Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween
From All of Us in the Evensen Household
Wendy, Elsa (pictured), Lily, Catherine, and Me!
Image credit:  Catherine

 

Air Care Arrival at UC Medical Center

 Good morning,

While on the way to a routine appointment, Kjell snapped this image of the Air Care Helicopter arriving at our University of Cincinnati Hospital.  

From our home, the hospital is about 10 minutes away by car so we don't need a helicopter ride to get there. 

We are so very fortunate to live close to expert medical care! 

Count your blessings!

Lois

Beef Stew for Chilly Evening Dinner

 Good morning,

Kjell made a marvelous beef stew for dinner.  Now that the evenings are getting cooler, this seems especially yummy. 

I also love the aroma.  I took the dogs out in the cool evening air and when I came back into the house, the aroma of the beef stew was overwhelmingly marvelous.

I'll let you in on a little secret, too:  he puts wine in the sauce.  ;)   

Happy Fall!

Lois

Work in Process - Putting It All Together

 Good morning,

Last week I showed you the flowers as I was making them for this large afghan blanket.

Eighty flowers are finished, bordered in white, and I'm crocheting them all together.   This is a long process, but produces beautiful results.  It'll be another few days before the project is finished.  Then I have to photograph it and write the listing to put it in the shop.

In the meantime, there are many more blankets in a variety of sizes and colors already.  Check them out!

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the very best,

Lois 

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A Beautiful Dog Day!

 Good morning,

This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous here!

Our Elsa and Lily had a fabulous time romping with their Border Collie friends.  It won't be long until the green turns to brown and gray.  Following that, the pups will have fun romping in snow.

It's a Dog's Life....

Lois

Where's the Pool?

 Good morning,

Catherine took our pups (the Labs) to visit their Border Collie friends and they all were determined to go for a swim! 

 Oh, my!  The pool is closed for the season.  

But, leave it to this pack of friends, they played in the rain water on top of the pool cover.  I just hope the pool cover survives the winter!

Kids!

:),

Lois

Staring Contest

 Good morning,

Often during the evening, while sitting in my recliner crocheting and watching TV, I suddenly feel a warm chin against the side of my leg.  

It's my sweet Elsa, waiting to be seen and cuddled.  She is so patient, so loving.   

Of course, I put down what I am doing and cuddle my sweet girl for awhile.  

There is something so very special about Labrador Retrievers.  Their love and loyalty is just so wonderful.

All the best,

Lois

Birthday Brownie at Hard Rock Cafe

 Good morning,

Catherine is continuing to celebrate her birthday all week!  She and Erica had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe here in Cincinnati and this topped it off.

It's a Birthday Brownie obviously smothered in ice cream and whipped cream!. Wow!

Happy Birthday, again, Catherine!

Love you,

Mom

A Study in Black and White - Our Wendy

 Good morning,

Wendy looked so pretty lying in the driveway last night that I had to snap a picture.  No, it's not a black and white picture, but she's so white against the black top that it almost looks as if it is.

We were out for last call before bed and the other pups were still wandering around the yard when Wendy decided the cool blacktop would feel good on her tummy.

Our twelve year old is such a pretty girl.  We love our Wendy.

All the best,

Lois

Onion Soup from Scratch ala Kjell

 Good morning,

Kjell spent most of the day in the kitchen making onion soup from scratch.

He started by making the beef broth, then caramelizing onions, and finally baking it in the oven.

It was fantastic!

It is good to have an engineer who cooks in the house!

Thanks, Sweetie!

Love you,

Lois

Birthday Dinner at J. Alexander's

 Good morning,

Last night Erica, Catherine, Kjell and I had a birthday dinner for Catherine at J. Alexander's. 

We each ordered the prime rib, but... 

 ...it was the finale that was was truly amazing!  Catherine asked for four plates so we could all share.

I've been in a food coma all night....

Happy Birthday, again, Catherine!

Love you,

Mom & Dad

Happy Birthday to Catherine!

 

Good Morning and Happy Birthday to our one and only daughter, Catherine!

Here she is doing what she does so well, preparing food!  You can see she has some help, too.

Happy Birthday, Catherine!  We look forward to going out to dinner tonight so you don't have to cook!

Love you,

Mom and Dad

Sweetest Day Rose

 Good morning,

What a beautiful rose!  The velvet texture is spectacular.

The rose was in a bouquet from My Honey for Sweetest Day.

Thank you, Darlin',

Lois

(And, thanks to My Honey's secret shopper, Catherine, too!)

