I wonder if everyone has a favourite mug. Maybe they don’t realize it, but when they look sleepily inside that cupboard they are hoping to see one in particular. Maybe because it’s the largest mug and they are in desperate need of caffeine, or maybe it’s the feel of the mug when they hold it, the shape of the handle, and the effect of gravity on the mug and its contents. Does texture play a part, or just the feel of the mug against their lips slurping some warm brown liquid… smooth, comforting, renewing hope that their day will be productive and rewarding.
I have a couple favourite mugs with me, here in Fox Lake. One is the ‘monkey mug’ that I got from my mom, sort of but not really replacing the one she got me previously, the one that broke when dropped on carpeted floor, causing me to cry. This new mug depicts “see no evil, speak not evil, hear no evil”, and it’s settled at least one casual question of discussion. Where did that saying come from? Ask the bottom of the mug. My other favourite mug has no sentimental value, but I love the way it feels. The rim is thick and the sides narrow to the base just slightly. The ultimate everyday supplier of coffee.
Both my favourite mugs are of the largest in the cupboard.
Coffee mugs mean comfort. I don’t know when I started getting nuts about them, but when it started I was collecting them with logos of news organizations–CBS, NBC, USA Today,etc. Then my wife gently suggested I chuck them all when we married. Now, I crave only one type–the thick, squat, indestructible style that’s generally called a “diner” mug. They’re hard to find, except in restaurant supply stores or online; most conventional houseware chains don’t have them. Check out my post about them at Associated Content.