I Was So Young...

Here's a fun meme going 'round: When did you lose your Amazon virginity? Me, I placed my first order on November 22, 1997. We lived in our other house then, and Stephanie was not quite one year old. Here's what I ordered:

The Blue Jay's Dance : A Birth Year [Paperback]            
By: Louise Erdrich
            $10.00

I'd always loved Erdrich's writing, so the thought of getting her insights on parenting was enticing. The problem was that it was written long before her husband, Michael Dorris, committed suicide amid accusations that he'd abused one of their daughters (never proven, but he did kill himself), and I was reading it six months after the fact. Every time I read how much she praised him as a husband and a father, I winced. Still and all, there were some beautiful passages, and it was reassuring to learn that even Erdrich had terrible moments of frustration and uncertainty as a new mom.

Your Baby and Child : From Birth to Age Five [Paperback]            
By: Penelope Leach
            $16.00

I probably still have this one somewhere. Back then, I was buying parenting books left and right. This is a well-written, even-tempered, reassuring guide. No out-there approach, no suggestion that "you're not doing it right," and no scolding.

Corduroy's Party [Board book]            
By: Don Freeman
            $2.79

We had some other Corduroy board books inherited from my nieces and nephews; even as a baby, Steph always responded to them. So when I saw that there was another one we didn't have yet, I snapped it up.

So there you have it: Where it all began with me and Amazon! So, how 'bout you? What was your first time like? Just sign in to your account, then under "Where's my Stuff?" change the "View by Order" pull-down to "complete order history sorted by year" and find your earliest order. (via Mark)

Comments

[Debra Hamel]

Hey! I just blogged my response at the deblog.

[Wendy]

July 2000. I ordered a CD: Dionne Warwick Sings Burt Bacharach and a video: The Slipper and The Rose, starring Richard Chamberlain, a Cinderella story from about 1975-76, and released on video slightly before Chamberlain came out (like we didn't already know - duh!), the latter as a joke gift for my best friend, who was shattered by his subsequent revelations. I don't buy that much from Amazon, in my clearly futile quest to keep my neighborhood bookstore and video rental place in business.

[Janeen]

Oh, that Leach book was my bible. I loved it. It got me through those early months. I wish she had a version for older kids.

[Dona]

March 12, 1997. I orderd Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird and Southern Living Cook Ahead Cookbook. Wouldn't you know...a cookbook. I love Anne Lamott.

[Karan]

I just recently wrote about this too, the actual date was Jan 23, 1997: http://www.flummel.com/ee/index.php/weblog/i_feel_like_a_pioneer_or_maybe_a_neanderthal/

[Karan]

I made a mistake in the above entry...it was Mar. 23, 2007.

[di]

I love Anne Lamott too! But my Amazon thing won't go back to before 2006 and I know I've been ordering much longer than that. Help!

[Laura]

Mine was June 29, 1998...it was "Pie Every Day: Recipes and Slices of Life" by Pat Willard. I still have it and love it. The Blueberry Whipped Cream Pie is to die for.

I wasn't too active on Amazon those first two years...I was using half.com a lot before I got burned by sellers who kept cancelling and marking up items. Nowadays I use amazon so much I have the free shipping option.

[Me again]

March 29, 1997, for:

The Chicago Manual of Style/the Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers (14th Edition)

The Art of Indexing (Wiley Technical Communication Library)