Happy Halloween!

 Good morning and Happy Halloween!

Today's images are courtesy of our daughter Catherine and our Elsa who are in Missouri this weekend participating in Dock Diving Championships.

 We all hope you have a wonderful, safe, and fun Halloween!

All the best,

Lois

I've Got Your Back

 Erik:  I've got your back.

Elsa:  Ok, I've got yours.

 

 

 

 

Where is the Pool?

 Good Morning,

Catherine sent me this short video of Elsa and her Brittany friends at the pool.  The pool guy has closed Erica's pool and put the cover on it, but that doesn't keep the pups from enjoying the rain water on top of the pool cover.

Kids!

;),

Lois

Flower Garden Afghan Flower Arrangement

 Good morning,

I snapped today's pictures while I was arranging the flower colors for the most recent Flower Garden Afghan Blanket.

After making all of the flowers, I lay them out on the dining room table in the color pattern I want before...

..."stringing" them on a piece of yarn in the order that I will crochet them together.  I can then put the whole thing in a box to keep them in order as I crochet them together.

 I took these pictures last week, then put the afghan together and listed it in the shop.  Someone bought it right away, so I'll be starting another similar one soon.  First I will finish the Shades of Turquoise afghan blanket I'm working on now.  We have other afghan blankets here ready to ship now.

So much pretty yarn, so little time!  ;) 

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the best,

Lois

Wild Flowers on the Patio

 

 Good morning,

My flowers on the patio are going a bit wild as they enjoy the last few warm days and sunshine of Fall.

That center pot is filled with the flowers from years-old seeds I found in my desk drawer last Spring.  I decided to put them in a pot and see what happened and was delighted that I did.  

The pot on the right is the tomato plant that is now finished for the season as well as chives that will come back each year.  

Ah, yes, all the plants will slow down for awhile now as the cold weather arrives.  Before we know it, the pups will be playing in the snow.  

:),

Lois

Izzy's With Family

 Good morning,

We met our #1 son and his wife at Izzy's again last week for a reuben sandwich.  This restaurant was in downtown Cincinnati when it was founded generations ago, but has now moved to where it is very convenient to us.  The sandwich pictured in that menu above is absolutely fantastic.  When the restaurant was new, it was Kosher, but no longer is. I remember the restaurant in the 1960's in downtown Cincinnati.  Here is a fantastic history.

 Les and Diane were in town to help someone move so it was great that there were a few minutes to see them during their quick visit here.

Of course, pictures are a part of our family gatherings.   :)  

Our daughter Catherine joined us, too, just long enough to say hello and enjoy a reuben sandwich.  She was still in the crunch time of a tax deadline, but couldn't miss the chance to see everyone and enjoy a meal with us before returning to her office to work through the night.

Retirement is good.  :)

Lois 

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Linked to Thankful Thursday

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Yellow Mums are Back!

 Good morning,

Several years ago I bought yellow Mums to plant in the front porch flower pots.  These wonderful plants have returned to bloom each and every year since.

 So pretty!  My color theme for the house is blue and white so I might have bought white Mums if Kjell hadn't been standing by me looking at the flowers in the store some years ago.  He commented these looked like the flowers his Mom had in front of their home when he was a child.  That sealed the deal and I bought these pretty plants.  I'm so glad I did!

Happy Fall!

Lois

New Recliners

 Good morning,

We ordered two new Lazy Boy recliners for our living room last August.  They were supposed to be delivered in two to three weeks.  We shouldn't have been so vulnerable....

 Three months later the recliners were delivered.  Here Wendy is testing Daddy's recliner and says it is very nice.  Daddy gets to sit in it sometimes, too.

I spend a lot of time with needlework while sitting in my Lazy Boy chair.  I took this image while working on an afghan when Elsa stopped by for lovey time.  Of course, I put the blanket into a box and stopped to cuddle that pretty little girl.  

The moral of the story is Lazy Boy chairs are wonderful.  We've had them for sixty years.  But, delivery time is a problem.  Don't get rid of your old chairs before the new ones arrive - we didn't!  The first picture of empty spaces was taken after I got the call that our chairs were on the truck and ready to deliver. 

All the best,

Lois 

Update:  If you'd like to see the finished project, that afghan blanket is finished and in the shop here.

Orange Barrel Garden

 Good morning,

I'm convinced the United States is the world leader in Orange Barrel Gardens.

These orange barrels grow mostly in the warmer months of the year and spring up everywhere along our highways.

I'm convinced we passed millions of them on our recent road trip between Ohio and Missouri.

Happy Fall!

Lois
 

Light at the End of the Tunnel

 Good morning,

The weather didn't want to make our recent road trip easy.

