Calimari and Birthday Celebration

Good morning,

Photo credit for the calamari goes to My Honey.

This was one of the appetizers we enjoyed when we took our grandson, David, out to dinner for his 21st birthday.

Happy Birthday, David!  It was fun to see you and eat all that great food at Buca di Peppo. 

Love you!

Grandma

Elsa and Erik's Ball

Good morning,

That's Elsa with Erik's soccer ball.

Until the ball recently lost a little air, Erik was the only pup who could get his mouth around it.

All kinds of new fun activities with the big blue soccer ball are now available to Baby Elsa!

What a cutie.

:),
Lois

First Thing in the Morning

Good morning,

This is what I see first thing in the morning.  Sometimes I do have an alternative view, though, but it's not much different.  It's a Yellow Lab instead of a Black Lab.

Pictured is Erik, our Chief of Security.  Yes, he's lying on top of me to let me know it is morning.  It's an excellent way to get my attention.  

;),
Lois

Work in Process This Week - Mixed Berries Pink Baubles Sweater

Good morning,

I'm still working on this Mixed Berries Pink Baubles pattern sweater this week that has been spoken for since I published a picture when I started it.

I've finished the front, back, and first sleeve.  As you can see in the image, the second sleeve is started.  As soon as the second sleeve is finished, I'll knit the collar directly on to the neckline, then assemble all the pieces.  After weaving in ends and finishing, I have some other smaller items to make to complete the order, too.  I'm hoping to have all of this finished soon, but there are the usual interruptions of real life to my fun knitting life.  ;)

What are you making, baking, and growing this week?

All the very best,
Lois

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

Come See What Else We've Made!

EvensensProductions.com

Original and Traditional

Hand Crafted Designs

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

I'll have nothing, Thanks.

Good morning,

After a day of a huge lunch and lots of snacks I asked My Honey what he wanted for dinner.

He answered, "Nothing on a plate."

So, as dinner time rolled around and he came up from his wood workshop, this is what he found at his place at the dining room table.


Instead of dinner that evening we had dessert:  ice cream in bowl.

I wish I could say this is my idea, but it's not.  All the years we sailed at sea the clever waiters would bring a plate with the word "Nothing" written in chocolate for those people who said they would have "nothing" for dessert.

It's fun to be retired.

:),
Lois

Shiny Erik

Good morning,

Yesterday I was standing in the driveway with Erik and the sun lit up his coat. 

Erik has a fabulously thick shiny coat that is very fluffy right now.  A few days ago he went swimming at our friend Erica's pool and came home all fluffy. 

Our pups are on a raw diet and all of them have thick beautiful coats, but I think Erik takes the cake for the thickest!

Oh, for those who don't know him, Erik is our Black Labrador Retriever. 

;),
Lois

Storm Soup

Good morning,

My Honey made dinner yesterday. 

This is Storm Soup, a favorite in his native Norway.  This is the soup that is made when it is storming outside so you use whatever you can find in the fridge and cupboard.  It can be made from any type of meat, add as many veggies as you can find, then place it all in a big pot to simmer until ready.

Today's Storm Soup was made of sausage and veggies. It spent the day in the crock pot and the house smelled wonderful.  The soup was excellent!

Enjoy,
Lois

Marigold - Year Three

Good morning,

These gorgeous orange marigolds are overpowering the yellow mum I planted in the porch planter this year.  I planted the mum, then the marigold took off and climbed to the top. The marigold is blooming for the third year without any help from me except some water during dry weeks. 

The marigold plant doesn't survive, of course, but it reseeds itself in the pot.  As I dead head blossoms, I drop them back in the pot and am rewarded the following year.  This only worked in one of the matching flower pots on the front porch.  I'll try dropping some of this year's marigold seeds in the other pot, too, this year.

Happy Fall!

Lois

Cuddle Bugs

Good morning,

These are our two youngest girls, Elsa (left) and Wendy all cuddled up in the living room. 

Now that Elsa is so grown up, it takes more than a glance to tell them apart. 

So sweet!

Lois

Beautiful Sky - No Rain

Good morning,

I took this image yesterday afternoon from my patio chair.  We've had beautiful skies for days and days which is all well and good, but now we really need rain.

It appears we have a slight chance of rain Sunday night or Monday morning.

Perhaps the pups and I need to do a rain dance....

Lois

Doggie Retirement

Good morning,

Penny is retired from an active career as a Canine Athlete Agility Champion.

One of her favorite retirement activities is going for leisurely walks and sniffing her way around the neighborhood.

Penny is doing very well at 14.5 years old.  She has good days and bad days;  she is such a happy girl.

Sweet Penny.  We are so happy she is still with us.

Lois

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

Linked to:
  Camera Critters

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

Miss Wendy

Good morning,

This is Miss Wendy telling me I should go downstairs with her to spend the morning with all of the pups in the living room.  Our older dog, Penny, isn't able to climb the steps any more so Wendy and Erik come up and get me when Penny wakes up.

So sweet.

I'm on my way!

Lois

Morning Salad?

Good morning,

Daughter Catherine sent me this short video and titled it "Morning Salad."

Those are two of our pups toward the back of our property enjoying Hackberry Tree greens that all of our dogs have always loved.

Yes, they get veggies as part of their regular diet, they just like to forage for their own sometimes.

;),
Lois

WIP This Week

Good morning,

The image above is my work in process (WIP) this week.  I took the picture in the sunshine on a chair next to a glass door.  The colors remind me of fresh mixed berries.  How yummy!  It's a sweater in my baubles pattern in adult size 34-38 chest similar to the most recent ones I've made in turquoise/green/yellow - see below.

The two turquoise/green/yellow sweaters recently finished have been delivered to their buyers.  The pink one will be available in the shop when finished.

