Put the Coffee on...

I'm comin' by to visit! *grin* 

Mug Love

I'm sharing a true Christmas story that happened yesterday and is posted at our Year of Gratitude (YOG) blog where I first wrote about my coffee mugs, if you have time to stop by. (Hint, it has to do with a half-naked Santa appearing out of the blue.)

Now, on to today's topic of mugs, because my house has been so full of comings and goings and company (some will be here until tomorrow) that I didn't have time to get my Sharpies out and draw another edition of Ledbetter Lunacy...

Bad Ode to Vessels

Oh, coffee mugs, coffee mugs, I love you.

Without you here, what would I do?

*Smile* and good morning to all you coffee or tea drinkers this day after Christmas. If you have a collection of favored mugs like I do, you'll understand this post. If not, just come along for the ride anyway.

I love each of my mugs for different reasons, but like my children, I love them all equally. Let me introduce you to my seven favorites: Senorita is the cup with the fish handles my daughter brought home from her senior cruise to Cozumel in appreciation for helping with her trip. Muscle Gal comes from one of my sons' trips to a Boy Scout National Jamboree to NY. He said it reminded him of me -- "Mom, it's a little cracked from the journey, but still got good life in it." (How's that for a teenage boy's attempt at symbolism?!) At least the chip doesn't come near my mouth as I swill my coffee!

Now, Big Gulp (the green upside down mug) I love because I rescued him from the trash heap at the end of a garage sale. What a bargain at just .10! Atop him sits The Black Lion. I treated myself to this beautiful, shiny treasure at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans while attending the Pen-to-Press Writers Conference. Next is Choo-Choo, the cup I purchased to commemorate a trip taken a decade ago to Colorado when we visited the Silverton-Durango coal-powered train. I love that cup because it's so unique; when hot liquids are poured inside, the blackened windows of the depot open to reveal several train engines. Then they go dark again when the liquid cools.

The big one to the right with all the faces of literary masters? That's B&N, named for the bookstore chain where I found it. I love it for obvious reasons including its depths and ability to limit my trips back to the coffee pot. Last but not least is The Graveyard. The place we all finally wind up. It reminds me to carpe diem, encourages me to keep writing, and represents an actual friend's book -- Deborah Leblanc's Grave Intent.

Before you call me a complete nut, think about this: each of my "mugs" is completely different in size, shape and description, yet provides me with key elements for healthy survival -- gifts from their interiors! These gifts for which I am daily filled with gratitude are good memories, inspiration, comfort, continuity, and the essence of all that is good in my world.

Yeah, you guessed it, the mugs are just like my dearest flesh and blood friends. And as trite as my ode and the following saying are, they are nonetheless true: My cup runneth over.

And to you ~~ I love your mugs, inside and out!

{Photo by Angie Ledbetter}

Blogging Thoughts & One for You

{image from louisianagreetings.com}

It's Tuesday, and that means it's Gumbo day. Don't you love the big alligator stirring up his gumbo pot? *I particularly like that his apron seems to have MY initials on it.* Since gumbos require you throw just about any- and everything you have on hand into the pot, today I'm going to share some things about the blogging world that make me go *hmmm*

• Is there a standardized bletiquette (blog + etiquette) list available somewhere new bloggers can read? If so, who made the list?
• If you're a reality TV fan, you'll recognize the names Tabitha Coffee (love that name) and Gordon Ramsey. These are Brits who go into places of businesses, take over, wreak general havoc and chaos, and in the process, help turn the biz around. I've been wondering how it would work if a few of us attempted a Blog Takeover crew. We'd attack shoddy blogs (I like the sound of that too), rake them over the coals (in the kindest, gentlest way, of course), and in the end, renovate them for success. *smile*
• What inspires bloggers to choose between using a personal photo and a cartoon/icon image to identify themselves?
• Why are there more women bloggers than men? Is it because we like to communicate (i.e. yap) more than they do?
• Is there a blogger mentoring union? If so, how much are the dues and how often do they meet?
• Why does my blog refuse to hold the line spacing I put in? Arghh!

Okay, enough of that silliness. Just for you, a recipe for a truly great cup of coffee:

Cafe au Lait

1 cup coffee with chicory
1 cup steamed milk

Divide hot brewed coffee into 2 cups. Add steamed milk evenly to each cup. Sweeten as preferred. Enjoy. Is that simple, or what?

And if you're a visual learner, here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAdxGys-mkY

Here's to You!

Is there anything better than sitting across a small table from a friend while enjoying a delicious cup of your favorite coffee? (Okay, if you prefer chocolate or tea, just pretend that's what's in the cup.)

Being without my electric coffee pot before, during and six days after Hurricane Gustav, I was still able to enjoy my coffee addiction, thanks to my trusty old aluminum drip pot. It's my #1 hurricane preparation supply item.

I'm not sure if my metabolism isn't working at all, if I'm just sluggish from years of sleep deprivation, have the peculiar propensity shared by many writers, or if I have a borderline case of Attention Deficit Disorder. In any case, whatever ails me, the ground bean nectar seems to do the trick. Without a watch or clock in sight, I can tell you when it's within 5 minutes of 3:00 in the afternoon. Time for a nap or afternoon java.

Tell me about your caffeine preference and how much of it you consume per day. What's the best cup you ever had? And if you're wondering what brand I prefer, I'm a lover of our own homegrown brand -- Community Coffee and the CC's Coffeehouses dotting our city; especially their Cafe' Special. You can shop on line now too, which displaced Cajuns just love! http://www.communitycoffee.com/ccc/Catalog_CS.aspx?gclid=CLah1Mn21JUCFQZlswodtzpMYg

Hmmm, maybe I'll host a contest of some sort soon (count the coffee beans in the jar?) and send the winner a pound of that delectable blend.