Frozen Cod

 Good morning,

I finally found Cod at my grocery this week.  The frozen cod is pretty good.

 It was a joint effort with My Honey preparing the cod to be baked. It is drenched in butter with various spices, lemon juice, and cheese.

The result was fabulous.  The two of us managed to finish off the entire pound of fish.

      

    

 

  The best cod we ever had, though, was when we fished it ourselves in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Honningsvag, Norway.    This was a little private side trip we took while we were there aboard Splendour of the Seas.

 

After hauling in about 30 gallons of fish in that gray container, we had cod for dinner and lunch the next day in the officers' mess.  We did this more than once while on this itinerary;  I believe the pictures above were taken in 1999.

Ah, yes, those were the days....

:),

Lois

Work in Process - This Week's Waiting Room Crochet

 Good morning,

I've been spending more time in waiting rooms than I really would like to spend, but at least I'm keeping myself busy.  

I'm working on another large afghan blanket of 80 "flowers" so it's a good take-along project at this stage.  When those 80 flowers are finished, I'll put them together to look very much like this:  Burgundy Flowers On Pink and White Afghan Blanket.  That one is sold and since I have more of this beautiful yarn, I'm making yet another.  This time, though, I think I'll make the border in green instead of white.

There are many similar afghan blankets available to ship now in the shop here.

 What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the very best,

Lois

Bird Supervisor

 Good morning,

When Elsa was a puppy she chased the birds in the back yard.  Of course, that was the puppy thing to do.  But now, she calmly sits on her deck chair and watches them.

 We have so many beautiful birds that entertain all of us.  Cardinals, Robins, and more sing to us and nest in our trees and bushes.  

We don't use any chemicals on our lawn so it appears very patchy at this time of the year.  The green will fill in and when the lawn is mowed, it will be a smooth green in just a couple more weeks.  Right now the buttercups, crocus, and daffodils are still blooming all around the yard, too. 

 And so sits Elsa on her deck chair, as if supervising the birds, their songs, and their courtship flights.  

It is good to be retired.

Lois

Reuben Sans Bread from Mama Evensen's Test Kitchen

 Good morning,

Mama Evensen's test kitchen came up with another winner this week.  Sometimes we just have to wing it!

Both Kjell and I are working on taking off a few pounds so I devised a way for us to have our Reubens anyway.  Well, sort of....

Above is a little sour kraut in a small casserole dish.  I made two of these.

I added a layer of deli sliced corned beef...

I added cheese (couldn't find swiss in the house so used provolone) and popped it into the oven for 20 minutes on 300 F.

...couldn't find any french or thousand island dressing in the house so whipped up some of my own...

When the casserole came out of the oven I added two tablespoons of my special sauce dressing and set it in a cool dish so that we could hold them on our laps and eat them in our recliners.  Retirement is good - we can eat wherever and whenever we want.  ;)

So there!  It was great and a real winner.  We both agreed we'll have this again.

What fun recipes are you devising at your home?

Lois

Let's Go for a Walk!

 

 Good morning,

Miss Wendy is all dressed up and ready for a walk.  

Actually, there is more to it.  We didn't realize it back in 2016, but the sweet neighbor who lived behind us would soon pass away.  

 

 She always came to the fence and gave our dogs cookies.  This second picture is from 2016 when she was doing just that.  Click the link to see the whole story.

  Wendy learned to go to the fence and "call" her to come out for cookies and she always appeared.

Fast forward, our dear friend and neighbor of 40 years has died and the house has been sold.  Now our Wendy goes to the fence and barks for cookies, but the nice lady is no longer there to give them to her.  We are having a terrible time trying to retrain Wendy not go to the fence and bark when she sees movement in the kitchen of the neighboring house.  The new family seems quite nice and I have explained the situation to their nanny.  They haven't complained at all about the barking, but it is driving us crazy trying to keep our Wendy from constantly barking for the neighbor to appear with cookies in her hands.

So, the harness.  Now we keep a harness and leash on Wendy most of the time when she is in our own back yard so we can lead her away from the fence.

These dogs are so smart!  Wendy will never forget that very sweet neighbor and those yummy cookies.  

Lois

Spring is Bustin' Out All Over

 Good morning,

A few days ago I took the image above of our tulip magnolia, just beginning to bloom.

 It wasn't long before...

