Love in a mug.

It was a genuinely sad day for me this week. One of my lovely coffee mugs that I have had for about 15 years has had to be retired. As I was enjoying a delicious dark cup of El Salvador Red Bourbon I noticed the coffee had stained and showed cracks down the inside of my cup. My initial thought was “Oh No. But its not broken so I can keep going!” Then common sense prevailed, and I thought it was best not to keep going and wait until the day the cup cracks with a hot coffee in it, especially as I often have a little one running around underneath me! And in that moment of clear thinking I felt genuinely sad…then I felt ridiculous, it is just a coffee mug!

This is me with my lovely mug on its final outing. It was a lovely mug, very faithful. I bought it on a shopping trip with one of my best friends. I would say it was “Country Kitchen” style, it had a painted cockerel on it.  

Upon reflection I realised that I am quite a creature of coffee drinking habits. And I wonder if you are too?

I love a variety of mugs, lots of different mugs, in different shapes and sizes, no two mugs the same. My partner hates it, he loves his nice uniform white mugs, but he has now resolved himself to the fact that he must live with it! There is no reasoning for what I like, no particular colour, or specific shape -only, it must be large. I NEED a large coffee. I like a weighty mug, nothing fine and delicate. I am often irritated when I stay in a hotel. Often, they serve coffee in small white coffee cups, small enough for two sips and then you need topping up! I need a lot more coffee. Just leave me the jug please! Hahaha….

It is funny isn’t it? Fundamentally it is just a cup of coffee, but unless it is served in my mug of choice there is just that little bit less enjoyment.

And then I realized that I have a mug schedule! That I choose specific mugs for my different coffees of the day.

So let me take you on my tour of mugs and when and where I drink from them.

To start the day at home it used to be my cockerel mug, or this one below. My Guinness mug. I bought this one on a trip to Ireland. Both these mugs are fabulous and large, I can get two full mugs from my 8cup cafetiere!

My cafetiere of coffee will last me most of the morning at home. I will nurse it, and, yes, it will have gone cold but I am quite used to drinking a cooled cup of coffee. I am usually running around so my cup always gets cold by the time I get to the bottom. But that’s ok by me. Judge me, berate me…I don’t care! But when comes the time for my next cup I opt for my lovely red Le Creuset mug. This is my late morning/afternoon cup of coffee mug at home.

Now, I am just the same at work.

I start my day with my “M” cup. M for Marisa, obviously. I love a mug of coffee so at work I have Americanos.

Then, as the caffeine starts kicking in and the work starts getting done, I get my game face on and go for my second mug. This is probably the most “normal” shape mug that I have and like.

Now - WARNING!!!!!! - this next mug is a little rude, probably why I like it. Scroll past if you do not want to see any swearing.

After all that coffee I tend to end the day with a lovely mug of Chamomile, in my “Mum” cup - but I can’t photograph that as I broke the handle the other day! 

So am I alone? I don’t think I am. I bet there are so many others out there with stranger habits, and eccentricities than me. I would love to hear them!

With two broken mugs there is space in my cupboard, and heart, for some new mugs. I am truly excited to buy some new ones, yay! Exciting times :))) .