01 January 2009

The Twelve Months That Were

I have been thoroughly betwixt and between for the past 10 days - a couple of days here, a night there - hither and yon from home to my mother's house, to my in-law's house, to my father's house - with stops at various and sundry holiday parties and dinners at friends. The Christmas presents received are piled up in the living room, as yet to be absorbed into their proper spots in the house. Don't ask me where the clean laundry is.

So, Slouchy's post today, in which she rounded up the year just ended by quoting from the first lines of each of the first posts of the twelve months of 2008, seemed perfect fodder for filching.

January

In November, the subway posters from Poetry in Motion were running a poem by Vera Pavlova, one that had been published in the New Yorker last summer.

The poem, about desire and regret, was completely apropos for each and every marking of the new year.

February

Remember part one, about the pile of books that I'm currently reading? I've finished Decca and Organic Housekeeping (and, I dare say, Decca never cleaned a house in her life).

Frightening. This was a post about a pile of books waiting to be read. Of the nineteen listed in that post, I've read five and I'm in the middle of two. So twelve of those books are untouched. Mind you, I've read plenty of other books that weren't in that pile, but still. First in, first out is apparently not the operating concept for my library management.

March

When I was raising my kids, I used to say that work was therapy for home and home was therapy for work. (Eleanor Clift in an interview with Deborah Solomon in yesterday's Times)

Way to go - this post started with a quote. So here, I'm quoting a quote of a quote?

April

Every year, the pre-school class at Miss M.'s daycare hatches eggs into chicks.

And, yes, the eggs hatched. So what else would be new?

May

After some trial and error, we've found some good aides to help our mother.

Despite its quotidian beginning, this was a funny post - mostly acerbic anecdotes about the care of our ill mother.

June

Herewith let it be known that, if a four and half year old child eats Carvel ice in a not-found-in-nature shade of intense turquoise blue, it will stain her face and hands and legs, and, on the following day, it will cause her poop to be blue.

A two sentence post, the above being the first sentence.

July

Ooh, a pink popsicle from the queen of pink!

That queen of pink would be the inimitable Niobe, but that was probably supposed to be a secret.

August

I tend towards the stoic, I tend to hide my emotions.

Um, yes.

September

The first house that I remember living in was one of four nearly identical little houses in a row.

Gum. If you don't know what to bring to a potluck, bring gum.

October

Her: Mommy, why do you have hair on your parts?

Okay, I cheated. The first line of the post was actually a stage direction of sorts. But this is the first line of content.

November

Here’s the thing about meatloaf – it doesn’t need a recipe, it needs an attitude.

I could say that about a lot of things. I could also, and may, make some more exhortations about food.

December

Every year, I make the same three new year's resolutions:

Eat less
Exercise more
Dress better

And here we are again: New Year's Day.

I wish you all a lovely 2009, full of joy and peace and luck and love.

28 comments:

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Very fun idea--my meatloaf's attitude tonight was "Hell, no -- I wanna be a Shepard's Pie instead."

Happy New Year!

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

Happy new year, Magpie!

Girlplustwo said...

i love this..you, S and Mad's too.

meno said...

What an interesting idea! Surprisingly telling too.

Happy New Year.

flutter said...

beautiful year to you, too friend

flutter said...

beautiful year to you, too friend

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year babe!

She She said...

I love this -- it's going in my "to be filched" pile.

Happy New Year! Dare I say it? I think it's going to be a good one.

niobe said...

Oh noes!!!!! Now everyone knows my secret!!!!

(happy new year, anyway)

Anonymous said...

This was a great post! Funny - my resolutions seem to be the exact same 3 as yours! LOL

Vodka Mom said...

Happy New Year, Magpie!

I might just have to steal that!!

Maude Lynn said...

Happy New Year, Magpie!

1A said...

All the best to you in 2009.

the mama bird diaries said...

Wishing you a wonderful 2009!

storyteller said...

This end of the year meme does provide intriguing glimpses back does it not? I did it too at Small Reflections and created an 'elephant' award for others who participate ... so feel free to drop by and snag a copy to enjoy and pass along to others who participate as well. Happy New Year to you and yours!
Hugs and blessings,

Anonymous said...

Work is therapy for home and vice versa? Yeah...makes complete sense.

shrink on the couch said...

Oh those hairy questions about hair !! Great re-cap!

A happy and healthy 2009 to the Magpie family.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year Magpie!

And my mother's meatloaf? Soup.

Kyla said...

Happy New Year!!

The Library Lady said...

Happy New Year!

I did consider doing a retro post for 2008, but I've been too gloomy lately in my postings, so I decided to write about my one always cheerful topic instead--FOOD!

Mayberry said...

The gum story is one of my all-time favorites.

And I do hope you'll exhort about food.

Very Mary said...

Here's to hairy parts, blue poop, and meatloaf with an attitude.

Marinka said...

Here's to a great 2009!

Maggie May said...

Happy New Year fellow birdy!!!

Debbie D said...

Think I'm going to have to borrow this idea for one of my blog post.

Happy January and 2009.

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Wishing you a very happy and healthy new year Magpie.

Janet said...

I have seen a few of these now. It's intriguing to see the blog summed up like this, isn't it?

Happy 2009 to you!

Woman in a Window said...

This was a lot of fun, even though I'm reading it much too late. (I'm finding I want to go back there, to those days of holiday, before I peek out again.)

All the best in this new year!