Friday, December 30, 2005

The blog year in review, Part II

I decided to make a "favorite blog posts" list for 2005. Not my posts, but others I've read. My husband told me that I shouldn't. The alienate-everybody-who's-not-on-it potential is enormous. There are so many blogs I love that are not represented here. Blogs that make me smile or laugh or cry on a daily basis. But these are the posts that I remembered off the top of my head. The ones that I've gone back to read more than once.

Nuthatch at Bootstrap Analysis writes very knowledgeably about nature and ecology issues and most of all, birds. But the one that really made me grin was about musical ear-worms.

Danny Miller of Jew Eat Yet? has a passion for classic movies, and an impressive collection of personal letters from 1970s celebrities. But in this hilarious post, it's Jennifer Aniston who's trying to control his brain.

Dave Bonta writes one of my favorite blogs, Via Negativa. For me he's got the perfect mixture of poetry and nature and levity and "hmm let me think about that for a while" and "hold on where's my dictionary". Here is Dave channeling the original Nittany Lion. (Language alert here... that's one angry lion.)

Lorianne of Hoarded Ordinaries (love that title) keeps a wonderful illustrated blog of her life in New Hampshire. She wrote very movingly about hunger early in the year.

If you have yet to read Somewhere on the Masthead, you're in for a treat. Magazine Man is the father of Art Lad, who's been mentioned here before. MM can be somewhat of a klutz... (who else has so many head injuries?) but gives such good story.

Jenni of Chanticleer is a poet of many facets, whose lighthearted side often shows through on her blog. She normally removes her work from her blog after a short time, but agreed to put this post back up so I could show you her poem that I love, titled Thirst.

One thing I love about reading A WhipPoorWill is that I so often feel as though I'm right there with Trix. On a hike together I have a feeling that we'd take 3 hours to cover the first 100 feet or so (and be perfectly satisfied). Here she is with her father.

Chris Clarke writes so beautifully. I suspect that most people read his blog Creek Running North for the political information, but I confess that I visit for the nature, the wildlife, and the critters. Tissue warning.

It's fascinating to read about Clare's corner of the world over at The House & Other Arctic Musings... so different from here. His description of Halloween in the far north was especially captivating. (And where else are you going to see a costume involving "a narwhal tusk, a muskox horn, a tea pot, a dress, two different shoes, a caribou parka, and another 'person' attached to the a**"?)

Anne, aka Yellowstone Wolf, over at Inscribed on the Forest Floor, takes the most breathtaking nature photos you'd ever hope to see. So why do I keep going back to this one of her journals? Because they're just so wonderfully made - because I love her handwriting - because I want to read them too!

And finally, from Maktaaq, probably my favorite blog post ever written: Of monkeys, lightbulbs, and factory life.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy new year, Karen! I love the way you summarized "the year in blog." Very thoughtful of you; I know you must have spent quite a bit of time polishing that post.

Doing great here in Lex. The year now ending never happened.

I'm assuming we'll all be treated to some nice wildflower photography in a couple of months. Sure hope so!

Marty52 said...

I stop by your blog every day and enjoy it immensely. I want to thank you for your list of favorite blog entries... it has shown me new blogs to explore. Thank you so much for your blog and the intro to the others!!

Anonymous said...

I plan to do a post similar to this: the blogs I visit and like that aren't on my blogroll for one reason or another.

Anonymous said...

karen, thank you so much for your extremely kind mention. thanks too for the suggestion of other places to read! it is like when your friend suggests a good book...you are nearly always on the same wave length! more than anything, i'm happy to see you with a few minutes for writing...i've come to depend on my morning 'read' - happiest 2006 to you!

R.Powers said...

Nice selection. I went and visited a few and am glad I did. When I first started blogging, I remember aimlessly clicking next blog trying to find some other nature blogs and how your site was a gold mine with that huge blogroll of birdy, buggy, planty sites. Happy New Blog Year!

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year Rurality.

Thanks for the kind words and the link. I'm kind of awed to be in such stellar company.

I'm thrilled that you are back posting on a regular basis, now that the Christmas rush must be dying down. Missed my daily fix of your writing. Don't ever leave us.

Lorianne said...

Wow, thanks for the nod...that was one of those posts that didn't feel special when I wrote it, but it resonated with lots of folks.

I'd forgotten Dave's post about the Nittany Lion...thanks for the reminder!

Happy and Blue 2 said...

I like the idea of a list of good posts. And I am going to check them out.
Hope you have a very Happy New Year..

Karen Schmautz said...

Happy New Year! I love your commentary and your pictures. I look forward to many more next year.

Jenn said...

Ooo...shiney new places to visit.

I think this is a great idea, thanks for doing it. And happy new year!

Dave said...

Hey, thanks for the plug! Looks as if I'm in some pretty good company, too.

My nine-year-old neice and I wee just enjoying Art Lad's blog.

Turtleheart said...

Wishing you a blessed and very Happy New Year!

Lené Gary said...

I'm glad you went with you gut on this one. We all have those blogs we feel are kindred spirits. I'm glad you opted to celebrate yours. Many of them are also mine. Happy New Year!

Rhodent said...

I am glad that you chanced ruffling a few feathers to post your list! I will make sure that I check them all out. Have a Happy New Year!

Pamela Martin said...

Wonderful post--I recognized some of these as posts I too count among some of the best reading of the year (e.g., WhipPoorWill's and Creek Running North's) and enjoyed the posts I hadn't read before immensely--particularly that lion at Via Negativa, the essay about hunger at Hoarded Ordinaries, and Maktaaq's portrait of life in the factory. Thank you. And Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

I'm here via Clare's and Lorianne's is a big favorite of mine.

Rurality said...

Thanks everybody, glad you enjoyed them! Hapy New Year to you all.

Anonymous said...

Karen, you are such a tireless delight! Through you I've come across so many other blogs that I otherwise wouldn't have. Thank you and thank you!