Fresh Chives

Good morning,

I started this pot of fresh chives from the bulbs and roots of chives we purchased at the grocery store.  After cutting off the tops and using them in our cooking, I potted the bottoms outside in this pot where they've been giving us fresh chives all summer. 

Patio gardening is such fun!

Lois

Fresh Oregano

Good morning,

We have a pot of oregano growing beautifully on our patio this summer.  I'll surely take some clippings to keep it going inside during the winter.

Now that we are home year round we are able to keep more of our plants happy.  Do you grow your own herbs? 

Lois

Ohio River Overlook at Eden Park on the South Coast of Ohio

Good morning,

On the way home from an appointment this week we stopped at Eden Park overlooking the Ohio River, only a few minutes from our home.  This is the view to the East, up the river.

We often describe where we live as "the South Coast of Ohio" and here it is.  On the left of the image is the South Coast of Ohio, to the right is the North Coast of Kentucky. 

This is the view to the West, down the river toward downtown Cincinnati which is just around the bend to the right.

When I was a child I came here with my parents to enjoy this view.

The weather was a little bit hazy and very hot.

A single tug boat was in view on the river.

Such a peaceful scene to share here today.

All the best,
Lois

Repotting the Yucca

Good morning,

I'm still working on the re-potting of plants from Catherine's office waiting room.

The yucca plant above has a long history with us.  More than 40 years ago a client gave me a cutting from the yucca plant she had in her store.  I planted it and it grew...  and grew...  and grew....

I've now cut it down and re-potted it one more time.  There are three pieces of the stalk in the pot above.  The original base stalk is in another pot and will grow new leaves and stalks soon.

Some of these plants have been with us for so long they have become members of the family.

;),
Lois

Summer Into Fall

Good morning,

I see Summer moving into Fall in the image above.

The beautiful white end-of-Summer hibiscus blooming by the fence and the firewood waiting for chilly days and evenings provide the contrast of the seasons.

We are looking forward to cool Fall weather.

Lois

Movie Filming in our Neighborhood

Good morning,

It's always something, isn't it!  On the way home from the grocery we came upon a great deal of traffic parked in our neighborhood.

This house was the center of attention.  The people who lived here until about 15 years ago were clients of our CPA practice.  The home is beautiful inside and out.

When our clients moved, a young family moved in.  It was fun seeing children's bicycles in the driveway and children playing here.

Today, however, it was all different!  Note the huge light and ladder in front of the front door.

Several large trucks and many, many cars were parked along the street that is usually a very quiet scene.

While I was at the grocery a few minutes earlier Catherine had called to tell me something was going on down the street from our house when she drove by on the way to her office.  Lips are tight about who is there, but we have suspicions.  There are several movies being made in Cincinnati this year.

It wasn't long ago a different movie (John Gotti) was made using our dentist's office as a set.  Now, the movie makers are getting even closer to home.  We will be watching to see what hits the big screen from Cincinnati.

Lois

Splash! Wendy's Aquatic Skills

Good morning,

I just received more images of Wendy's Dock Diving Competition from last weekend where Wendy and her trainer, Catherine, earned a new title:  Dock Master!

Wendy just loves these competitions.  She can't wait to do this as often as she's allowed on the dock.

Here's Wendy getting a running start on the dock as Catherine prepares to throw the bumper for Wendy to retrieve from the water.

There are those great ears again!

 She can fly!

She's a natural.  Wendy just loves to do this!

 :),
Lois

90% Eclipse in Cincinnati

Good morning,

We experienced the Eclipse of the Sun from our front porch.  It was a very bright sunny day...

...which produced sharp and clear shadows.

We returned from a morning appointment just in time to go out outside on our front porch a few minutes before the eclipse was to begin.

There was no breeze in the air.

 We didn't have glasses so didn't look at the sun.  We were out to experience the darkening of the sky, but we got so much more.  Above you see the crescent shapes formed by the sun shining through the leaves of trees over our driveway.

 And, here on our front steps.

 As the coverage of the sun increased, we saw more and more evidence in the shadows.

 This is our walk to our front door.

 Then, when it was darkest, our lantern down by the steps near the street came on. 


Where were you when the moon passed in front of the sun this week?

Lois

Dock Master!

Dock Master!

Wendy has a new title!

Congratulations to Team Wendy and Catherine!

Wild Strawberries and Science Project Memories

Good morning,

I remember these wild strawberries in the grass when I was a child.  They remind me of a science project that was great fun.

I'm guessing I was in the Fifth or Sixth Grade when the science teacher gave us a project to mark off a one foot square of our yard, then record what happened there daily. 

I remember looking forward to going out every afternoon after school and writing down these important things which included:  an ant walking across the area, a wild strawberry blooming, raindrops on the grass, etc.  It was a brilliant assignment from our science teacher to help us become aware of the small things that happen right under our noses.

What was your favorite science project?

Lois

Shy Blossoms

Good morning,

I continue to be fascinated at how the Trumpet Vine is taking over the pile of logs waiting to be split in our back yard.

The vine has matured enough to bloom, even under more and more vines. 

Amazing.

We will be removing it all when we get around to splitting those logs in a few weeks when it gets cooler. 

More images of the removal to come!

Lois

Progress - Waiting Room Knitting

Good morning,

Here's the progress on the Waiting Room Knitting Project. I am only working on this project while sitting in waiting rooms. It is a small project that fits into a small tote bag that I can grab as we walk out the door.  It's amazing how much gets accomplished!