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the best,
Lois

UPDATE:  The pink sweater is now sold.  Thank you!  I can't knit fast enough!

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

Come see what else we've made!

EvensensProductions.com

Original and Traditional

Hand Crafted Designs

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

Bumble Bee on Mint

Good morning,

The bumble bees are enjoying the flowers on the spearmint we have growing in our patio herb garden.  Generally, I pinch off the flowers to keep the leaves producing more, but I'm glad I didn't this time.

Summer will soon be gone for another year....

Lois

Baby Birdie

Good morning,

This sweet little baby bird perched on a ladder on our front porch for quite some time.

I took the images through the glass and screen on our dining room french doors.

I checked back for about an hour and the little one was still there.  I trust it eventually made a safe getaway.

All the best,
Lois

My Assistant

Good morning,

This is the sweet face I see resting on my lap as I work at my computer.  That's eight month old Elsa who loves to be nearby all the time.

The angle of this image makes her nose look much larger than real life!

Love our puppies!

Lois

The Will to Live

Good morning,

We've had trumpet vines in our back yard for years.  I'm almost sorry to say I planted this thing myself to invite humming birds to visit.  Yes, we got humming birds, but we also got way more trumpet vines than we ever wanted.

We have at least two tons of wood piled several feet high out in the back waiting to be split, but it doesn't stop those trumpet vines!

Anyone want clippings?  Hmmm?

;),
Lois

Thursday WIP - Flashback?

Good morning,

This week I'm working on another baubles sweater in turquoise, green, and yellow.  Yes, it looks like the one I featured a couple of weeks ago, but this one is a new one in a different size for a different lady. 

The lady who ordered this one saw the pictures I published of the last one I was making and ordered one for herself.  So nice!

I've finished the back and about half of the front on this sweater.  Two more sleeves, a collar, assembly, photography, and it'll be on its way to its new home in Michigan.

All the best,
Lois

Never Forget September 11, 2001

Pond Visitors

Good morning,

Today's images are courtesy of our daughter, Catherine.  She took them at our friend Erica's home a few days ago. 

That are a heron and ducks visiting the pond that is very, very green at this time of the year.  There are fish and plenty of frogs in the pond, but no dogs, that's for sure....

Erica has a fence to keep her dogs and ours out of the pond where they used to like to swim every chance they got.  I can't imagine seeing the mess the dogs would be after a dip here now.  There is also the fear this summer of an algae that is very dangerous to dogs.

Erica also has a swimming pool so the pups and people still get to swim.

Thank you for sharing the pictures, Catherine!

Love,
Mom

Needlework and Wood Working Update - September, 2019

Good morning,

Welcome to our September, 2019, Needlework and Wood Working Update.  Once each month I publish pictures of the items Kjell and I have completed during the previous month in his Wood Working Workshop and my Needlework Studio.  Some of the items are custom orders;  others are available now in our on-line Etsy Shop, EvensensProductions.com. 

Kjell's detailed engravings have kept him very busy all month.  It takes many days to design and make each of these items, then finish the wood to a beautiful shine.  Above is a wedding gift that has been delivered.  We will soon have another in the shop available for purchase with your personalized message.

This engraved wood stand has also been delivered.  The stand is sold separately to display wood or other art on a mantle, desk, shelf, or table if you elect not to hang it on a wall.

This Native American and his beautiful horse artwork engraved in padauk and walnut woods is entitled Freedom.  It is mounted on its own display base.  This item is available for purchase, $168.  Click the link for more images and information.

This hand knit sweater was a custom order that has been delivered along with a matching...

...hat...

...boot cuffs...

...and head band.

This is also a reserved custom Cables and Lace hand knit order that is sold.

A headband...

...hat...

...and boot cuffs are also a part of this order.

There are so many other wood and needlework items in the shop ready to ship now. We invite you to come and take a look:  EvensensProductions.com. 

We hope you'll consider our hand crafted in the USA items when you are shopping for gifts and for yourself.  We sincerely appreciate your encouragement, likes, favorites, comments, and purchases!  We are truly enjoying our retirement careers designing and crafting so many exciting projects!

To our fellow crafters out there who are so very talented: we love seeing what you are making, baking, and growing!  We follow and enjoy many of your blogs and Facebook pages.

A special thank you to those who send messages and emails that are not for publication, most recently from "B."  We want you to know we appreciate your kind words.  If there had been a return address on your comment, B, I would have answered privately.

All the very best,
Lois

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

Come see what else we've made!

EvensensProductions.com

Original and Traditional

Hand Crafted Designs

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

Kentucky Rest Stop Blossoms

Good morning,

We enjoyed these blossoms at a Kentucky rest stop on a recent road trip.

All the best,
Lois

So Many Birthday Celebrations

Good morning,

We have quite a few birthdays to celebrate toward the end of the year.

Above Catherine is cutting a Graeter's Ice Cream Cake that she purchased for Daddy's birthday.   Catherine also made an excellent steak dinner that we all enjoyed.  Several family members where here to wish Kjell a Happy Birthday.

This is what happens when I say, "Smile, Honey!"

It was a lovely day and evening.  He said he had a great time.

;),
Lois

Road Trip Going and Coming

Good morning,

We've always enjoyed road trips.   This one is a little (ha!) shorter than those we took for so many years to go to the ports to join ships for My Honey to go to work.

Above is a view of downtown Cincinnati as we were ready to pass through on our way to Kentucky.

Here's the famous I-75 Brent Spence Bridge across the Mighty Ohio River that every politician has promised to get replaced for years.  Yeah, right.

Welcome to Kentucky!

 The view is a little nicer on the way back.  This is downtown Cincinnati as we saw it while driving North across the Mighty Ohio River later that day.

Happy Travels!

Lois