Which is more important ... the coffee or the mug?

It is the three day Memorial Day weekend. At 4:51AM this morning, I woke up and realized in a half dazed sleep, I had been mentally planning all I want to accomplish in this mere 72 hour span of time. Only one thing to do .. get up and start moving. That of course means "morning coffee."

As I was pouring water into the coffee maker, I glanced at the basket on my counter. Gevalia French Vanilla; Gevalia Creme Brulee; Folgers Caramel Drizzle; Green Mountain Chocolate Velvet (yuck - that was a mistake) ... and of course ... plain coffee. The Folgers Caramel Drizzle became the "cafe du jour." Push the ON button .. all set ! Well, not quite.

I pulled on the handle of my "mis-matched mug" cabinet so the light could reveal the contents, which one might mistake for a shelf in a Thrift Shop. Inside are my coffee mugs ... each with a story, well actually a memory. Each morning, more important than my decision of which flavor of coffee to make, is the mug from which I will drink it.

I have randomly grabbed a few of my selections (there are many more) and set them out - to pose for my camera - and hence I have photographed a collage of memories.

From the left:

Many years ago while living in Virginia I was in NY visiting my parents. I wanted a cup of tea, opened a kitchen cabinet and my eyes connected with a tall mug which gave me the calm of a Monet painting. I used that mug for the duration of my trip, enjoying my tea so much more because of it. As I was getting ready to head back to Virginia, I expressed my fondness for the mug .. Dad laughed and said "Take it ! I got that as a grab bag gift in the bowling league." The mug was carefully packed and has spent time in the cabinets of my last three homes. Thanks Dad ... I think of you each time I see it.

Moving on to the right, are two very large stacked mugs. The white mug, inverted on the bottom, is a simple huge porcelain piece reminiscent of the coffee mugs used on the TV show "Friends." I bought the mug because of the show - and the reminder that coffee tastes so much better when paired with good company & conversation... and for the nostalgia of the carefree life before the responsibilities of marriage and children.

On top of the white "Friends" piece is a Minnie Mouse mug which holds the equivalent of 4 cups of java. In the late 1990's while in Disney World at the MGM Park, my sons wanted to try out the Tower of Terror attraction, which I would have no part of. As the boys trekked off with their Dad, I wandered thru a Disney gift shop, with no intention of buying anything, until I noticed a "Sunday morning solution." There before me was a vessel capable of holding enough coffee to get me thru the browsing of all sections of the Sunday newspaper without the interruption of getting up for a refill. SOLD ! And I must say - Minnie Mouse has served her purpose well for the past decade.

Next is Eeyore .. another purchase on that day in Disney World. The mug was the perfect size, the perfect shape, the perfect weight with the perfect handle. How often can you say that about a coffee cup? I have since grown to love Eeyore and that perfect cup... it makes me happy. So Eeyore is the exception - that mug has no real story, it just makes me happy... it is perfect.

Under the penguin cup, behind Eeyore is a very small, Kelly green, Irish coffee mug. The piece itself is inconsequential - but it is significant of the end of a relationship - when two people sat across a table - happy; each savoring the most delicious cup of Irish coffee ... unaware it was the last cup of coffee they would ever share together.

Lastly, my Penguin mug, which was once part of a set of four. The set of four was for evenings in flannel pajamas, watching a movie and drinking hot chocolate. A family of four, which is now but one, just like the mug.

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, a time of remembrance. This morning, as with every morning, I open my cabinet door and remember people, places, events, and periods in my life.

So now, you know the answer to the query that started this tale. "Which is more important ... the coffee or the mug?"