Believe, Don’t Give Up! (Dedicated to My Mom)

December 10, 2019December 10, 2019 / Quirky Girl / 27 Comments

Time moves slowly, yet rushes by in a heartbeat.

Or, rather, it keeps on moving, long after a heart beats its final beat.

Today marks the one year anniversary since my mom’s heart beat its final beat in this world.

I miss her so much, especially as the holidays approach.

Memories- of the good times, along with the most heart-wrenching, agonizing moments- come flooding back with a vengeance.

It’s almost unbearable sometimes.

Words may be failing me lately…

Yet my mom managed to sum life up to perfection in one of her own blog posts:

Believe, Don’t Give Up!

By Souad “Sue” Battista
(a.k.a. Tink the Belle)
From Playing by My Own Rules

For every downhill battle, there will be an uphill victory.

For every backward tread, there will be a forward initiative.

For every letdown, there will be contentment.

For every tear, there will be a smile.

Sometimes what seems to be the end, could be just a beginning.

Life is full of endless detours and turnarounds.

Giving up is not an option. Never was, never will be.

My beautiful angel mom.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle”. ~Albert Einstein

4 Better or 4 Worse

July 9, 2019July 9, 2019 / Quirky Girl / 70 Comments

Where does the time go?

Today marks Comically Quirky’s 4th anniversary!

Which is certainly reason to celebrate.

But I’m not going to lie-

This has been one of the most challenging years of my entire life.

And unfortunately, my writing has suffered immensely for it.

The frustrating disparity of needing to write for clarity and peace…

But lacking the clarity and peace to write…

It’s not a pretty cycle.

Thoughts and ideas constantly swirl around in my mind…

Yet refuse to come together to form anything remotely eloquent or coherent.

Let alone witty and humorous.

It’s aggravating.

And disheartening.

Especially when the words always used to flow so easily.

Somewhere along the way, this blog unexpectedly transitioned to a full-scale Dog Blog.

And so my gratitude goes out to The Bigly Bestest Doggie for single-handedly (or would that be single-pawedly?) keeping Comically Quirky afloat in the interim as I strive to get back on track.

But I’m especially grateful to all of you for sticking with me.

You’re the best.

I will get back on track…

One of these days.

And that is a promise.

~Thank you all for sticking with me and cheering on The Bigly Bestest Doggie as he’s temporarily taken center stage on Comically Quirky. If you’re feeling adventurous and need some quirky humor to brighten your day, I invite you to check out my very first post, The Journey to No Man’s Land. For anyone who might be dealing with tough times and feeling like they’re endlessly treading water just to stay afloat- Hang in there. Things will get better. Always have faith that no matter how fierce the storm, the sun will one day shine again.~

A Tribute to My Mom

December 19, 2018December 19, 2018 / Quirky Girl / 74 Comments

I never wanted to have to write this post.

And I’m struggling to do so now.

It was the first cloudless, bright sunny day after nearly a week of rain.

It was also the day my mom took her last breath.

Paradoxical as it may sound, it was still a beautiful day.

In a strange way.

Because it meant my mom was no longer in pain.

No longer spending every waking moment in agony.

No more excruciating daily struggles.

No more endless doctor appointments.

No more countless scans and blood work.

No more urgent trips to the hospital.

No more useless pills to try to mask the pain.

She is finally at peace.

Finally free of cancer.

Once and for all.

My heart aches with sadness.

But her suffering is over, and that’s what truly matters.

She is a survivor of war.

A recipient of miracles.

And the strongest, most determined, bravest person I had ever had the honor of knowing.

On December 10, 2018, heaven gained a new angel.

This is not the ending to the story that we’d hoped for.

But, in my heart, I know it isn’t truly “the end”.

Because love lives forever.

Hope lives on.

And nothing can ever take that away.

We Get Only Today
By Souad “Sue” Battista
(a.k.a. Tink the Belle)
From Playing by My Own Rules

won’t run away from a challenge

Will move towards it

Will not let fear blind me

Will Face it

Will not hide from the truth

Will Learn from it

Search in the darkness

Seek the light

Won’t see an end

Find a new beginning

Will not turn away from myself

But

Back to myself

Fly high, Mom. I will always love you, and I will miss you forever.

