Breakfast and Happy New Year!

Good morning,

Catherine has plenty of help as she prepares breakfast for the pups.  She and I share the doggie mother duties around here.  She prepares their breakfast; I prepare their dinner.  We always have complete attention from all four of them.  From left:  Elsa, Wendy, and Erik.  Penny is standing next to me and so is out of the picture.

We hope your New Year's Eve is safe and fun.  We'll be home with our pups enjoying a wonderful home cooked meal.

See you next year!

Lois

Crock Pot Oatmeal

Good morning,

Catherine makes oatmeal in the crock pot and it's fantastic. 

The evening before you want to serve it, put all of your ingredients to make oatmeal per package directions into a heat proof bowl.  Add fruit if desired - those are blueberries in the picture.  

Add two cups of water to your crock pot, then place the bowl of the oatmeal mixture into your crock pot.  

Turn the crock pot on low to cook overnight.  In the morning, you'll see what is in the picture above:  steaming oatmeal ready to serve.

Yum!

Enjoy,

Lois

Labrador Christmas Stocking

Good morning,

Catherine received this precious hand crafted Christmas stocking from a friend at our local AKC dog club.  Is that darling!

We understand it was purchased from an Etsy shop, but don't know which one. 

So cute!

:),
Lois

Friends and Holiday Dinner

Good morning,

It was fun having two of our friends, Carol and Erica, here for dinner this week.

Of course, we always eat well!  This meal was a family affair.  The pork meat cakes and jule ribbe Norwegian foods were made by Kjell, the cranberry sauce was made by me, and all the rest of that good food was made by Catherine.

Our friend, Erica, brought dessert.

What a lovely evening.

I hope your holidays were as pleasant as were ours.

Work in Process This Week

Good morning,

Since the last update I have started and finished two hats and one poncho/capelet.   One of the hats and the poncho/capelet are available in the shop.  The other hat was a custom order.

Sometimes the larger projects can't be taken along when we go somewhere so I grab the needles, hooks, some yarn and go....

Progress.  That's what this is all about.  I've got knit and crochet projects strategically placed wherever my body might land throughout the day.  I can sit down and do a few rows here and a few rows there.  Things get finished faster than they would any other way.  Above is the sweater back I showed you last time and I'm happy to report it is moving along nicely even though this is a slower project than many others because of the detail work.  This sweater back is now about three fourths finished.  This is a custom order so will not appear in the shop, but there are similar items available in the shop ready to ship now.

My goodness this door snake is getting big.  It is ten inches in circumference and I stuff it as I go so it is getting somewhat awkward to handle.  I restrict work on this to my office chair where I can feed it through the armrest as I crochet and add stuffing.  It's now at 36" long.  When I get to 40" I'll begin the neck/head and happy open mouth and tongue.  This, too, is a custom order.  I keep telling myself I'll make one for the shop, but haven't gotten there quite yet.  ;)

This lap blanket may have gotten three or four more rows completed this week.  I'm so busy trying to get custom orders finished that this pretty blanket sits patiently waiting for my attention.  I'll be back, pretty blanket, I'll be back....  We have other lap blankets available to ship now in the shop.

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the very best,
Lois

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Gift From My Honey

Good morning,

Isn't that pretty!  I unwrapped this Christmas gift on Christmas Eve.  My Honey engraved and hand painted this beautiful wall art in his wood workshop. He managed to keep it a secret even though I wander through several times a day on my way to the laundry room and when I occasionally bring him a cup of coffee.

I just had to share!

I hope your Christmas was wonderful with family and friends.

All the best,
Lois

Aside:  I'm not the only one who uses our kitchen!  Kjell prepares the yummy Norwegian specialties and Catherine prepares wonderful meals, too.

Merry Christmas!

Good morning and Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Card message this year is carved and hand painted by Kjell in Cherry wood with inlay Padauk Letters.

We hope you have a beautiful, peaceful Christmas with family and friends.

Lois

Norwegian Christmas Foods

Good morning,

On Monday, December 23, Kjell spent most of the day preparing foods that we will enjoy with family on December 24.  Of course, we had to sample a little of it on the 23rd. 

Starting at the top of the image is Jule Ribbe.  It's pork belly with skin on that has been prepared with spices and baked so that the top/skin is extra crunchy.  Moving clockwise, next is red cabbage, then a boiled potato, and three pork meat cakes that are seasoned to perfection.  In the center is white cabbage. 

