My nature is somewhat contrarian (you can take the lawyer out of the courtroom…), and thus as the year end approaches I am not thinking about what I need to fix in 2026, or what I need to put behind me from 2025. I’m thinking about what went right in 2025.
This was the year a friend put me onto the recycling dumpsters in a little town just across the river. Anybody can pull up, “donate” their cardboard, plastic, or tin cans, and drive off, their green halo shining just a bit more brightly. This has given me a monthly dose of joy, when the county I live in makes recycling both tedious and fee-based.
2025 was the year I rediscovered what used to be a small Works Progress Administration park a few miles from the house. While I wasn’t looking, the MD 
taxpayers saved about 50 acres of green space by tacking former farmland onto the existing park, adding trails, a dog park, and soccer fields, creating a safe, pretty way for everybody to walk from town to the local library. When I need a change of scene for a walk, or I just don’t want to be on a road, the park has become a wonderful, convenient respite.
I switched therapeutic riding barns in 2025, and feel that I traded up. The old barn had a lot of positive features, and I owe that organization much. I left reluctantly, but the new barn is a better fit with my values, and I very much enjoy time spent there. I can make more of a contribution at Great and Small Therapeutic Riding, and maybe even do some grant writing. Wheeee!
Photo Credit: Ridin’ Buddy extraordinaire, Alison Duvall
When I think about the doors that have opened without much effort on my part, it’s easy to sidle over into thinking about other just plain wonderful aspects of life. Wikipedia, for example, occasionally gets it wrong (iced tea was not invented at an Edwardian World’s Fair, fer cryin’ inna bucket), but the model corrects for boo-boos, and an army of volunteers has created a free, comprehensive knowledge repository that makes us all just a little closer to the information we need.
Baking soda goes on my list of signs and wonders. Regency cooks didn’t have it–baking soda is an early Victorian discovery–meaning our guy Carême leavened his goodies with yeast, whipped cream, or whipped egg whites, period. No cupcakes! No brownies! No pumpkin bread! Truly, baking soda deserves some appreciation.
I met a wonderful landscape crew this year, guys who have done hard, dangerous big-tree work with a smile, and made me and my property safer. I’ve made new horse friends, become a grandma for the second time (to hear that baby giggle is to have your heart warmed), and written some fun books.
What has gone right for you this year? What are you hoping will work out well in 2026?
PS: This is my final post for the year. See you in January, and I hope everybody’s holidays are peaceful, joyous, and full of good books!
I’ve largely maintained the status quo with my health although I suspect things may happen next year (my right knee is making itself known more and more). I am comfortable enough financially so that I can fix the things that are starting to wear out in my 20-year old house (garage door opener last spring and new water heater last month), especially since they have thus far been spaced far enough apart that my budget hasn’t been blown up. And I have had time to read some great books (some written by you, of course).
I don’t know if I’m just superstitious but I try not to wish for too much as I’m afraid that will insure I don’t get it (yes, I know it’s illogical but there you are). So, as of now, mostly I hope to keep on keeping on.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
I’m so happy for your wins this year, Grace!
This has been a super tough year for me. Major health issues with no end in sight, and my mom died just before Thanksgiving. I am grateful for small things, like foods that I can still eat, or the sound of birds when I able to tolerate noises. I’m also super grateful for big things like my wonderful caregiver spouse. And my brother, who stepped up to do the elder care on his plate and to do my share too.
Take care, Grace. Happy holidays!
After 3 years of work from home and 2 years of FMLA, I returned to the office in January. I was nervous about such a big change-driving in city traffic, new building, new procedures and all sort of little things. I am so lucky to have a supportive manager and friends- I look forward to going into work.
Goal=Accomplished!
Met a new dog club friend who is co chairing a committee with me. He’s fun, upbeat & has lots of great ideas. He makes me smile!
My Gregory is 13 1/2 and can’t see or hear too well. He’s got the house- where furniture is- how to get to the back door- memorized.
He waits for me to come home- sometimes he sleeps in the middle of the kitchen floor.
I cherish my time with him- lots of good memories.
I wish you a wonderful holiday season- congratulations on the new grand baby!- look forward to the next Lord Julian book!
Healthwise, we’re all good. Our dog Jack is still chugging along; he’ll be 19 in a couple of months. I hired a pro to design and put in our front flower bed with native plants and pollinators. So happy about that. Now if they will all come back in the spring I’ll be ecstatic! We’re managing to keep in contact with all our friends spread across the country. So thankful.
Have a joyful holiday and a restful time off.
