. So in the brief moment of quiet before starting the next project, I've escaped outside to enjoy some coffee in the quest to going. This mug has some faded wallpaper like swirls and shapes that cover it. It would be right at home in a Victorian house where the decor is all patterned swirls, ornamentation, and flowing forms. I'm looking at the stump of an old tree that has accumulated many holes from questing woodpeckers and became a home for the large rocks I find in the yard (can't run over those with a lawnmower). 

This mug design hails from MSRF, Inc. in Chicago, which turns out to be company for manufacturing and packaging pretty much anything, http://www.msrf.com. I'd note that apparently, they don't do the manufacturing, this mug was made in China, but I bet they coordinated it. Now I'm not affiliated with MSRF, just found a mug they had a hand in making at a thrift store.

At this point, I have to keep the berry theme going. However, I'm going to switch to strawberries, which occupy an odd space in the "berry" classification. True berries, like blueberries, come from a flower with a single ovary.  It turns out strawberries are considered an aggregate fruit because the strawberry flower is a single flower with many ovaries. This also means that raspberries and blackberries are also considered aggregate fruits. Nevertheless, all of these berries are delicious and should be indulged in more often. Now I'm thinking about a raspberry coffee tiramisu.... but back to this tiny mug that displays the strawberries. It was set in the glass garden that occupies the front of our rental (yes, some grass is sprouting in the background but I think it goes well with the strawberry plant). As a form of recycling glass is crushed and ground to make a pebble-like substance that can be used as a colorful mulch. As sat on my stoop next to the glass garden, it felt like I should "plant" the mug as it would be at home in the colorful glass and bits of grass.

Berries and leaves set on a pale blue background are the graphics displayed on today's mug. It's reminiscent of the winter, but I think that's only the coloring of light blue evoking the calm on a snowfall on the white berries and leaves. Speaking of snow, I know it's coming in a month or two and the morning here in northern New Mexico reminds us of that when the temperature dips to the low 50's. The chill in the air makes an excellent counterpoint for enjoying hot coffee outside in the morning, highlighting the warmth of the mug in my hands and of the coffee as I drink it. I've placed the mug outside on a weathered cable spool where the remaining paint accents the colors. I'm not sure where this spool came from but it's clear it's been in the yard of the place we rent for a while. Perhaps it functioned as a tiny picnic table for children that may have lived here. Perhaps it was just left by a cable crew who forgot it.  Perhaps the owner once laid a lot of cables and decide the spool would make a nice yard ornament. Who really knows its story, but this morning it's a wonderful rustic outdoor coffee table.

Flipping it over, this is another Royal Norfolk mug. I believe this is the first time I've repeated a manufacturer/designer. I expect I'll run into these mugs more as they are sold to a breadth of distributors. 
 

“Life is just chair of bowlies,” a rather amusing adaptation of “life is just a bowl of cherries.” It’s also the title of one of Mary Engelbreit’s many children’s books that she illustrates. As it turns out she’s also put out calendars, greeting cards, and apparently a coffee mug, in fact, a coffee mug that is adorned with cherries. I think this is an overly decorative mug ringed by a checker pattern, followed by vines, and then raised cherries. Now I admit the texturing of these ring is a nice tactile sensation but it all seems a bit much, especially the ornate cherry and leaf that sits atop the handle. However, this is all true to form for her illustrations that have a grandmotherly feel. There’s also a clear glaze over the entire mug that’s beginning to crack forming its own unique patterns, much like the cracks that cover our glass cell phone screens. They don’t stop the screen from working, but they are there and if we take a moment to look at them, we can see some interesting patterns.

Another Corning mug today. So far the Corningware items are the one thing "made in the USA," and I'll admit it does make me swell with a little patriotic pride. Sure things here aren't perfect and we have problems, but it's like a family. Everyone family is a little messed and we all have a crazy relative that gets a little too loud and people inexplicably listen to, but it's our family and it still the best for us. (And might I note, no one gets to talk trash about our family, that's a right reserved for family members trashing other family members.) Sitting here outside in the morning chill, watching the sun come up, drinking from my American mug, I feel happy and grateful to be part of it all. Things are a bit wild right now, but I wouldn't be anywhere else because this is my country and I'll roll with the crazy, just like we roll with Uncle Bob's insane theories.  

