Well, I was mistaken.  Although it was a shock to me, I really seem to be a strange sort of  bird with some questionable, if not incriminating (in a crazy-in-the-head sort of way) quirks!

So here's what I uncovered (...and, yes, sadly, I did indeed have to go to my kids for help...which they all too happily gave...).

• I have a message written across my forehead which apparently doesn't show up in the mirror to me, but is plainly visible to strangers in public places.  It reads, "Please talk to me - I love to listen to everything and anything at all-you want, or feel the need to share with me."  Seriously, on a typical day in the grocery store, I can't make it past the produce without someone asking me my opinion on the freshness of certain fruit, or my recipe for stawberry pie.  As I reach the cereal aisle, I'm the resident expert on the ingredients in Frosted Flakes...and by the time I'm placing yogurt in my cart in the dairy section, I'm listening to the wedding plans for someone's nephew.  Top it all off with pictures of the check out lady's grandkids and a dissertation on the current trends in rock bands from the bag boy.  This may not seem odd, until you consider that all of these folks are perfect strangers to me.  Lest you think I'm complaining, I'm not.  It's just a phenomenon (...and I use that term very loosely...) of which I am a receipient.  My children have learned patience as a result and, at one point, when they were younger, I even caught two of them betting with each other on the number of strangers who would engage Mom in conversation before we left the store.  I guess you could call this a quirk.

• I have an unexplained fondness of black and white animals.  True that.  At one point, we had:   two dogs (springer spaniel mix & boarder collie mix), one cat (tuxedo, short hair), and two hamsters, who where black with little white feet.   Quirky - yes, I think so.

• I have a somewhat 'unhealthy' attachment to deadlines.  I learned, back when I worked in advertising, the effect a deadline has on me.  I always met my deadlines no matter how seemingly unattainable they were (...and some were pretty ridiculous).  So - when faced with the everyday frustrations that being a procrastinator by nature bring, I decided to put this deadline method to the test on everyday things.  It works!  The intrinsic stress of facing a deadline is a real mental boost, and actually energizes me.  So, as each day rolls around, you'll find me with my calendar, scoping out the day's deadlines and upcoming due dates with a quirky gleam in my eye. 

• I avoid conflict like a flesh eating disease.  Which has been, over the years, a real curiousity to my debate-loving husband.  I realize that, enevitably, some conflict will become necessary at some point along the way in one's life, but I dread those moments like nobody's business.  I will go to great lengths to avoid them too.  In fact, to me, it seems a conflict to even talk about conflict...let's just say, I prefer peacemaking.  My husband, for whatever reason, finds this to be a quirk (...if not a character flaw...).  sigh

• I wear black pants or blue jeans all the time.  This is why you'll find an embarrasing number of black slacks and pants of different styles, along with quite a few pairs of blue jeans in my closet at any given time.  Fashion challenged?  Maybe.  I prefer to call it a fashion quirk.

• I collect children's picture books.  I just love illustrated children's picture books and have hundreds in my collection.  Not only that, when I visit the library every week, guess what I check out.  Right - picture books!  Why?  Well, it's not because I'm slightly mental, or going through my second childhood.  It's what I do, because it's what I do...write and illustrate children's books.  One day, I hope to land a publishing deal.  Then, we can call this a career instead of a quirk.  :-)

And now for the tagging portion of our program.  *drumroll please* 

I'm tagging.......

1. Cindy @ Prairie Mouse's House.  Anyone who loves MICE this much, must have a few quirks!
2. Mary @ Raising Four Godly Men.   Don't you just know that a mom to 4 active boys has some quirky stories to share!
3. Jenn4Him @ Busy at Home.  Jenn wrote this on her blog, " I am talking to myself again."  Need I say more?
4. Pam @ Mom's Mutterings.  Who says that with 2 kids, several spares and a strange cat, things are an adventure at her house!
5. KymPossible is a perfect tag.  Anyone who homeschools with Laffy-Taffy lava rocks, ice cream volcanoes and has sumo-wrestling kids on her trampoline is one fun mom.   
6. Kristy @ Passion for Purple 's son has a pet grasshopper of biblical proportions that he calls, "Tim Hopper."  This is an interesting family!