2016 has been one of the WORST years I can remember.

BREXIT, the US election, the loss of so many bright names and talents who shaped my life—all left me feeling off-base and worried about the future.

2016 has been one of the BEST years I can remember.

Over the past year, you fabulous readers have commented, supported, and voted with your “like” buttons. Here are the ten posts you visited most:

10. Intimate Casualties: Remember that time the world changed? In more than six decades on this planet, I’ve really only seen the world as I know it change a couple of times. [read more here…]

Last night I looked up at that beautiful moon that changed the world when Neil Armstrong stepped out on it so many years ago. But last night, that same moon was closer than it has ever been in my life. It’s the Supermoon and there are still worlds to change. So it may not ever matter to anyone but me, but I’m pinning on that safety pin. And I’m pinning my hopes on changing the world.

9. 15 Things I’m (still) NOT Giving Up To Be Happy: Of course it’s the first rule of jury summons that it must NEVER come at a time that would actually be convenient for you (such as during mother-in-law’s surprise visit, high school reunion week, entire year that your daughter turns thirteen…). [read more here…]

8. October in America: it can only mean one thing… It’s everywhere. Hordes of suburban white female Americans are apparently roaming the streets, shuffling along and chanting “PUMPKIN SPICEEEEEE”. [read more here…]

 

7. Bat Woman rides again: I was about to get out of bed when I noticed their looks of total concentration on where I was stepping. Sure enough, I was inches from squishing… a bat. A cute, fuzzy, quite-recently-deceased ex-bat. [read more here…]

 

6. What my daughters and Donald Trump taught me: Some things they learned from others—foreign languages, social media outlets that are NSF mamas, and how to make a mean risotto out of an almost empty larder. But some things, some really important things, they teach me every day—the joys of discovery, passion for justice, practice of compassion, and therapeutic value of the group mani/pedi. [read more here…]

5. Still? Top Ten Reasons Not to Get Married (for women): A while ago several of my friends were discussing the number of wedding presents to be purchased this time of year. Somehow (there may have been margaritas involved) the topic turned to things somebody should have mentioned before the I-do’s. [read more here…]

 

4. Are we still friends? The vote is taken, results are in. On a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment, the UK has decided to leave the EU. As an immigrant, I’m appalled. As a resident of the UK, I’m sad. As an American, I’m worried. As a human, I’m hoping that we can focus on our similarities, and learn to love our differences. [read more here…]

 

3. An American Learns to Eat in England: At a Harvest Supper in the Village Hall, I noticed the man to my right was practicing the British art of Pretending-Not-to-Look as I cut my meat, put down my knife, transferred my fork to the right hand, and proceeded to eat the piece I’d just cut. Cut/switch/repeat. [read more here…]

2. What will you leave behind?  We are renovating a Victorian cottage in Scotland, and it’s like an archaeology expedition. Under the hall carpet, we found a mosaic tile floor. Behind several layers of wallpaper, there was the boarded up doorway to the kitchen that I just knew HAD to be there somewhere, because surely the sensible people who built the house would have had a direct route from kitchen to dining room. And underneath another elderly carpet, we found this (dated Monday, January 25, 1965)— [read more here…]

And my top post with the most views in 2016? I’m very sorry to say that it was this apology to my daughters and nieces:

Dear Daughters: Sorry about #BernieBros. And, you know…the world: Open Letter to My Daughters and Nieces—I owe you all an apology. When you were babies, we told you that you could grow up to be anything you wanted. When Daughter #3 said she wanted to be a Zamboni driver, I assured her that she could be the greatest one ever. I just didn’t mention to her that the odds are good she’d be driving that Zamboni unpaid 133 days per year—to make up for making only about 2/3 of the pay of the average man doing a similar job.

So I’m sorry. We didn’t fix the world. I hope you do a better job than we did. And I hope you do it before your daughters have to figure out why it’s only women who have to ask how to have it all.

Please let me say thank you to all of you who stopped by in the past year. I wish you the happiest of new years, and hope that 2017 is the most peaceful, creative, and wonderful new year ever.