Egg-cellent Eggs

 Good morning,

Kjell ordered a new egg poacher and it arrived today, so, of course, we had to have poached eggs for dinner.  :) 

 This one is much fancier than my mother's that we didn't use very often any more.

 After the water boiled, it only took five minutes...

...to have very tasty (and happy) poached eggs.

Thanks, Sweetie.  This was fun and very good, too!

Love you,

Lois

Work in Process - Blue and White Afghan Blanket

 Good morning,

This week's Work in Process is a blue and white large afghan blanket.  That's a special blue yarn with highlights that provide a beautiful texture in the finished piece.  These take awhile to complete, but when it is finished, it will be available here.

There are many more blankets in a variety of designs, sizes, and colors in the shop now that are ready to ship.  We have something for every member of the family.  See them all here.

 What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the very best,

Lois 

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Autumn Blossoms

 Good morning,

The blossoms keep coming even though the nights have been very chilly.  This week we are expecting the first frost, so there won't be many more flowers for awhile.

So pretty.

All the best,

Lois

Roast Chicken ala Kjell

 Good morning,

Kjell made the BEST roast chicken yesterday!  

This was absolutely awesome!  It's so great to have an excellent chef in the house!

Thank you, Sweetie,

Lois

Honeysuckle Berries

 Good morning,

The birds in our yard are very happy with the honeysuckle berries right now.  

Ah, Fall....

All the best,

Lois 

 

 

 

Elsa and the Tree Stump

 Good morning,

That's Elsa under the old oak tree stump.  You can see why she sometimes comes into the house dirty!  She's not stuck, the pups just like to dig and play under there.

The stump has become too unstable as you can see from the narrow piece of rotting wood holding it up.  It's wobbly and as soon as she came out this time, Daddy filled the hole so the pups can't get under there any more.  I'm really glad.  

So, the Winnie the Pooh Tree Stump is no longer open for doggie play business.

Life marches on....

All the best,

Lois

Joint Venture Cooking - Bread Just Out of the Oven

 Good morning,

We share cooking and baking duties around here.  Kjell is a master at preparing fish and meats. I am the bread (and a few other things) maker.

The image above is bread just out of the oven and the house smells ooooooh, so good!

Catherine is also great in the kitchen, but at this time of the year, she is busy in her office.  Quite a few client tax returns are on extension because the data needed for their returns arrives after April 15.  

We have a great team!

Who is the chef at your home?

All the best,

Lois

Daddy in the Kitchen

 Good morning,

I'm lucky to have a resident chef.  That's Kjell preparing pork to go on the grill.

Yum!

All the best,

Lois

Gravlax in the Windjammer - Ovation of the Seas

 Good morning,

There are so many choices of restaurants and types of food aboard Royal Caribbean ships.  
A quick meal is available in the Windjammer.  It's buffet style so you can go directly to whatever you want quickly. 

 Catherine sent us these images.  It is great to see Gravlax served here!  Gravlax is raw salmon cured for several days with salt, sugar, and some type of alcohol (we use aquavit or cognac here at home).  

Here's our recipe that we prepare at home. 

This is a Scandinavian treat!  We love it!

If you haven't already, try it!  

Enjoy!

Lois

Pool Deck - Ovation of the Seas

 Good morning,

This is part of the pool deck aboard Ovation of the Seas.

Since we were on board the ships have grown to huge floating entertainment centers including the pool deck options.  There are so many things to do for adults and children now that weren't available on the ships when Royal Caribbean first puts ships into the water.

It's beautiful!   It's fun!  

Enjoy!

Lois

North Star Aboard Ovation of the Seas

 Good morning,

There is something new on some Royal Caribbean ships since Kjell retired and we came home from the high seas.  It's called the North Star.

That capsule you see above rises above the ship so that those inside can enjoy fantastic views. 

 Here Erica and Catherine enjoyed the North Star and we have this picture to document it!

It's not for those afraid of heights, but it certainly is a unique adventure for those who are not!

Enjoy,

Lois

View From the Bridge - Ovation of the Seas

 Good morning,

On most Royal Caribbean ships, there is a camera on the Bridge that is used to send images to guest cabins.

It's fun to check out the Bridge channel from time to time.  

Ah, yes, cruising....

:),

Lois

Photo credit:  Catherine  

Work in Process - Yellow Scandinavian Intarsia Hat

 Good morning,

My current Work in Process is another Scandinavian Intarsia Knit hat.  These are a sampler of the stitches found on Classic Norwegian Sweaters.  I just love making these!  Each hat is one of a kind.

