The Purple Rocket Podcast presents life. Episode 17, The Tomato Smash.

The Dictionary defines the word quirky as having peculiar or unexpected traits.

That was exactly how Millie Turner would define her family.

Peculiar, unexpected, quirky.

They used humongous salad bowls and ladles to eat their cereal, which of course couldn't

just be one kind of cereal. It had to be a combination

of at least five. When they went for walks, they skipped. When people came to their door, they

answered it by shouting, How'd you do? And when it came to clothing, anything other than normal would

do.

Backwards shirts, pants with one leg going to the ankle and the other stopping at the

knee, hoodies that were nothing but the hood, glasses that looked like two telescope lenses

but served no other purpose other than to look goofy.

That was what Millie had to live with. When she was younger, she willingly embraced the

quirkiness. Her parents had proudly told her that it dated back to their great, great, great grandpa,

twice removed, Hannibal Huckerton III, who sailed across the Atlantic wearing a fur coat and shorts.

But all that didn't matter to Millie anymore.

She was starting to get embarrassed by her family's quirky clothes and habits.

She'd tried to avoid bringing friends to her house as much as possible to save her from the humiliation.

But one hot summer day changed all that. Millie's new friend, Luciana insisted on playing at

Millie's house, and after trying to convince her otherwise, Millie invited her over on the first day

of summer. Luciana stopped on the first day of summer.

Luciana stopped on the front porch and stared up at the skinny, boxy house.

...