Merry Christmas one and all. Had a new Christmas image in mind, but time rather got away from me. So here (again) is Edward Bawden’s marvellous linocut of a cat at Christmas / the same design replicated in pixelated news print for a sales notice / my version featuring Rula and some finger mice.

Santo the wrestler off to wash the breakfast dishes.

Christmas book count: 3

This is what I was doing with the sequins. I tried to make NOEL into TOBY but it all went a bit NTOBELY.

Things I find amusing and also unsettling: the way the vacuum cleaner power cable gets more flexible as you use it.

Saturday was adventure, Sunday was social, Monday is 100 cleans.

Cambridge toddler walking across park: How did I learn to talk? Dad: It's just something your brain does when you're little. Toddler: But hoooooow?

I've read three Jane Austens in a row and I would like to see Autism and Audacity, where our heroine is just trying to intuit social rules and means to behave normally not audaciously, but her acquaintances are like: "Marjorie -- so bold!"

Despite frequent remonstrations from digital archivists, Persephone never accepted that she could not photocopy a whole book in one go.

I have seen the people being punched in the head and I don't want to keep seeing it. I wish you could mute specific video clips; people don't always use usefully muteable words in their post.

I’m assured that the epub version of my book Trans Britain will make it back into all well-known ebook stores soon but, if you don’t want the Kindle copy (already back on Amazon) you can get the ePub version directly from the publisher here. Having downloaded the file you then just drag and drop […]

Candles snuffed out at the end of the carol service at St Bartholomew the Great, 20th December.

This is my most searched video on TikTok, it’s how to use physics to open a chocolate orange without banging it on anything

Third Sector Against Transphobia has launched an open letter in support of trans people and requesting improved guidance and support from the Charity Commission for charities attacked by ‘gender critical’ transphobes ‘lawfare’ Sign here 👉 www.thirdsectoragainsttransphobia.org

And Tiny Tim, who did NOT need a wheelchair full time but could not manage the walk all the way across the airport onto the plane...

Unburying the lede from my essay on why we all feel like numb frozen crap these days… catvalente.substack.com/p/this-is-wh...

Today in Exciting Landlady News, I have mended a loo brush.

Brian hopes that today, somebody put an arm around you and told you that you are good.

Mucking up my unread books count by getting an ebook of Emma so I don't have to carry the three-Austen omnibus hardback on the train.

Did my taxes despite brain fog! A bit fiddly in places, and I did a great deal of cross referencing with where I put the numbers last year. Ticked No not Yes for Rent a Room scheme, but also forgot to enter the rent total. Then added some numbers typing + not decimal point. But sorted it all out.

Hang on in there, its nearly the shortest day, we can make it.

'My year end reading statistics' (originally for @theguardian.com books). p.s There's still time to pick up new book Physics for Cats at good bookshops and online www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2

Today's analogy for brain fog: You go to the cupboard for coffee but it's full of fog and you can't see anything, and in dream logic you get a ladder and climb it endlessly and you know you want the coffee but you just can't. It's not visible to you. But for small admin or an unexpected question.

Disappointing afternoon. Started flagging around 2pm, lots to do in the rest of the day but I never perked up enough. If I'd known that was the best I'd get, I could have started a book or some easy TV but just kind of nothing for hours.

Bees

Of all the hobbies and interests I've had over the years, some came and went, some as circumstances changed, books have always continued. I am aware I'm one significant lurch in eyesight away from physical books becoming difficult, but until that happens I'll keep reading. xx books xx

Drew a fucking massive transformer for the Battersea power station shop.

It is the time of year when I think: I don't need any new books, I have 300+ unread, 400+ including ebooks. and If I don't get at least 5 books for Christmas I will be very disappointed.

anyone got a flowchart or similar hand-holding process for how to find an agent for a newbie sci-fi autistic idiot who needs to be told how to do this kind of thing the first time around?

I've not checked the lodger freezer for a while to see if it needs defrosting. Had a look today, tiny bit of ice and just in places that don't interfere with the drawers. The surprise for me is that this is since February when the fridge-freezer was installed. Nice job, freezer-maker.

Argh trainline website, stop with the animated snow, it's hard to focus on the train-picking sections.

Just finished Sense & Sensibility, a first read. I would not have thrived in that environment! Perhaps when I was more fun and giddy as 17. Also UBI would have unseated the drivers of many Austen books.

The Norwich Cathedral Cat, on the pulpit, drinking from the glass of water left for the Reverend. “He lives here” we were told, as if the church had had no say in the matter and his presence pre-dated the building. “He’s named Budge because he doesn’t budge. He thinks the water is left for him”

The cross stitch cards have been delivered so I can share them now. Turns out 54 french knots is enough practice to rattle them off quickly.

I ordered 3 DVDs at £7 each and have no idea what will arrive. I know this much: £21 credit card pending. DVD1 dispatched. DVD2+3 dispatched. Delivery of DVD2+3 due tomorrow, changed to today. Now only £14 credit card pending. Check order: DVD3 now listed as sold out. I want to tidy it all up.

In M&S buying jeans and wondering when they stopped selling old people clothes and started selling clothes for young hip people like myself

Excavation for new Hartlepool housing estate reveals old turntable [pic credit Michael Brown]

Yay! Finished a thing! Boo! It was not on my list! Boo! Losing the needle I was using and I swear it was threaded. Future Boo! How I will feel when I find it later.

Only one will survive! Possibly neither depending how much gluing I do.

i assure you my cat is normally proportioned

Aerial views of Cambridge Botanic Lights – the Garden looking amazing from above! ✨ 📸Thank you to TNK Visuals for these fantastic shots! 🎫Want to see it for yourself? Tickets are still available for upcoming evenings through the link on our profile. #CambridgeBotanicLights

And for my Doctor Who niche friends...

Recreating my favourite SpudULike filling - cheese, apple and celery. Mostly because the delivery vegan cheese has a one week use by on it, not the usual 4-5 months.

I want to finish making mum's card, but I don't want to do 54 french knots. A quandary. I might buy some tiny red beads instead.

Life goals: source Christmas presents such that they are all an exact multiple of the wrapping paper pattern repeat. Life goals: do not get banned from Woolworths for measuring all the wrapping paper.

Today's tedious admin task was moving my Fitbit to a Google account before it stops working. I took the opportunity to lock a few things down and delete some data and my friends (bye!) as we're not in that step-cheering world any more.

My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com

A look inside my brain. I'd like to be reading new books in the year I get them, but 2023 never recovered from the "18 books for £50" offer and I wanted to make a dent in the older hardbacks I bought with such excitement in 1989-2022. I also got the non-fiction down from 3+ shelves to 2-.

Reading plan: 100 pages a day for 17 days to finish my older unread anthologies and hardbacks. (Don't worry, I still have plenty of unread recent books, older trade paperbacks, standard paperbacks, and non-fiction) (Started separating out new books from 2023 so they don't get lost in the stack)

Also at the dental hygienist I got very self-conscious about my tongue. Am I doing it right? Should it be more attentive, or relaxed? What's the worst thing for your tongue to do? What has it been doing when I wasn't conscious of it? What is professional tongue behaviour at the dentist?