The patterning here is more of muted desert colors that slightly blend and then shift for contrast. You can pick out some of the colors in the mug as the sun changes the sky as it rises, although I think I'll have to wait for a sunset to get that red tone. Shape and way these color blends evokes a Native American pattern, but I think that's just how I'm viewing it. 

"It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change" - Alice Liddell. Ok so maybe Alice Liddell didn't say this, but she was the inspiration for the surname-less, Alice from Through the Looking Glass. This quote seems ever more timeless as we grow up. I remember reading it and thinking, "well, of course, it doesn't make sense, you're a child and in a magical land, where there are no rules." However, as I've gotten old somethings seem to just make less sense. Sure I may have an understanding of how the microwave works, but the forces that drive management at work or world leaders seem to be ever elusive. It'd be great to just have a full understanding of things without having to deal with the politicking that seems to make up most of the daily tasks. Perhaps one day I'll grow old and wise and rise through the ranks to understand how everything fits together, but really I'll probably get old and realize it's not worth trying to make sense of everything.

September 17, 2017 - A slow Sunday, where I had a cup or two of coffee from my mug before taking a picture of it. I'm not sure why today feels so lazy. There's plenty to do to prepare for the coming week and get the house in order, but this green mug with raised vines feels right for curling up with a book. The raised profile of the vines adds an interesting feel to the mug; I'm awful at holding these wide-mouthed mugs by the handle and not spilling, the ridges formed by the vines are something nice for my fingers to grip. Maybe the vines are ivy-like and allude to classic literature being read in a study or the earthen green matching with cozy brown soft for a more modern read. Either way, it'd be wonderful to shirk responsibility and get lost in a book today. Alas, all I can really spare is maybe the first chapter or two of a book while I have just a little bit more coffee.

This mug is from Pier 1 Imports and apparently exclusively so. This makes sense to me as the mug feels more decorative rather than functional. 

Solid Orange mug today! It's a beautiful light burnt orange, sure it could be brighter or more brilliant but I'll take it. Especially if you pair it with yesterday's purple mug, we have orange and purple which brings me back to my college days. Yes, Clemson and they play Louisville today, which will be a great game to watch. 
Now I know Saturday is usually a baking adventure, but I have to dash out the door this morning so a B.E.B.S. will have to suffice. (That's a Bacon Egg Bagel Sandwich) I know bagel lovers scoff at anything not made in the northeast, but it's New Mexico and I have to work with what I can find, besides topping anything with green chili and cheese makes it better. Start by toasting the bagel, cooking the bacon and eggs, and then build the sandwich. Lastly, Enjoy!
This mus comes from Royal Norfolk and that lion and the orange made me think of the Netherlands. That would make this my second European mug, alas it seems that the Royal Norfolk Greenbrier International is another mass producer that sells to dollar stores, target, etc.  

Where are my purple people at? Ah, the timeless art of writing vague statements apply to everyone but feel like they only apply to specific people. It’s a horoscope for people who like purple. Some of the statements here are just facts. Yes, we all know purple was the color of royalty, and if you paid attention in history class, you remember it was a rare dye that the Phoenicians obtained from a species of predatory sea snails. Other phrases such as, “you refuse to be ‘swept off your feet’ unless genuineness and integrity can be absolutely ascertained,” cover this mug. Let’s just take a moment to look at that attribute. First, that’s an awful sentence. Second, who meets someone and thinks, “I hope this person is awesome, I develop feelings, and then find out they were just faking it!” Some of the other statements are just platitudes that we all want to believe about ourselves such as, “having noble ideas.” Maybe I’m just a cynic when it comes to horoscopes, personality colors, and other simplistic representations that have to apply to large swaths of the world's population all at one time. I think people are just too complex to be accurately captured because of when they were born or what color they prefer. In much the same way, coffee is often more than the simple characterization of its roast.

