Would a rrose of a different color taste so sweet?

MUG: Speciality mug made by Waechtersbach in Spain. All the qualities one expects from a Waechtersbach, with the ironic addition of signatures from the Famous Artists school.

COFFEE: Colombian Supremo. I'm so boring.

NOTES: Recently acquired as a birthday present for myself. This mug was part of a series, out of production since the 1980s and fairly rare. I know of three color variations: red on white (an example of which I possess, but that is showing its age), blue on yellow, and yellow on blue (this one).

Coffee! Yesh!

MUG: Chinese-made novelty mug from the Mutts Collection. Another Waechtersbach-style mug. Too bad they couldn't patent the design.

COFFEE: The Colombian Supremo of record.

NOTES: Mutts is a cartoon strip by Patrick McDonnell. The primary characters are Earl the dog and Mooch the cat. All animal lovers should read Mutts.

This mug was a birthday present to me some years ago from my daughter Catherine. Today is her birthday, so I honor her by honoring her gift to me, and she's given me far more than a coffee mug. Love 'ya, Cat.

Me kneeling.

MUG: An almost perfect copy (Chinese?) of a genuine Waechtersbach mug. The handle is a tiny bit narrower than what is used by the German company, and the ceramic itself is a bit thinner-walled and denser than what the Germans produce. Is it good to be a high-quality imitation? The orthodoxy of that question (imitation vs. stolen) would be a good discussion between the Menil in Houston and the Kimbell in Fort Worth.

COFFEE: The norm: an estate-grown Colombian Supremo roasted by Barrett's.

NOTES: The Menil Collection in Houston is one of the few museum's I make a point of visiting (I haven't made it up to the Dallas Museum of Art to see a temporary exhibition that one of my own works is in).  I'll even drag a couple of non-art guys I went to a Rangers/Astros baseball game with to this museum. This mug was done for the Menil's 25th Anniversary. The grey body with white trim mimics the color scheme used not only on the museum, but also on all the bungalows the museum owns in a three-square block colony around the museum.

Caution. Joy Ahead.

CUP: Paper cup made in India. Attached ribbed-insulation (semi-effective). Peculiar message, reminiscent of speaking with a customer service rep from the Indian sub-continent ("Hello. My-name-is-Bob. How-can-I-help-you-today? How-are-the-Cowboys-doing-now?").

COFFEE: I did not partake of the coffee that was supplied with this cup. Rather, I took the cup home (and three of its siblings). I am serving the Colombian Supremo from Barrett's.

NOTES: This was one of the in-room coffee cups at the Super 8 Motel in Fredericksburg Texas. Perhaps the best part of our stay there (at the Super 8 Motel... not referring to our delightful quickie visit to Fredericksburg).

Coffee been Laden-ed.

MUG: Diner-style specialty advertising mug, made in China, distributed by Discount Mugs, sold by Der Küchen Laden. Heavy weight mug, but with a thinner lip than my other diner mugs. Nice handle. Nice hand and lip feel. Nice color. Nice mug.

COFFEE: Estate-grown poly-p.c. Colombian Supremo from Barrett's Microroasters.

NOTES: A good mug, overflowing with great memories.