seven things

Pip tagged me to play this little game: tell seven things about yourself. I hope I can think of seven things I haven't already rambled on about.

1. I've always loved going to the library. Now it's a rare treat to go alone, but this really is my favourite thing to do if I ever get the chance. As a child I felt as though I could spend literally all day there, I liked the smell and it felt safe. It still smells the same, I'm pleased to report! I went there last week, and now my bedside table looks like this:

Now I need to work on staying awake long enough at night to read them.

(The Beatrix Potter book at the top is Arlo's- have you read that one? Wow- children's books have changed a lot since then!)

2. I went to university to study music composition, but I left with a degree in art history and women's studies. After my first year, I realised I wasn't cut out to be a composer.

3. I was brought up as a Seventh-Day Adventist, strictly observing the Sabbath and following the dietry restrictions of of the church. I stopped attending the church when I was 16, along with most of my siblings. I never felt that i really belonged in the church, but I don't regret growing up like that- I feel that it gave me a unique outlook on life in many of ways. I was really interested to read that the NZ poet Glenn Colquhoun had similar feelings about leaving the Adventist church.

4. I've loved being a 'maker of things' since I was very small. Back in the 80s when I was growing up it was all about crooked knitting, cross-stitch and pressed flowers, sometimes made into bookmarks with a clear plastic covering. i also loved baking biscuits and fudge, then wrapping them up really nicely to give to people like my music teachers, family friends and neighbours. The biscuits probably tasted nasty.

5. I hate sport. I quite like walking, but that is truly the extent of my physical skills- I've never been able to run, never participated in organised sport, and would rather watch a blank screen than a game of soccer or rugby on the t.v. I've always thought it unfair that the 6 o'clock 'news' is actually half 'world news' and half 'sport news'. How is sport news, 'news'? i'd find half an hour of 'monkey news' just as relevant.

6. Even though we grew up just around the corner from each other in the country, Tom and I first met at University when he was organising a student protest and I was an enthusiastic volunteer helping out with painting banners.

7. I harbour a secret desire to be either a midwife or counsellor one day.

Hope I didn't bore you too much with that. I'll be back to the regular craft programming tomorrow. Feel free to join in the '7 things' game if you feel like it...

Comments

[tiffany]

what are you talking about, boring us? you are a very interesting woman, melissa. i really enjoyed this insight. thanks for sharing. and good luck on the staying up goal. let me know your secret if it works out. xo

[Taryn Domingos]

I'm a library nerd too. I always come home with more books than I can read in the allotted time. My Nanny (great grandmother) would take me to the library and I'd get to wander the children's books while she chose her own stack. She read so many books! I was told that her mother used to always say "It's a miracle she ever found a man with her nose stuck in a book!"

The love I have for books must be a result of those Thursday trips.

Enjoy your reading. The Beatrix Potter book looks intriguing. I don't remember ever reading that one.

[Megan]

Well, you know about me and libraries. Joined at the hip. And how weird, I've always harboured a secret desire to be a midwife too. Or a doctor. It's getting a bit late now for the latter, but maybe the former one day?

[Megan]

PS - Totally love your bed quilt.

[Helen]

You would be a lovely midwife - very calming.

x Helen

[rachael]

It's so romantic I think that you and Tom went all the way across the water to Wellington to find each other. Sweet.

Okay, so I sometimes think I could actually move in to the city library - there are a few sunny corners where I'd love to make my bed. I really could go on and on about books, the way I use and consume them, and libraries themselves but I won't. It would bore you.

I also hate sport. Hate it. Although I will admit to being an enthusastic supporter of my children's hockey teams (two player of the day kids last week).

Kind of similar to you (in a way) - I went to Catholic school for thirteen years. I'm still recovering.

xx

[rhiannon]

I've always thought you'd be a wonderful midwife. and your little rant about sport on television made me laugh out loud. I've often wondered how sport got to be 'big' enough to get so much coverage, but we can only hope, I guess that one day craft become even bigger. Ha.
I found this really interesting, you're a weird one M, in the best possible way. I think you should tag Helen.... how has she so far escaped these? x

[Kimberley]

I love the bit about monkey news .. hee hee.

[Fiona]

I'm so no. 5 too!
Happy reading there..

[Kat]

You are quite similar to me, I too hate sport - love to walk, esp in the bush. I used to make pressed flowers too, even had a flower press! I was making gifts for presents from a young age. And I've thought about being a counsellor of some sort, I know I want a job where I help people :)

[Emma]

Thanks for sharing these wonderful random bits about yourself! I am a little jealous and curious of your stack of books. Especially the dark one without a title and the thin leaflet tucked underneath? Sorry for being weird ;) Now I know we would have much to share if we ever met.