...the blossoms...

...opened completely.  I took the last picture yesterday. 

Gorgeous!

And, just to add to the weather drama around here, we are expecting snow this weekend.

:\,

Lois

White Crocus

 Good morning,

This white crocus bloomed later than the darker colors.  I love seeing what is new in the garden each morning.

I love Spring!

:),

Lois

Hyacinth Beauty

 Good morning,

Each day more flowers appear in bloom in our garden.

This lovely hyacinth is the last remaining of hundreds I once had along my stepping stones to the bird feeders.  This color has always been my favorite.  The blue and lavender blend is just gorgeous.

Happy Spring!

Lois

Elsa's Deck Chair

 Good morning,

Our weather has been beautiful (most days) and we are enjoying it tremendously, especially Elsa who has her own deck chair.  

Happy National Puppy Day and Happy Spring!

Lois

Red St. Patrick's Cactus

 Good morning,

It is so enjoyable to see my Christmas Cactus blooming again this season.  I don't think they have ever bloomed in March before, but they are most welcome to do so.

The white plant bloomed last week;  this week it is the red blooms.  

Gorgeous!

:),

Lois

More Different Daffodils

 Good morning,

Every few days a different type of daffodil opens in our garden.  I'm so glad I planted so many different types many years ago.

My back doesn't allow me to dig holes in the garden any more, but we are continuing to enjoy the fruits of my labors from long ago.

Happy Spring!

Lois

My Sweet Little Buttercup

 Good morning,

Our sweet little Buttercups are opening all over our back yard this week.  Some people feel these are an invasive species, but we enjoy them.

So pretty!

Lois

Moon Shot

 Good morning,

My Honey took this image of the moon two nights ago.  What makes it so very cool is that he used the camera in his new Samsung phone to take it  We have new matching phones and are amazed at how very good the cameras are!

As is so classic with us, I took this picture of him taking pictures last night.  I took the picture at night with only the security lights in the driveway.  These new phone cameras are fabulous!

I hope you had a good view of this beautiful moon wherever you are!

Lois

Sweet Daffodils

 Good morning,

I love the parade of Spring flowers that greets me each mornng.

These King Alfred Daffs are generally the first to show their pretty faces.

More to come!

What's blooming at your home?

Lois

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

From Elsa and all the rest of us 

in the Evensen Household

Huh?

 Good morning,

While doing my grocery shopping yesterday at Meijer, I came across this Viking Leprechaun Hat complete with green hair.

OK, it's definitely confused!  

Pretty cute, though.

No, I didn't buy it.

:),

Lois

Aside:  The REAL Vikings didn't have horns!

Another WIP - Lapghan in Civil War Colors

 Good morning,

I took this image without using flash so that the lighted crochet hook would show up.  Sadly, the colors in the image are not true to real life.  The colors of the lap blanket I am making are blue and grey, the colors of the Civil War and also Georgetown University.  I understand Georgetown University chose those colors in honor of the Civil War.  Fascinating.  I like this crochet stitch with these colors because the Blue and the Grey symbolizing the North and the South are interlocked.  The Union is strong.

We have a son who is a GU (JD) graduate and a granddaughter who is a sophomore there now.  

And, so this is another project in the making.  :)

All the best,

Lois

Chef Kjell Has Another Winner

 Good morning,

My Honey, aka Chef Kjell, has another winner with his Yellow Split Pea and Sausage Soup.

We've been enjoying a different soup about every week courtesy of Chef Kjell.

Thanks, Sweetie, this was another winner!

Love you,

Lois

Waiting Room Knitting

 Good morning,

My Honey had some routine tests this week so I grabbed my knitting needles and some fuzzy wool yarn.  I managed to cast on 80 stitches and get a few rows of ribbing accomplished before he was finished with his tests.

This will be an intarsia knit hat similar to others already in the shop.

I feel the time is not wasted when I have something to show for the time I've spent waiting.  When you know you'll be waiting somewhere or on a long ride (not doing the driving, of course), do you take along a project?

Lois

 

 

Cold March Morning

 Good morning,

I took this image of the sunrise through my window screen.  It's a very cold March morning.

Yesterday when we left the house for an appointment it was 51 F.  Three hours later when we got home the cold front had come through and it started to snow shortly thereafter.  

Go figure!

I hope it's just the right temperature wherever you are.

