Tuesday morning I met two good friends for brunch. We used to teach together at Greenfield School years ago. Although I’d written it on my calendar, I’m so used to not going out much I had to receive a text from Donna asking if I was on my way. Oooops!
After we ate, Sue and I walked along the River Trail. We had a couple of years to catch up with one another.
Donna, we are so sorry you missed the goats!
We saw this sign first, as Sue had told me it was one of the nations busiest rivers for barge traffic.
As we walked along the trail, (which goes all the way to Washington DC and Sue’s sons have biked it) we saw an electric fence and this sign
Dorothy Holley’s Iris from her garden are in the photo below replanted by fellow poet and friend Liane Norman, who is the author of I Dug Up the Iris
I Dug Up the Iris
in Dorothy’s garden to plant in the soaked
soil of mine, memorial to her each spring
when they’ll open complicated ruffles
and flourishes, purple or blue with speckled
throats. They’ll rise out of rhizomes
sprawling at soil’s surface like the joints
of my old hands anchoring the tall
stalks and frilly petals. This morning
in the brief breath of cool I dug shallow
trenches for this legacy, this pantry of pollens
the bees prospect, insects with lives
beyond what the mere gardener knows.
Liane Ellison Norman, a Madwoman in the Attic, has published two books of poetry, The Duration of Grief and Keep(www.smokeandmirrorspress.com). She has published poems in 5AM, Kestrel, North American Review, Grasslimb, Rune, Voices from the Attic anthologies and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Her poem “What There’d Been” won the Wisteria Prize in 2006 from Paper Journey Press.
The title of today’s post was created by my friend Joanne in Florida . We were talking on the phone about the different types of mugs people have in their homes. Think about the clunky white mugs in a diner, sometime decorated with a single stripe near the rim. What do your mugs say about you?
One afternoon my friend Vincie made a cup of tea. She asked me “ Do you prefer a thick lipped mug or a thin lipped mug?” Hmmmmmmm. I can tell you I had to think about it. Here’s what I learned about my preferences.
When I make a cup of coffee with a paper filter in a cone, I’m choosing a thick lipped mug. When I make a cup of tea I find I’m reaching for a think lipped China mug. I’d never really thought about my preferences before she asked me. I usually choose a family picture mug in the morning.
So I asked a few friends and family, who follow the blog, to send me some photos of their mugs. Mug racks snd mug trees seem out of style although there are hundreds of stock photos of them available .
What kind of mug do you choose? Do you have matching mugs or a hodge podge, mismatched collection? thin lipped, thick lipped, white interior, or whatever is on hand?
Joanne’s six white mugs, all matching. Joanne can’t abide a dark interior to drink from. Joanne’s other mug with the Canadian flag My mugs are a hodge podge mismatched collection on this shelf. There were more in the dishwasher Anna’s second grade drawing on the left, Steve’s Edvard Munch Scream, family photo mugs created by Marlene and sent as presents. There are two gifts from former students.
(Don’t put photo mugs in the dishwasher!)My friend Vincie has used each of these mugs for a period of time. The one on the right is in use now. Afternoon tea with a thick lipped on the left and a thin lipped on the right thanks V and G Daily ubiquitous glass mug with morning coffee in front. Favorite places reminder mugs in back. Purged most of life’s accumulated mugs a few years ago and kept only the special ones – Taos NM, Munich Germany, Ashville NC etc. Mostly used for afternoon tea time… Eileen and Linda Carrie in Maine reads inspirational thoughts on their mugs. I know she enjoys her coffee in them. Yeti Mugs and the Grandchildren Mug from Marlene in their Fifth Wheel on winter vacation Kristin drinks out of the porcelain fruit mugs. Her husband prefers the ceramic ones in front, collected while visiting places Here’s Laura and James’ cupboard with the You Are Here collection of Coffee mugs. I brought them Norway and Berlin and Mary sent a NYC There are small replicas for Charlie. These hanging mugs are thick lipped from Villeroy and Boch Naif pattern bought in Germany This mug holds pens pencils snd a couple of crochet hooks From a visit to Zagreb. A promotional mug, probably gotten from soup labels. used for soup. Could not drink coffee out of this 😂My neighbor Erica gave me this one years ago. from the Kitchen Annex in Shadyside. A recent acquisition from Joanne. Color of the year mug. A gift from a woolswapper representing common interest- Knitting Special Occasion Gift mug A thin lipped mug called a beaker. Perfect for a hot cup of tea Amy’s mugs with Polish Pottery, Best Grandma and her Yarn Store mugColleen says- Loved all the mugs on your blog Ruth. After a lot of downsizing and a little editing this is what happens here. Joanne and Katherine prefer the yellow mugs for tea and I like the Union Jack unless I’m having tomato soup and then it’s the yellow. And, you’ll never see dark in my mugs either. I think I need a cup of tea. Perhaps you’ll join me…. Colleen
This guest blog is from my friend Joanne’s sister, Mary, in Ottawa, Canada.
“They are little goldfinches in their winter colorings and fluffed up against the minus 18 (Celsius = minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures….In the spring they start turning yellow and then are really pretty. We get a lot of both gold and purple finches …. and chickadees, redpolls, cardinals of course, big and small woodpeckers, blue jays, and many others. Wild turkeys occasionally, the dreaded grackles and crows. Right now with the deep snow the birds spend more time hiding in the woods somewhere so today was a nice surprise.“
Colleen’s Kawandi (definition below) she is working on now, lots of hand stitching, nearing completion.
Also Photos below of two quilts Colleen completed in Fall 2021
Colleen writes from Nova Scotia –
The bright colours help when things can get a bit grey and dreary – a nice escape.
Handstitched Kawandi by Colleen
The Kawandi are all hand sewn from bits and pieces so it’s relaxing. I took a Zoom class Sujata Shah to learn how they’re made. Margaret Fabrizio is the kawandi maker who inspired me most. She is in her early 90s now and does amazing work. She used to be a world class harpsichord player (played Carnegie Hall) and I believe a professor in California among other things. She is on YouTube and has very colourful stories to tell including one about her friendship with MFK Fisher.” Colleen
Kawandi is a style of quilt created by the Siddi people of India, traditionally sewn by hand with scraps and are improvisational and frequently made of saris snd used clothing.”
Recent Quilt stitched by Colleen Fall 2021 Quilt stitched by Colleen
If you’ve been following the blog, Colleen made me a quilted mug rug in 2011 and here’s the blog post
We were on a Zoom knitting meeting and the UPS truck pulled up in front of my house. Just as we were talking. Joanne ( in Florida) said go get the package! She had sent it.
I opened it up and discovered she’d sent me a colorful mug, filled with shortbread wrapped in the same color. So fun. Thank you dear friend.
The only problem is the photograph reads the Very Peri as blue but it Is NOT blue
Created by artist/ retired graphic designer Don Moyer. Read about how he took a classic Blue Willow plate “ The Calamityware series started in 2011 when I inherited a traditional, Willow-pattern plate and decided to sketch it in my notebook. I couldn’t resist the temptation to add a pterodactyl in the sky”
