My Favorite...

I love this mug. A lot (as evidenced by the fact that I used it this morning - see the coffee? The lipstick on the side? Yep.)

Two years ago, I bought this mug, and my cousin G bought a matching one. G lives in New Zealand; I live...well, not anywhere near NZ, and there's a lot of distance, physically, between us.

We had this brilliant idea the last time she was here, that if we had matching mugs, then when we had coffee (for me) or tea (for her) in the mug, then it would ALMOST be as if the other person was there.

I use this mug almost daily. It makes me remember our hours of talking, laughing, crying, drinking cup after cup after cup of tea...just sharing life together.

And that makes it my favorite.

The Kids Are Alright...

A rather large earthquake hit New Zealand today. 7.4 was the initial magnitude; its epicenter was 18-ish miles from where my loved ones reside.

That SCARED me. G is my cousin, but she's more like a sister; her boys call me "Auntie Jane." Her husband, M, was my first boss...well, my boss for my first "grown-up-after-college-actually-using-my-degree" job. I have spent many an hour sitting at their kitchen counter in NZ, drinking hot tea, and talking (and talking and talking) with G about everything - from first crushes to car accidents.

Their house is a haven for me; although it's thousands of miles away, when I think of a place that brings me peace, their kitchen counter is number one on my list.

For a few hours, I couldn't reach them. I had no idea if they were fine, picking up the pieces of their lives, or lying injured...or worse...in a pile of rubble.

That text message beep from G was the greatest sound I've ever heard. The house is a mess; earthquakes have a way of making sure nothing stays where it should, but it's structurally sound, and no one was injured.

I can now breathe again; I think I stopped for a while there...