There are more similar hats in a variety of colors in the shop already here. Come take a look!  

We have more than 300 items in the shop ready to ship now.  We hope you'll shop with us here:  https://EvensensProductions.Etsy.com.   

 What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the very best,

Lois

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Artwork Aboard Ovation of the Seas - Etching on Glass

 Good morning,

Every Royal Caribbean ship features beautiful artwork.  When you cruise, take some time to stroll around the ship and enjoy the artwork.

It's a little difficult to see in this image, but the Octopus is etched into the glass aboard Ovation of the Seas.

Gorgeous!

 All the best,

Lois

Image credit:  our daughter, Catherine.  Thank you! 

Fish and Ships - Ovation of the Seas

 Good morning,

You'd have to work very hard to avoid eating on a cruise ship.  There is food just about everywhere.

Fish and Ships is one of the spots where you can get some quick food, then get on with your day. 

 Everything is freshly prepared...

 ...and absolutely yummy!

 Be sure to explore the entire ship when you come on board so you don't miss any of these special places!

Enjoy!

Lois

Mendenhall Glacier

 Good morning,

This beautiful image of Mendenhall Glacier is beautiful enough to frame and hang.  Catherine took the image while on her cruise aboard Ovation of the Seas.

Thank you for the image, Catherine.

Love you,

Mom 

Top Tier Event - Ovation of the Seas

 Good morning,

Royal Caribbean recognizes loyal cruisers with special events on board.  These images were sent to us by daughter Catherine while aboard Ovation of the Seas. 

 Live music, of course.  :)

 And, we immediately recognized Captain Espen Been with whom Kjell and I sailed before Kjell's retirement from Royal Caribbean.

It's a small world.

Thank you for the images, Catherine.  We are enjoying them!

All the best,

Lois 

 

Needlework and Wood Working Update - October, 2026

 Good morning,

Welcome to the Needlework and Wood Working Update!  This is where we gather images of all of the items completed since our last update.  It provides a great way to showcase what is new as well as document our activities.  The answer to Kjell's Hobby Lobby purchase is in this Update, too.  ;)  

Above is our Large Afghan Blanket in Brilliant Bouquet design.  The colorful flowers are bordered in an emerald green scalloped edge.  More images and information are here. 

This design is also available in Lap Blanket size here. 

 Here's something that will bring ooooh's and aaaaaah's at the next baby shower.  It's also a beautiful gift for baby's first birthday.  This generous size blanket has a matching turtle toy.  This item was a custom order and has been delivered.  More similar baby blankets with toys are available in the shop here.

 Ready for Fall?  This lovely Dusty Blue Shawl is lovely for Fall evenings by the campfire or inside by the fireplace.  It is also an excellent texture to use as a breastfeeding coverup.

I've been busy making hats for Fall!  This gorgeous hat sold within a few days of being listed in the shop.  There are others in a variety of colors available here.

At this writing, this hat is still available in the shop.  See more about it here.

While being knitted, this green hat was videoed and is featured on Etsy here.   

Oh, this Green Basket Weave Knit Hat is so perfect for Santa's Helper or your favorite Leprechaun!  It's a great stocking stuffer, too!  More images and information here.

It was time to restock our Cloche Hats in the shop.  This Sunshine Yellow hat sold out shortly after it was listed, but many more similar hats are here.

Same story here.  This one sold shortly after it was listed...

...as was this one.

Come see dozens more Cloche Hats available to ship now.

A way to quickly refresh your bathroom decor is with a pretty tissue topper.  This one is here.  

These are $10 each.  They're available in a variety of colors.  This one is here.

So pretty!  Here's this one.

And, my favorite color, Blue.  It's here.

This Navy Blue Tissue Topper sold out within hours of being listed.

More Tissue Toppers in a variety of colors are available here. 

This small tote bag was a custom order and has been delivered.  It's so perfect for travel.

And, finally, here is what Kjell did with the glass from Hobby Lobby.  This is a Whiskey Smoker.  It can also be used for coffee or tea.  The glass dome covers a whiskey glass on a wood base.  The bottom of the board contains channels for smoke to travel from the small metal container in the upper right corner containing apple wood chips.  It's a current gourmet drink preparation system.  We are keeping this gem, so you won't find it in the shop. To see more images and a video of how it works, it's on Kjell's Facebook Page here.

So, that's it for this time!  We sincerely appreciate your encouragement, comments, shares, likes, favorites, pins, and purchases, too!  

All the very best,

Lois

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