I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the ACT, the Ngunnawal people. I acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

All about me

Kylie and Michelle tagged me for this one, and I'm pretty sure I owe AmandaJ a meme as well.

I resent these things because I end up in a very negative place doing them. TSS suggested I do seven things that I love or which make me happy which may turn out to be weird anyway. She's brilliant. Also, I prefer not to single others out for treatment - if you wish to participate, that's fine, but I'm not tagging. I refuse to perpetuate chain mail.

It has taken me the best part of a week to compile this list.

SEVEN THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY or THINGS THAT I LOVE

1. Early mornings. Yup, I'm an early bird. Slug-a-beds think that early birds think that they, the early birds, are superior. I do not agree. I love slug-a-beds. If you are in my house, have the decency to stay in bed for at least an hour after I get up or the consequences will be ugly.

2. Silence. Quite possibly related to no. 1, or indeed, the cause of it. The older I get the more I need refuge from noise.

3. Connecting with my clients. Really, it's a complete buzz to work out what it is they want and then help them find it. Rarely does someone come in knowing how to ask for what they want and quite often they haven't been into a library for most of their lifetime. It's also a privilege to be there for the "eureka moment" in their research.

4. Green and Black organic, fair trade chocolate. The Maya Gold orange and spice infused is wonderful. So far only been able to find the Maya Gold, Milk and the 70% at Woollies. LMK if you see any of the others or the hot chocolate.

5. All things citrus. Lemons, limes, ruby grapefruit, blood oranges, mandarines, cumquats - love 'em all. My 40th birthday was all citrus.

6. Autumn!

7. Going to a good team sporting match. Most sports, I'm not that fussy, but I have a preference for hockey and football of any code. I will watch matches on TV but it isn't the same and I do not derive as much pleasure from them. Just love being at the ground. One of the things I miss about my life in Sydney is wandering down to Henson Park on a Saturday afternoon and barracking for the Newtown Jets Rugby League team. - Go the Blue Bags in their centenary year!

8. The unaccompanied human voice in song. The Song Company and the Tallis Scholars are absolute faves followed by just about any Welsh male voice choir. At one of my places of work, we often had Australian Opera singers rehearse in our hall and once I had the Sydney Male Choir all to myself for an hour - toe curlingling blissful! OK, it wasn't only the toes affected - you asked for weird things, now you have them.

17 comments:

Michelle said...

I like your take on this meme - but I'm sorry I dobbed you in for the chain mail!

I agree with you on the voice thing, and the sport thing, and I like being a slug-a-bed (love the term!). Excellent responses all round!

TinkingBell said...

OK - I think you are my twin - all of those struck a chord - especially citrus, singers and early rising! Were we separated at birth?

Taphophile said...

Entirely possible, Tink. Which of us is the evil twin do you think?

Shadowlee said...

I am glad that you like people to stay in bed even though you are an early riser. I am a terrible night owl and I'm not human before 10:30am! Most early risers treat me like I'm the laziest person in the world, when really I just have a different body clock.

Lynne said...

I'm not an early riser but I love peace and quiet - after everyone else has gone to bed!

Bells said...

that's a nice take on the meme, Taph. The silence thing is important to me too, as is the request that guests don't get up at the same time as me. My FIL always gets up when he hears me rise and I HATE it.

i saw the tallis scholars many years ago and it was magical.

Taphophile said...

Oh swoon, Bells - never got to hear the Tallis Scholars in the flesh. The last time they were in Canberra we had something insignificant on - parent's Ruby Wedding Anniversary I recall.

Ginger_nut said...

mm.. green and black maya gold - just a secret, but a block of that and a couple of bottles of good red change the status of me and my man from 'best friends' to 'lurvers'

magic stuff, that particular chocolate!

stgenevieve said...

I discovered at Christmas time that I rise before everyone else when staying at relative's houses. Which is interesting, because it's weird being in someone else's quiet.

I was pleased with the duffle closures. Not the best sewing job on my part, but it's sort of an "around the house" cardi anyways.

Denise said...

I like your version of this meme (which I've been tagged for too, and have done several times already, so a new version would be a Good Thing TM :) - totally agree about the silence and citrus and unaccompanied voices! And I'm glad that when it comes down to it, you do love the work you do (if not the political dramas that beset you).

Anonymous said...

Listen carefully Taph.
My folks live across the road from the mother of a Cadbury Rep.
This is a good thing. A very, very good thing. Green & Black has been identified within the residence of the parents and I may or may not have partaken of some just to ensure that it was in fact the real deal. Ahem.
I will make the investigation and see what I can do ;-p

Kate said...

Quiet mornings were a requirement of my mother's existence. With 5 kids she treasured the early morning time to herself. She categorically refused to talk to us kids except for practicality and social niceties: wake up, good morning, good bye and have a nice day. That was it. And we knew not to push it! When we all moved out of home and dad retired she started to have sleep-ins and breakfast in bed. This is another way of avoiding conversation!

diane_s said...

did you know that there is a green and black cookbook? it is full of wonderful things to do with their chocolate.

DrK said...

i appreciate the time and effort you have put into this after being tagged not once but twice - no sooner had i tagged you then i remembered you saying something about hating it! but im glad i did because this was a great read and will inspire others i think! thanks :)

DrK said...

ps nothing like a good game of footie. looking forward to catching the waratahs in action soon myself. and freezing my butt off at the football stadium. bring it on!

Anonymous said...

I am not a morning person by nature, but motherhood has forced me to become an early riser. Woe betide any children found out of bed before 7am - if nature calls, they can get up and answer her, but then straight back to bed until Mummy has had her coffee and stared into the middle distance for a while.
And honey, you have not *lived* until you've heard the Welsh Rugby Choir's rendition of "Frigging in the Rigging" - all fifty-some verses, each ruder than the last, in perfect four-part harmony.

Five Ferns Fibreholic said...

What a great take on the meme thing. All I have to say about your list is.......AMEN Sister!