Ok, I freely admit: Martha Stewart I am not. I've never been one to always have craft projects in progress. But with the new baby, I've decided I'm going to teach myself to crochet. I went out and bought yarn, hooks, and other supplies...and I'm set. But...even the most basic chain stitch is eluding me, at least for the moment. The booklet I have says, "it's easy to do." Right. But I refuse to just give up. I've found numerous online resources (instructions, patterns, message boards, even videos...and I do have friends who can crochet...so, one way or another, I am going to learn! (I think grandmothers HAVE to be able to do something to get ready for a new baby...and this is what I am choosing. I already bake.)

I want to be able to create a baby's blanket. Nothing too fancy. I'm not asking for the impossible...at least, I don't think so. And, I like the portability of crochet; it can go almost anywhere, although I probably won't take it to church. Now, if I can just keep the girls out of the yarn basket...

I have finally put a decent amount of RAM in my computer. Jay took the CPU in to our favorite computer technician after two attempts to install new RAM at home didn't work too well. The technician put two sticks of RAM in, and now it runs much faster. He did say that since this machine is a few years old it might be time to start thinking about getting a new one. I generally buy a new computer every four to five years, and this one is four years old. The one he showed us is a nice machine for a decent price, but it has Windows XP Home OS. No problem. I have a legitimate copy of XP Pro I could probably install to upgrade the OS...but I'm wondering if I can wait a while. I might want to at least look at Vista...whether I buy it or not is still open to consideration. I've got an awful lot of software (freeware and commercial), and I want to be sure that it will work in Vista before I jump. Plus, I just want to check out Vista to see if I can live and work with it or not. Anyway, there's always Linux. *Sigh*. So many choices...

was just another ordinary day...until the phone rang. I have been unable to stop smiling since then. Lauren called, and we chatted for a bit. Jay and I have been thinking about buying a duplex and doing a rent-to-own arrangement with Lauren and Keith. She told me if we were looking for a duplex, better get one with three bedrooms, "because if not, Dylan will need to share a room with the baby." She is pregnant! The new baby is due in March or April. While this will be her second child, in a way it's like the first time for me, since I didn't get to share the first one with her due to circumstances we had no control over. So, yes, I am excited and thrilled. It's amazing what joy the word "baby" can hold.

Dylan will be three years old by the time his new brother or sister arrives, and it couldn't be better timing. I'm glad we held on to all of his equipment. It's amazing how much "stuff" a little one needs.