A swirling and curling pattern of vines spring forth from this mug. The leaves are vaguely reminiscent of ivy as if this mug were a scholarly brick wall slowly being covered by the ivy it supports. I can't say there are many ivy-covered brick walls or ivy-covered anything here in the southwest, that definitely the east coast. It's interesting the symbol ivy has come to occupy in society; That iconic trefoil leaf is the most respected and revered vine, standing for knowledge in the ivy league and eternality in Celtic symbolism. There's also point ivy, which is not a true ivy, belonging to the genus Toxicodendron. True ivies are the genus Hedera and are noted for the ability to climb up to 90 feet. As a child, I was much more acquainted with poison ivy than its the scholarly namesake, and the sake of any who wishes to avoid that awful itching, please remember, "Leafs three; let it be." 

This mug comes from California Pantry which appears to be a now-defunct company that once produced ceramic sets, manufactured, of course, in China.  

Poke a dots, but not really. That's what I first think when I look at this mug, then I'm trying to figure out if the blue ellipses are forming circles around the dots or if it's making more of a lattice. Of course, there's this obvious form factor here where I think the mug is trying to be a little more elegant that it needs to be. I mean that's an unrealistic tapering a the bottom, you only see that in magazines. Ok, I'm being over the top, but I feel like balancing the mug on that stand is asking for it to be tipped over at the slightest push. Let's make our way back to the geometric pattern that's covering this mug. It scales as the mug tapers which means someone put some thought into it. I think taken as a whole, the pattern reminds me of a crystal lattice, something simple like salt. Red atoms packed into unit cells delineated by the blue ellipses.

This mug is a Target mug and of course, produced in China. Not much else to say, other than this is the first curve bottom I've encountered in this journey.

If only coffee were still 5 cents a cup... I suppose my pay check would probably be smaller as well. This mug is reminiscent of 'good ole days,' when everything was cheaper, work was manual labor, there was no internet, medicine was a bottle of alcohol and herbs, and coffee was over roasted and over brewed. Doesn't sound so good when you get down to the ins and outs of everyday life. Yet we all hear about how great it was back in the day when you walked uphill to school in the snow (and inexplicably had to return home, again, uphill and in snow). I will concede that fresh cream from grass grazed dairy cows was probably pretty awesome and potentially balanced the coffee of yesteryear, but that's probably one of the few wins. I think we like to romanticize the past as a simpler time and that's true, but we also spent so much more time struggling to stay alive. Now we have time to enjoy things and create, for instance, well-brewed coffee in the mornings in an array of mugs, but with the luxury of time comes new ephemeral problems that torture us by threatening to make life difficult. Gone are the days the beasts crouched in the woods waiting to attack. Now it's simply the crushing threat of debt, poverty, inequality, health, and keeping up, constantly threatening us and eliminating the thrill and euphoria of having physically fought the beast and winning the right to live another day. The only solution is to substitute the thrill of the fight, with a warm cup of coffee on a quiet morning appreciating the peace.

I was both surprised and not surprised to flip this mug over and find it titled "Good 'Ol Days." Of course, it is titled that. Branded by Revelations, which smacks of religious undertones but I cannot find the Arizona based company through Google Searches. 

Today's mug is comically large. It's almost more of a bowl than a mug, holding approximately 20 oz. I'm not sure it's worth drink that mug coffee before it gets cold, even on a Monday. Sure you can pound scaling hot coffee for the morning pick me up, but why not just pop a caffeine pill if that's what you're after? Personally, I like to actually enjoy the taste of my coffee, which is why I brew it every day at home. Also speaking of the phrase "brew it" in this context, there's something in inexplicably witchy about it. It's as if I'm waking up to stir a bubbling cauldron to create this amazing concoction (however, you could consider this mug a mini-cauldron). I guess there's an implied time scale. Something brewed takes time, you labor over it, and it's a little messy. In the morning I just make coffee with the Aeropress, it's not overly time intensive. See people brew beer, it takes time, it's labor intensive, and there's bubbling yeast. Coffee, that's a quick extraction. Although, I suppose there's an argument to be made for "Cold-Brew" meeting that time scale. Regardless of the verbiage for how it was made, I must confess I did not finish all the coffee in this mug. I poured the remainder into a travel mug and dashed off to work.

