Mugs and Memories

When I open my cupboard to take out a mug for my morning coffee, this is what I see.

Every mug in the cupboard has some special connection to events in my life. When I use a mug for coffee, tea, or cocoa, I remember these things. Of course, I have my favorites--perhaps the color or decoration on the mug; perhaps the way it fits and feels in my hand; and perhaps the memories attached to a particular mug.

I don't remember when we got them, but these were the mugs Jerry used every morning for his coffee. When Megan was little and spent the night with us, she would have coffee-milk with Grandpa in the matching mug.

This was one of the gifts we were given by the Black Hawk Community Church when we moved back to Gillette. We loved that congregation and it was very hard to leave.

These mugs all come from trips to Yellowstone National Park. Using one of them takes my mind to Yellowstone.

This mug and Terry Redlin art print remind me of a trip to Watertown, SD, for a board meeting of the foundation I worked for. The mayor was one of the board members and gave us each these gifts. We visited the Terry Redlin art museum as part of our free time activities.

These mugs I received over a span of quite a few years of my working life. They came as gifts with flowers in them.

When Megan was very young, the Birdies gave me this mug and a matching Grandpa one for Jerry.

This mug is a memento of a visit to the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper. I enjoyed the art a great deal and then my attention was captured by a display of handmade pottery dishes in the museum gift shop. I treated myself to this mug with some birthday money I had not yet spent. It pleases my eye as well as my hand and drinking from it gives me pleasure.

Some of the mugs I keep for sentimental reasons are not used very often, but I like them as mementos.

These mugs were given to us at different Christmases by Jerry's sister Jean. The photo is rather faded, but is of the four Russell siblings.

This mug was from the 40th Anniversary of Platte Valley Bible College celebration. Jerry and I enjoyed the gathering and saw many old friends. Jerry's mom, Emma, was also there.

These character mugs, The Easter Bunny, a Mustached Gentleman, and Santa Claus, were painted by Jerry's mom during her ceramics period. They are over 50 years old, so I don't actually use them for anything other than decoration.

My sister Brownie painted this tin mug and gave it to me many years ago. I am very fond of it and keep it on my living room bookshelves. It also makes a handy holder for a fat candle.



My collection of mugs also includes soup mugs. I really like soup mugs and find them useful for other things besides just soup. These particular mugs are special to me because they used to live in my mother's cupboard. During the house clean out I rescued them after everyone else had chosen what they wanted from Mother's house. I use them and I think of Mother and her home, which was the family center for so many years.

I have other mugs that are put away. They were gifts that were given to Jerry, such as his Grandpa cup, his Denver Broncos cup, and the cup that has clever remarks about golfing written on it. I can't use them, and I can't give them away, so they sit in the small cupboard over the kitchen sink.

In general, I enjoy using objects that touch a memory. They make even the most commonplace, everyday things just a little special.