WoW, Lacie is GORGEOUS!! Thank you so much for sharing I just absolutely love reading your books, Ms. Burrowes.2025 has been a wonderful year for me. So much love and joy and peace. I’m doing my best to carry all that is good and kind and loving into the world, and I am more grateful than you can possibly know to have your books to read. May God bless you richly, now and always. Thank you for adding to the good.
This has been a fruitful year for me too. Not due to anything happening out there but by my own disposition to face head-on the problems that appeared in my life and my attitude being facing them not as problems but as challenges, that is opportunities to develop some new strength that I had not previously mastered. And I must own that I am quite proud of myself!
We traveled a little together, and I pushed my husband to meet our daughter for 10 days in Australia- he’s retired, I’m not… The 7th graders are suddenly human again, the 8th are excited for high school and generally charming. 2 adult kids home for the end of the year. Political differences are so hard, but folks seem more willing to be quiet rather than provoke than they were a few months ago. And the sunset was glorious tonight…
I finally had gutters and rain barrels (water tanks)installed. The barrels are full! Now I can use that instead of tap water to water my plants. I also had the backyard redone so rain no longer forms mini lakes against my house. And the landscaper planted 27 native bushes and trees to attract butterflies and humming birds. I love looking at my new back yard. 2026 goals: redo the front yard with more native plants and one more rain barrel. I’m looking forward to more Lord Julian books.
2025 was a grand year! Giotto travel in Poland the land of my ancestors. Interacting with so many Poles gave me insights into the halter of Polish people. For too long Ithought I was aggressive and maybe too stubborn but now I see the positive side of those “attributes” and have been so happy with this new awakening. The Lord is GOOD.
This year has been a rough one but I am ending it in better health than I began it and that is no small achievement. Part of the benefit of that was that I got to travel a bit in 2025 by myself and that was probably my highlight. I had some great meals, saw some beautiful things, and had some lovely time with friends this year, thank you Grace for reminding me to appreciate them!
I’m hoping 2026 means health and safety for my kids. I hope that there is stability and peace in my life, and that everyone, without exception, is equally blessed. Happy Holidays!
Happy Christmas Grace and I hope the coming year will be at least as good as this one.
Such a wonderful feeling to look back on the past year and rejoice in all the things that have gone right and bring us joy!
Thank you for that reminder, Grace.
PS ~ I am VERY grateful for your generosity in sharing your writing with us. Terrific Christmas gifts.
I don’t have much of a comment on the original idea. 2025 has been just an ok year for me. I had thought I was beginning to make a little financial headway but that got knocked out of the ballpark with increases in a lot of bills for 2026 from Long Term Care premiums to water/sewer increases with others in-between. But the paragraph that brought me to making a comment was the one about baking soda. As a baker I always wondered who was the 1st one to separate eggs and decide that standing on a hard floor with a whisk or whatever and continually beating the whites for 5 or 10 minutes was a good idea. And then follow that up with adding it to recipes. Same goes for whipping cream.
Grace, may 2026 be another great year for you. You and a very few others are on my buy the minute they become available list. My old standbys from years past have to go on the wait list at the library as even in e book form they are too expensive.
I continued to lose weight-and this year did it without going into some really messy pre-hernia repair distress, like I did in 2024.
One of my best friends came for a couple long visits from California, and we did some nice museum visiting. My other best friend, here in town, continues to be a joy, and I’m getting to know more friends with my art and book groups. Also, I’m getting to be a much better artist, and I’m starting to occasionally describe myself as an artist, rather than an art student.
I’ve been in pretty good health, nothing to be sneezed at at 71. And my beloved 10 year old cat is still running up and down the hall like a miniature cavalry charge and getting great reviews from the vet.
I’m starting to get rid of some of the stuff in my house, including books I can’t really read anymore because the print is too tiny. On the other hand, I’m reading a ton on my e-reader.
I continue to ease myself into the “What am I going to do when I get really old” mode, and plan for it, rather than being surprised by it.
And I’m giving a lot more to charities and political causes I support, and getting out with a big sign and a lawn chair occasionally to make my feelings known. Which is about all one can do if one lives in DC, where we have no voting representation in the Senate and a non-voting house member. At this point I’d take anything including retrocession to Maryland or adoption by a previous state in order to get a vote in Congress. But don’t get me started. One thing that went right was finding a big flag to fly in the front of my house!
I hope 2026 will continue to be good on the personal front, and I send fond wishes to you, Grace, and to your many readers and bloggers as well no matter whether they agree with me or not about issues. We need to spread a lot of love around this year because the politics are liable to be a doozy! My hope is that we can remember that the priority is really neighborly love with our fellow ornery American neighbors and relatives.