Socks

Quirk No. 9: Socks

I don't buy store-bought socks. I haven't for many years. I knit all socks that I wear. They just last longer and you have to admit, they are pretty cute. I love my socks and they last for many years.












I also just finished a project: Knit from Y2Knit: Flirty Tank. It has some minor mistakes, but if you know what you're doing, it's fine. Check it out!

Bath time...

Quirk No. 8: Enya

Well, I'm having a hard time coming up with more quirks. I know I must have them, but I don't really pay attention to them. So, here is one more that I can think of. When I take a bubble bath, I always have to have candles lit and listen to Enya. It is just the way that it is. Bathtime = Enya. Sometimes I might throw in some Celtic Harp Music, but 99.999% of the time, it's Enya. But since I don't have a tub, I haven't done that in a while, but when I can borrow tub for a bit, I bring Enya along.

Quote of the Day:
"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you." ~A.A. Milne

cleaning it all out...

Quirk No. 7: Bags

I am a bag lady. I love bags. I want bags. I need bags. My motto is that a woman cannot have too many bags. Yet, that is not the quirk so much as what I do with my bag in certain situations. Every time I go to a coffee shop with my sister, or anyone I know for that matter, I clean out my purse. Fully. I strategically go about cleaning out my purse. I'd rather do it in a coffee shop, than in my own place, for some reason. I don't like cleaning out my purse at home. I've tried it and it just doesn't feel right.

Last night, my sister and I didn't meet at a coffee shop. She made me dinner! So, two White Russians later, and a lovely neck massage from the hands of my goddess sister, and I'm good to go. Thanks sis! Much love.

food

Quote of the Day:

"You learn to like someone when you find out what makes them laugh, but you can never truly love someone until you find out what makes them cry."

Author: Unknown
______________________

Quirk No. 6: Nuts & Salad

I never used to like nuts. Just the honey roasted peanuts. Now, I've come to appreciated nuts and actually like the taste of them. BUT! Only on the side. No nuts in any of my food, not fudge, brownies, salads; no nuts. It's all about the texture and I believe that nuts should be had alone. Only nuts on the side. If someone serves food to me and it has nuts, I will pick out the nuts, set them on the side of my plate and eat the rest. As for salad, I always leave one or two leaves of salad on my plate. I never, ever, finish a salad completely. I don't know why, I just always leave a few remains. I'm very aware of it too. I make sure to always leave a few leaves of lettuce. Maybe it's some deep seated superstition that involves lettuce. I cannot explain.

Stars...

Quirk No. 5: Stars

I still wish upon the North Star. It's the same wish every time: Good health and happiness. There is nothing like a starry night sky to be in awe of the universe we are in. I remember my best friend and I in high school used to sit out on her front lawn and look at the night sky and try to figure out the constellations. We had a star map and everything. It was wonderful to be that age and do nothing but look at the sky all night.

Oh, update on the earplug search from previous post: I must have them!!!!!
http://earplugs.ecrater.com/

Quote of the Day:
"They do not love that do not show their love. The course of true love never did run smooth. Love is a familiar. Love is a devil. There is no evil angel but Love."

William Shakespeare

Lips

Didn't post a quirk yesterday, Oops, here goes

Quirk No. 4: Lips

When I apply lipstick, lip balm, or other lip treatment, it doesn't matter what it is, I have to curl my upper lip to my nose and sniff it. Just once, but it must be done. Quick as lightening. My sister and her boyfriend just noticed this about me the other day. They keep teasing me about it. Damn! I thought I did it to where no one could see. I've been caught and now, it's here for the whole world to read. But, I've been told only one person reads my blog anyway, so maybe no one cares. Anyway, another quirk that can only be appreciated by moi!

Au revoir

Quote of the Day

"True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked."

Erich Segal

Hair

Quirk No. 3: Hair

I twist, twirl or rub my hair against my fingers for two reasons; I'm trying to figure something out or it's a dead give away that I am interested in a guy. I try to be aware of it, but sometimes, the habit is, well, just too much of a habit.

Off to hiking with two great friends. Great Saturday ahead!

Ears

Quirk No. 2: Ears (I may have a theme here)

I wear pink earplugs to bed every night. I could choose the ugly earplugs at the store, but no, it must be pink. I love the earplugs that Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but can't find those kind anywhere. I even have my own container. If I use all my earplugs up and forget to get more, I start to get nervous. See above pictured on my pillow. Aren't they cute? Another quirk to be happy about.

Toes...

Well, no toes yet, but soon enough friends.