~I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, with blogging and life as a whole. My posts will likely be sporadic for a while until everything settles, but I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for your kindness and support, and to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, in case I’m not up to speed before then.~

The Badness of Bart

December 7, 2018December 6, 2018 / Quirky Girl / 6 Comments

Don’t have a cow, man!

El Barto.

Bartman.

Bart Simpson.

Homer and Marge’s impressively underachieving firstborn.

Mischievous and rebellious, this kid is definitely not a role-model child by any stretch of the imagination.

But he is one of America’s favorite juvenile delinquents.

Presenting ten inspiring quotes from the infamous Bart:

(That’s a start, I suppose.)

(Little wonder this kid spends his days in detention.)

(Poor Bartman. That’s actually kind of sad. )

(Right. You just keep telling yourself that.)

(Truer words have never been spoken. Especially not by a 10 year-old with a penchant for bad behavior.)

(Blatant honesty is always so refreshing.)

(Once again, Bart is slightly misguided as the result of poor parenting. On a side note: leave it to Ho-Ho-Homer to spread cheer through strangulation.)

(No point in sugar-coating the truth, is there?)

(Well, he started off on the right track with this one…)

(Sounds like the kind of advice you’d expect from Homer. Proof that the apple doesn’t fall far.)

Bart may not be an overachiever like his sister Lisa, but he sure has perfected the art of trouble-making.

And he’s a master prankster.

Well, what do you really expect from a character whose name is the anagram for the word “brat”?

Ay caramba!

~Happy Friday! Hope you all have a great weekend!~

(The Badness of Bart originally appeared on Comically Quirky on 7/15/16)

The Logic of Lisa

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 / Quirky Girl / 11 Comments

She isn’t cool like Bart, adorable like Maggie, or tolerant like Marge.

Or half-baked like Homer.

She may not be the most charismatic.

Or even overly likable, for that matter.

But you’ve got to admit, she has more brain cells than Bart, Maggie, Marge, and Homer.

Collectively.

Lisa Simpson.

The vegetarian, overachieving, saxophone-playing middle child.

And boy, does she have sarcasm down to an art.

She’s a total smart-ass.

Deadpanning is as much her strength as her intelligence.

Presenting ten of Lisa’s finest moments of sassy and witty wisdom:

(I do believe this is the politically correct term for Not Happy.)

(

(Hence the term Hallmark Holiday. No moolah equals no love, don’t ya know?)

(I know, I know. Life is sooo unfair.)

( Homer and Marge have been trying for years to be slightly-better-than-totally-horrible parents. Evidently, their efforts are paying off.)

(Proof that even those Goody Two Shoes have skeletons in their closets.)

(If this isn’t the World’s Most Perfect Family, I’m at a total loss.)

(Surely just a minor drawback of being part of a dysfunctional family.)

(Depressing, yes. But also poignantly true.)

(She’s obviously referencing Homer, not me. Hey, I don’t even like beer!)

(My personal favorite. Attributed to both Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain, I’m inclined to give Lisa full credit on this one.)

Lisa may not be as well-loved as some of the other Simpsons, but she does have redeeming qualities.

She’s passionate, she cares about the environment, and she actually has morals.

She rebels against societal norms, for goodness sake.

What’s not to love about that?

Yeah, I can definitely relate to Lisa Simpson.

After all, I am a fellow smart-ass and vegetarian, myself.

And…

I, too, have a few more brain cells than the average cartoon character.

~Happy Friday, everyone! Can you believe it’s almost December already? Holy Moly, where did the year go?~

(The Logic of Lisa originally appeared on Comically Quirky on 5/19/16)

The Modesty of Marge

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 / Quirky Girl / 15 Comments

She’s not particularly exciting.

What does she do all day, anyway?

I mean, besides vacuum and drive her kids around?

Oh. My. God.

I think I just described myself.

The horror!

Okay, okay.

Enough of that pity party.

Presenting ten of Marge Simpson’s most profound, yet undoubtedly humorous quotes:

(Brilliant! Set that bar low enough, and you’ll never be disappointed again!)

(She definitely can’t be accused of sugar-coating the truth with that attitude.)

