October Moon and Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween!

This October Moon sets the stage for the trick or treaters.

Have fun, be safe!

:),

Lois

Hard Rock Carry Out

 Good morning,

Catherine brought some carry out from Hard Rock and it was...

 ...yummy!  OK, not good for us, but so yummy!

The bun is pink in honor of National Breast Cancer month.

 Thank you, Catherine. 

Love you,

Mom

Serious Concentration

 Good morning,

Lily is in deep concentration following the movement of the gold fish in our pond.

She showed up on the patio a few minutes later with freshly caught sushi in her mouth.  She was so proud.

Daddy explained to her that the gold fish are not there for her lunch!

Kids!

Lois

Lap Full of Love

 Good morning,

The pups recently woke me well before dawn because they wanted to go out.  Yes, it's a pain to get up sometimes, but I am so glad that they wake us when they have to go.

As soon as we came in, I sat down in my recliner, Elsa climbed on my lap, and promptly went to sleep.

There was no way I could put her down so I could go back to bed.  

I just dozed in my chair....

;),

Lois

Shrimp Open Face Sandwich

 

Good morning,

We enjoyed another favorite family treat dinner.  

 On a large plate we built an open face sandwich starting with my home made bread.  The family likes sandwich bread.  This one is sour cream and honey.

 Next is a generous layer of real mayonnaise...

...to be topped by shrimp quickly boiled in water with sea salt, then chilled.

Then just a little...

...sprinkle with lemon juice.

YUM!

Lois

Dining Room Garden Peace Lily

 Good morning,

A few months ago Catherine brought home a number of houseplants.  They are all thriving in our dining room garden and this lovely lily just bloomed.  

So nice!  Now the only problem is space.  The plants are growing so well that they need bigger pots and I have very little space in my indoor garden.

We will figure this out....

Lois

Just Look at All That Data Passing By

 The title says it all....

 

 

 

 

Marigolds Atop Kjell's Ladder Garden

 Good morning,

The marigolds atop Kjell's ladder garden are quite pretty.  I tossed some seeds up there a couple of months ago and they have done exactly what they were intended to do.

 Since I took these images, there are even more marigolds growing and blooming.  

Kjell's watering system is a huge success.

All the best,

Lois

Fungus Among Us

 Good morning,

Here's another "fungus among us."

 They are quite pretty growing in our firewood....

 But, of course, we leave them alone.  I don't pretend to know much about them....

All the best,

Lois

New Patio Step

 Good morning,

Our friend, Bill, built this new patio step for us.  The first step out of the patio door was a steep drop for all of us, but especially for our old pup, Erik (not pictured.)  Erik has more and more trouble getting up and down steps so this is a great help.

Bill also added the removable door stop so that we can leave it open when letting Lily out.  Lily goes absolutely wild when we open the glass patio door and tried to get through the screen so this solves the problem during the day.

Thank you, Bill!

Ah, yes, being pet parents is great fun....

;),

Lois

Margaritaville Cozumel

 Good morning,

This is another image from Catherine's recent cruise:  Margaritaville, Cozumel, Mexico.

Does anyone remember if this used to be the location of Senor Frogs?

It sure seems this is where we took my brother and wife to lunch many years ago....

Happy Fall,

Lois

Happy Birthday, Catherine!

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to Catherine!

Deer in the Headlights

 Good morning,

As Catherine was driving through our neighborhood late at night there were deer in the headlights.  Fortunately, the deer weren't in the road!

I'm confident these are some of the same deer we see in our yard from time to time.  A few evenings ago Kjell opened the front door to check for a package on the porch.  He was surprised to see a lady deer looking at him from the bottom of our front steps, just a few feet away.  Miss Deer didn't seem too alarmed.  She slowly turned and walked down our driveway.  

Sweet.

 Thanks for the image, Catherine.

:),

Lois

Balcony View

 Good morning,

This is a familiar view of Cozumel, Mexico.

Catherine took this image from her balcony aboard Mariner of the Seas. 

While we were aboard Freedom of the Seas we saw this view once a week during the time Kjell was working.  

Lovely!

Enjoy,

Lois

Dockside Cozumel

 Good morning,

It's easy to go ashore in most ports.  But, the security is great to be sure you have your cruise ID when you leave and return.  At any time, the ship's computer knows who is ashore and who is on board.

Of course, security personnel also monitor items being brought onto the ship.