This evening for Christmas Eve, December 24, these items will grace our table as well as lamb leg and a variety of side dishes all made by Catherine.  What a wonderful Christmas dinner we will have tonight!

What are the traditional Christmas foods for your family?

Merry Christmas!
Lois

Christmas Piggie

 

Good morning,

Last Saturday we drove out to the butcher where we get our pork belly to make Jule Ribbe for Christmas.  This piggie is always dressed for the holidays each year.  I think he's actually a bench, but he looks pretty good all dressed up.

Jule Ribbe is a Norwegian Christmas tradition that we enjoy each year.  Kjell is our chef for wonderful Norwegian foods!

Merry Christmas!

Lois

Snow Sparkling in the Sun

Good morning,

The snow on the pile of logs in the back yard was glistening in the sun as it melted in the 41 F weather.

The designs of the melting snow were quite pretty.

As pretty as the snow is, now I can see all those logs we still have to split.

;),
Lois

This Week's Work In Process

Good morning,

I've started the next custom order knit cables and lace sweater.  I truly love this pattern.   I took the picture in the evening with a flash.  The color in the image is not quite the same as real life.  In real life, this is a beautiful pink.

I received a last minute custom order for a door snake to lay across the bottom of a door to stop drafts.  I'll try to have it finished for Christmas gifting, but didn't make any promises. 

I always have one knit and one crochet project going to give my fingers and brain variety. 

The brown striped lap blanket I showed you last time is still "on the hook," but has been replaced by the door snake for the next few days.  Oh, to have more hands!

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

Lois

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Hand Crafted Designs

Made in the USA

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Christmas Center Piece by Anna

Good morning,

This beautiful Christmas center piece is a gift from our granddaughter, Anna, to our daughter, Catherine. 

Anna is a very talented young lady!  She has worked for several years as a florist and does beautiful work!

Lovely!

Lois

Bagel, GravLax, Cream Cheese

Good morning,

This is good at any time of the day! 

Kjell made enough grav lax (salmon) for us to have plenty for home, too.  For the Norwegian way, it's served on bread with sauce and scrambled eggs. 

Since we had some fresh bagels in the house, I built my lax on a bagel with cream cheese.  Generally, when eaten on a bagel, the salmon is smoked, but this was great!

It was delicious!

:),
Lois

Sons of Norway Christmas Party

Good morning,

Last weekend we attended our Sons of Norway Lodge Christmas Party. 

I took these images during set-up. 

Our meetings always start with the singing of the USA National Anthem, followed by the Norwegian National Anthem and the Norwegian Table Prayer.  It is a good custom to keep.

We brought Kjell's gravlax to the dinner, bought some baked goods and sweatshirts to take home, enjoyed a delicious dinner, then headed for home and our pups before the singing and dancing.  Since Catherine was out of town, we didn't want to leave our senior pup too long at home alone.  

Merry Christmas!

Lois

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Good morning,

I took this snapshot through the living room patio door Sunday evening just before we went to bed.

 The snow was coming down fast and furious.  There are plenty of logs still to be split out there, but we have more than enough already split to get through this winter.

On the right side of the image is a reflection of the living room in the glass door. 

This was just hours after we had heard "Let It Snow" at the Cincinnati Pops.

I guess someone was listening!

;),
Lois

Cincinnati Music Hall

Good morning,

I took this image just after we were seated before the Holiday Pops concert at Cincinnati Music Hall and while the rest of the audience and the orchestra members were still arriving.

Not only is the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra world renowned, its home, Cincinnati Music Hall is one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world.  It is said to have be best acoustics of any music center anywhere.  It is on the National Historic Register.

It was a wonderful concert that played to a sold out audience. 

Merry Christmas!
Lois

Comic Relief

.The next time the Vet asks for a Stool Sample...

This is humor from the wood workshop.

Actually, he made this some time ago.  I just found it as I was moving things around on my desk and thought I would offer some comic relief in these high-stress times....

OK, now back to all the things that must be done at this time of the year....

I hope this gave you a smile.

Lois

Fried Salmon

Good morning,

My Honey made dinner again last night.  Fried Salmon!  Oh, my goodness, this was terrific.

I think he has worked himself into a full time job....

