Quirkiness

I’m horribly late in responding to this one, but haven’t had a moment’s free time in about the past two weeks. In any case, well over two weeks ago Pinks tagged me challenging me to list 6 unspectacular quirks. Well, first off, I would like to know how quirks can be unspectacular. I mean, if they were just plain boring, then the quirkiness would all but dissipate, right? Doesn’t the very word quirky suggest something at least mildly interesting or amusing? Well, I’m not really sure that these things are quirky, but here we go:

1. I keep all my coins in film canisters organized from largest to smallest coins (largest being on the bottom). I can’t stand coins just clanking at the bottom of my purse and me having to dig around for them when I need them. I regularly receive comments from store on this particular “quirk.” In fact, just the other day a store clerk exclaimed, “OMG, that’s so cool! Can I see that again? We need more people like you in this world.” I have a feeling the “like you” meant slightly obsessive compulsive organizational freak.
2. I have had issues with public toilets for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I hated public restrooms and often refused to “sit” on the seat. In fact, I’d rather pee behind a tree than sit on a public toilet. I wouldn’t say I’m germ-o-phobic, but perhaps I am, but seeing as I don’t know who’s sat on a public toilet or when it’s last been cleaned I’d rather not take my chances. Traveling lots, of course, just makes me more set and determined in my ways, especially after trips to places like China. In fact, during my China trip I also added seeing how long I could hold my breath while in a public restroom. Yes, those trips were as quick as I could manage. Thank goodness I’ve been blessed with a strong bladder and can make it through almost any train trip without using the toilets for the duration of the trip. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, train toilets are the worst.
3. When my stomach feels upset, I like to eat soft poached eggs on toast covered in milk (or cream) lightly salted. This goes back to my childhood, and yes, I know, eggs and cream are supposed to be difficult to digest, but for some reason, I find this incredibly soothing and usually it puts my stomach to rest.
4. I have an uncanny ability to know things before they happen, or perhaps it’s an ability to read people. Here are just a few examples: I once had a premonition that the company I was working for was in the process of being sold to another company and that they were going to announce it the following day. I was so sure that I even went so far as to call my administrative assistant in Toronto (I was working out of a home office in Vancouver, but there were those that worked at the head office in Toronto) explain my suspicions and tell her to erase any personal files on her computer and to take home any personal items that evening (sometimes when these things happen, corporations won’t give you much more than a half hour to pack up your things and be out of there if they’re not keeping you). Sure enough, the next day it happened. She phoned me back absolutely stunned, but luckily she had followed my advice. Another time I was having lunch with a colleague. In the middle of the conversation I stopped, looked at her and said “OMG, Monica, you’re pregnant!” Her face blanched as it morphed into shock and disbelief. She asked me how I knew and told me that she had only just had it confirmed the previous day and hadn’t even told her parents yet. I don’t know, I can’t explain what happened, I just knew. There are countless other examples I could give, but you get the idea.
5. I love languages. I love listening to languages and could listen for hours (well, at least one hour) even if I don’t understand a word. I make up words and play with language…almost all the time. As a child I spoke an invented language with my sister and used to translate for my parents. (My sister had hearing difficulties until about the age of three when the doctors inserted tubes in her ears, and my parents had difficulty understanding her, but my other sister and I seemed to have no difficulty in communicating with her.) Aside from that, I have been known to name my cars or give my pets nicknames (as they already have names). I talk to myself (sometimes), or more often to my cat in multiple languages. She doesn’t really care which language I use as long as I feed her.
6. I collect seashells whenever I’m at the ocean. Is that quirky? I’m really not sure, but I love seashells. They are tiny little treasures that I can’t resist picking up, even if I put them down somewhere else. Once I made the mistake of telling a group of grade 1’s that “Madame loves seashells,” and the next day I received a lovely bag full. I guess I had forgotten to mention that half the pleasure is finding them in the sand as I walk along the beach.

Whew!!! That’s six. I’m sure there are oodles more, but that’s good for the moment. Now for tagging…. Is anybody interested? I'll leave it open and if you decide to bite, let me know. I would love to know what quirks the rest of you have.

The Inevitable

If you don't go to the adventure, it comes to you.

(Pst, Pinks, if you're wondering where your meme is...it's on its way.)

What Killed Die Katze

Curiosity becomes a heavy, heavy load, too heavy to hold, too heavy to hold. Do you really want to know? How much can you bear? Do you really want to know? How will you use what you find out? It will eventually all spill out. Curiosity becomes a heavy, heavy load.

Björn

Meet Björn. Isn't he an absolute sweetie? He was evidently quite busy foraging for food. One gets just a tad hungry and perhaps a little cranky after an entire winter of fasting and doing nothing much other than on and off napping in one's den. And the spring has been so slow in coming this year, but things are looking up and the sun is shining and it makes one feel like having a little snack. And I suppose some of you are wondering about the name. Björn is a good Scandinavian name of old Norse origin meaning none other than "bear." Most appropriate, don't you think? I did, for a moment consider naming him Benno after a much loved uncle (Benno also contains the element bear), but this time my Norwegian side won out.
And now for my experiment... Do you recognize the following? I spent three days in the woods last week and the forest was absolutely rife with these plants ... wild strawberries!!! Well, I have so many wild plants growing in my yard anyway, that I thought why not strawberries. So I just dug up a number of these plants and transplanted them into my own little garden. I don't know if they'll bear fruit this year, but I'll let you know how they fare as time goes on.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

Very well, thank you. My garden has been absolutely loving this rain interspersed with bursts of sunny heat. Although I would love for it to be just a tad warmer, my garden thinks this weather is just perfect.

My Rhodo is in full bloom. The blossoms sport a soft pink which turn to an almost snowy white once they're fully opened.

The Chives are blooming wildly...and although I probably shouldn't be letting them go to seed so quickly, they look so lovely that I can't bare to pluck off the purple blossoms.

The following is a parade of Pansies that are coming up just about everywhere. Somehow I even have a slew of tiny delicate wild ones that have somehow seeded themselves. They are so cheery that I am more than happy to let them do their own thing.

The Iris stands proudly surveying the whole yard. You don't see it in this picture, but there is actually a little bee seeking shelter from the rain inside its petals.

My garden sings in the rain. How about yours?

Washed Up

The sea swallows me with her ancient rhythms luring me to her watery depths while the gruff wind's howling loudly echoes in despair. Suddenly she retreats leaving me washed up, abandoned on a lonely beach.