Always Read Directions!

 

Always Read Directions
Before Assembling Your Labrador

Work in Process This Week

 Good morning,

My current Work in Process is a Warm Browns Large Afghan Blanket.  There will be two shades of brown "flowers."  This one will be a great Father's Day gift.

My last WIP is in the shop along with many other afghan blankets in a variety of sizes, colors, and styles that are ready to ship now.  They are here.

Come see what else we've made.  

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the best,

Lois

Kjell's Shop Dogs

 Good  morning,

These images are courtesy of Kjell.

The "kids" go to visit Daddy whenever the basement door is open.  Of course, they like to visit, but they also like the cookies he keeps in his pocket.  :)

 When he has machinery running and/or is making saw dust, he doesn't allow the pups to visit him in the shop.  

 They are so sweet.  

:),

Lois

Wendy Napping With a Friend

 Good morning,

I wonder if they know how very sweet and precious they are.

:),

Lois

Staying Warm

 Good morning,

A prerequisite when house hunting in 1979 was a wood burning fireplace.

Being in this room is the most comfortable feeling in the world on a cold winter evening.

Stay warm and comfortable wherever you are!  Or, cool and comfortable to my friends Down Under.  ;)

Lois

Elsa the Back Sleeper

Good morning,

Elsa joined me in bed by scooting up under my arm and turning on her back with her head on my chest.

I had a hard time getting the camera back far enough to get her whole head in the image.

This is just the sweetest, most lovable, loyal dog anyone could know.

Lois

Two Days Later

 Good morning,

This is the snow that fell 48 hours earlier.  The promised warm temperatures just weren't warm enough to get rid of the snow.

And, just for kicks and giggles, we are expecting another 8 inches of snow overnight tonight.

Oh, joy!  Happy Winter!

Lois

Tiny Flowers

 Good morning,

These sweet little blossoms are leaning out of a pot on the floor next to my dining room french doors.

So sweet!

:),

Lois

 

 

Surprise! It's Winter Again!

 Good morning,

Yesterday morning just before 5 AM Wendy woke me to go outside.  She's a very good dog to let me know when she has to go potty.  I noticed when I had her out that snow was beginning to fall.

At 8 AM, I took the picture you see above from my bedroom window.

 This is the view from the dining room as the snow continued to fall.

 The birds were going wild at the bird feeder outside the living room window.

 They were fighting with each other for a chance to stand on the platform and eat.

All together, we received between five and six inches of snow.  It'll be warmer tomorrow, though, so the snow won't last long.  But, the next day there will be more snow....   

This is a short video captured by the camera inside the bird feeder.

Happy Winter!

:),

Lois

Bread of the Day: Oat Bread

 Good morning,

I made two loaves of Oat Bread yesterday. 

It's wonderful to be retired and at home so we can do so many of the things that we didn't have much time to do  during our working careers.  

Retirement rocks!

:),

Lois

Wendy's Photo Shoot

 Wendy:  I'm ready for my photo shoot.  How about a side view?

 Here is my "Intelligent Looking Off Into the Distance" look.

 *sniff sniff*  Is someone cooking breakfast?

How about my other side?

Don't I have pretty ears?

Me:  Ok, Wendy.  I think we have enough shots for today.  You're beautiful!

Slow But Sure Progress

 Good morning,

It has been a very busy week with medical appointments and other things happening.  I finally got back to work on the Blue Lovers Large Afghan Blanket that I started more than a week ago.  I have more than 40 of the 80 flowers encircled with white so feel I'm making good progress now.

We had tornado warnings here yesterday.  Earlier in the day the temps were in the 50s F, now down to the 20's F.  When that warm and cold air clashes, we get really bad weather.  Catherine was just North of the city earlier and said the power was out.  We have been fortunate to keep power here, but the cable reception is pretty bad.

I hope everything is smooth and the weather is comfortable wherever you are.

All the best,

Lois

True Comfort Food

 Good morning,

Yesterday I had a routine medical procedure in the hospital.  Both Kjell and Catherine were there with me and I am so grateful that they were.

As I came out of the anesthesia, Catherine asked me what I wanted for dinner and I opted for the same as I always do after a medical procedure.  On the way home Catherine stopped at McD's and got us all Quarter Pounders with Cheese.  I honestly don't know why, but Quarter Pounders just seem to go with anesthesia.  Strange, maybe, but so am I.  ;)   

We don't eat at McD's often.  In fact, the last time I had one of these was while Kjell and I were on the road returning from a wood workshop in Missouri last October.  Tomorrow it's back to healthier food here at home.

