Cold Weather Comfort Food

 

Good morning,

 It has been cold with snow here so comfort food Norwegian style was very welcome.

Kjell made fish balls with carrots and white sauce that we enjoyed for two evenings.  

Food that helps you feel warm inside and out is so very welcome in January in Ohio!

:),

Lois

Rear Window

 Good morning,

When we had the leaded glass window for the main staircase made, we had part of the design made with clear glass so we could have a view to he back yard.

 Our view through the Rear Window has no connection to the famous play.  

The snow has certainly made the outside view light and bright.  Through the peep hole windows now we can see lots of snow instead of green grass, a hedge, and the pond.

It's quite lovely.

All the best,

Lois

Snow and More Snow!

 Good morning,

We are getting snow and more snow here in Ohio.

 The dogs just love the snow!  The go out, they come in, they go out....  When they get out there they play tag and chase each other around, usually ending in a long slide on top of the snow.  I love seeing them  have so much fun!

 The snow is beautiful, but not so much for those who have to go anywhere in it.

The street appears to be clear in this image, but an hour later, it was completely covered and cars were sliding around on that freezy skid stuff. The snow continued to come down throughout the rest of the day and evening.

 Retirement is good.  We don't have to go out anywhere unless we want to.  Even better, with the Internet we can purchase just about anything we need and it will be delivered to our front door. 

 Happy Winter!

Lois

N 95 Masks

 Good morning,

If you live in the USA, have you gotten your N95 masks yet?

As I walked into my Meijer store this week I was handed these three masks.  It struck me as funny that the woman passing them out was not wearing a mask.  I was already wearing a mask of my own at the time.  In my household we are all fully vaccinated and boostered, but I am careful.... I feel it's a personal choice whether we wear masks or not. I'm not out often, only do what I need to do outside the house, so wear the mask for the short time I am exposed to others.  I not only want to avoid Covid and all it's various spin offs, but even the common cold. Maybe by next winter I won't be so conservative about this....

It wasn't until I got home that I saw in the news that our US government is passing out the free N95 masks to everyone from our reserve stockpile.

Again, I'll say I believe it is a personal choice to wear a mask or not.  I'll not comment on the political implications, but I do wonder how many of my tax dollars paid for my three masks.

Hmmmm....  Food for thought....

Lois

Sleepy Wendy

 Good morning,

We have three dog beds in the living room where we all settle down in the evenings.  Sometimes the pups use their beds, other times they cuddle up in a people chair.  

Wendy is comfy with one of her toys and is totally relaxed.  In fact, she is snoring which is pretty funny while we are watching TV.

Happy Winter!  I hope you're staying warm and cozy wherever you are.

Lois

Work In Process - Large Afghan Blanket

 Good morning,

This is my WIP this week.  It's a large afghan blanket in shades of turquoise.  These are all colors of the sea so colors I love.  :) 

When finished, this pretty blanket will join the others in the Afghans and Blankets section of our shop.  

Mark just asked an excellent question (see comments) so I'm putting the answer from Ms. Google here in the post so it's easiest to find:  “Afghan” first appeared in English usage in the late 1700's as a name for the Pashtuns of eastern and southern Afghanistan. That country is known for its distinctive textiles, colorful carpets and lustrous karakul wool, so it's sort of logical that “afghan” was picked up to refer to knitted or crocheted blankets.

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the best,

Lois

Loving Kisses

 Good morning,

This is so very sweet.  Erik is kissing Wendy's face and giving her a complete face wash.  

Of course, Wendy is enjoying every minute of it.

The image is a little dark/blurry;  I didn't want to disturb them so I didn't use a flash.

 ;),

Lois

130 Pounds of Love

 Good morning,

If you look carefully,

 ...you might be able to see...

 ...Catherine...

 ...under 130 pounds of love.  

It seems both Wendy and Elsa claimed Catherine's lap at the same time.

So cute!  And, Catherine survived!

;),

Lois

Here We Go Again

 Good morning,

For three or four weeks it seemed the grocery shelves were stocked again.

But, not this week.

 Of course, I was able to buy plenty of groceries for our family, just not necessarily the items I would normally buy and definitely not at the prices I would have paid just a year ago. 

