Cozumel, Mexico

 Good morning,

Ah, yes, Cozumel, Mexico.

 It is fun to see somewhere warm at this time of the year, isn't it.  

Catherine took these images from Mariner of the Seas.

Thank you for sharing, Catherine!

Love you,

M\om

Houston! We have landed!

 Good morning,

Credit for today's image goes to Catherine.  

Catherine and Erica recently enjoyed a cruise out of the Port of Galveston.  She took this image at the Houston Airport on her way to the ship.

More to come!

Lois

Teddy Living the Good Life

 Good morning,

Ten year old Teddy thinks he lives here and that is just fine with us.

Teddy is here often when his Mom, our friend Erica, is traveling.  We would rather Teddy be here with us than in a kennel. waiting for his Mom to come home.

He is such a good dog.

;),

Lois

I Fix Stuff

 Good morning,

This is the front of another shirt I gave to Kjell.  It is good to be married to an engineer. 

We have a good time with funny t-shirts.  In retirement, especially in the summer, t-shirts are our uniforms of the day.  

;),

Lois

Elsa the Spelunker

 Good morning,

When I discovered the hole the pups were digging under the old Walnut Tree, I blocked the hole with a piece of firewood and an old stool.

 That didn't last long!  It seems the pups were having so much fun with their Winnie the Pooh style "house" that their "other mother" Catherine removed the blocking items so they could continue to dig and play.

Daddy took this picture....

The pups now have to be hosed off before coming into the house.

Elsa is beginning to wonder if digging under the tree is worth it....

Eventually, we'll work it all out.  I'm glad the temperatures will be dropping soon.  We'll clean up the patio area and secure everything for winter - including that Winnie the Pooh house under the old Walnut Tree.

*sigh*

Lois

Teddy Thinks He is a Retriever

 Good morning,

Our friend Teddy is here again!

 Teddy likes to bring me a toy so I can throw it for him. 

 Of course, this goes on over and over and over again until my throwing arm is tired.  

Teddy the Border Collie is more interested in retrieving than our four Labrador Retrievers!  

And, I love that tongue!  It gives very big kisses.

;),

Lois

Inventory of Lily's Current Collection

 Good morning,

This is Lily's current collection of "stuff" on her deck chair on the patio.  She's not allowed to bring most of these things inside, so she keeps them here.  

Here's the current inventory:

Stuffies  - the stuffed toys make regular trips inside to go through the washing machine, then are returned to the living room toy box where they go through this all again.

Chewies - a variety of hard rubber-type chew toys.

Antler - there is a deer antler in that stack of logs.  No, she didn't catch the deer and grab the antler.  Catherine has a client who brings naturally-shed antlers to her.  If purchased in the pet shop, these can be quite expensive.

Peanut Butter Bone - There's a bone at the top center of the image that is sold in pet stores to be filled with peanut butter.  It's a great project for pups that is a quiet activity.  Since it is now outside, it has to stay here until and unless I can clean it out to be refilled to use inside.  Once it comes outside, the ants and other buggies like to get their share of the peanut butter.  

Football Treat Holder - This is on the right side of the image to the right of the green and purple stuffy toy snake.  The football has a variety of holes in it that we service humans (ok, dog parents) can stuff with treats for the pups to rescue and eat.  This is another great quiet activity for pups.

Firewood - Ah, yes.  Firewood.  Lily likes to drag pieces of firewood to her deck chair.  I am looking forward to the first cold evening when I can round up most of that and use it to start a warm, cozy fire.

Yep, Lily is a busy girl.  She is a darling pup, but needs constant supervision.  I don't think she will follow our Labrador norm of calming down by age two.  I think we will have a lifetime of fun, games, and surprises with her.

:),

Lois

Our Guy Erik

 Good morning,

Someone recently asked me about our 15 year old Erik.

Considering his age, Erik is doing quite well.  He's stiff when he gets up and walks (so am I), but that's expected.  He gets medications to help with his arthritis.

Generally, Erik can see and hear us, although not the same as before.  He still enjoys his food and wags his tail so life is good.  He barks more than he should, but we attribute that to a bit of doggie dementia.  As soon as he sees us and we cuddle him, he's fine.

We attribute Erik's long life and reasonably good health at his age to his agility, dock diving, gun dog, and general fun guy life.  He has always been on a raw diet that we prepare from people food as well as some of our people food that we share from our meals.  He has thrived on his diet to live to this ripe old age and is still chugging along.

So, that's the Erik update.  We are so glad he is still with us.   

Thank you for asking.

Lois

Teddy Baby

 Good morning,

Teddy belongs to our friend Erica, but I think he thinks he lives here, too.

When Erica travels, Teddy often stays with us.  It is so much better than going to a kennel.

Here Teddy is lying in my arms being a baby.  He's ten years old and a very good boy.  

Teddy is a sweetheart.

;),

Lois

No Fishing!

 Me:  Lily!  Get out of the Pond!

Lily:  I'm playing with the fishies!  There are so many pretty gold fishies in here!

 Lily:  I don't think Mom can see me now.

Lily:  Maybe I can catch some lunch!  I love sushi!

Me:  Lily!  No fishing!  

I really need for Daddy to make a No Fishing sign!

*sigh*

Lois

Too Much Help

 

 Good morning,

It's not easy to fill the pup's pool when you have Lily helping you.

Love this!

Enjoy,

Lois

Bottoms Up

 Good morning,

Elsa and Lily have started channeling Winnie the Pooh by building a home in the base of our old Oak tree trunk.