Do you have a favorite food when you're not feeling well?

All the best,

Lois

Firewood

 Good morning,

We are going through the firewood quickly this year, but should have enough to make it to Spring.

We still have some huge logs stacked along the stone wall in the back yard.  Those logs will have to be split to be used by next year.

Our weather has been wild swings of 50F for a few days to -10F for a few days.  It's a crazy winter here in the Ohio Valley.

All the best,

Lois

It's Me

 Good morning,

Today's image is courtesy of My Honey, Kjell.  

Elsa quietly comes to his chair with the gift of a toy, lays her head on his leg, and waits for him to notice her.  

Precious!

:),

Lois
 

Joint Venture Gravlax Brunch

 Good morning,

We enjoyed gravlax for brunch yesterday.

This meal was a joint effort with Kjell (the gravlax - raw salmon cured with cognac, sugar, and salt), scrambled eggs and sauce made by Catherine, all served on fresh home made oat bread made by me.

I've published the gravlax  and sauce recipes earlier on this blog here.

 There are many recipes for my bread that can be found the "Bread Making" link in the right column of this blog.

Enjoy!

:),

Lois

Sweet Dreams Wendy

 Good morning,

I snapped this image of Wendy right before I went to bed last night.  

Since Erik isn't able to climb the stairs any more, he is sleeping in the living room.  Wendy often stays downstairs with him which is very helpful.  

Erik gets very lonely on the first floor and sometimes barks until someone will come downstairs and sit with him.  It's interesting how the pups read each others feelings and comfort each other.

For years we only had one dog at a time.  About twenty years ago we added a second, and then even more to the household.  It was when we got the second dog that we could enjoy seeing the beautiful interactions between them.

All the best,

Lois

Work in Process This Week

 Good morning,

These pretty flowers are beginning to bloom in a box on my dining room table.  My next large afghan blanket will feature blue flowers surrounded by white and more blues.  So pretty!

I have a few items finished that I haven't photographed for the shop yet.  I like to take the pictures in bright sunlight rather than using flash, but the days here have been dark and gray lately.  I'm supposed to have some sun later today so I'll try to get some pictures.

There are many more blankets finished and in the shop ready to shop.

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the best,

Lois

UC Health

  

Good morning,

I have to give a shout out to UC Health.  Those are the University of Cincinnati Health Providers and University Hospital Level I Trauma Center that took such good care of Damar Hamlin last week after he suffered cardiac arrest during a football game here in Cincinnati.  Damar has recovered, has been released, and is now home in Buffalo, New York.  While reading a news report about Damar's treatment at UC, I recognized a doctor's name.  It was the same doctor who preformed an emergency appendectomy on me in 2018.  Small world.

My Honey and I are so very lucky to live here in Cincinnati and also benefit from the services of UC Health Physicians and University Hospital.  We have each had health issues that have been handled quickly and professionally.

We are grateful every day that we live in an age and an area where such excellent care is available.

We have other ties to the University of Cincinnati, too.  My Dad came to Cincinnati in the 1920's to attend UC because they were the first in the nation with a co-op program.  He graduated, met my mom, got married, got a job with P&G, and spent his entire career there.  Without UC, he would never have met and married my Mom.  Small world.

 In the 1980's I was an Adjunct Professor of Accounting at UC.  I mentioned to my Dad that I was teaching a class in McMicken Hall and he asked what classroom I was using.  I told him only to discover it was the same classroom where he attended his first accounting class in the 1920's.  Full Circle. Small world.  

All the best from Cincinnati,

Lois

Cuteness Overload

 Good morning,

This seems to be the week of the dog(s).  

I snapped this image of Elsa when she came and put her head across my legs as I sat on the bed while talking on the phone yesterday.

She always has to be close and she usually has to be literally on top of us.

I saw something on Facebook the other day that is so true:  Be good to your dog.  You dog will love you more than anyone else.  

Just a little hint:  We have three Labs, probably going on four in April.  No, our pups aren't having babies, but the kennel where we got Elsa and Penny is expecting a litter soon.  We are on the list.  ;)

All the best,

Lois

Hiring on Nepotism

 Good morning,

Today's image is courtesy of Catherine who took Wendy to work today.  Hiring on nepotism has always worked well in our family so it was Wendy's turn.

So cute!

:),

Lois

Such a Pretty Face

 Elsa:  Mom, will you stop crocheting and play with me?

Me:  Sure, Sweet Elsa, of course.

