Friday, May 9, 2014

Gems

I have a couple of favorite customers who have lunch together every couple of weeks. They're older guys, they love me; I love them. I know what they eat, I know what they drink ('course, I know what everybody in New London eats and drinks) and they invariably ask me some weird and/or crazy question druing their third or fourth beer.

Today Mike asked me, "What color is a sapphire?"

"Blue, Mike." 

We discussed the many merits of sapphires and I added, "It's my birthstone." Mike's crony Tom was shocked to learn that specific months have specific birthstones -- he wanted to know if one's birthstone depended on when during the month one was born, like a zodiac sign.

No, Tom.

"What's your birth month, Tom?"  "June."  "Your birthstone is pearl."

"What's yours, Mike?"  "October."

"You're opal."

They were floored. But of course I know my birthstones.

As a kid, I loved to know my sisters' birthstones and zodiac signs, their teachers and their friends. And now I -- Mom and all my sisters and I -- love to hear every detail about their kids' birthdays and their peeps and their lives . . . anything, everything to learn the specific awesomeness and uniqueness of our clan, our kin.

But with Tom and Mike? I let them think it was magic.

4 comments:

Beth said...

You are magic, Ellie. Pure magic!!

And oh how I love this post! I love to know people's zodiac sign, birthstone, birth flower, Chinese zodiac sign, etc. -- so interesting to me. You probably poured over the pages of Linda Goodman's "Love Signs" obsessively when a teenager too! Good times, good times.

I think we should all really start introducing ourselves with this information. So, for example, "Hi, I'm Beth. I'm a monkey Gemini, my flower is lily-of-the-valley and my stone, emerald."

xoxo,
Beth

P.S. During my first marriage, I used to love that my family had the birthstones of: diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire -- doesn't get any more precious than that!

Me, You, or Ellie said...

Hi, I'm Ellie. I'm a Rabbit Virgo, my flower is Aster and my stone, sapphire.

Nicetomeetchyou.
xoxox
E.

Me, You, or Ellie said...

You and your magic! It's all fine and good until someone gets stuck with topaz, the armpit of the gem world. Sigh.

xoxo
Jacquie, a monkey scorpio. My flower is chrysanthemum and my stnoe, topaz.


Jacquie

Beth said...

I love topaz! Much more accessible than emerald. Smokey topaz is especially amazing. I say you win, J. Plus, chrysanthemum's smell delectable!

xoxo,
Beth