Two batches of fruitcake made and wrapped, ready for distribution to six lucky people who made The List this year; one more batch to go. The raspberry cordial I made in July is about ready for bottling, so today I must lay hands on half a dozen corks of the correct size.

I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of two new pudding basins, the old one having succumbed to glaze crack and consequently unlikely to survive a trip through the new electric pressure cooker that is supposed to reduce the steaming time to something rather less than the traditional five hours. Why is it that kitchenware shops have every size of pudding basin except the size I need?

Apart from that, nothing done except for yielding, as usual, to dread of shopping for prezzies for people who don't actually either need or want anything apart from a good night's sleep.

I guess we're old.