Septemeber 10, 2017 - I thought today's mug was simply some tree silhouettes and animals eyes. I picked it up at a thrift store yesterday. It's very reminiscent of Halloween, which is apparently happening next week if you ask every major retail chain who started preparing at the beginning of the month. Come on guys, I don't need to be taunted by all that candy yet, not to mention candy corn! Back to the mug, I filled it with coffee, started on breakfast, and when I look back, everything had changed. To my surprise though this mug revealed the hidden aminals the eyes belong to in a cheery woodland scene. I know thermally active mugs exist but experiencing it unexpectedly being some childlike wonder to this Sunday. Of course, that's tempered by the chuckle remembering the Woodland Critter Christmas Southpark episode, which is not particularly childlike. 

This is Kikkerland mug is a Dutch company, but the word name translates to "Frogland," which according to google is a humorous reference to the Netherlands. Looks like the company sells primarily kitschy stuff on Amazon, and as it turns out this mug is still for sale! 

Saturday morning, and it's time to refresh after a week of work with some waffles. Now I used to think I knew about waffles and their varieties, Eggos, traditional American, Waffle House, or the ever-famous Belgian waffles. So I wasn't expecting anything that special when friends dragged me to @tasteofbelgium, but was I wrong! These waffles are crisp and sugary on the outside with soft and doughy inside, completely unlike anything I’ve ever had. It's an experience that's stuck with me over the years, and the chicken waffles there is truly on a new level. While I can still get my fix because Taste of Belgium does ship anywhere in the US, that requires planning and waiting for the shipment to make it all the way from Cincinnati to New Mexico. So I endeavored to make a homemade version and after some research found these waffles are a modified Liege Waffle. So I made the dough last night and this morning worked in some sugar, divided, and baked. The shape of the "refresh" mug was probably a poor choice though, it's rather dainty and took a moment to adjust to after vigorous kneading of sugar into dough. All the effort was well worth it, to sit on the couch and enjoy a waffle and coffee, completing this refreshing morning.

Finding the brand "Create" on the underside of the mug was satisfying, as it is rather apt for the creation of waffles.

September 8, 2017 - There's a goose on the loose. Well, I suppose it's more of a pair of geese on the lease? The lease for the real estate on the front of this mug! I know that's awful, but it's Friday and it's ok to be a silly goose. (I couldn't resist.) It's an odd mug, that handle is fitted for fingers to solidly grip and the shape isn't quite a square, but it's not quite a circle either. Of course, there are also the geese, which until now I did not realize play a semi-prominent role in our sayings and stories. There's mother goose, the golden goose, the goose that laid the golden egg, and Gladstone Gander (Donald Duck's cousin FYI). For all the stories, I think most of our experiences with geese come from encounters at parks, where inevitably someone pushes their luck a little too far harassing a goose, only to have the bird turn foul and begin chasing them. Not that I have personal experience. 

The manufacturing origins of this mug are a mystery to me, perhaps it came from Asia as so many of the porcelain like mugs do. 

September 7, 2017 - A simple earthen mug today. It seems that earthen tones have surged to the forefront of standard ceramic sets. They are becoming the modern day equivalent of the fruit and flowers still lifes that used to be the dominant design in the old dining sets. I'm not sure what is driving the desire for earthen tones. Perhaps we are all searching to reconnect with the perceived natural look of ceramics while still embracing the convince of mass produced items. Are we searching for the authenticity of something crafted and only finding a facsimile that sits in our cabinets? Perhaps this is all reading into much into a trend that has caught on because it simply looks good? I'll admit this mug is pleasing to the eye. There's some color that transitions to a dark interior that provides contrast for the rich brown of coffee lighten with a touch of cream. Regardless, this Target mug from China has a tiny chip at the rim, suggesting it has seen use before today and has its own tale to tell. 

