Working on the Sock Monkey Quilt

I seem to have come down with a bit of a cold this week. I was hoping to avoid the various viruses that seem to have been going around this Christmas season - and the day before I was supposed to go back to work - I got sick!! I am feeling a bit better but very tired - and tomorrow we are heading off to Portland. I think I will take a few Dear Jane blocks with me to keep me occupied if I feel the need to take it easy. Although I have shopping I must do!!

I am hoping I might meet up with a fellow blogger - Patti - She was the very first person to comment on my blog when I started blogging two years ago. Hmm - I might just have to have a blogversary giveaway soon!!





I did manage to do a bit of work on the sock monkey quilt. I think it is going to be such a cute little baby quilt - the flannel is so soft and cuddly.


I plan to do a bit of baby shopping in Portland while we are there. I am looking to pick up a Graco stroller - the cost of the "travel system" by Graco in Canada is $389.00 and the same system in Sears/Target/Toys r Us in the U.S is $219.00!! And Oregon doesn't have any sales taxes. So then I thought I could look at Target for a few little sleepers and such as well. Since we will be down for longer then 4 days we can bring back a few things duty free.


There is a new quilt shop in Portland that I would like to get to see. It is easy for me to get to it on the bus. I went off on the bus and train quite a bit last time I was there and except for the fact it rained everyday I was there I really had a great time two years ago. I am looking forward to going back to Powells Books, and Fabric Depot and Josephine's Dry Goods.

The weather has been terrible here the past few....weeks...months....forever!! Rain, rain, rain and wind and then more rain!! I see the forecast for Portland is a few sunny/cloudy days next week. I sure would like a few days without rain!! I really have had enough!!


The computer is still not fixed - in fact it looks like it is going to have to be re-formatted and all the programs reinstalled. Which will be a pain in the neck. There seems to be a bunch of conflicts between Yahoo and Google and MSN. I wonder if these companies put a little something in their programs so they don't work all that well together and they want you to just use one product -- theirs. There has been a few small problems over the past year or so and some of the Microsoft updates weren't installing but things got really bad after I installed the Gmail button and I've had to uninstalled the Google toolbar as I can't load my Yahoo mail at all with the Google toolbar installed. Which is a bit of a shame because I liked the Google toolbar. It is a bit odd.


And - with my computer woes, Christmas etc I forgot to mention - and I think I missed replying to a few emails - but I would like to say..... The bear was never caught and has gone off to hibernate for the winter.


I am not taking the laptop computer with me to Portland as Andrew and Anri are coming to stay with Jenny and the birds and since the other computer isn't working I will leave the laptop for them. I must say I am getting really good at typing on the laptop now!! I might just move all my files onto this computer and to heck with the other one!! But I won't be doing much blog reading in Portland, but I will have a bit of time with Jim's computer in the evening.

Well -- I have been much more chatty then usual. But I had better go pack!!