#ThatCoffeeLife {Living Outside the Stacks}

When I was a little girl, my father used to drink his coffee from a beautiful brown mug that had a whistle on the handle. We were never allowed to touch his mug, except on the occasions when he’d turn the handle so we could blow the whistle. I’m not sure why but this was a big deal.

One day, as my dad prepared to relocate to Germany {he was in the Army}, he sat me down and told me to take care of his mug. I felt like such a big girl. I was keeper of The Mug. For years, I held on to this mug. Every time we moved, I made sure that the mug was carefully wrapped and placed just so in the box. And when we set up house, it had a special place in the kitchen cabinet. My dad never used his mug again.

My parents divorced. The mug was broken while I was at Basic Training. My dad passed away.

It was during that period of mourning when I stumbled across the brown mug in the picture. I nearly wept in the middle of the store. I explained to Lyn Carey, the owner of Earth and Wears, that my father had recently passed away and that the mug looked so much like the one he’d given me before he left that I could barely stand it. I felt my broken heart being mended while standing there, in that sweet little store, holding that mug.

Do you have something that connects you to a loved one?

You can find all sorts of handmade goods at Earth and Wears in Dallas, Pennsylvania. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, check it out or visit the store online.

About That Coffee Life…

A few weeks ago, my friend and “baby brother”, Tony Armstrong of Tony Armstrong Photography noticed my morning coffee mugs on Instagram and suggested that I do a photographic series.  I loved the idea! A mug and a story. These weekly posts are a result of his suggestion. I’m honored that fellow coffee lover, writer, and photographer,  Beatrice of inspired by beatrice clay will be joining me every Tuesday morning to share coffee and inspiration. I invite you to follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter as we celebrate That Coffee Life.

If you’d like to join us, simpy take a picture of your cuppa, tell your story, and leave a comment with your link. We’ll be using the hash tag #thatcoffeelife.

Cheers,


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