Guest safety is number one.

Enjoy your cruise. ;)

Lois

Mariner of the Seas Sails from the Port of Galveston, Texas

 Good morning,

Royal Caribbean surely knows their audience!

;),

Lois

Only the Beginning - First Meal in Windjammer

 Good morning,

When you arrive on board a Royal Caribbean ship on embarkation day,. your first meal is usually available in the Windjammer Restaurant.  

Cabins generally aren't ready until 1 PM so the Windjammer is the place to go to get a snack or a full meal.

This image is from Catherine when she and Erica were on board Mariner of the Seas recently. When we were on the same ship back in the Spring, we were delighted to see there are now hand washing stations at the entrance here.  They are located just out of the image to the left.

You'll find the ships are cleaner than most fast food restaurants on land.

Ah, yes, so much more to come!

Enjoy,

Lois

Houston Airport Tribute to Queen

 Good morning,

Today's images are from the Houston Airport courtesy of Catherine.

 I think this would stand out in traffic!

Thank you, Catherine, for sharing.

Love you,

Mom

Hard Rock Cafe Casino

 Good morning,

This is surely not good for us, but it does look good!

Catherine sent me this image of her "snack" at the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati.  Sometimes she brings home carry out and we get to enjoy it, too.

Yum!

I think I just put on three pounds looking at that image....

Lois

Three Way Tie

 Good morning,

Kids will be kids whether they have two legs or four.

Lily, Teddy, and Elsa are all playing tug with the same toy.  They do have a wonderful time!

Love it!

:),

Lois

Duckie!

 Good morning,

Ducks on cruise ships is a new "thing" since we retired in 2016.

Erica and Catherine were cruising on Mariner of the Seas recently when Erica found this little fellow.

Guests bring ducks on board and hide them for other guests to find.  All different sizes and shapes of ducks are finding their way onto ships.  

It seems the cruise lines aren't thrilled with the concept and remove them if staff find them first.  There are certainly good reasons for this related to health and safety.

So, should you find a duck tucked away somewhere on a cruise ship, this is what it is all about.  The person who placed the duck wants you to have it to keep. 

;),

Lois

Shopping in Cozumel

 Good morning,

When Kjell and I were docked aboard Mariner of the Seas last Spring, we did not go ashore.  It was the old "we've been there before."  Actually, we were on board for the ship, not the ports.  The ship could have gone anywhere and it wouldn't have mattered to us. 

It's nice to have Catherine's images, though, for those who may not have visited this port before.

Back in the old days, when ships visited Cozumel, Mexico, unless they docked or anchored "downtown", it was a long walk into town to sight see and shop.

 More than 20 years ago, the powers that be in this port decided to build a shopping area right at the dock where most of the large ships are tied up.

 Of course, that makes it very easy to step off the ship, shop, and have a little refreshment.

 I've been in this shop when it was so crowded it was impossible to turn around.  It was obviously a slow day when Catherine and Erica were there.

Thank you, Catherine, for sharing your images with us.  It brought back memories of going ashore in Cozumel, Mexico.

Enjoy,

Lois

All Tied Up in Cozumel

 Good morning,

Here's a classic dockside image of a cruise ship.  Catherine took this one and shared it with us.

When Kjell and I were on board Mariner last Spring, we didn't get off the ship in any of the ports so missed getting this one.  

Mariner is a lovely ship with a great crew and wonderful food.

Ah, yes, what a lovely place to enjoy a relaxing time at sea, eat well, and not do any dishes.  

;),

Lois

Outer Bands of Helene

 Good morning,

We were so lucky compared to those who suffered terribly from Hurricane Helene.

 We had one full day of very high winds and heavy rain from the outer bands of Helene.  We've already lost most of our large trees in storms of recent years so we didn't have tree damage this time.  But, in our area there were tens of thousands of people without power for days because of trees bringing down power lines.

Our back yard was rearranged by the storm, but that nothing was permanently damaged.

We were lucky.  Our hearts go out to those who lost family members and homes.

Hopefully, we won't see another one this bad in our lifetimes.

Lois

Life Boat Drill - Mariner of the Seas

 Good morning,

This is another image courtesy of Catherine.  She took it while sitting on the deck of Mariner of the Seas while they were in port and the crew was engaged in a lifeboat drill.

It is fun to watch the routines of the crew while maintaining high safety standards.