:),

Lois

Gorgeous Blossom

 Good morning,

This is the second blooming of my white Christmas cactus this season.  What strikes me is how very delicate the blossom is and how much it appears to be some sort of beautiful insect.

I think I'll have to call this my St. Patrick's Day Cactus.

:),

Lois

This Week's Work in Process

 Good morning,

I'm making a very generous size lap (or baby) blanket with this super soft yarn.  In this textured pattern stitch, the resulting fabric is very "squishy" feeling and will be very warm.

As a lap blanket, it will be a lovely Father's Day present.  I hope to have it finished, photographed, and listed in the shop soon.

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

:),

Lois

Frozen Fish

 Good morning,

The grocery prices never cease to amaze me.  I passed on the 12 oz. of frozen halibut.

The price of corned beef wasn't too bad, though....

How are the grocery prices where you are?

Sigh,

Lois

Something to Drink But Not What You Think

 Good morning,

It says "Ginger Beer" on the label, but it's non-alcoholic.  Think Root Beer.  Or, think glorified Ginger Ale.

We really love this stuff.  Catherine started picking it up for us at Costco and now we are hooked.  It sure comes a long way for us to drink it here on the South Coast of Ohio!

 Do you have a favorite "long distance" drink?

:),

Lois

Ah, Yes, Spring Flowers

 Good morning,

We are having a little warm weather this week and the spring flowers are taking advantage of it.  These beautiful crocus beside our house have been delighting us for nearly 40 years.

These snow drops are ready to bloom by our gold fish pond.

Ah, yes Spring!  But, we have had snow in April in the past so know things could change very quickly.

Happy Spring (or Fall) wherever you are!

Lois

Spring in Cincinnati

 Good morning,

We got a wonderful taste of Spring yesterday when the temperatures were in the 70's F.

Our Wendy immediately headed for the back yard for a little nude sun bathing.  

;),

Lois

If I Didn't Know Better

 Good morning,

If I didn't know better, I would think Wendy couldn't hold her booze.

But, I know better.

She's just totally relaxed in her recliner.

;),

Lois

Needlework and Wood Working Update - March, 2022

 Good morning,

Here we go with the monthly Needlework and Wood Working Update featuring the items we have finished during the past month since the last Update.

Above is a Burgundy Flowers on Pink and White Afghan Blanket.  It is a favorite in the shop so after selling a similar one last month, I made another one and listed it.  Nine days later, it was sold.  Sooooo, I guess I'll have to find those colors again and make another.  ;)  Come see all the other afghan blankets we have available to ship now here.

This beautiful medium weight lap blanket is crocheted in diagonal stripes.  The muted colors of the sea blend beautifully with almost every decor.  It can be folded corner to corner to use as a comfortable shawl.  This will be a beautiful Fathers Day or Mothers Day gift.  $50.  More images and information here.

The hat above is new to the shop.  It's in super soft washable acrylic yarn that is non-allergic so will be comfortable to wear and easy to wash.  It matches the scarf below despite the difference in the image colors.  The scarf image is true to the real color.  More hat images here.  $36.

This scarf matches the hat above.  $36.  Check out the Hats Scarves Headbands section of the shop to see them all. 

Cloche Hats have been very popular again this month so I am working hard to keep them stocked in the shop.

The first is a bright red, the one above is whisper pink, and...

...this one is royal blue.

The fourth hat is a medium blue.  $8 each.  See the entire section of Cloche Hats/Chemo Caps here.

These are double thick, extra large pot holders that fit a man's or woman's hands. 

I have made these for us, too, and they are wonderful.  They are 100% cotton and are great for indoor cooking our outdoor grilling. 

These are also terrific as hot pads for your table.  $20/pair.  They are listed in our Home Living Entertaining section. 

 From the Wood Working Workshop this month, Kjell made two personalized tags for a customer.   Since the tags he made are personalized, I'm using our Elsa's tag for the image here.  More images and ordering information here.  $12.

And, this is a preview of great things to come.  This is a wood carving of the Nordic god Thor.  It will be available in the shop soon after more layers of finish are applied. 

So ends another busy, creative month here on the South Coast of Ohio.  Thank you for your encouragement, likes, favorites, comments, and purchases, too!  We are truly enjoying our very creative retirement!

Come see what else we have made here!

All the very best,

Lois