29: Health, resilience and strength. Repeat.

The thing I love about the idea of "manifesting" is that really it's just thinking really hard about stuff you want, and occasionally saying it out loud to yourself while you potter about the house.I've been seeing New Year's Resolution speak bleed into the often manipulative world of self-care and motivational meme accounts online all year. Feeling sad? Have a bath (do I have to?) and write down five things you've achieved this week (five???). Anxiety flare-up? Keep a diary (oh great, another task to feel guilty about not doing) and make a list of everything that's making you anxious (why? What a terrible idea!) and how you can solve those problems (omg you can't). New Year can be super stressful, especially if your future is uncertain. Tom and I have a year of uncertainties ahead of us and that's turning some cogs inside me, especially now we're over the threshold of a new year. No self-help podcast or Instagram posi-post can help me now. So this year I'm manifesting in a different way. Of course I have career goals -- I'm still me, come on -- but the main things I'm putting out there as my serious 2020 energy are health, resilience and strength. So if you see me out and about and I'm muttering under my breath, this is what I'm doing. I'm probably not cursing anyone.Other Stuff:

• This, on "nostalgic" dining and reactions against delicate food, modern ingredients and New Nordic by Jon Bonné is really interesting, and the illustrations are delicious too. 

• I learned so much in this, a beautiful story about how preparing osechi brings a Japanese-American family together to celebrate traditions handed down from their great grandparents.

• (I got both of these links through reading Emily Wilson's brilliant newsletter Some Meals Considered. Sign up, you won't regret it.)

• How the Cats musical has kept Faber publishing independent and solvent.

• You've probably read this already, but please read it again. The Guyliner's Hogmanay Kiss. It's an annual tradition.

• Dog walking created an unexpected support network for Rachel Charlton-Dailey, and that's another good reason why dogs are great.

• The Pellicle Positivity Report is a great read if you're interested in what we, the Pellicle people, enjoyed about 2019. I reveal my favourite beer of the year in it, FYI.

My Stuff:

• I wrote this silly thing about being a crap Kombucha parent and to be honest, I just want to write more silly things now.

Ladling chicken broth into heirloom lacquer bowls for ozoni.Credit...Hilary McMullen for The New York Times