More cruising fun to come....

Lois

Port of Galveston, Texas, and Memories of Delta Queen

 Good morning,

Here's an image of the Port of Galveston from the port side of Mariner of the Seas.  Of course, the expansive cruise terminal is on the other side of Mariner.  We sailed out of  Galveston regularly many years ago when Kjell was Chief Engineer aboard Freedom of the Seas.  We loved the people at this port.

Galveston is one of the ports shut down during the dock workers strike that started October 1.  We understand passenger ships/ cruise travel will not be impacted by the strike.  

An interesting side note:  I took my Dad on a cruise on the Delta Queen from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh for his 80th birthday back in 1984.  The Delta Queen was both a passenger vessel and a US Post Office.  Either of those designations gave her priority over other vessels going through locks, etc.  It was interesting to sit on the deck and watch as we passed numerous barges while going through locks.  Even at 3 AM, the calliope player climbed up on the back of the ship to play, all ship lights were on, and local residents lined the dock to watch the Delta Queen pass through.  I understand the local papers published the ship's schedule so residents wouldn't miss it passing.  It was a different time....

Due to bad weather, we didn't make it all the way to Pittsburgh on that trip, but we had another great experience.  As the bad weather set in, the captain pulled the Delta Queen to the southern side of the channel and we tied up to large trees hanging over the riverbank.   It was dark outside, just after dinner, and passengers were dressed up (those were the days!) and on the deck watching.  The Delta Queen was all aglow with lights on all decks. A young boy about ten years old came down the river bank, eyes wide, and all excited.  One of the passengers called to him, "Go tell you Mom you have guests for dinner!"  The young boy ran back up the hill and disappeared.  Of course, no one left the ship, but what a memory it must be for that young boy as well as for us.

Sadly, the Delta Queen is no longer in service.  It will take another act of congress to get her back on the water and that is unlikely to happen, but is still a dream.  

Such good memories, though....

Our Delta Queen has had an extensive, fascinating life.  Those interested in a more complete history of the Delta Queen can find it here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Queen

Lois

Needlework and Wood Working Update - October, 2024

 Good morning,

Welcome to this month's Needlework and Wood Working Update where we pull together images of all of the items we have completed in Kjell's Wood Workshop and my Needlework Studio since the last update.

Above is a truly one-of-a-kind Flying Eagle Jewelry Box that Kjell has designed and made.  Be sure to take a look at the listing that includes video to see all of the interior shelves and a surprise secret compartment in the bottom.  $145.  Lots of images and video here.

 The Whisper Pink flowers are blooming on this lovely new Large Afghan Blanket. Such a lovely gift for yourself or some other special person.  $185.  Only one here.

 Our Toilet Tissue Toppers are a popular item for yourself or to take along to your host.  The Christmas Colors are a fun, easy way to decorate for the season.  This one is here.  This one and many more colors are available for $8 each.

 This Royal Blue and White Tissue Topper is here.  $8.  School colors for a dorm room?  Hanukkah decoration?  Add a red ribbon for Patriotic Holidays. 

Amethyst Topper with a Lavender Ribbon here.  $8.

Gray with a Black Satin Ribbon.  $8.

Here's a cloche hat that will keep your head warm on a cold winter's night (or day!)  This also is a great Secret Santa or Christmas Stocking gift.  $8.

As soon as I listed a set of cherry red set of Luggage Identifiers last month, they were sold.  So, I made another set of six and they are here.  $5. When looking for your luggage at the airport or cruise terminal, these are priceless!

Here's another great stocking stuffer!  This mohair-type washable acrylic yarn poncho and hat set for your favorite little girl's fashion doll is only $8.  Here are more images and information.

As you shop for yourself and others for the holidays, we hope you'll take a cyber stroll through our shop, Evensens Productions.  Combine orders from our shop, to save on shipping. Free shipping on orders of $200 or more to your USA address.  No coupon needed.

 Thank you.  We sincerely appreciate your comments, likes, shares, pins, favorites, and purchases, too!

Until next month, all the very best,

Lois

The Drink Package

 Good morning,

If you enjoy drinking while on vacation, the "drink package" can be a good option.  A plus is that you don't have to drive home.

Catherine doesn't enjoy alcohol, but she does enjoy the fancy drinks without the alcohol.

 The "virgin" drinks can be quite tasty!

:),

Lois