Dog Show Swag

 Good morning,

Last weekend Catherine participated in Agility Trials at our local AKC Dog Club.

These events generally give very cool swag as you see in the images.

 The glass mugs given by the Miami Valley Labrador Retriever Club are especially nice! We are getting quite a collection of them after participating for many years.

Life is good.  Labrador Retrievers make it even better.

:),

Lois

Disney Movie Night

 Good morning,

No matter how old we get, it's still fun to watch Disney movies.  

Last night we watched Pinocchio and enjoyed it tremendously.  That's Wendy on her bed snoozing with her toy.  

Catherine and Elsa had been at a dog show so they fell asleep during the movie.  Dear old Erik falls asleep any time and any place these days.  He was by my chair.

Home Sweet Home.

All the best,

Lois

Soup's On!

 Good morning,

Our daughter, Catherine, has become the queen of soup around here.  

Yesterday it was a ham and corn chowder.  Delicious!

Thank you, Catherine.  

Love you,

Mom and Dad

Happy Birthday to Elsa!

 Good morning,

We all celebrated Elsa's fourth birthday yesterday.  Getting a picture of her with any of her new toys was nearly impossible!  She was so excited and was having so much fun!

Her favorite birthday toy is definitely the pretty fishie she got from her Auntie Erica!  She has been carrying it around all day.

 Happy Birthday, Sweet Elsa!  We are so very happy to have you in our lives.

Lois

Needlework and Wood Working Update - January, 2023

 Good morning,

Welcome to this month's Needlework and Wood Working Update.  This is where we bring together all of the items we have finished during the previous month since our last update.

Above is a custom order sweater that was a Christmas present so I couldn't include it in the update until this month.  It seemed to take forever since I was having soreness in two of my fingers, but it was finished in plenty of time.  We have other sweaters in a variety of sizes available to ship here.

I made this full size afghan blanket for the shop, listed it, and it sold four days later.  I just love the yellow flowers and have already put together the yarn to make another one.  But first, I have a different full sized afghan blanket and a lap blanket in the works.  We have more large afghan blankets finished and available to ship here. 

I generally have both large and small projects going during each month.  Above is a set of double thick, 100% cotton pot holders that also serve as great table pads or place mats.  $20.  More images and information here.

This is another pair of pot holders in white with flecks of pink and blue.  $20.  More info and images here.

This hat and...

...this hat were both custom orders that have been delivered.  We have a large selection of hats and scarves available to ship.  Come take a look.

My Honey was very busy this month, too.  Above is a remote holder that he made on his 3D printer.  Now we have the remotes within reach in the middle of the table between us.  Of course, he measured our remotes and designed the holder to be just perfect.  It's good to be married to an engineer.  ;) 

And, finally, from the wood workshop this month is a new sign for our gate.  This new sign features a camera (that black circle) that captures images of anyone coming up our drive and nearing the gate.  The images go directly to our phones and to the cloud so by the time someone is close enough to touch it, we already have your image.  SMILE!  That gadget just to the right of the gate latch is also a warning device.  It sends a signal inside the house that someone is at the gate.  

So, that's it for this month.  The holidays are over now so we have more time to work on even more items for the shop.  

We sincerely appreciate your encouragement, comments, likes, favorites, pins, and purchases, too!  We are enjoying our retirement business that we started back in 2011.  

Come see what else we've made!  EvensensProductions.com

All the very best,

Lois

Waiting Room Crochet

 Good morning,

The cold weather took a toll on our car battery so we had a new one installed at our dealer.  

I have a larger afghan in process at home, but grabbed some yarn to work on while waiting for the car.  This will be a lap-size blanket that will be useful for any age from baby to granny.  The soft colors work very well together.

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the best,

Lois

Hungry Blue Jay

Good morning,

We love having our bird feeder just outside our living room french doors. 

 Wendy enjoys watching, too, and has stopped barking at the birds.  The squirrels aren't so lucky.  ;) 

 During the very cold weather last week we saw Blue Jays, Cardinals, Sparrows, and many other birds at our feeder.

When I go out to add food to the feeder, I am usually met with birds loudly asking me what took so long.

I love it!

Lois

Oat Bread

 Good morning,

The house smells so wonderful when bread is baking.

I've made two batches (four loaves) of oat bread this week.  It was such a big hit after the first batch, that I made another.

 The texture is just fabulous and the flavor is rich and full.  It's great with meals or to wrap a thick slice around sausage with some Dijon mustard. 

This one will be a regular.

What are you baking, making growing this week?

All the best,

Lois