We're doing pretty good.

I've been keeping busy, mostly doing stupid things that don't really need to be done but give me enough feeling of accomplishment to get through the day.

We got 10 lbs of fresh-picked plums for .35/lb from a sweet old lady just outside town. I made a few jars of jam (turned out very good), some plum sauce (that I'm saving for when pork chops go on sale), and an open-faced pastry... thing. I've reserved the last 1/2 lb for a blueberry-plum upside-down cake.

We also got some lovely summer squash from our next-door neighbor. I experimented with breading and baking some, and that turned out pretty well. I'm thinking about adding some pureed into a biscuit mix recipe I found. The rest will probably go into stir-fry.

What else? I cleaned out and rearranged all the closets. That kept me busy for a few nights.

I've been having a heck of a time sleeping lately. I've always been a poor sleeper. For most of my life I've been lucky to get to sleep before 3-5 am. The bone-wearying exhaustion of pregnancy is the only antidote I've ever found to cure this. Now that my old friend insomnia has returned, I'm crabby and miss falling asleep at a reasonable hour and waking up feeling fresh and happy.

To try to avoid that miserable tossing and turning in the dark, I just keep going. Cleaning, writing shopping lists, paying bills... whatever. And of course, rearranging the pantry at 5:30 am.

I colored my hair a few shades darker than usual last night. I like it.

Fritz and I, tired of the same old afternoon pastimes, have recently begun scouring the playroom closet for games. I can kick some major tush at Ants in the Pants. We're pretty evenly matched at Jenga and Tiddlywinks. I don't even bother playing him at checkers, as I don't stand a chance against his mad skillz. I took an early lead in the Battleship tournament, but I think he's figured out my strategy, 'cause he's beat me the past few times.

I recently found this clip on YouTube. I remember really liking this one when I was a kid.

Thanks so much for all of your kind emails and comments. They really were a comfort. I'm sorry it's taken a while to get to all of them, but I promise I will soon.