Grab a Mug HodgePodge Wednesday

It's Wednesday. I'm waiting for someone to call me back so thought I'd use the time and play along with today's Hodgepodge questions. 

Head over here to join in! 

1. What's a characteristic you admire in others? Elaborate. 

I admire many things in other people but one that I really admire is compassion.  True compassion.  For example: I have Christian  extended family members who claim to be Christ followers, and say they follow Biblical principles/commands, etc yet they have no compassion at all for other people, specifically people who are different from them. This is so anti-Christ. I cannot stand it. Jesus was all about compassion and told us to love others as we would want to be loved. You don't have to agree with someone else's thoughts/opinions/ideals/mores/sexual orientation/religion or lack thereof, but you do need to be compassionate. If everyone in the world showed more compassion, it truly would be a bit more peaceful, wouldn't it? 

2. Do you have a favorite mug? Let's see it. Why is this one your favorite? 

Well....since you asked.

my current fave mug for this  summer
a Xmas gift from oldest girl
made by a local pottery artist

I collect mugs.  I've been collecting them since about 1987. I buy one new mug for every new place I travel to or vacation in. Here is what my dining room looks like with mugs on the wall.  The ones that are missing are in the dishwasher. The above mug gets washed by hand as do several others unless the art is literally sketched in. And yes, I have given away some to thrift stores (maybe 8 in the last 10 years). 

Vermont, Acadia National Park, Freedom Cafe (NH)
and Saratoga (National Dance Museum) are all clustered to the left
the empty spot is a mug from Lake Winnipausake (NH)
The right side cluster: 3 plain blue mugs that we received from my parents years ago
and the bottom one is a large latte mug from the Catskills 

The 2nd grouping (on the right of pic) are 4 white pedestal mugs we received as a wedding gift (top one is in dishwasher); then in the middle:  Museum of Fine Art, Boston; Red Sox Boston; then top one is from Rome, Italy and bottom one is a "geek mug" to my husband from my sister Joy that contains all kinds of science and math trivia;  in between those two is a "Wake up and smell the Coffee" mug that Dave bought on Cape Cod years ago.   This grouping gets switched out from time to time. 

These mugs in the dining room are all gifts we received from special people in our lives:
top row: butterfly mug is from a student/parents; top middle is a Star Trek mug from my sister to my husband; one next to it on the end is a locally made pottery one from the very first speech therapist who worked on my classroom team; 
middle row: Dave received a company mug (LTI); then a mug with a fave scripture from my friend Carla who moved away; "Do not Disturb" mug is next and from the mom of one of my more difficult students when I retired; last one in that row is "Dear Coffee I love you that's all" from my dear friend Anita G
bottom row:  Claire gave me a huge UNH mug for xmas in her last year of college, the middle one is a Gordon College mug that Courtney gave me for xmas her last year of college, and the one on the end is a dragonfly mug from my sister in law Kathy as a "because I like you" gift. 

these mugs are in the above the fridge cupboard
and are holiday specific 
(St Patricks' day, Valentines, Christmas, Harvest)

These are in my corner armoire in the dining room and are
extra fave mugs:  In the front there is Michigan with the word Michigan on the back side; Montreal, Von Trapp Family museum in Stowe, Vermont and behind those, some random mugs that were gifts from a couple of friends and my mom. 

more random mugs from friends
and 2 teacups (one from my mom and one from hubby from Guatamala)

These are the mugs I'm displaying this Summer on the kitchen counter
in our coffee area:  Front one is from Ogunquit Maine, bottom left is Albuquerque NM
above that "I hike like a girl, try to keep up" a gift from my sister Joy
and behind that my loon mug from Long Lake (Adirondacks).  In the dishwasher is a colorful dragonflies mug (dragonflies all over it) and the bottom dark blue one is  a gift "The Mountains are Calling and I must Go" mug from my blogger friend Deb from this blog. 

PLUS:  I have some very old treasures in the basement in a bin that I don't want to part with yet.  Two were made by my daughters in art class when they were in 2nd grade and 2 that they made in 4th grade are hanging near my stove. Our school district had art projects where for a small price the kids' art work was turned into mugs. They're adorable. I also have a mug depicting the 20th anniversary of the first special ed preschool agency I taught at after grad school until 1995. that one is very precious to me. 

Well.....do you see why I can't just choose one??? 

3. July 15th is/was National Give Something Away Day...will you (or did you, depending on what day you answer these questions) give something away? If so what? Do you regularly give away or do you 'accumulate'? 

I haven't given anything away today but I have a very large bag of clothing, towels and sheets I am bringing to a local church tomorrow for their drive. They collect gently used items and give them to missionaries who help the homeless. I typically go through our clothing, books and dishes and if it hasn't been worn, used, or needed in the last year, we give away to not for profits or thrift shops/Salvation Army/Goodwill, etc. 

4. You're planning a trip. Do you prefer exploring big cities or smaller, more off the grid towns? World Atlas lists these 12 'off the grid' towns to see in 2025: 

Boothbay Harbor Maine, Middlebury Vermont, New Hope Pennsylvania, Rehoboth Beach Delaware, Brevard North Carolina, Saugatuck Michigan, Medora North Dakota, Ouray Colorado, Lamoille Nevada, Neah Bay Washington, Hood River Oregon, or Cambria California

How many on the list have you seen? Of those listed which one would you most like to visit? Tell us why? 

I've seen from this list:Boothbay Harbor Maine and Middlebury Vermont. We like exploring big cities like in Europe (we have done Paris, Rome, and Florence; Montreal and Toronto; San Franciso; Albuquerque; Pittsburgh; Kansas City, MO).  We also love small mountain towns or out of the way places. 

Which one from this list would I most like to visit?? Probably Ouray, CO because 1. I like to hike 2. I wanna see the Million Dollar Highway and 3. I've always wanted to go to Colorado. 

5. Have you ever...ridden a motorcycle? been to a Disney park? met a celebrity? won a contest? Tell us something about whatever you answered yes to on this list. 

yes, I dated a guy after college who had a motorcycle and we rode it all over Rochester/Buffalo/Niagara Falls NY. I hated it. 

No we have never had a desire to go to a Disney park. 

yes, I've met Lisa Genova, the much loved author, when we were in Chatham on Cape Cod. I loved every minute of our conversation. To me, she is a celebrity. I've read all of her books except her last 2 but they're on my list to find at the library! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I have a lot of mugs. Maybe I should give some more away.