I am always spouting off some of my original sayings. Quite a few are about myself.

• I don’t lead a calm, uneventful life…and if you do, you will never understand me.
• I’m sweet but feisty.
• I don’t have beauty queen hips; I have birthin baby hips. (In actuality, I’m with Prissy, “I don’t know nothin’ about birthin babies.”)
• Thirty-three is the new sixty.
• I’m crazy -  not in the loco sense of the word, but in the fun to have around kind of way.
• I wasn’t born a redhead, but I will die a redhead. (I know, I know - everyone thinks it is natural. I’ve been coloring it since I was 18. So if this just made your world fly apart, I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.)
• My two favorite things about myself are fake - my hair and eye color. (Eyes really are green, but they don’t sell clear contacts in the type I wear. So my eyes are slightly greener so I can see.)

My dad always says that everyone is weird, just in their own way. So I used to say that I am a weirdo. It’s a word from the 1950’s that means strange or eccentric. Completely me. But in today’s world, ”weirdo” has a bad connotation.  Sort of along the lines of serial killers and people with strange foot fetishes. So now I just tell people that I am quirky.  It means the same thing, but it sounds much nicer.

Up until this time, it has been a self declared statement. Now, when the term comes up in conversation, people tend to laugh and agree with me. But I finally have documented proof that it fits me.

I recently became a patron of the arts. Doesn’t that sound so fancy and Middle Ages? Two things I definitely am not. While I love to look nice, I’m pretty much a down to earth kind of girl. And as for middles ages, that’s not me either. Well, wait a minute - the women on my mom’s side typically live to about 68. Since I will soon turn 34…maybe my life is half over.  So I guess I am middle aged. Ok, let’s get back to the patron part because I don’t want to think about being middle aged any more!

In real life, being a patron of the arts just means putting your money where your mouth is when it comes to the arts. About 1 1/2 months ago, I had the opportunity to support A.S. Peterson in his quest to publish The Fiddler’s Gun (see my review of the book here). Since I had been following his writing for a while, I was really excited for the chance to be a part of it. I pre-bought a “patron’s package” which included copies of the book, a companion book and a listing on the acknowledgements page in the book.

After I placed my order, I sent the following message about the listing:

Part of the Patron 2 package is being listed on the Acknowledgements page of The Fiddler’s Gun. Can you list my name as Kate Hinson, instead of Katherine Hinson? I am only Katherine to my aunt, the credit card company, and the IRS.

Thanks,

Kate

When I finally saw the book this past weekend, I laughed and laughed. This is how Mr. Peterson listed me.

So it is official now. I’m quirky. I know this because it is in print. And you have to trust everything you read! Right?