stole this from CBHM

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

Taught 7^th grade
went to an air show
went to Great Falls
went to the Presidential Inauguration
threw clay on a pottery wheel and ended up with something
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t think I made any, and I probably won’t make many this time either.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope. Thank goodness

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Nope. Thank goodness!

5. What countries did you visit?

None

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

Money to travel, less anxiety.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Inauguration Day – coldest I’ve ever been – 16 hours outside “working” for the Obama people. Saw Obamas, up close! And Bidens, up close!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I don’t feel like I had any achievements this year. Hmmm.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not taking care of my house and yard.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Ear infection, a cold, but luckily not much else!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Birkenstock clogs.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Maybe Dr. Schelchkov.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

That nurse. Tiger.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Bills, food, gas.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The inauguration.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

Well, I am not good at this since I don’t listen to popular music, I love Andrew Lloyd Webber and listen to his stuff a lot.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? sadder
b) thinner or fatter? fatter
c) richer or poorer? Poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Walk, exercise, garden.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Eat, drink. Worry.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Quietly, at home, just the few of us.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

nope

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Not sure. I watch a lot of “junk” tv – Dr. Phil, food tv,

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Well, I wouldn’t say “hate” but strongly dislike, yes.

24. What was the best book you read?

The Help

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Susan Boyle – but she is not really MY discovery.

26. What did you want and get?

A book from my childhood.

27. What did you want and not get?

More surprises

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

It’s Complicated – just saw it, and I loved it.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

45. FortyFive. Wow. Went to dinner and had a blizzard.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

To have more peace of mind, and less craziness at work.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

slob, and if it sort of fits, wear it.

32. What kept you sane?

Who says I am sane?

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Obama.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Health Care.

35. Who did you miss?

Eliza.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Dianne – not actually met, but got to know a bit.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009

well, still learning really – relax

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

“I feel good” (James Brown)

I’ve been in a funk lately, and have not read anything in the past few weeks, despite having plenty of reading time. The last think I read was an old David Sedaris, which was very entertaining as usual. I decided to try the British book reading challenge that I saw on a friend’s blog. I love British authors, so this should be fun, and will helpfully make me a bit more focused on my choices and speed of reading.

For Christmas, I got one book. I requested it, and my husband followed through. (A fact that has made him especially pleased with himself). It is a childhood book I once had. I think this may just satiate my need to revisit the idealism of my childhood*. I loved books from as earlly as I can remember, and I remember trying to decipher letters and words very early on. I remembered this particular book a few years ago, but could only recall the pictures and a foggy story line. Through many hours of googling, I finally found it! http://www.darewright.com/ – the author’s website. i put it on my Christmas list (a list is totally opposed to what I want to happen on Christmas, but found it necessary with my forgetful and somewhat OCD husband). And yesterday, the postman delivered a fresh, brand new copy of the book. I think I loved it as a little girl because of the photos, and the story line. The actual book is A Gift from the Lonely Doll and is about Edith and her homemade Christmas gift for her teddy, Mr. Bear. It is kind of a complex story, but the photography is what got me to remember it 40 years (ahhhhhhhh) later. I don’t know what Christmas it was when I got this book, whether I was 3, 4, or older (publishing date was when I was 2, so it could have even been a hand-me-down book) but I remember vividly it being read to me.

My mother – and to some extent my dad – put the love of reading into all of our lives. I don’t remember my dad reading to me much, but my mom read to me at bedtime every night until I could read myself. I devoured my books, over and over again. My parents house was filled with books and an evening would more often find everyone cozied up reading vs. watching TV. I feel very thankful that reading came easy to me, and feel very sad for my students who don’t have such luck.

Of my childhood, I still have a few books, a couple Nancy Drew’s, and Where the Wild Things Are. Now I have a few ** to replace, and then I will have the most precious to me back in my possession. I have a lot of books that I have not read yet, and if I was particularly ambitious and confident I would make those my reading challenge of 2010. However, just like I am a historian who lives in a historic town but has not seen all he historic sights, I like the anticipation and the savouring of the undone, unseen and unread. Is that weird?

