list maker extraordinaire

i am a list maker by nature. it's something i've always done; i truly don't remember NOT making lists. even when i was wee and my parents were together, i had saturday chores and i always made myself a list. ha- i remember being so pissed when i found out that i'd been spelling vacuum incorrectly for months- i spelled it vacume on my lists. man, i really remember being upset...isn't that totally ridiculuous? i can laugh about that now but it sure gives me some insight into the Me. my perfectionist tendencies, my drive to push myself crazily in pursuit of what could be the impossible or unobtainable, and would i really wanna reach those goals anyways? prolly not.

so this morning, i texted in a facebook status- said that the sound of bacon frying in cast iron skillet one of best sounds ever. and my buddy paul commented that no, was second best- the sound of him eating bacon took number 1 spot. ha...a mess he is. but what that simple, offhand back and forth did was catapult me down memory lane. i have pondered all day about how important the sense of hearing is in my life. i think it's an oft overlooked component of my memory that fully explains why hearing a particular sound can trigger all kinds of emotions and memories. that lil episode, coupled with my penchant for list-making, spawned my growing need to post this silly blog about sounds that make me happy... and i'm sure i'll find room for sounds that annoy the piss outta me too.

i love to hear...

food sizzling in a hot cast iron skillet on my stove- bacon; peppers and onions and garlic; thick steaks studded with garlic....mmmm, a simple pleasure
wind chimes dancing on a lazy summer breeze, lulling me to prop up with a glass of iced tea and just be alive
the angry sound of thunder, booming its disapproval at my mistakes
the pitter patter of lil feet racing down the hallway
gut-cleansing laughter that puts ya on your knees and wrenches tears out of your tightly-lidded secret soul
light snoring of my pooch-- rotten ass she is
the sound of rain slashing at the panes, or better yet, rat-a-tat-tatting on a tin roof
a raw voice singing my life story with such intensity it can bring chills
birds singing in my back yard, taunting the cats winding and mewing around my ankles
a pissed off squirrel "barking" at someone who has dared disturb it
the crunch of gravel beneath truck tires
squeals of laughter from little ones (and pam)
the whine of carpentry tools sending showers of good-smelling sawdust everywhichway
whispers of loved ones in the dark
water lapping gently over the feet on a hot sandy beach
crickets chirping in the late evening
that exasperated deep sigh i occasionally drive wick to heave (ha)
the sound of my boys' voices (when they're not chiming in on everything annoyingly)
live music- oh my gosh- i love live music. i love to sit still and absorb every nuance of it, let it wash over and into me, filling me up. oh man, it's the best.
the busy murmur of kids exploring and discussing and debating and figuring it all out- on their own
hungry winds that slam through the trees and my hair, pushing and pulling and demanding...what i know not, but i so love to hear it wind up to a feverish pitch, swirling and rustling. i like to hear them rattle my chimes til i think they're gonna shatter. they seem alive.
i like to hear the clink of dishes from a kitchen, signifying that no matter how bad it gets, life goes on...day to day living must continue; it's very comforting
i like to hear my phone buzz with a message from my honey
the whir of a noisy fan
the staid ticking of an old clock
the chiming of church bells
that gentle whoosh ya hear when ya hug someone kinda hard
the goofy sound alley makes when she shakes her head back and forth and her ears and jowls flap all over the place
the spaloosh of ducks landing on a river at the crack of day
the cha-ching of an old fashioned cash register
a train blowing the horn at 2a.m. reminding me that somewhere, someone is up and busily taking care of things
the crackle of a fire in my living room
the exclamation of delighted surprise when someone opens a gift or hears great news
the sound of silence, born of peace and deep contentment
and perhaps best of all, the sound of a heartbeat that only i can hear, only i can feel- when i'm in my lil nook

i'm feelin too good to make a list of sounds i dislike. but after i take care of some things in the kitchen, bet i'll find another list to make. hehe.