This is an intarsia knit hat that will go into the shop when complete.  

I love intarsia knitting on small projects such as this.  I make up the patterns as I go along which makes it fun.  On larger projects, such as sweaters, I have to develop a consistent pattern for front, back, and sleeves.  That's fun, too, but doesn't feel quite as fancy free and "doing my own thing" while knitting a hat.

I have several other projects in process, too, that are larger and that I work on at home. 

What are you making now?

Lois

Crock Pot Ribs

Good morning,

Do you ever wake up in the morning and start to ponder what you'll make for dinner that evening?  It happens often here.  Ha!

Well, I knew I had a package of four country ribs and plenty of time, but didn't know exactly how I wanted to prepare them so I made up something new.  The crock pot was a good idea because I planned to spend part of my day re-potting plants and draining the fish pond, so I didn't want to spend much time in the kitchen during the afternoon.

I started loading the crock pot with a layer of carrots and onions all chopped into fork size pieces.  I added a bottle of beer, then the four large ribs arranged on top.  I put dabs (a technical cooking term according to my mother) of citrus jam and crushed garlic on top and added pepper. 

I wanted something "tomato-ey", so drizzled some catsup over the top.

I put the lid on the crock pot and set it on high for the first three hours, then down to low for the next four hours. An hour before serving, I removed the ribs to a flat corning ware dish and drizzled another bit of catsup over them.  I popped them into the oven for that last hour so the most recently added catsup glazed on the top.

The house smelled fabulous all day and the ribs were delicious.  I served them with the carrots and onion from the crock pot, steamed cauliflower and broccoli, applesauce, cottage cheese, and pickle.  I've been serving extra veggies instead of potatoes recently. 

For dessert we had banana bread that I made in my Mom's old Sunbeam Mixmaster.  Does anyone else remember when entire kitchens were harvest gold color?

The banana bread was delicious.  By the time I downloaded these pictures about 48 hours after I took them, the banana bread was gone so I missed taking a picture.  It was pretty.

All the best,

Lois

Exceedingly Hardy Hibiscus

Good morning,

This little Hardy Hibiscus is exceedingly hardy!

It is growing from a crack in the curb in our parking area near our garage.  When we've pulled the cars in too far, it has pushed the curb slightly out of place and this little plant found that spot to grow.  I cut it back often and need to get out there and dig it out, but now I think I'll just let it grow for awhile.

We'll be having the blacktop replaced soon anyway so we might as well let this little blossom have its day in the sun. 

Lois

Waiting Room Knitting

Good morning,

While we are waiting for routine doctor appointments, I'm knitting in the waiting room.

The project in the image above is a hat that is my current take-along project.

It's amazing how much knitting gets done during these waiting times!

Lois

Wendy's Weekend Haul

Good morning,

Last weekend, Wendy and Catherine competed in AKC Agility Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Wendy competed both days in various events and brought home the ribbons you see above.  The First and Second Place Ribbons on the right were won during agility runs.

The two Title Ribbons are in recognition of two new AKC Agility Titles now belonging to Wendy.

We are so very proud of our Wendy and Catherine!


:),  (proud Mommy smile)
Lois

Bagel and Coffee!

Good morning,

It seems to be time for a good food post again.  :)

My Honey and I were our running errands when we stopped at Bruegger's Bagels for a bagel with salmon and cream cheese.  Bruegger's House Blend coffee completed our lunch. Although we drive by several times a week, it has been years since we've stopped for a bagel treat.

My goodness, we'll surely do this again soon!

Lois

Snowball Flowers

Good morning,

I took today's images across the street from our home at one of Xavier University's buildings.  The building is a home that has been converted to university offices.  It is not uncommon for deliveries to come to our home instead of the XU office.  I was delivering a package we received by mistake when I stopped to take these pictures.

When I was a child we called these snowball flowers, but I'm sure someone will tell me their correct name. 

So pretty!

Lois

Stunning Marigold

Good morning,

This brilliant Marigold bloomed in a pot on our front porch.  Someone must have bumped into the plant because this one was broken so I brought it into the house.

I took the photo in natural sunlight.

Wow!

Lois

Blueberries!

Good morning,

We enjoy eating the fruits and vegetables that are in season and this is one of our favorites.

I bought this five pound container of blueberries and we ate them all in two days. 

So good!

;),
Lois

On the Needles Now

Good morning,

On the needles now is the beginning of a boot cuff in bright sky blue.  It's a custom order to match a sweater already purchased.

The safety pins on the side are row makers for the cable stitch pattern.  My friends call these "Lois pins" and they have supplied me with many, many of them.  So good to have!  Thank you!

All the best,
Lois

FYI:  There are similar boot cuffs available in the shop in tan wool - ready to ship.

EvensensProductions.com

Hand Crafted Original and Traditional Designs 

Trumpet Vine Takes Over the World

Good morning,

OK, the title is a little misleading.  The Trumpet Vine isn't taking over the entire world, just our part of it.

These pretty flowers are wonderful for attracting humming birds so I planted the vine against the base of a tree in the back yard about 35 years ago.  The vine is performing as advertised and then some more.  It has climbed more than 60 feet up the tree and is now spreading across the lawn.  It would normally be cut back with the lawn mower as it grows across the grass, but we have quite a few large logs in the back, waiting their turn to be split into firewood.

Those logs are now covered by Trumpet Vine and My Honey thinks that is a sign they don't have to be split.

Saved by the Trumpet Vine!

;),
Lois