;),
Lois

More Baskets and a Perk for the Bow Maker

Good morning,

The Christmas gifts continue to be assembled and are covering every surface in our living room, dining room, and entrance hall.  Even a card table has been set up to hold some of the overflow.  This is always fun every year, but it sure takes plenty of time, space, and patience!

Catherine and her staff are delivering them to business clients of her CPA firm this month.

This was (note the past tense) a perk I received for being chief bow maker.  ;)

Lois

Work in Process this Week

Good morning,

I'm currently working on the last piece for a custom order.  This is a boot cuff that matches a sweater set.  After this boot cuff is finished, I still have to complete the finishing inside the matching sweater and add a label before photography. Soon!

I haven't completed much of this lap blanket since I last showed it to you, but I sure do like the way the multi-color yarn "works" with the solid color in these stripes.  I really like this!  This will make a beautiful lap blanket for a man or a woman.  When finished, this will be available in our shop.

Future projects are all lined up in "project bags."  I have two more custom sweater sets I'm looking forward to making.  And, I have a whole list of other things on the "ideas" list.  I just wish my fingers worked as fast as my mind!

What are you making, baking, growing this week? 

All the very best,
Lois

---------------------------------------------------------

Come see what else we've made!

EvensensProductions.com

Original and Traditional

Hand Crafted Designs

Made in the USA

---------------------------------------------------------

Air Care

Good morning,

We are very, very blessed to live in a city where excellent medical care is available at a number of hospitals.  In our case, we live less than ten minutes from the University of Cincinnati Hospital. On a routine doctor visit yesterday we happened to be on the same path as an Air Care helicopter incoming to the hospital complex.

We see these helicopters often, but this time it seemed we were on the same path and traveling about the same speed as we approached the hospital.

I hope the patient recovers soon.

Lois

Client Gift Baskets

Good morning,

It's that time of the year again.  Catherine is assembling client gift baskets (more like buckets this year) and I'm making bows for them.

We worked on these into the wee small hours this morning and still have quite a few more to make.  

Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!

Lois

Penny Out Sniffing

Good morning,

On days when the weather is mild Penny and I go for a walk around the neighborhood where she loves to slowly stroll and sniff.  She's a little unsteady on her feet now and needs plenty of time to orient herself, but she still loves her walks.

Penny will be 15 years old next month. 

What a sweet and gentle soul.

Lois

Storm Soup

Good morning,

My Honey made Storm Soup in the crock pot for dinner yesterday.

I'm sure every culture has something similar by a different name.  This is a concoction of meat and veggies in a soup that is generally made on a stormy day.  Whatever is available is put into the pot and cooked into a soup. This time sausage was the meat available to go with all of the veggies.

It is cold here in Cincinnati this week so this Sausage Storm Soup hit the spot.  We have enough to have it for dinner tomorrow night, too.   

Yum!

:),
Lois

Birthday Flowers

Good morning,

A dozen red roses from My Honey and

and another beautiful bouquet from son Don are gracing our dining room table.

What a lovely way to celebrate my birthday.  :)

Thanks to two of the special men in my life.

Lois

Doggie Family Bed

Good morning,

If you look carefully, you'll see there are three dogs lounging on the same doggie bed in the image above. 

Each of the pups has his/her own bed, but, just like human kids, they all want to be on the same one and love to cuddle up together. 

Penny, however, our senior pup, is stretched out on her own bed.

So sweet!

Lois

Queen City Dog Training Club Christmas Party

Good morning,

We enjoyed our Queen City Dog Training Club Christmas Dinner a few days ago.  Our daughter, Catherine is Treasurer of the club and our friend, Erica, is President.  We always enjoy the annual Christmas Dinner.  No, you don't see dogs in the picture.  This is one event when they stay home.

The buffet dinner was outstanding once again this year.

Oh, look, there's Aunt Carol in line in front of me at the buffet.  ;)

Our club is one of the best in the area for providing classes and shows.

Look who won the table centerpiece!

We all tried very hard, but no one at our table won the raffle.  ;)

We had a fantastic time!

Enjoy the season!

Lois

Breakfast!

Good morning,

Catherine certainly knows how to get our attention in the morning!

Just before she texted the picture above to me we could smell the wonderful aroma of cinnamon rolls coming from the kitchen.

Thank you, Catherine!

Love you,
Mom