I started in the kitchen and quickly had five boxes full of linens, pots, pans, glassware, bake ware, wine and water glasses, water bottles and ceramic coffee mugs.
I don't drink coffee and Todd, who only drinks iced coffee, uses glass mugs. Why I keep carting these ceramic mugs around from address to address is beyond me. Some were gifts and others were souvenirs. When I remember, I'll use one for hot chocolate or chamomile tea, but otherwise they collect dust and every three years or so, get wrapped up in newspaper and moved to a new home, where they will once again sit on a top shelf and wait to be used.
With each move, I try to get rid of one. I am down to six.
There are two that I will never part with because my mother made them.
Ironically, she didn't drink coffee out of them either, but her favorite diet soda.
I don't remember my mother being a very creative person, but she did teach Kindergarten - third grade, so she knew how to do simple arts and crafts. She sewed a lot when I was really little and made me and my dolls matching clothes and I always had homemade Halloween costumes.
During the early years of her marriage to my father, she was really into painting ceramics à la Color Me Mine. It was the 70's after all.
Sadly, all I have are a few figurines and these two mugs.
They're ugly, weren't made for the microwave and aren't dishwasher safe, but right there in the middle of my gung ho packing day, I had to stop and have a cup of hot chocolate in one of my mother's mugs.