In 2010, I am going to read, of course, but this trip down memory lane will even allow me to release my husband’s beloved used paperbacks from the attic. I was a snob, and have my hardbacks organized by color in the living room, and paper backs are relegated to closets, piles, baskets and boxes. After realizing the powerful memories associated with the books of our youth, I think some bookcases with not so attractive books will be allowed.

*As soon as I get another copy of Ukelele and her New Doll.
**And, the Honey Bunch series

Next post: The Civil War books…..

Inspired by today’s blog about unwritten blog entries over at www.iambossy.com, I thought I could write a history of the cars in my life! Shall I begin in chronological order? Shall I include cars I actually drove/owned and also those I just wanted? Hmmm.

The first car I really ever had an obsessive material desire for was a certain Rolls Royce Corniche convertible in aqua.
Needless to say, I never even touched that car, only looked at it through the glass. It was in a car dealer’s shop in Monterey, and at the time I could envision myself, top down, red hair billowing in the wind, cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway. Pause for deep sigh. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Growing up we had numerous cars, and I think I puked in each and every one of them. I remember the Fiat, which I thought could fly like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (very gullible child was I). I remember the emerald green Capri, the odd green with wood panelled sides station wagon. I helped peel the paint off in big crispy chips! The big ass gas guzzling Buick LeSabre that I learned to drive in. And, if you can learn to parallel park on a narrow street in Carmel in that boat, you can parallel park anywhere! I am a great parallel parker.

There was the blue bomber – an awesomely cool ’71 Chevy Impala with a 350 engine and a steel body. That car was a boat, and huge enough to be a small apartment for a while.

My very first ever brand new car was a navy blue VW Golf. Loved that car! Traded it in on a Jetta. Screeching halt here while I pause to remember paying that car off even though my ex husband made off with it and got it repoed. I have omitted the various numbers of clunkers that were purchased during that unfortunate period of my life.

After, during single-mom-in-college days, I had a station wagon – don’t remember the make, but the license was jstktnme – loved that! I left it smoking in a parking lot on the corner of the first school I taught at, during the first month!

Next my beloved Toyota Corolla. I’d still have it to this day, complete with melted crayons in the back, except it was the car my kid learned to drive in, and well, she also learned to crash in….totalled.

And next came VW Passat Station Wagon – green! My peapod, which was hated by current husband, went bye bye in favor of the Scion TC in burgundy that I cruise around in these days. I covet my husband’s Matrix, which he doesn’t even like me to think about driving, but he won’t switch.

Given my commute, I should get a Prius. Given the recent weather, I should get a 4 wheel drive Subaru (accent on the a syllable like Wil Ferrell on SNL). Given my debt status, will not get anything. Not anytime soon anyway. Cue Janis: Oh, Lord won’t you buy me….

Well, I am loving the snow. The last snow that amounted to this deep of a pile was when I first moved up here and my first year teaching. Katie and i were stranded with no cable and no phone. We had a blast sledding, though. And playing games and reading. This time, Katie isn’t home and Scott and i are stranded, with plenty of iPhones, and Fios to make us electronically happy. I would like to play a board game – but it is doubtful that we will.

Holidays offer too much pressure. Are your decorations up? Cards mailed? Cookies baked? oMG! I have not done any of those things and I may not do them at all. And, that is fine with me. I will clean the house, and maybe make cookies, and i have filled out some cards, but all of those things are because I want to, not have to. No guilt.

School is sucking this year. The kids are ok, but the coworkers are awful. Back stabbing bitches. Greed, jealousy, and general malaise have crept into the building lowering morale into the basement. I am considering leaving teaching for something else soon. Very soon. But, i want something with summers and snow days. Hmmmm.