It felt as if we were always under a dark cloud,

but could see the light at the end of the tunnel ahead.  

We were almost to our destination in Springfield, Missouri, when I took these pictures.  I don't think I appreciated how artistic and beautiful the clouds were until I got home and downloaded these pictures.  :)

All the best,

Lois

Too Many Accidents

 Good morning,

The weather was very rainy on our last road trip and sadly we saw way too many accidents.

 We find it sad that so many drivers don't slow down during the rain.

 

 

There are images of multiple accidents in this post.  There was just enough rain to make the oil on the road treacherous. 

Sadly, the cab was under the trailer.  The truck had left the highway and landed on a parallel side road.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is that everyone is safe.  Trucks and cars can be replaced, but....

Lois

Happy Birthday, Catherine!

 

 Happy Birthday
to Our One and Only Catherine!

Daughters are so wonderful!

 

Very Big Tires

 Good morning,

These giant tires appeared to be brand new and on their way to a very big vehicle.

It would be fun to know exactly where they were going and for what type of vehicle they will be used. 

The equipment used to mount the tires must be very interesting, too....

:),

Lois

Road Trip - Passing Louisville, Kentucky

 Good morning,

We're still on our road trip from Ohio to Missouri. 

We passed Louisville, Kentucky, and crossed the Ohio River for a second time since we left home.

Of course, an arena named for Kentucky Fried Chicken.  ;) 

We weren't able to see over the highway guard rail, but I recognized the top of the Belle of Louisville Paddle Wheeler. 

Here comes that Ohio River crossing again. 

The bridge is being repainted...

...so is partially draped with cloth.

 

The Mighty Ohio River.  That water passed Cincinnati about 100 miles upstream.

Indiana here we come!

We love road trips.  It's so good to be able to go again since Covid caused so many changes in our lives.

All the best,

Lois

Concrete Spaghetti

 Good morning,

I took these images while approaching Louisville, Kentucky.

 Do you ever feel you are driving through a bowl of concrete spaghetti?

;),

Lois

Leaving Cincinnati - Road Trip

Good morning,

Here are a few images I took while we were leaving home on our way to Missouri recently.  That's the skyline of downtown Cincinnati ahead.

There was plenty of construction on this trip, starting from home.  The I-75 bridge across the Ohio River between Ohio and Kentucky has been under repair for quite some time so traffic has been a nightmare.

This is a little nicer shot of part of downtown Cincinnati.

Those matching towers, center left, are the world headquarters of Procter and Gamble.  

And, so our journey began.  From time to time I'll have more images from our road trip adventure.

All the best,

Lois

Hoof Print Evidence

 Good morning,

Here's another image that our daughter, Catherine, sent to me.  This is hoof print evidence that the deer continue to wander the neighborhood, including the soft soil area beside our driveway.  

We have mentioned our many deer sightings to two of our neighbors who were completely unaware of their presence.  Amazing.  The deer are not only huge, they are here on a regular basis.  One neighbor even said, "I wondered why our flowers were eaten."  

I think it's fun to have the wildlife so close here in the city.  After 42 years living here, we have just begun seeing so many critters in the past eight to ten years.  Our dogs let us know sometimes when the deer are nearby;  other times we see them ourselves without the dogs seeing them across the fence that is covered by greenery.

Happy Fall!

Lois

Fond Memories

 Good morning,

It was fun seeing this mug again in Catherine's office.

Yesterday I spent a few hours in our daughter Catherine's office to help with the crazy last minutes before a tax deadline.  She and I were partners with our own CPA firm until many years ago when I was swept off my feet by a certain Norwegian and we went to sea for twenty years.

The Majesty mug brought back memories of the six years Kjell and I spent on Majesty of the Seas.  Before that we were on board Splendour of the Seas and after Majesty we were aboard Freedom of the Seas.  They are all beautiful ships and we have wonderful memories from those days.

But, retirement is good!

:),

Lois

Bob's CNC Family Reunion

 Good morning,

I didn't realize it until after we were home, but I didn't take many pictures inside of Bob's CNC this year.  We were in Brighton, Missouri, to visit with friends old and new who are Bob's CNC users.  That's Bob closest on the left in the above image.  His right hand man, Keith, is standing to his left - go figure.  :) 

 I snapped a few pictures of "the shop." 

 This place has grown more than twice as big as it was when we were here two years ago.  We only missed last year because Covid cancelled the event.

We had a blast this year.  I only wish I had taken more pictures.  Here are pictures from two years ago.  I guess we all look pretty much the same.  Ha!

All the best,

Lois