[Pip]

ohhh.. sigh.. ok.. ummm.. nasty biscuits can be nice if you hold your nose when you swallow them.. you would be a lovely midwife.. librarys are lovely as they have free books that you can return when you have devoured every little piece of them... weird is the new cool... sport is stupid.. and they should have knitting and music shows on tv instead... i was forever knitting a doctor who scarf that turned into a barbie blanket when i got bored... you are ace!

xx pip

[Felicia]

I've always loved the library too. Its a wonderful place where I can explore my latest interests without having to shell out tons of cash :)

[Elisabeth]

It was so wonderful to read about you like this :) Not boring at all! And how funny, to find someone so far away, who is so like myself *giggles* The only point I wasn't nodding and saying "uhuh!" to, was the last... never dreamt of becoming a midwife. Not in the regular meaning at least - would love to become an artist, and I guess that one could see that as being a sort of midwife for art as well?
Libraries are where I go, when I need peace and calm, when the world gets too much. I literally grew up in the school library ;) And always made toys and dollclothes and pressed flowers and all that myself too :)
This is what I love about the internet - that one can find people like one self all over the world :) Thank you for making me smile!

[Dawn]

That was highly interesting (not boring- I think it is funny how people are interested in others but somehow think they themselves are as interesting as dry toast). I love Beatrix Potter books. How do you like the Loop d Loop book? quite interesting and inspiring, isn't it.

[Jenny]

It is interesting how your blog is wonderful to read then finding we have so many things in common. I agree about the library, used to agree with you on sport. After my 3rd child I started walking regularly, then decided if I was out there I'd run. Now I love it, never ever thought I would be the type, you just never know. As far as counsellor, I've started back to school and the ultimate goal is art therapist, using art to facilitate therapy. Why not become a crafty/sewing therapist? Same theory....

[Kirsten]

I'm with you on the library :) I loved it so much as a child, that after several years of working in healthcare as an adult, I thought to myself -"why am I doing this...this is not for me" and then I went back to school and got my library science degree. I'm a corporate research analyst now but I still have dreams of working in a physical library one day - to be surrounded by books all day would be a dream come true for me!

[caireen]

Up there with your no.4 - recently it struck me I was always making things, which kind of gave the it's ok to do it again vibe.

One of the earliest was a roman soldier from a toilet roll (don't ask) I think it involved milk bottle tops for a shield. Liked it so much I made a few (now fading off voiceover) ..and several pincushion 'mop top' hat lady from yoghurt carton,...peg letter holder inshape of crocodile (really useful)...

I would pay to see monkey news. Teaparty tantrums, the price of bananas, windscreen wiper theft...

Although I live across the road from the library must admit I rarely go these days.. Love 2ndhand bookshops though.

Thanks for sharing your insights.. Cx

[Julius]

Those are beautiful seven things. Aside from the oppressive list of "what you can't do on the Sabbath," do you miss the respite of the Sabbath you had as a Seventh-day Adventist? I'd love to hear the unique outlook that your Adventism gave you on life! Perhaps a guest blog post on mine?

[Chara Michele]

I loved reading your 7 things, they were not at all boring!

[Taimarie]

ha! monkey news! This was not boring at all, it's great learning more about you. I can relate as a book-loving, sport-hating, flower-pressing, music lover (didn't go to school for it either...)Thanks for sharing!

[Ruth]

Loved looking at your books! I'm always interested in what other people are reading. Also interested to see that you had a similar up-bringing to me.

[steph]

I loved this post Melissa - thank you for a wee bit of you!

Steph x

(i'm with you on the Sport thing, in fact i've gone so far as to get rid of the TV too! ha ha. weirdos of the world unite! *grin*)

[amisha]

my dear m-- i am reading this in the office (shhh) and i am so glad there is no one around because i just cracked up completely about monkey news.
i feel that there is so much i identify with in this list! also have no use for sports in any way (though i try feebly to jog at the gym... it's kind of sad), love the library though i always get overdue fines (that loop-d-loop book is amazing btw), have always been a maker of things (in my drawer that i just cleaned out there were 2 bookmarks made of pressed plastic with dried flowers and glitter in them! but i made them last year, hee hee)... and most weirdly, i too harbor a secret desire to be a midwife or a counselor. i actually applied to counseling programs at the same time i applied to grad school for latin american studies (better funding in latin american studies, and so went the course of my life...) and in women's studies i wrote a lot on midwifery and really wanted to do it for some time. i have shivers a bit from reading this :)
xo

[kimberle and Lies]

thanks for sharing things about yourself... I found it very interesting:)
7th day adventist... have you ever read anything by david james duncan? specifically the brothers K? I recommend it to you:)

_kimberleeeeeeeeeeeeeeee