Today I set out to spend time with my sister and thought we'd have an ordinary day. To our great surprise, it is NEVER just an ordinary day with my sister. So after I got up off my butt and picked her up, we went to my favorite yarn shop. I used to work there and every now and then a visit must be made. So in I enter and it was a veritable Christina Fest! Hugs all around. Familiar faces from the regulars on Thursday mornings. It was wonderful. I felt special and so special I even turned down a Cinnabon because my body just didn't need it. I met my client, she tipped me another fifty bucks (woohoo!) and we stayed for a bit and knit and drank tea; Coconut Pouchong.

Then we decided to head to lunch. I treated my sister to a vegetarian lunch at Cafe Flora. A beautiful little place in the heart of Madison Ave. We sat in the atrium next to the rock waterfall and took in the sunlight and the beautiful surroundings of plants and other foliage. Enter left, cute waiter. He had eyelashes like butterfly wings. He could have coaxed me into buying just about anything today. He leaned down, looked at me just a bit too long and smiled. (heart melting right about now) I settled for the bean burger, yam fries and sauce to die for! Topped off with rosemary lemonade. Delicious. While sitting have a moment with my sibling, I noticed a little girl across the way. She had a floral frock on, a fuzzy sweater, and sparkly silver flats. Her lovey, a little purple stuffed thing sat on her lap making sure she was safe while her thumb was in her mouth. She twirled her hair and rubbed her nose all at the same time. It reminded me of my pictures as a child. I sucked my thumb until I was five and twirled my hair and still do. The picture of innocence made me smile. We packed up, I left the waiter a generous tip and we left.

The arboretum followed. We took a chance on the weather and it treated us well. We walked along the grass path with our shoes off and giggled and stopped at the lily pads and tried to look for frogs. None. My sister even tried to 'ribbit.' No go. Another time. More mud in between our toes. I told my sister, "My feet are thanking me right now!" I even made a little voice as if my feet and I had a special relationship. She laughed and took it to many extremes and, well, we are strange. Then, here comes the best part. A man was walking our way holding a backpack with a plaid shirt tied around his waist. That was it. No clothes besides that. I noticed his strategically placed tattooes and his long hair pulled back and chiseled face. Niiice. Then I looked back. "Suzy, he is naked!" I looked back again and he dropped his shirt. Wow, butt shot. He smiled. I thought it a bit deranged but it's not every day that I get mooned by a tight looking fella. I don't know where he was heading but it was certainly a treat for me. I consider that a non-ordinary thing.

So onto Grateful Bread. Good place for coffee and music. It's a jumpy joint so we grabbed a table. She and I were knitting and these two little old ladies came up to us. They had to be in their eighties and she was admiring our work. Then she piped up and said, "I knit blankets for crack babies." And loudly too. I just about lost it. I don't think I've ever heard an old woman say crack baby. I almost couldn't help myself, but smiled and they went away. Strange days.

So, I've decided to enter a post everyday describing one quirky thing per day about myself. You know, crazy factoid, strange thing, whatever. It's an appreciation exercise and I want to appreciate all that I am.

Quirk No. 1: My Toes (See upper pic. Yes, my feet)

I have decided that I have Flintstone feet. They are square, they are flat and they are even cute. The quirky thing is: I never ever go without painting my toe nails. It's not a vanity thing. It's just because I can, so I do. This time, it's the Tuscan Sun color by Revlon. Lovely, don't you think? Tuscan Sun colored Flintstone feet. I like them.

tomorrow, Quirk No. 2? Who knows, stay tuned. : )

The August moon hung over our heads like a scolding parent
Yellow, disapproving, lonely.
Telling jokes to the stars at the absurdity of human nature.

Behind wind-storm clouds hiding her shame,
To begin it's waning in the summer night sky.

Sitting on a care-worn porch glistening over family truths,
yet more lies.

The wind whispers in my hair, blowing it dry before I lay down on a stranger's pillow.

Crickets harmonizing with the wind, lulling me to sleep as I lay tossing and turning in the small hours of the anxious night.
I hear my daughter restless next to me.

Thoughts of sun, smiles and memories float under my dreamy eyelids.
Nostalgia turns to melancholy...turns to truth to only a flutter of hope.

Where I lay is not where I belong.
Where I go, is not my destination.

What I hope is held in the August moon high above.


Author: Me

The little things

Sometimes I think about those days before I was permanently attached to a computer 8 hours out of my day. I used to go for long walks as a teenager to my favorite park. Franklin Park. It had towering beautiful trees and green grass that stretched over several acres. The grassy terraces that we used to dare each other to roll down or slide down on the snow in the winter are welcoming images of my coming of age. Another thing I think about is when I used to write. I had 11 journals by the age of 11 years-old. I loved the smell of a newly sharpened No. 2 pencil and the sound it made as it glided along the paper. Words that I couldn't or wouldn't divulge to others made it to a permanent home in my journal. I just recently rediscovered the beauty of writing, not on a computer, but with my No. 2 pencil. It's the same feeling I used to get. I need to do it more often and get back a bit to my roots.