Mugs of all shapes and sizes

and more than we need? 

I was given another mug yesterday. It was an early Christmas present from a friend who came for lunch. 

W...comes for lunch about once a month. I don't expect anything from her in the way of presents. It is simply that she is now a widow and, living alone, she gets lonely. Being between me and the Senior Cat in age she always enjoyed his company too. While she can still drive, and she  is the sort of person who will know when it is time to stop, she will come for lunch. 

By now she knows me pretty well. She knows where to find things in the kitchen.  And she knows where I keep the mugs.

Now I don't need any more mugs. I have mugs. Middle Cat gave me my extra large breakfast mug. It has a cat on it - holding a computer mouse in his mouth. It is  called "the Mouser" of course.

I have other mugs with cats on them. I have literary mugs - Tolkien, Austen, CS Lewis. I have a mug with a "fairy" on it - courtesy of my nephews when they were much younger. There is a mug with the local church on it that I was given when I went to talk to the women's group. I have a mug with knitting on it - given to me by my friend I... There is the Senior Cat's mug from the national Motor Museum. It has a picture of his father's first car on it. There are other mugs - striped, plain, pictures, words.... 

We have more mugs than we need. I suspect this is true of most people. Two years ago I quietly removed eight or nine that we never used and took them around to the local charity shop. "Thanks Cat. We can never get enough of those." Really? Well, people do seem to buy them. I once bought a mug in there - with a cat on it.

Yesterday I was given another mug by W.... "I know you don't need another mug but...." 

But I do need it - at least just for now. It has a cat on it. The cat, really not much more than a kitten, is sitting there with his head slightly one side.  He has a "please like me" expression and he is wearing a red Santa hat.  

So of course I have christened him with milk.