Add to List - #52

Stepping out of Christmas and closing out another year on the 'stack

Add to List is the Sunday round-up containing the small things that brought me joy, evoked an emotional reaction or became some short-lived stability in the past 7 days.

Thanks for reading!

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Obsession

Hosting Christmas.

You know what? I understand the hype. I get it. I actually really enjoyed it.

The organising. The excitement. The fuck we forgot the Yorkshire puddings panic. I loved it all. Choosing a table plan (and planning a colour scheme) was a real joy.

It definitely won’t be my last time hosting. But, like the fields of Glastonbury, I do think it’s important to give ourselves some recovery with fallow years.

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Confession

I watched Lord of the Rings properly for the first time this week.

Hated it. Found it boring. It’s literally just three hours of nice scenery? If I wanted to watch a bunch of blokes ill-equipped for a long hike, talking abnormally formally with the odd Scottish word thrown in for dramatic effect (MORRRDORRRR) then I’d stick on a Nat Geo documentary or some Bear Grylls.

If I want wizards and magic in future, it’s Potter all the way. Haters, feel free to set your orcs on me.

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Shook

A miracle on 52nd Add to List week!

I’ve made it to a full year of entering your inbox every Sunday. Wow! I’ll be honest, I really didn’t think I’d manage to sustain it. I’ve shocked myself. I am so pleased.

Sometimes (like today’s post which was scheduled on the 28th) I am organised and well-prepared. Other posts, I’ve frantically typed it out on a train somewhere while hungover / sleep deprived / searching my brain mush for something to say. I can tell how lexically limber I’m feeling by how easy this flows out of me each week. It’s sort of like yoga, for my vocabulary and sentence structure.

Writing this every Sunday has been great discipline. Yet, the real reason I’ve continued with it, is not because of what it provides me, but how allows me to connect with so many of you at scale, who now read it religiously. You choose to open this measly little email in a world of content-overload-in-app-push-banner-pop-up-sponsored-products-promo-deal. So, I am so honoured you give me the grace of your time and energy for five to twelve minutes (length dependent on my ramblings) each week.

I’m not sure exactly how Add to List will continue in 2025. Perhaps it’ll take on a new format, cadence, or vibe, but if you have ideas or suggestions, (or think I should scrap it completely) I would love to know more.

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Cook

Christmas dinner (and leftover sandwiches).

We didn’t hold back on the roast. Turkey is a basically, a side dish to me. It’s all about the extras.

My favourite part was roasted parsnips and carrots with whipped garlic feta, parsley, hot honey and toasted pine nuts. My sister’s star anise red cabbage was also sublime. Plus, we always have porcini pasta on Christmas Day (post fish course but pre-turkey). My favourite family tradition.

What’s my favourite bit of Christmas dinner though? The leftover sandwiches, duh.

Maybe it’s because as a child, a sandwich was something we never saw unless we were going somewhere exciting, so there’s a level of adventure synonymous with anything between two bits of bread for me.

I took this part of Christmas SO seriously that I preordered and foiled wrapped my favourite sourdough and focaccia from the local bakery ahead. In my first sarnie, I packed in turkey (breast and thigh) two types of cheese (port salut and mozzarella) pickled red cabbage, hot sauce (Franks and Sriracha mayo), roasted carrots, whipped feta dip and rocket. I served it with a bowl of gravy for dipping.

Better than Christmas dinner itself.

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Book

Not reading, but organising

Instead of reading the books this week, I colour coded them and sorted them into our new in-built bookcase.

While doing this, I continued to listen to the eye-opening, saucy, sexy, and judgement-free, Want by anonymous, multiple (edited by Gillian Anderson).

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Can’t Stop Scanning

Pictures of Stanley the Schnauzer.

Dogs are for life not just for Christmas, but is there anything better than having a dog sitting next to or under your tree?

This year, we were dog-sitting this handsome chap over the festive holidays. Plus, we had two little guest visitors on Christmas Day. Three doggos in amongst the turkey. What a treat.

Our fluffy canine friends add such a value. Someone to feed the scrap of meat to when you’ve reached your stomach’s capacity; someone to force you out of the house in your PJs for some fresh air after a Quality Street induced coma; and, someone to talk to affectionately when you get home from the pub drunk? It felt a new level of cosy in the house. Dogs really are the best.

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Forward Planning

I’m heading away for new year with some friends. Expecting sea dips, wholesome walks (and a fair amount of drinking).

**I’m also planning a data-driven review of this Substack. Think ‘Spotify Wrapped’ except you don’t get a personalised video message from Taylor Swift…(let’s be real, I’ve never got that either, I’d never make it to the top listeners, but — I did get one from John Mayer). I’m pulling together some insights on what I’ve written and how you, the readers, did (or didn’t) enjoy them, according to the Substack dashboard.

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