This brilliant smiling face greeted me from the patio flower pot when I took the pups out yesterday morning.
This is from one of those seed packets I received in the mail after making a charity donation. What a wonderful way to say "thank you."
:),
Lois
Recently I showed you images of a tomato plant that is growing along our fence. We didn't plant it there, but it is most welcome.
There are now at least 12 tomatoes that need just a little more ripening before we can pick and eat them!
It's really fun to find something like this.
Happy Summer!
Lois
It was another wonderful weekend for Team Elsa (our Labrador Retriever Elsa and her trainer/our daughter Catherine) at the AKC agility trials!
Team Elsa brought home another title, AKC Master Agility Jumpers With Weaves! Here are a few more of the images from this past weekend:
We are so very proud of both Catherine and Elsa!
Elsa is surely walking (running and jumping!) in the paw prints of her Great Aunt Penny (2005-2020).
Love from proud parents,
Lois
I finally finished the very large Brilliant Rainbow and Off White afghan blanket and it is in the shop.
Now I am working on another blanket, this time with burgundy flowers that will be surrounded by pink and white. I've made similar blankets in the past and they have sold quickly so it is time to make another.
I have finished more than 50 of the required 80 "flowers" so will soon begin work on the next round of pink.
These blankets are truly fun to make. We spend evenings at home and there is no way I could sit in a chair doing nothing while My Honey and I are sharing space and watching TV together.
What are you making, baking, growing this week?
Lois
That's our friend Bill on top of our garage. He was removing vines and tree limbs on and over the back of the garage.
The utility costs have gone through the roof here as they have in most other places. I've decided this winter we'll just all huddle in front of the fireplaces to stay warm. Ok, not quite, but we will make good use of our fireplaces!
All the best,
Lois
I picked up some crystallized ginger to try in my breakfast bread. I sampled one of the pieces and since it was so very strong, I added it to the bread (after first rise, before second rise) sparingly.
Although this was very tasty, I think our favorite filling is blueberries and white chocolate.
It's fun to experiment, isn't it!
:),
Lois
It's National Dog Day here in the USA and of course we celebrate!
Today's image is a flashback to eleven years ago. It popped up on my Facebook page yesterday and it was so wonderful to see so I'll share it again here after eleven years.
In the image are Penny (2005-2020) and Erik (2009- ) swimming together as they did so often. In fact, I had a blog post about it.
It is great to see the image of Penny and Erik together and to see them having so much fun.
Such memories are wonderful, aren't they....
Lois
Catherine pulled over and snapped this image of a deer in the headlights as she was driving down our street recently. It's not clear in this image, but this is a buck with quite large antlers.
After living here for the past 43 years, I find the changes in the wildlife in the neighborhood very interesting. When we arrived, we never saw deer near our home.
Happy Summer!
Lois
Yesterday afternoon I walked out front to go to the neighbor's home to deliver a package incorrectly delivered to us. On the way back I spotted this pretty hibiscus in such a brilliant shade of bluish-pink lavender next to my front steps.
I love the way these pretty flowers grow "wild" on our property and the different shades from white to this dark bluish-pink color appear just about everywhere. They will bloom from now until the first frost.
So pretty!
:),
Lois
It was the indoor garden that provided this morning's blossoms.
When we open the drapes in the dining room we get bright morning sun on the little table garden inside the french doors.
So pretty!
:),
Lois
I'm back to making bread again. This is a breakfast bread filled with blueberries and white chocolate. It's topped with cognac frosting. Yes, it's really, really good!
If you're interested in the bread part of the recipe, there are many of them available in the tab "bread making" in the right column of this blog - desktop view.
I turned it over in the dish, let it rise for another 30 minutes, and it was ready to bake for 35 minutes at 350 F.
The final touch was frosting made with powdered sugar (about a cup this time - should have used 3/4 cup), 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and enough cognac to get the desired consistency.
After that, it's easy - just eat it! It didn't last long.
;),
Lois
Here's a dose of Sunday Cuteness.
Miss Elsa stops by my chair in the living room from time to time for a kiss and a cuddle.
Such a sweetheart.
:),
Lois
For the first time in months, Kjell, Catherine, and I went out for sushi night at our favorite Japanese restaurant.
What's funny about the image you see is that we ate a couple of pieces before we realized we hadn't taken a picture.
It was fabulous!
Happy Saturday!
Lois
Wendy is "just chillin'" in her kennel. We have kennels with open doors where the pups can go to be alone and nap when they want to be away from the maddening crowd.
