Yes, I was carrying rocks in my purse. No wonder my shoulder hurts.

I never leave the desert without a few rocks. I'm fascinated by their colors and textures. But I have to constantly remind myself to only take the little ones, otherwise I'll never finish the hike. I've used them as door jambs, book ends, candle holders, and to hold flowers upright in vases.

Somewhere at home I have a little granite one, white with black spots, shaped exactly like a foot.

When I was a little girl, I used to buy rocks from a big bin at the Gem and Mineral tent at the fair, and make a game of memorizing the shape of each, so I could identify their color with my eyes closed.

But what's really odd is that despite my fascination, I never had any interest in knowing more. I don't know what kind of rocks they are, I don't know what they're made of. I'm not particularly interested, to be honest. I don't want to read books on mineralogy, or gemstones. I don't even pay much attention to jewelry. As I grow up I find that I'm still only interested in the same table at the Gem and Mineral tent at the fair, the one where I can pick rocks out of a big bin.