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36one of the very best things I love ... A strong, hot, sweet, light cup of coffee. And if I pour a second cup I like to stir it up and put it in the refrigerator for later ... Drink it cold like the bottled Starbucks. I loved those bottled coffees in the cooler for charter flights ... Coffee is good. Sometime during college, after I started living by myself off campus in an apartment, my mother surprised me by giving me what remained of her set of Dessert Rose pottery ... It had been a wedding gift specifically to her from my daddy's mother. She had delivered her last child, Daddy's youngest brother who my brothers and I grew up with, and the way I hear it, she spent her last year in the hospital dying from cancer. Momma and Daddy looked after the baby and another Uncle who was a toddler at the time. Both of those uncles seemed always more like brothers to me and I took the blame for many a shenanigan gone awry cause they knew Daddy was a lot more indulgent towards his girl then one of those boys ... they woulda been in double trouble probably if the whole thing hadn't been my big idea that they barely got there in time to rescue me from ... I bet my Dad knew all along ... He was a softy. Anyway, the dishes. Momma used those dishes all through my growing up years. She and Daddy would frequently leave the dinner table with us kids finishing up ... Then Momma would check back to see everyone's plate was clean. Tommy would drink my milk if I would finish his vegetables ... Haha ... He's still like that, if it doesn't go in pico he doesn't want it on his plate! I can't remember ever getting caught burying vegetables in the kitchen trash can ... the possibility of throwing food away would never occur to my momma ... maybe growing up with those boys made me incorrigible. I was very very happy to have those dishes twenty years later. She had stopped using them and had them nicely wrapped up. There was just one coffee mug left ... and two cups with saucers. I drank my coffee from that mug ... it was comforting to hold those old memories right there in my hand. I felt pretty alone during those college years ... 'cept for Tommy, those boys were gone and Daddy passed during my junior year. That mug disappeared at church of all places ... The original Francescanware mugs were in short supply. A few years ago my husband, who knows I am sentimental about this set of dishes, saw the new run of this pattern and encouraged me to replace some of the missing pieces. I bought the mug. Every morning I drink my hot coffee from that mug ... and maybe tea later in the day. I'm thankful for my coffee ... Awesome coffee maker ... My dog hopping up on the window sill when he hears the grinder clicking on ... Quiet peaceful mornings to savor those first few sips ... and my mug that holds so many funny and sweet memories. I don't drink Folger's coffee, but their jingle "the best part of waking up is Folger's in your cup" ... genius.