So a few weeks back when I knew my desktop was needing last rites, I broke my coffee mug. Said coffee mug was perched precariously somewhere where it shouldn't have been perched. I wasn't overly attached to the old coffee mug. It was a shade of blue I wasn't fond of. The lip was curled inwards, making it difficult to drink from without spilling. Its redeeming feature was that it held about three cups of liquid.

Today I schlepped to a St. Vincent de Paul store to replace it. Thrift stores are weird and slightly sad places. So many well-loved and used things are there, and you can't help but wonder the stories behind them.

I found one mug to replace my old one that would do quite well. But then I happened upon this one. At first it struck me as hideous. It's an uneven yellowish-green glaze with some sort of flower-cum-blueberry motif going on. Trust me. It photographs prettier than it really is.

I couldn't put this mug down, though. It was well worth the 40 cents it cost (since today was 50% off day, I got both mugs for the price of one.) For the price, it was a good investment. It'll hold half a hotpot (about 22-25 oz of beverage.) It holds the heat pretty well. (Better than my old coffee mug.)

I wonder what its story is. There weren't any other dishes there like it. It's mass-produced from China, but aside from that, who owned it? Was it some grandmother, who had her tea or coffee in it? A college student, who moved? Maybe it was a white elephant, and its recipient didn't know what to make of a one-of mottled green mug of vague flower pattern. Did its original owner just tire of it? Did its old owner die? Probably not...the "made in China" sticker is still firmly attached. It probably wasn't even used. Which, in a strange way, makes this mug that more appealing. Someone somewhere disliked it enough to not even use it, a sad tale, if it were a gift.

It does well with tea, although my loose tea diffuser is a bit too short for it. We'll see about coffee tomorrow.