Be informed and vote.

:(,

Lois

Work in Process - Wood Working Workshop

 Good morning,

Kjell is busy in his wood working making bread boards and knives.  He already made one for me and is now working on at least one for the shop.

 Bread is especially important here because we only eat home made bread that I make from scratch every day or so.  This beautiful board is perfect to use at the dinner table to slice and serve bread.

 The knife fits in a special spot on the board and has a protective cover for the sharp blade.

 The white strip in the image above is the protective piece that fits over the blade when not in use.

The board is finished in food grade oil.  

It's not available in the shop yet, but should be soon!  

All the best,

Lois

My View

 Good morning,

This is the view from my seat at the dining room table.  The leaves are off of the trees, but the sun is out giving the false illusion of warmth outside.  It's actually below freezing out there.

I see our Ohio flag needs to be replaced.  The Ohio flag is printed;  Old Glory is stitched so lasts much longer.  Our flags are illuminated from both ground light and the top of the flag pole so they fly 24/7/365.

Regardless of the weather, I hope your day is bright wherever you are.

Happy Winter,

Lois

Potato Soup ala Catherine

 Good morning,

So appreciated was the crock pot of potato soup that Catherine prepared and left for us when she went to work.  On a cold winter's day, it's wonderful to be able to stop by the crock pot for a bowl or cup of soup throughout the day.

Thank you, Catherine!

Love you,

Mom

Silent Snowfall

 

 Good morning

I took today's images in the middle of the night while snow was silently falling.  It was so very bright outside with moonlight and lights from the University across the street.  Usually, the neighborhood is quite dark at night. 

 The only sound, however, was the flapping of our flags.

Happy Winter!

Lois

I'm Here to Help

 Good morning,

Nothing is routine here.  I generally do things like strip and remake our bed when the pups are busy elsewhere.  Since they were all on deck three with Catherine on Sunday morning, I took the opportunity to take the bedding off of the bed and throw it down the laundry chute.  

I didn't get far before Wendy arrived to help.  She was wearing her bathrobe because she had just stepped out of the tub in Catherine's bathroom.

*sigh*  So many helpers. Now if only those pups had opposable thumbs!

;),

Lois

Sweet Bri

 Good morning,

Catherine took this image and sent it to me.

Sweet little Bri certainly has plenty of personality.  She is cuteness overload!

We will be seeing a great deal more of Bri.

:),

Lois

Will You Play With Me?

 Good morning,

Kjell took this picture last night while sitting in his recliner trying to watch TV.  You can see Elsa does a good job of blocking the entire screen.

Sweet Elsa was bringing Daddy a toy to play.  Elsa decided Daddy had watched enough TV.  Is that sweetness or that!  

;),

Lois

Welcome Little Miss Bri

 Good morning,

We had a guest puppy visit us this week.  That precious little Brittany is the new puppy of our friend Erica.  Rather than stay home crated all day while her Mommy works, Bri (pronounce Bree) is visiting us.  Catherine takes her to her office and Bri has the advantage of getting some socialization instead of being alone all day.

As you can see, our Bri just loves our Elsa.  Our pups are very good with puppies so it all works out very well.  

Welcome, Bri!  We look forward to more visits with you.

:),

Lois

New Orange Kalanchoe

 Good morning,

My indoor garden grew by another plant this week.

This is the first Kalancohe that I've seen with the multiple petals in the flower that make them look almost like small roses.  The plant is gorgeous!  I need more windows in this house!

I think Meijer sees me coming to do my grocery shopping each week and puts the pretty new plants right next to the front door.

;),

Lois

Dad, Are You Asleep?

 

Incoming!

It's All a Blur

 Good morning,

Yep, the image is a blur because Erik just stepped into the kitchen from the snowy back yard and is shaking off the snow.

What a guy!

;),

Lois

Presents from the Pups

 Good morning,

Erik, Wendy, and Elsa (with help from Daddy) ordered mugs for Catherine and me.  They were supposed to be here by Christmas, but were all caught up in the mail delays along with some of the other things we ordered.  So, we had an extended present-opening - for more than two weeks.