This mug is a bright yellow, encouraging me to get moving. The geometric design along with the turquoise, orange, and pink are reminiscent of Meso-American culture and art. I thought it would be fitting to sit on the small, yellowish brick wall that terraces my backyard and enjoy this cup. Black again today because I don't think native people would have been mixing milk in. Come to think of it, Native American peoples would have been drinking hot chocolate, not coffee. I'm sure their "hot chocolate" would be and taste far different than conventional modern hot chocolate. Here in New Mexico, there is plenty of Native art and lots of ancient dwellings. It makes you think that maybe hundred of years ago someone sat on their terraced wall having a warm cup and pondering the sun rise and where their mug came from (they probably knew who made it). 

I think the most fascinating thing about this mug is that it was made in Spain. Especially when you consider the relationship Spain had with Meso-America, for them to hundreds of years later being producing mugs in this style... 

A black mug for some black coffee, just as the sun begins to come up. This mug is compliments of a worker safety program at my office and the phone number was obscured, because, you know, the internet. I figured taking a moment and reflecting on safety was probably due after the long weekend, for those of us able to enjoy Labor Day. I think most people are pretty aware at their work places, but what scares me is some of the things I encounter at my home (or do at my home). Finding ungrounded outlets, check. Use a ladder wrong, check. Seriously though, there's an OSHA Ladder Safety course that's 2 hours longs. Forget safety glasses exist, check. Sometimes I'm galled by the stupid things I do without thinking. Fortunately, drinking coffee is pretty safe, unless of course, it's scalding.

"Birds of a feather flock together," that is the inspiration scrawled on this mug. How that relates to the myriad of bird houses displayed on this mug eludes me right now. Although I suppose there's an argument that all the birds are finches... I don't know, but this mug has me out on my back porch looking for some birds this morning. There are quite a few chirping, fluttering around, and generally being birds. It's rather engaging to try and figure out what a bird is trying to accomplish is it hunting for a worm or seed? Why is it scratching at the ground there? These active birds are enough to distract me from the unusual height and narrowness of this mug, resulting in some spillage as I lean forward to try and see better. I think wild birds are the college students of the animal world. They show up for the free seed, get a little loud in the mornings, are entertaining to watch, and then fly away without a "thank you." All of this has led me to realize, I should probably get another bird feeder.
 

I don't know why, but I want to name this mug "namaste." I guess the flower and wide mouth evokes something reminiscent of peace, yoga, warmth, etc. Maybe that's why black coffee feels right for it, enjoyed on a bridge in the middle of a canyon. I think it's something people don't ever realize about New Mexico, but where there's water, it can be startlingly green and full of nature. There are these pockets of hidden character in every place and person that we often over look from a simple assumption, much like New Mexico is all one desert. 

There are no markings on this mug and that only lends to a sense of mystery. It's as if this mug has always been and will always be, a bow to the divine in all of us.

It's Saturday and it's time for coffee and breakfast. Today I have a beautiful mug with a faux marble surface and a gold leaf rim to accompany me on my quest for breakfast. That is until you realize it's branded for cemetery... which explains the faux marbling. Never less I am alive and in search of food to keep me that way and biscuits seem like the best option for that. I favor "drop biscuits" over the more conventional layered "pop and fresh" style. (You can find the recipe on the blog portion of my site.) They are light, crumbly, buttery,  and I think overall a better biscuit. The secret here is using a food processor to cut in butter rather than dough cutter or fork, powdered buttermilk, and of course, coffee (for you, not the biscuits). I would prefer really buttermilk but is never available other than 2% and in half gallon bottles. Make a sandwich of eggs and bacon just elevates the biscuits to perfection as a Saturday breakfast.