Somehow, though, she can hear me put my hand into my "treat pocket" no matter where I am in the house. ;)
Happy Summer!
Lois
This week I'm working on a Brilliant Rainbow and Off White afghan blanket on Deck One (that's in my living room recliner.) This color combination is so pretty together and is a favorite in the shop.
Upstairs on Deck Two I've started the centers for a large afghan blanket: burgundy flowers on pink.
Kjell finished two wood items this week, too, some custom orders and others are in the shop. One is a John 13:34 Cross and the other is a Magic of Nine Clock. Now he is working on custom order turned wood pens and I hope he'll have some for the shop, too. :) After a few months of not feeling well, it is wonderful Kjell is feeling better and is back in his wood workshop.
Come see what else we've made!
What are you making, baking, growing this week?
All the very best,
Lois
Every once in awhile Catherine brings home fresh fish for the pups. It's a treat they truly enjoy!
Above is Elsa enjoying here talapia, and...
...and here is Erik chowing down on his fish.
Wendy ate hers on the other side of the car and was finished before Cath could get a picture.
How yummy! Thank you, Mommy Catherine!
These pups sure live the good life!
:),
Lois
As part of the dock diving event (see yesterday's post), there was a fire pit to keep everyone warm. Although this is August, it is already chilly at night.
See those aluminum packages at the side of the fire?
Ah, yes, summer fun!
Thank you, Catherine, for sharing your images.
Lois
Catherine sent me this image of our Elsa and Wendy at an evening Dock Diving Event. The Cross Creek Farms AKC Dock Diving venue has installed lights so that they can hold night competition.
Our girls enjoyed participating, but didn't jump as far as they usually do at day time events.
In the image they are wearing their bathrobes after their dives.
What fun!
;),
Lois
The temperatures and rain seem to be perfect this year for many, many hibiscus blossoms.
The lovely part about this plant is where it decided on its own to grow at the end of our firewood rack.
Happy Summer!
Lois
It was somewhat of a big deal for us to get out of the house and go further than just a few blocks this week.
I had a followup dental appointment so we also went to the wood store (Kjell's toy store) while we were nearby. He has new projects in the planning stage. It is so great to see him enjoying his wood workshop!
Perhaps next week we'll journey north for a sushi dinner....
;),
Lois
These are flowers growing in number until there are 80 to make the next large afghan blanket for the shop. It will be quite stunning with a darker purple border. So pretty!
There are more afghan blankets finished, in the shop, and ready to ship here.
I just love our retirement "job!" What are you making, baking, growing this week?
All the best,
Lois
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This is one of the Continuing Professional Education courses I've completed this year. Although I've been retired from active CPA practice for quite some time, I've kept my license current. All Certified Public Accountants must complete Continuing Professional Education to renew their licenses - in my state, that's every three years.
So, this is what I've been doing all these years. It's just the principle of the thing.
Perhaps I'll officially retire when I'm 80....
;),
Lois
We have been having some crazy weather here in the Midwest US.
In the picture above those are dark clouds when it should be light outside. They reminded me of the clouds in the Wizard of Oz....
Later in the evening we had a huge thunder storm. Fortunately, we are running out of trees to be knocked over in a storm.... (see posts during previous weeks)
I hope the weather is calm wherever you are!
Lois
One of the organizations on my donations list every year sends me a few seed packets with their donation request.
Since my back doesn't cooperate for me to bend over to plant seeds in the ground, I plant the seeds in a flower pot on my patio. These images are of this year's blossoms so far.
Enjoy,
Lois
I was clearing growth along a fence next to our driveway and came across this! It is a very healthy tomato plant that I certainly didn't plant here.
This is another African Violet "bouquet" that greeted me this morning!
These fun little plants seem to bloom beautifully, the blooms dry up, then suddenly there's a new cluster of them. Gorgeous!
I hope there are beautiful things blooming wherever you are, too.
Lois
Team Elsa achieved a new title yesterday! Elsa now holds the title of AKC Agility Excellent Fast!
That's Elsa's trainer/our daughter Catherine on the left, Elsa in the middle, and the AKC Judge on the right.
We are all so very proud!
:),
Lois
Welcome to this month's Needlework Update where we share what we've finished during the past month.
Above is a favorite Flower Garden Afghan Blanket that is back in stock. $165. More images and information are here.
That's it for another month.
Come see what else we've made here!
Thank you so much for your encouragement, comments, likes, favorites, pins, shares, and purchases, too!
All the very best,
Lois
