Dear Reader,

Wow! What an action-packed year 2016 turned out to be! While there is not enough paper or ink or bandwidth to list every exciting thing I experienced during the year, I thought I’d share some of the most memorable.

January – The excitement began with the year’s first, but certainly not last, trek to the home improvement store. Indeed, I visited the store so much in 2016 that I’m surprised other customers didn’t mistake me for an associate. Ha-ha. On my initial foray, I bought a replacement filter for my range hood. Kudos to the associate who helped me for not recoiling in disgust at the sight of my old, grease-covered filter.

February – I accidentally tried lime-flavored potato chips. I was unimpressed.

March – I finally went to the county dump. I immediately questioned why I had never been there before.

April – I made the acquaintance of one or more groundhogs whilst taking my semi-daily walks. I can’t be sure if it’s the same groundhog who stops suddenly and turns an inquisitive eye my way or if I see a different groundhog every day. Perhaps I’ll figure it out if and/or when our relationship develops into a friendship.

May –I considered changing my hairstyle, but changed my mind.

June – I enjoyed a scoop (or two, I can’t remember) of Baskin Robbins’ World Class Chocolate ice cream whilst out of town. I wish I could find that flavor in local stores. Then again, maybe it’s good that I can’t. Ha-ha.

July – My niece and I got lost on our way to her surprise birthday/going away party. That’s right. Our family navigator and I couldn’t find our way to a locale we have frequented!

August – I watched several thrilling Olympic badminton matches.

September – I made not one, but two trips to the chain hardware store to find a heating element for my oven. Why two trips? Because my element had crumbled into millions of pieces, rendering it difficult to match to the store’s ware. Indeed, the helpful associates said they had never seen a heating element in so many parts. And, yes, it appears that my electric range could write its own year-in-review post. Ha-ha.

October –I finally figured out how to send a thumbs up on Facebook Messenger.

November – I finally found popcorn salt that is orange in color and tastes similar to the popcorn salt of my youth.

December – I had the pleasure of feasting on two really good salads sprinkled with Asiago cheese and flavored with just a touch of ranch dressing.

Shew! Here’s hoping the fun continues into 2017. Happy New Year!

This post originally appeared in the Appalachian News-Express.