Flipping for Lids

Not long ago, Michelle came home from work and unpacked some late Christmas presents for us all. She had commissioned a friend and neighbor to make custom lids for some of our favorite mugs.

Several friends in our neighborhood are potters. Michelle went to on of them, Betsy, with dimensions for our favorite mugs; Michelle chose the colors to match or compliment the mugs, and Betsy threw, glazed and fired them for us.

Each of our most used mugs with their respective lids. Aly’s on the left, is a mug she made at a DIY ceramics shop with friends down south. It depicts the language institute she went to when she visited Ireland (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).

Since we received them, we use them pretty constantly. I use mine every single day, and like the lid for several reasons. Foremost, since I tend to sweeten my morning coffee with a spoonful of cocoa powder, I like to let the coffee sit a bit before drinking. I’m not sure if that’s because the cocoa melds with the coffee, or if it cools slightly to bring out the flavors over the temperature? At any rate, using the lid enhances the flavor without losing heat—which is especially helpful at this time of year.

With the lid, I can make my coffee whenever I’m ready. Before, I had to be careful not to make it too early. I needed to make it after cleaning the wood stove glass (see Cleaning Woodstove Glass: How and Why) for instance, to avoid getting ash in the drink. Likewise, if someone wants to sweep while my mug sits open nearby, that’s unappetizing. Also, since we have a cat, Spice, who always seems to need special attention in the morning, we often see clouds of cat fur circulating through the room! Now, I can throw a lid on my mug, and nothing I don’t want in my coffee gets in.

Michelle chose a coffee color for my lid, so it matches both of my favorite mugs (see Coffee Yin-Yang). I find it also fits some of my other mugs, of which I keep a fair assortment (see Simple Gifts: Choosing the Right Mug).

I wouldn’t call these lids essential gear, but they’re improving our lives considerably, and we like having something made by our local artisan friends.