Pillow book

Over a thousand years ago (c. 990), a woman in Japan named Sei Shonagon kept a series of diaries about her life serving as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Sadako. Heian court life is full of receiving and rejecting lovers, taking nature-viewing trips, and writing poetry, and Shonagon records and reflects on it all in her Pillow Book, a blogger before her time.

Shonagon is famous for her lists, which are surprisingly timeless.

For example:

54. Things That Give a Pathetic Impression*
The voice of someone who blows his nose while he is speaking.
The expression of a woman plucking her eyebrows.

63. Embarrassing Things
A man whom one loves gets drunk and keeps repeating himself.
To have spoken about someone not knowing that he could overhear. This is embarrassing even if it be a servant or some other completely insignificant person.
Parents, who are convinced that their ugly child is adorable, pet him and repeat the things he has said, imitating his voice.
An ignoramus who in the presence of some learned person puts on a knowing air and converses about men of old.
Lying awake at night, one says something to one's companion, who simply goes on sleeping.

Her work inspires me see lists wherever I look:

Things that are surprisingly sweet (if done by the right person)
Having something pressed into your palm
Being called "hon"
Receiving a hand-written letter
Having your birthday remembered
Being tucked in
Having something pinned on your lapel

*Ivan Morris translation