 We didn't realize how big the space was down there until our 80 pound Elsa disappeared.  Yes, she is OK.

More images to come....

:),

Lois

Autumn Hibiscus

 Good morning,

I just love our Hearty Hibiscus.  These beautiful blossoms bring us joy for weeks from late Summer into Autumn.

 The joy is that they seed themselves and require little care.

Just beautiful.

Lois

Close Friend Elsa

 Good morning,

Our sweet Elsa cannot get close enough to us.  Here she is leaning on my leg in my bed.  

Elsa is so very special.  She knows when we don't feel well and is always there to comfort us.  She just quietly gets close and cuddles.

So precious.

As I've heard so many times, a most precious life experience is the love of a dog.   

Lois

Wild Strawberries

 Good morning,

We have quite a few wild strawberries on our property.  This is the first year for a long time that we've seen bunnies here, too. 

We have hawks in the neighborhood so the bunnies "disappeared" for several years in a row.  We're glad to see the bunnies back.  

It's fun to see our pups go out in the morning and "track" the critters who have been through our yard overnight.  One day recently, there was a human back there who didn't belong.  We caught a partial image of him on our security cameras as he entered and left over the fence near our pond.  He was lucky there weren't any dogs in the yard when he was here.

Life has changed, hasn't it....

Lois

May I Have Your Attention Please

 

Good morning,

Elsa isn't shy. She does this regularly to get her daddy's attention.  

For awhile, he tries to pretend he doesn't notice, but that doesn't work for long.

So cute!

:),

Lois

Birdie Breakfast

 Good morning,

It is so much fun to watch the birds at our feeder.

On this sunny morning I shared some of my home made bread (no preservatives) that seem to hit the spot for our feathered friends.

Enjoy!

Lois

Needlework and Wood Working Update - September, 2024

 Good morning,

It has been a very busy month since our last Needlework and Wood Working Update.  We are hard at work making items for the shop for the holiday season.  Be sure to scroll all the way down to see the gorgeous items Kjell has made this month, too!

We hope you'll visit our shop as you look for gifts for family, friends, and yourself:  https://EvensensProductions.Etsy.com. 

Above is a very highly textured intricate Bavarian Stitch Afghan Blanket.  This blanket will be a beautiful gift for a man or a woman.  It is also an elegant wedding gift.  $165.  There is only one available;  more images and information are here. 

 This new large Flower Garden Afghan Blanket is a very popular design.  This is a new one in the shop this month.  $185.  More images and information here.

 This is the lap blanket version of the Flower Garden Afghan Blanket. I call this the Brilliant Bouquet Lap Blanket.  This bouquet won't wilt!  What a lovely gift to brighten the day and the room of someone of any age.  $75. More information and images are here.

 What beautiful pink flowers on burgundy!  This Lap Blanket is also only $75. Only one available. 36" x 36"  More information and images here.  This is a lovely Birthday, Christmas, or Valentine gift.

One more Lap Blanket this month!  This one is lovely for a man or a woman.  $75.  Only one available.  More information and images are here.

 PINK!  Yes, it is bright and beautiful!  This pink Toilet Tissue Topper is only $8.  What a fun gift for someone special or for yourself.  See more about it here.

 Each month I restock the Cloche Hats that can also be used as Chemo Caps. Only $8.  This chocolate brown hat is available here.

This bright pink hat was sold shortly after being listed in the shop.  We have dozens of similar hats from $8 in a wide variety of colors here.  

This was the month to restock the Luggage Identifiers in the shop. $5 for a set of six.  Priceless when you are searching for your luggage at the airport or cruise terminal.  Aqua here.

 Cherry Red.

Light Blue.

Emerald Green.

Whisper Pink.

Burnt Orange.

Red, White, Green for Christmas or Anytime Travel!

 Kjell has been so very busy carving and hand painting beautiful wood items in his wood workshop.  Two Cardinals are such a lovely gift, $58.  More information and images are here.

 I personally love this one!  Our two horses in a heart are here.  $54.  Only one available.

 This one is for those of us who love the sea and the creatures who live in it.  $56.  Only one available here.

 Our gorgeous Pastel Humming Birds are also one of a kind.  $56.  More information and images are here.

 New this year!  Our Christmas Gnome carved in Cherry Wood and Hand Painted is one of a kind!  He looks like he has been enjoying a bit of Christmas Cheer, too!  He's one of a kind here. $62.

 Kjell's Sledding Gnome is all ready for the holidays, too!  Carved cherry wood, hand painted.  $62.  Only one is here.

 And, finally for this month:  Someone asked me about pen and pencil sets in our shop.  I took and look and realized they were all sold out so I asked Kjell.  He ordered the hardware to make a set and here they are.  This Click Style set is turned of Purple Heart Wood and features Gun Metal Hardware.  $93.  Only one set available here.

We certainly have been busy this month.  We hope you'll take a virtual stroll through our shop, Evensens Productions.  Perhaps you'll find that special item for yourself or that other special person.  https://evensensproductions.etsy.com

We appreciate your encouragement, likes, shares, pins, favorites, and purchases, too!  Questions?  Please ask!

 All the very best,

Lois

Last Call

 Good morning,

Last call!  Before we go to bed each evening we take all the pups out for their last potty break for the night.

The evening I took this image we had two extra pups here for a sleep over so there were six ( two of ours aren't pictured) of them!

The border collies are Teddy and Tillie who belong to our friend Erica.  She travels a great deal for her work so Teddy and Tillie come here rather than having to go to a kennel while their mommy is gone.

I think they sometimes think they live here.  They are very good pups.

All the best,

Lois