An Arizona mug for a New Mexican sunrise on the canyon cliff face. As many know Arizona is New Mexico's western neighbor, so it's not surprising one of its mugs made it way here. Looking up Arizona's motto, I learned state mottos are not the same as nicknames. The Copper State's (Arizona's nickname) motto is "Ditat Deus" which means "God enriches." The other nickname for Arizona is "The Grand Canyon State," which may be a little more appropriate as I'm looking a small canyon wall as the sun illuminates it.  I was kind of hoping for something more landscaped based as I sip my coffee this morning at the park down the street. I never really thought about the southwest and its landscape as I grew up in the southeast. I envisioned all of it as all desert, Sahara style, how wrong was I? Being here I'm often struck by the views and scenery. I think it's important to remember that scenery is always around us and it's meant to be enjoyed. Be it a canyon, a street, a city scape, or a forest if we pause and take the time, we can find beauty in our surrounds natural or man made. 

This is the first mug I have noticed as being from Korea. I assume it's South Korea and does not predate the split (1945 FYI). 

Sometimes you just have to indulge in a larger than average mug of coffee. Sometimes it what you need to push through the end of the week that is Thursday. Not to mention this mug stokes the cook inside of me, who is pondering the opportunities to grill this weekend. I mean that part of what labor day weekend is about, food family, friend, and coffee (Ok, I might have slipped the last one in there).  This mug was designed to stoke the ego of a "grill master," it's over sized, shiny black, hefty, and just feels masculine. It makes say, "I'm having my coffee black because I need more hair on my chest." I wonder if the previous owner defended his grill from anyone who started charcoal with copious amounts of lighter fluid or attempted to cook well-done steaks. I can see him dawning his chef's, standing there, mug in one hand, spatula in the other, defending his grill, much like a pirate branding a hook and sword preparing to repel boarders.

Good old hump day and it's sponsored by puns. I know they are the lowest form of humor, as an English teacher impressed on me. Driving the point home he boasted, "I can pun any word you give me!" When "door" was proffered from the back of the class, he replied, "O-pun the door." I'm pretty sure if he had a microphone he would have dropped it and walked out. This is the kind of cheap humor we come to expect on cheesy mugs and greeting cards, which surprise it's a Hallmark mug, that we love to snub, but chuckle at when we first read it. All this is to say while watching movies in the buff (and no, not those movies) is ok at home it probably does not increase your movie knowledge or standing with the audience when in a theater. This mug hails from Thailand, but fortunately, does not imbue the coffee with Thai hot chilis. 
 

Tuesday from the brick hearth. There's just the slightest chill in the air these mornings before the sun comes up. It makes me think of the fall and winter coming, but that's often fast forgotten by midday when the sun is out and I can feel the heat. I'm looking forward to enjoying jeans on cooler days just like I'm enjoying this coffee for this jeans mug. It's really a unique mug, lots of ridges like pockets and "Carole" handwritten on the band. I wonder what happened to Carole, did she loose her jeans as well as her mug? Was the afternoon heat too much for her jeans? This mug came from somewhere else other than mass manufacturing, "SITTRE CERAMIC PROD 1976" is stamped on the base. Turns out Sittre is a vintage ceramic company from the 70's. who would have thought? This mug it's got a story to behind it and how it made its way to me, but all I can chuckle about is the thought of some woman named Carole losing her jeans.

Monday Morning, back to the grind after a great weekend, but fortunately my grind results in some wonderful coffee. Today I get to share it with a "Hey's Mug." Just kidding it's a Hershey's mug, but the whole word won't fit in the shot. Humor is what gets us through Mondays, right? I'm sure the mug was once brown, but it's got an almost purplish hue when compared to the coffee. One might think the mug would sweeten up the coffee, but I think that only work if you add chocolate. I'm not much of a fan of Hershey's chocolate, but the dark chocolate bars are the way to take your smores game to the next level. As a note, this was not made in Hershey, PA but a testament once again to Chinese manufacturing prowess. 

