Quirky Eccentrics

I read a book that took place in an English village filled with quirky, eccentric people.  It got me thinking about those words.  We don't hear about eccentrics much in the U.S., and when we do, it's usually in connection with wealth.  You hear about eccentric millionaires, but not eccentric homeless people.  It seems to be a rather elitist word.   "Quirky" can apply to any socioeconomic bracket, but there again, what separates "quirky" from "weird"?  I love the word quirky.  It sounds fun and playful.  Weird sounds, well, weird.  So is being quirky a state of mind, a state of being, a state of dress?  Is it a matter of style?   Is it something you're born with, or can you develop it?  (If you have to work at it, doesn't it cease to be quirky?)  We all have quirks, so does that make us all quirky?  If not, why not?  Are certain quirks more "quirkworthy"?

Guess some questions just don't have answers.

Appearance

  Larry and I went to a fast-food place last week, and while he waited in line, I sat at a table and people-watched.  
  There was a woman about my age in line.  She had gorgeous white hair, and the most beautiful porcelain skin I have ever seen.  Everything she had on looked right, down to the perfect number and placement of accessories.  I immediately thought, "I want to look like her."
  Just ahead of her was another woman about the same age.  She had stringy gray hair and a blotchy complexion and her clothes looked like they had just come from Deseret Industries, (or maybe they had been rejected by Deseret Industries.)  The women with her were asking about her Relief Society service, and I realized  "I want to be like her."
  The first woman probably does great service as well, and we're encouraged to look as nice as possible without dwelling on it too much, but this experience reminded me of the scripture which says God looks not on the outward appearance but on the heart.  I won't ever have perfect skin and perfect hair; the intricacies of a perfect outfit will probably stay forever out of reach, but I can work on perfecting my heart.  
   And I can stop judging people by their appearance.

Almost Spring

   I know it's not really spring, but it feels like spring, and I love it!  
Here's the view from our back yard:

Here's a view  from the front yard:

    I love having Timp covered with snow and daffodils coming up at the same time.  For that matter, I love having a foot of snow dumped on us one day and watching it all disappear before my eyes.  I love having it smell like spring, even on the stormy days.  I love not wearing a coat  when it's all of 45 degrees out.  I love the anticipation of wondering which, if any, of the things we planted last year will actually survive. (Going by our record, it won't be many.)  I love knowing that the worst weather is over for another year, and that the winter snow provides the water for everything that lives.

  I love spring because it reminds me of my blessings.  No matter how many times I get dumped on, the snow eventually melts and things get better.    There are always unexpected bits of color even when things look drab.  If I look for them, there are new, fresh sights, smells and sounds.  At least some of my faculties that seem dormant are going to wake up.  And even the worst storms provide the moisture of increased wisdom, empathy and gratitude.

Happy Birthday Cori!

    Tomorrow is my daughter Cori's birthday.  I picture her at various stages in her life:

Being the best-natured baby in the world, sleeping through the night at two weeks.

Learning to talk (we wrote down the words she knew at 18-months, in the hundreds.)

Learning to ride a bike in our cul-de-sac.

Waiting at the bus stop for her first day of kindergarten (hard to watch, she seemed so young.)

Being awarded the Hope of America prize at Windsor Elementary.

Taking ballet.

Tending the kids and dealing with the injuries they inflicted on themselves.

Playing the flute.

Going off to college (I couldn't believe how soon the day had come when we dropped her off at her apartment in Salt Lake; I didn't think I'd prepared her enough.)

Serving a mission (When we left her at the MTC, it about killed me. I thought the next person who asked how I was would be hit with my cane--hard.)

Working at the Orem Library.

Serving as Relief Society President.

Marrying David Haskell in the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

Moving into their townhouse.

Becoming the mother of our first granddaughter and later our first grandson.

Leaving for Michigan--another heartbreaker.

Serving as primary president and later as YW president.

Having another son and another daughter.

  These are all experiences and accomplishments, but they don't really address who she is.  She is a loving, patient, helpful, creative, smart, talented woman.  I am so blessed to have her in my life, and so grateful we live in a time when technology makes it possible to talk, see each other and play word games whenever we want, even though we live far apart.

   Hope this is the best year ever for you Cori.  I love you!!! 

Anniversary

    Yesterday was our 41st wedding anniversary.  I like the symmetry of the date:  1.22.2011.  I really lucked out in the lottery of love, as a country song lyric should read.   (Or in other words, I am incredibly blessed.)   Just a few of the reasons I love my husband so much:
1.  He is a believer.  He knows what he believes, and he lives accordingly.  He has the integrity that comes with being a true Christian.
2.  He is a server.  He works in the temple two days a week and attends as a patron another day.  He constantly looks for ways to help others, especially his single-mom home-teaching families.  My neighbor was so impressed when she called him for help and his immediate response was, "Thank you for asking."  He took care of all of his mothers affairs the last year of her life, and now he manages his brother's finances.
3.  He is a doer.  He loves making lists and then checking things off.  He doesn't procrastinate.
4.  He doesn't complain.  He's had to put up with a lot over the years, doing his work and much of mine.  He waits on me, literally, hand and foot, but he never complains.
5.  He has a great sense of humor.  I love the wry, sometimes completely unexpected things he comes out with, and I love that he loves puns.
6.  He works hard.  I can't believe the number of hours he spent in the yard last summer, not to mention all the years of going the extra mile in his job.  
7.  He is thoughtful.  If I ever mention that I want something, he writes it down and gets it for me for a "monthaversary."  
8.  He is generous.  He is happy to have me spend money, even when we don't have much of it, and he's willing to help others as well, like contributing to our nephew's mission.
9.  He is very good at what he does.  He touched so many lives as a teacher. He's a great musician.  He's a great speaker.  All of these things are true because he invested the necessary time to become good.
10.  He's a quiet man.  He doesn't get angry, scream and yell.  Even when we disagree, he's not disagreeable.
11.  He apologizes.  He doesn't make excuses.  When he's wrong, (which isn't very often) he admits it and apologizes, then tries to make things right.
    That's just the start of a very long list, but I have to leave for church.  Thank you, Larry, for so many happy years.  I love you very much!!!!

Numbers

I like numbers, not to do math with or anything, just to look at and think about.  I'm pretty sure that if I were into numerology, at least one of the permutations for my name would indicate that I am smart, beautiful, successful, and due to live for centuries.  I like the year we're in-- 2011.  The two 1's at the end add up to 2, so the year turns into 202.    Then if you take 2 + 0, you get 2 again, so in one sense, we're in the year 2.  Everyone knows about the terrible 2's, so this year, feel free to think everything in the universe belongs to you, act out, and throw a tantrum or 2.

New Year's Resolutions

It's New Year's Eve, the time many people take stock of their lives and make resolutions. I can see the appeal: new year--new improved, thinner, fitter, richer, more organized you. In theory. In reality, I run into a huge problem. For the whole resolution thing to work, my first one would have to be STOP PROCRASTINATING! Obviously, I would procrastinate putting it into effect. You can see my problem. Putting off not putting off is so off-putting. So I guess I'll go another year watching my darling husband write things down, do them, and check them off, while I remain listless in every sense of the word. Instead of making new resolves, I'll just keep plugging along at the same old things, trying to be kinder, more patient, less judgmental, less complaining. Happy New Year!