Above is the mug for Catherine.  "Take us for a ride!" is exactly what the pups tell Catherine every day.

 This one is mine and it is so perfect!  They truly do keep my bed warm.

Retirement is good.  We are able to stay home with our pups instead of disappearing for weeks at a time to go to work at sea.  :)

All the best,

Lois

Doggie Birthday Party Treats

 Good morning,

Earlier this month I posted a picture of our three year old Elsa on her birthday.  Our daughter, Catherine, who is Elsa's "other mother" and trainer celebrated with a huge cake at the dog club during an agility trial.  If you missed it, that post is here.

 A few days later I made Elsa and her siblings, Erik and Wendy, a special birthday dinner and had great plans of getting pictures of them enjoying it together.

Above are steak burgers that I browned just slightly since they normally eat raw food. 

Since they shouldn't have raw pork, the bacon was not raw.

Every steak burger needs cheese!

And,  here they are!  Bacon Cheese Steak Burgers for Elsa, Wendy, and Erik to celebrate Elsa's birthday!

It was the next step of the planning of this post that didn't work out, so I'll let you use your imagination.  I had cameras ready to go to get pictures of the pups enjoying this, but the pups were WAY too fast for Kjell and me to get any usable pictures.  The pictures we did get were a blur.

So, I'll just say the doggie bacon cheese steak burger party was a success!

Happy birthday, again Elsa!

Love you,

Mommy

Work in Process - Blue Sweater and Intarsia Hat

 Good morning,

I'm knitting and crocheting as fast as I can to fill orders and to restock the shop.  I love doing this so it's a challenge, not a chore!

Above is a sweater that will be so very warm and comfy.  It's a custom order so will not appear in the shop, but it will be in the next monthly Needlework Update where I'll show you the finished sweater.

 Obviously, this was a work in process when I took the picture, but it was so much fun it is finished and listed in the shop already.  I love these Nordic Knit Scandinavian Intarsia designs.  It's here if you want to see it finished.

Thanks to each of you for your encouragement!  You are sincerely appreciated!  Kjell and I are enjoying our "retirement gig,"  EvensensProductions.com.  Retirement is good! 

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the best,

Lois

Free Inside

 Good morning,

At the grocery this week I got a kick out of seeing this cereal box with the "Free Toy Inside."

I have fond memories of my oldest child (now a lawyer, CPA, father...) at about five years old walking up and down the cereal aisle at the grocery looking at all of the "free insides" while trying to decide which one he wanted.  It was a very serious management decision each week.

Life is good.  Memories are precious.

Lois

Needlework and Wood Working Update - January, 2022

 Good morning,

This month has been the month of afghan blankets and hats for me.  I've been working hard to restock the shop for these items that have been selling out quickly.

Above is a Black and White Afghan Blanket.  $165.  Only one available.  More information and images are here.

This Flower Garden Afghan Blanket is another favorite that sells out quickly.  It's a good thing I enjoy making all the different colored flowers so much!  $165.  Only one available.  More here.

 This one is slightly different from others I have made before.   The Circles and Squares design is appropriate for a man (Kjell really likes this one!) or a woman.  $165.  Only one available.  See more about it here.

We have many more afghan blankets in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes available in the shop, too.  Here's the link to see them.

 It is getting cold outside here in the Northern Hemisphere so warm hats are a must.  This original design Nordic Knit Scandinavian Intarsia wool blend hat is white, navy. and tan.  $40.  It is available here.   

More similar hats in a variety of colors are also available here.

 More Cloche Hats and Chemo Caps were also added to the shop this month.

These make great sleeping, thinking, reading hats, too!

All of these cloche hats/chemo caps are grouped in a shop section here.  From $8.

More Toilet Tissue Toppers are available here.  $8. each.

And, another item to restock is this heavy wool hat.  This one is a small size.  A similar larger size is in process now and will be available in the shop soon.

Kjell has quite a number of wood items in process now, but I don't have any finished items to show you this month.  Watch this space!

Thanks, again, for your encouragement, likes, favorites, comments, and purchases, too!   Your support of our shop is truly appreciated!

All the very best,

Lois

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