(So that’s how it works? I would’ve sworn it was the other way around.)

(A rather classy way to get the message across, sans violence.)

(Proof that it’s easy to become too complacent, even in mediocrity.)

(Intelligence aside, their very presence in your can of tuna means more bang for your buck!)

(Consider yourself lucky. Some people don’t even have a sense of humor.)

(Hey, give her a break! She’s been wearing the same set of clothes since 1989.)

(The ultimate gauge for accessing a job well done.)

(Who needs Hawaii when you can have your very own jail cell?)

Apparently, I’ve got more in common with Marge Simpson than I realized.

Well, except I don’ t have a blue beehive.

Or three messed-up kids.

Or a husband with only two brain cells.

Poor Marge.

She’s patient, compassionate, and forgiving.

But the moralistic matriarch really didn’t hit the jackpot with that family, did she?

~Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you’ve had a terrific week!~

(The Modesty of Marge originally appeared on Comically Quirky on 6/9/16)

The Wisdom of Homer~Part 2

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 / Quirky Girl / 6 Comments

I’ll teach you to laugh at something that’s funny!

Just when you probably though there was no more wisdom for Homer to impart, I discovered even more gems of pure genius.

Woo hoo!

Turns out Homer’s three decades (!) of half-assed parenting/employment/mere existence has generated a plethora of material to work with.

So…

A well-justified encore is definitely in order for the not-quite-wiser-than-Yoda patriarch of one of the world’s most dysfunctional cartoon families in history.

Presenting ten more of Homer’s astoundingly witty moments:

(It’s safe to assume things start to go downhill for Homer the instant he opens his mouth.)

(Something about this one just seems very wrong. And yet, he is on the right track, asking for forgiveness… So surely that counts for something?)

(Which begs the question- what language does this guy speak? Drunkenese, perhaps?)

(Laughing at Homer’s expense is obviously a very, very bad idea.)

(Good point. That actually levels the playing field, if you think about it.)

(Ha! I’m more than happy to think for myself, thank you very much.)

(He could easily moonlight as the official Duff Beer mascot.)

(Does he even have a brain? Or would he simply be jabbing around in a vast area of emptiness?)

(A clear indication that his behavior tends to push the limits of acceptable human conduct.)

(And the moral of the story? Oh, right. Homer wouldn’t recognize a moral if it came crashing down on his head.)

~Have a great weekend, everybody! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out part one of The Wisdom of Homer! ~

(The Wisdom of Homer~Part 2 originally appeared on Comically Quirky on 8/12/16)

The Wisdom of Homer

November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 / Quirky Girl / 16 Comments

Finally!

A man of true character!

Alright.

Fine.

His character is questionable, at best.

But he’s definitely got character.

For whatever that’s worth.

No, I’m not referring to the blind Greek poet Homer, who’s credited for creating brilliant works such as The Odyssey and The Illiad.

Geez!

Lower your standards a couple thousand notches, people!

That’s right.

I’m talking about the great Homer Simpson, of course!

Presenting ten of Homer’s finest, most inspiring motivational quotes to help start your weekend off right:

(Well, yeah. I guess that is a valid point.)

(Indeed, Homer. Indeed.)

(Again, he’s got a good point.)

(Umm… Moving on…)

(Close enough.)

(No worries. Pretty sure the damage was already done.)

(Okay, so I wouldn’t go quite that far..)

(Fair enough.)

(Hey, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.)

(It’s safe to assume Homer no longer makes any further attempts at this unnecessary learning nonsense.)

~Happy Friday, everyone! Hope your weekend is amazing!~

(The Wisdom of Homer originally appeared on Comically Quirky on 4/15/16)

Motivation for Turbulent Times

October 6, 2018October 6, 2018 / Quirky Girl / 40 Comments

Some days, we just need an extra dose of humor to compensate for life’s crappy challenges.

Some days..

Some weeks…

Hell, even some months…

Yeah.

So here’s a bit of humorous inspiration for anyone who could use a little boost right about now.

(Have you ever seen a sad Cookie Monster? Case in point. Now go eat a cookie and cheer up.)

