How Do You...

Good Morning?

I saw this little idea while I was popping over to visit Lois. It seems to be a bit of a meme (Most folks drink some sort of a morning beverage, be it coffee or tea, and most likely from a mug. Please share a photo of your favorite mug(s) and tell a story about how it became your favorite. Include what you drink with this mug) and I thought it was a fun one indeed...I thought in leau of having you over for a morning cuppa (and you know I would if you were closer...and if you're ever in town, do give a call, because I have plenty of coffee cups) I thought I would invite you to sit down and take a sip with me...

Until very recently, I actually drank my morning cuppa, which is usually an organic dark decaf (did you know that the dark coffee has less caffeine in it?) from a coffee cup given to me by a good friend...it said "good morning" in all different languages all over it. I loved it because it was like waking up with someone who wanted to tell me something...in any way they could. She gave it to me after the divorce and since I had been waking up to more of a Miaow than a Good Morning, I really appreciated this (now I usually wake up to a Good Morning call from Rich) Unfortunately, while talking on the phone one morning, I dropped the mug in the sink and shattered it (then again, maybe since meeting Rich I don't need a mug to tell me good morning)

So, I was without a morning mug for a few days. After going up to Sedona one weekend with Bert, Janie and Rich...Janie and I found our way into the Life is Good store. Did you know life is good makes mugs? Well, they do, and they are quite wonderful. Not only because they have their best logo's on them, but because they are heavy...like old restaurant mugs. I love old restaurant mugs, in fact, I think those are the best ones to have and I am usually drawn to buying them in droves (I have calmed down a bit over the years) The simple reasons being:

• They are the right weight and feel good when you hold them with or without coffee in them
• They are often thick so that warm beverages stay warmer longer
• They are the right shape as they are usually skinnier mugs and are shaped so that there is less surface space for your coffee to get cold

Anyway, back to Janie and I and the Life is Good store...I was drawn to the mugs and found the perfect one in a pink color...I liked this one because it has a heart on it, and I am big into hearts around here. On the other side it has the words:

Do what you like.
Like what you do.

I usually start my days with coffee. I love the taste of coffee, we're all kind of like that in my family. I take mine with creme. Silk brand soy cream to be a little more specific (for those of you that worry that since I am lactose intolerant, that I may suffer in any way...I don't, this is darned good cream) Sometimes I will have Chai with vanilla soy milk and Agave syrup instead...but mostly it's coffee for me.

During my old age, after 3...otherwise it's hard for me to sleep (except for Tuesdays, Tuesdays we drink home made ahem...I noticed that it's a little better for me to try to stay away from coffee caffeine, as I can take it too far quite quickly and either become very shaky and buzzy or very helpful and chatty...The tea caffeine doesn't seem as bad for me. And, I try to stay away from anything that is caffieinatedChai at my mom's house.)

When I drink my afternoon and evening tea, I drink it out of a special tea cup that I bought in Deruta Italy. It was hand painted and created there (Deruta happens to be the pottery capital of Italy) and has a very cool dragon on it, and some lovely scrolly designs on it. It has a much bigger opening, as you can plainly see...which actually means that my tea gets a little chilled before I have a chance to drink it all, but I must confess...I am more of a room temperature kind of gal. I like Luke-warm chocolate (with or without marshmallows) and sometimes luke-warm beer (perhaps this is why the idea of wine appeals to me? Most often you can get away with it not being chilled) I do like my iced tea however. So...

And, may I say that I am absolutely swooning over the quality of the pictures the 10D is taking? Yes, I realize that they are of coffee mugs and such (look, you're talking to a woman who didn't hardly set foot outside of her own home this weekend...just pressing the shutter down on the camera made me practically burst into tears I was so excited to be taking pictures again) Just look at all that shiny! The reflection of the tree outside in the face of my toaster? Phuleeze. And other than that nasty little coffee drip on my pink mug, that is one clean looking cup. I wonder if I can just run around the house and take pictures rather than cleaning from now on?

No, you're right. Probably not.

So...How do you Good Morning?