Update on Echwell: First draft is done, done, done. Ten thousand words, most of them adjectives, await only a final tweak before I unleash his glorious fiction upon the world. Currently bogged down on the illustrations. How did I make it all the way through art school without learning how to draw ruined abbeys?

Update on the babies: Henry is learning how to build cubes out of his alphabet tiles. Cleo is rapidly outgrowing her 3-6 month clothes.

Update on the cheese thing: Still suffering, but a bar or two of Lindt 80% Dark Chocolate With Mint goes a long way towards killing the pain.

Update on Trollope: Still in the back of the closet. Reading Laurie R King’s “A Monstrous Regiment of Women” instead. Not feeling guilty about this.

Other news: The Internet connection at our home office (the dining table) is currently either dying or seriously unwell. This broadcast is coming to you live from the American cafe, where the wireless connection is speedy but the sandwiches are so good I will become fat if I am forced to come here a lot. So fascinating updates such as these may be sporadic until we get it fixed.