(If you believe passionately enough, you might soar higher than you ever thought possible! But you might want to put on a cape first, just to be on the safe side…)

(Much like the brain, utilizing one’s entire ass is twice as impactful as using half of it. It’s gotta be all ass or no ass. There’s no in between. Speaking of asses…)

(Butt prints are sooo unflattering. So get up and make amazing things happen!)

(If you do nothing else today, do this one little thing. Talk about an adrenalizing mood booster!)

(They say you can’t keep doing things the exact same way and expect different results. Right? I mean, left…?)

(I’ll be the first to admit, I hate to lose. Hate, hate, hate it. This is where having a warped sense of humor comes in handy.)

(To quote the great Homer Simpson, “Shut up brain, or I’ll stab you with a Q-tip!”)

(But seriously, it can kill you if you’re not careful. So be smart and use your brain. You know, the same one you just stabbed with a Q-tip. Whoops!)

(Plants need sunlight to thrive and grow. So do human beings. Without sunlight, we wither like shriveled prunes. So step outside and get your daily dose of mood boosting vitamin D.)

(Amen to that.)

(If all else fails, always remember this one thing: you’re awesome. Because I said so. Enough said.)

~Have a great weekend, friends! Smile, laugh, and always look for that elusive silver lining.~

Artless, Clay-Brained Barnacles

August 4, 2018August 4, 2018 / Quirky Girl / 22 Comments

Folly, fool-born fustilarian!

Yeasty, ill-bred horn-beast!

Puny, milk-livered lout!

Who on earth might make such puzzling and disparaging remarks?

Why, William Shakespeare, of course!

The man was a master of snarky insults.

It’s probably safe to say he wasn’t much of a people person.

You know, what with all the harsh sentiments and all.

One thing’s for certain:

Nobody could’ve ever accused him of mincing words.

Not with that aptitude for verbally destroying anyone with the audacity to be anywhere in his vicinity.

Now that is talent!

And what better way to mark my 200th post than with insults, threats, and snarky remarks galore!

(Whew! Is it hot in here, or is it just me?)

(Everyone knows that elbows are best used for bending. And elbowing others. Which can be lethal, if done properly. Which I suspect the sharp-tongued Shakespeare must’ve been well aware of.)

(Not sure what a knotty-pated fool is, but it doesn’t sound very flattering. And yet, it sounds almost like a sweet compliment compared to the subsequent line. Yikes!)

(Now this is a dubious claim. If he wanted to beat somebody badly enough, age wouldn’t likely have been the biggest factor, given the intensity behind his words. Just sayin’…)

(I don’t know what it is, but some people just seem to have that effect on others.)

(Ass-whoopings and contempt for lack of intelligence seem to be a common theme here. Shakespeare probably could’ve benefited from a punching bag to release his multitude of frustrations.)

(Aw, come on. Surely everyone has at least one redeemable quality. Unless they’d landed themselves on Shakespeare’s shit list, that is.)

(Ha! It’s lights out for you, Scallywag!)

(Commendable use of heaven and hell, all in one hellishly fine simile!)

(I’ve never seen a stewed prune, so it’s hard to say how much faith I’d be comfortable placing in it. But I suppose the prune could theoretically warrant more faith than the average sheep-biting harpy. Whatever the heck that is.)

(If eyes are the windows to one’s soul, then it’d be wise to protect both eyes and soul from infectious stupidity.)

(It’s been said familiarity breeds contempt…)

(Oh, crap! It’s too late!!!)

While these were all so…delightful, I’d never personally say anything like this to another human being.

Not only because of the somewhat obsolete terminology…

But because, well, it’s kind of rude.

But still humorous, nonetheless.

~Happy Saturday, friends! Feeling inspired by Shakespeare? Great! Just don’t use that inspiration to turn all your friends into enemies. Yeesh!~

comically quirky

a twist of witty humor

Profound Thoughts

Believe, Don’t Give Up! (Dedicated to My Mom)

4 Better or 4 Worse

A Tribute to My Mom

The Badness of Bart

The Logic of Lisa

The Modesty of Marge

The Wisdom of Homer~Part 2

The Wisdom of Homer

Motivation for Turbulent Times

Artless, Clay-Brained Barnacles

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