Today I had my morning cup of coffee to get going, but decided this little mug was destined for more. So I packed it away and started making more coffee to be stowed in a thermos. A couple hours later, I had hiked up the mountain and enjoying the still life on the mug imposed on the breathtaking view. I know most people would opt for iced coffee on a sunny day, but there's something about the sun warming you outside and coffee warming you inside. I doubt this little mug could have imagined making its way to a scenic view in New Mexico from its humble beginnings in China.

Saturday! Today's mug is plain white, the perfect companion for morning baking. Ok so the dough was a team effort with the wife last night, but this morning it's me getting it in the oven. There's something clean, and pure about a white mug that suits baking, maybe that's because pastry chefs are portrayed in clean, crisp kitchens. This mug had many a refill, as I rolled out the dough, buttered it, coated it with cinnamon sugar, cut and stacked it, let it rise, and finally baked it. This was a real labor of love, but it was delicious and well worth the effort. 
Interestingly this mug was made in Sri Lanka, which is not somewhere where I think about when I think of manufacturing. It was probably part of a set before making its way to my side for a baking adventure.
 

Finally Friday, the last day of the week. I think this mug is Pyrex or some other type of sturdy glass. There’s no marking or coloring to discuss, just the wonderful cream brown of coffee to reflect on. There’s probably a touch too much cream in this cup, but that's ok, it's Friday and I feel like I can indulge. The sun is just starting to peak up over the horizon and starting its day. I can hear some of the early birds just waking up as well. Interesting how still everything is in the predawn light as if the rush of life was stripped away and we can see through it all. Kind of similar to how I can see through my coffee mug this morning. I also like how the coffee residue is visible through the bottom of the mug under my signature.

Ok, so I realize this may not actually be a coffee mug. It’s probably more along the line of a teacup, but if you put coffee in it, is it not a cup of coffee? I think this could be used as part of after dinner coffee service, but I’m enjoying it this morning on my stoop. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I get to take some extra time and enjoy a little bit of outside time in the morning. Today I’m enjoying my stoop, well I’m not sure it’s called a ‘stoop’ here in New Mexico, but it’s a tiny elevated concrete pad in front of my door, so I’ll take it. I’ll admit to that the artwork on this one is a little, um dated. I know still life were once all the rage, and still are for that month of art class that never seems to end, but to have it on my all my dining ware… Anyway this piece has born here in the USA and probably never left. All of my other mugs have started there life somewhere in Asia. I have to admit I have a love for Corningware and Pyrex it just wonderful stuff.

Today I was a bit rushed as I lingered in bed, which is the worst consequence of snooze on alarm clocks (or being able to set multiple alarms 5 minutes apart on your cell phone which is functioning as your alarm clock). Nevertheless today’s mug was slightly larger than average and had a nice heft to it. The outside is a deep blue, which I don't think the pictures do justice, and the inside is a pure white. There is a surprise on this mug, which I noticed while studying it. The words “Yellow House” have rubbed off. Did they come off from extended use? Where the just cheap paint to begin with? Did someone pilfer this mug from Yellow House Coffee in Texas and bring it to New Mexico? Google isn’t giving up any secrets on a “yellow house” coffee mug. Whatever it’s story, it was a sturdy mug that resisted the temptation to tip over on this rushed morning.

As the under marking and signature are to dark to be read, this mug was stamped as “M Ware” - China.

Today I had a little time so I took my coffee outside. It’s a fun mug with swirls and a square base, which I quite like as a change to the standard circle. It nice to enjoy the world waking up and enjoy my coffee. This mug is clearly part of a place setting and it makes me wonder what happened for it to end up in a thrift shop. Was it briefly part of a happy marriage that ended in heartbreak? Did it just get donated after someone upgraded a set? Was it once part of someone's first apartment set?

I decided to start my project with a mug that reminds me of love and warmth. 

DailyMug is a project exploring reflections on a different coffee mug every day for a year. Coffee mugs are unique objects in our lives, we collect them, we give them, we find varied uses for them, we have favorites, and we take them for granted. As part of a simple mindfulness exercise (and an indulgence of a coffee hobby) I am embarking on journey to drink 365 cups of coffee from 365 different mugs and take that time to think about each mug.