Friday Favorites: My Starbucks Travel Mug

About 7 years ago (that's right, 7!) I bought a travel mug at Starbucks. Little did I know how it would change my life. It befriended me in the store. It was marked down and just fit so nicely in my hand. It was stainless steal. I started falling in love.
Let me tell you a little about my travel mug:

-it fits perfectly in any car cup holder
-it keeps beverages hot until at least noon
-on cold mornings, I can leave it in my car, go work out in the gym, come back to the car and it will STILL be hot
-I have carried it through Multnomah, my master's program, to church, to substitute teach in scary places and my first job
-the mug has actually become a point of contention in our marriage. Specifically, Paul wants the mug (think Lord of the Rings "we wants it" "we needs it"). He even went so far as to tell me I had actually given it to him, but I don't remember this. Needless to say, the mug and I have a very special relationship. The unspoken rule is, whoever has to get up first, gets the mug. Most of the time that's me. So I'm OK with that for now. I can share, I'm a kindergarten teacher.
-I have tried to find Paul his own, equally special mug, but each one that I buy is lacking something, some quality, that my special mug has. It doesn't fit in the car, it leaks, it doesn't keep things hot enough, you get the picture.
-I actually think that there is something divine about my mug. I think it is a gift from God. It comforts me. It is one of the small blessings in my life. I think God DOES bless you with small, comforting blessings. It's OK to name them; to say that you enjoy this or that material thing.
- Our mug is certainly not the most expensive one we've ever had. That's not the point. It's because it's so perfect. It's because it's been with me through lots and lots of hard work. It's because my husband wants it so much.
-well, that's my friday favorites, if you looked at the time that I posted this blog, you would think, "Isn't Annie supposed to be teaching?". It's one of those state professional days, and yes, I do have a lot of work to do, but I am not neglecting my students. Have a great weekend!