Mug Shots

Arlene Blackman Yolles ♦ January 3, 2017 ♦ 4 Comments

No, this isn’t a blog post about criminals.  Rather, it’s about my mug collection.  Here’s a photo of the wall in the kitchen where I display them. All are used.  They are not merely for view only.  And there is a story behind each one.  To begin with: the story of the wall.  Our dear departed friend, Megal (a combination of his first and last name – Melvyn Siegel — written accidentally on the envelope of a letter to him, and which actually stuck) had a peg board wall in the kitchen of his apartment on which he hung many kitchen tools, appliances, pots and pans.  Storage was scarce in his modest domicile and that’s how he, an avid cook (and even more avid eater) utilized the wall space.  Consequently, when my husband built our house, he incorporated the idea into our kitchen and we have always referred to it as the Melvyn Wall.

On the left is my very first mug; from its decoration, you can correctly surmise that is from the ‘60’s; I needed 2 coffee mugs when I was newly married to my first husband and  bought it and one for him at a corner hardware store. Many years after the divorce, I accidently (?) broke his.

On the right, is the newest in my collection.  Bought in New Hope, PA, I thought the design was absolutely stunning, as was the dark charcoal of the mug itself.

This moose mug has an interesting story that has become part of its history.  While traveling through Canada in our Alfa Romeo, my husband drove most of the trip, about 3900 miles out of 4000.  One night he wanted to have a drink with another couple we met over an early dinner and I said, “Drink all you want; I’ll drive us to our stop for the night.”  I started driving, going about 90 mph (normal for Canada’s back roads) and got stopped by a policewoman who gave me a warning and told me the speed limit was 100 kph (60 mph).  I slowed down and several miles later, there was a huge moose in the road.  I slammed on the breaks and stopped a few feet short of him.  Had I hit him, someone else would be writing this blog.  The next day, I saw this mug and just had to buy it!  I thank the policewoman for saving our lives!

These next 4 mugs are all unique and interesting.  From left to right: bought in Sedona, AZ, the colors never fail to remind me of the beautiful scenery and the red rocks.  Second: my good friend, Linda, made this mug for me and when I use it always think of her.  Third: I saw this Varga mug in an antique and collectible fair in Armonk, NY.  My husband loves the Varga paintings of beautiful women, and so this is for him.  Fourth: no, the photo is not askew.  This was bought in Canada at a craft show and I loved the way it leaned when placed on the table!

And, finally, again from left to right: This was a ceramic set that combines two of my collections: mugs and perfume bottles! I have never seen anything like it before.  Second: a gift from my sister years ago from CA.  I love faces on mugs!  Third: well, how could I not buy something as cute as that?  And, finally, my most expensive mug , bought in a craft store in MA.  I couldn’t resist the Escher-ness of the design.  Usually craft-made mugs run anywhere from $24 to $44.  This one was $90.

So that’s a short introduction to my mug collection.  As you can see from the picture showing the wall, I have many more.  Perhaps in another post I’ll share some more stories and more mugs.  And, of course, there’s always my perfume bottle collection, but that’s another post as well!