Edward's getting used to my Christmas Elf Self. Everything nailed down has fairy lights draped over it. The booze cupboard is full to bursting. Cherries are being soaked in kirsch for a cake. I am full of seasonal cheer (sherry, mostly) and hope you are too.

Very relaxing day ahead: cooking three course festive dinner for the inlaws. Dishes I've never cooked before. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG.

It went all right! I mean, it was edible. I ran round in circles heating stuff, then taking it out so I could heat other stuff, then re-heating the first stuff. They ate it and said it was good. I drank nine times more than usual. And now I'm exhausted and need to sleep.

Why is life so very tiring? I mean, it's tiring. There isn't any getting away from its essential tiringness. Tiring. I'm tired. All special effort is extraordinarily tiring. Isn't it? Sometimes I just want to be left alone with sandwiches and books. Don't you?

Hello January! *waves* I can see you from here. I can see the sandwiches and books.

One definition of not learning from your mistakes: almost coming unglued while giving a dinner party for the inlaws, and THEN blithely inviting 8 people for a Christmas Eve-Eve lunch. WHAT WAS I THINKING.

I decided I'd keep it simple and go with effortless-looking vegetarian Ottolenghisms, involving lots of (cheap) lentils and (also cheap) couscous...

The trouble with Ottolenghising is that in addition to the very cheap lentils/couscous, you also need herbs from a Peruvian mountainside and shavings of dried berries that you can only get at 3 shops in the world.

This is what happens. I'm doing most of it on Friday, because otherwise they'll arrive at 1 on Saturday and I'll be a harissa-smeared Wurzel Gummidge, shouting at people to leave me alone. x.com/lindasgrant/st…

The shortest day, the longest night, and then the northern hemisphere turns again towards the sun, even before winter's really got going. It's a good metaphor, at the least. HAPPY SOLSTICE

On a strictly practical level, the longest darkest night of the year is an ideal time to have a look at your online banking, through one half-opened eye.

Probably won't be here again until the new year, so can I just wish you all a truly happy, merry Christmas (winter festival of light, delete as appropriate).

I find that one of the key ways to have a truly merry Christmas is to stay off social media, and limit news to the BBC app on my phone. Here's to going off radar until 2018!

Wishing you a really satisfying, interesting, rewarding and mostly-contented 2018 - which is the most that any of us can hope for. Happy New Year!

Thanks Sharon! PS - Edward and I are now married :-) x.com/SOwensAuthor/s…

I absolutely loathe Valentine's Day, but I'm going to be mad as hell if he doesn't come home with flowers.

I was only joking (okay, half joking) but he's brought home the most beautiful flowers. Tulips, my favourite, and freesia and hyacinth and irises.

Every time we watch an episode of The Newsroom, I admire a necklace worn by Mac, the lead female character. Today I was given one exactly like it, that he'd sourced in the USA, having spent many hours tracking it down. #ValentinesDay

There's nothing so sexy as kindness.

Are you in need of something to read? :-) x.com/OwensTeaHouse/…