Pub Aboard Brilliance of the Seas

 Good morning,

This is the pub aboard Brilliance of the Seas. Each Royal Caribbean ship has a pub where it's fun to gather and watch the parade of people going by.

Have fun, Catherine and Erica!

We look forward to seeing your images.

Love you,

Mom

Here They Go Again!

 Good morning,

Happy Birthday, Catherine!

Here they go again!  Catherine and Erica are in Boston to board Brilliance of the Seas for a Fall Foliage cruise.   Kjell and I enjoyed this route numerous times aboard Splendour of the Seas.

Here's hoping for great weather!

More to come....

Lois

Lily's Home Health Care

 Good morning,

Now that Lily is home from her surgery (see earlier posts this week), we have blocked off the end of the living room, put down a king size comforter, and have added items to make Lily comfy as she recovers.  

She has her basket of toys and her Private Duty Nurse Wendy.  Her other Private Duty Nurse Elsa is also nearby.

She doesn't spend much time here, though, because her post op meds make her sleep a great deal so she sleeps in her kennel.  We call it her "house."   

 Lily is being a very good patient.  She is only allowed to go outside on a leash, is not permitted to climb steps or get onto furniture, and must wear her party hat at all times.

We're giving her plenty of TLC, though, and hopefully, these two weeks will go by quickly.

Thanks, again, for all of your kind words and prayers for sweet Lily.

All the best,

Lois

Lily is Home

 Good morning,

Our sweet Lily is home after a very difficult week.  She came home late yesterday afternoon and I grabbed Kjell's phone to snap a picture of her before she came into the house.  She looks tired, but her tail sure was wagging to show how happy she was to be home.

The back story:  Lily swallowed a sock that got stuck in her small intestine.  The surgeon at MedVet did a great job of administering saline solution orally, then moving the sock through her system to the inevitable end.  To do this a long incision was made in Lily's belly.  At least there was no need to make an incision in her intestine.  That was exceptionally good.

So, Lily is home, the sock is in a jar on the table, and aftercare and medications have begun.  Lily has to wear her party hat for two weeks.  Activity is restricted:  no climbing stairs or furniture, no playing with her siblings....  

Oh, and that was an expensive sock.  We were quoted $10,700 before she was treated.  We don't have the final bill yet, but believe it will be slightly lower after an adjustment.  I'll check my credit card statement later today when everything has a chance to post. 

Thank you to everyone who wrote and asked about Lily.  You are so very appreciated.  It was a very difficult week for Lily and the rest of us, too. 

All the best,

Lois

Lily's Surgery Successful

 Good morning,

That's Lily sprawled across Catherine's knees and an adjacent chair at the Vet.  They are waiting to see the doctor after an ultrasound and before Lily's surgery.

I'm happy to report the surgery was a success yesterday afternoon.  Lily had swallowed a very expensive sock.  Well, certainly not expensive when we bought it, but expensive to get it out of her.  She is scheduled to come home this afternoon and will have two weeks recovery.

We hope Lily is tired of eating socks!

Thank your prayers and kind words for Lily.  It has been a difficult week for Lily and the rest of us, too.

More recovery photos to come....

All the best,

Lois

Prayers for Lily the Lab

 

 Good morning,

Our sweet Lily is in the hospital because, as Labs are known to do, she has swallowed something she shouldn't.  We don't know what it is yet or if surgery will be necessary. She had an ultrasound yesterday, received fluids and pain meds overnight, and will have another ultrasound today.

Please keep her in your prayers.  Thank you. 

This is an image of our two year old Lily from last Easter.  

Lois

Image from Viera Wetlands

 Good morning,

Today's image is one that Kjell took several years ago when we visited Viera Wetlands in Melbourne, Florida.  

Kjell was going through some of his old images and came across this.  It is just so pretty, I had to share.   

 Enjoy,

Lois

Dough Man Face

 Good morning,

It's that time of the week again to make bread.  The face you see above is the not-so-happy dough man as I started to knead after the first rise.  I suddenly realized the dough was looking at me.

I talked nicely to him, divided him into two portions for two loaves, and kneaded each portion before putting them into the bread pans to rise again before baking. 

 They looked very happy and yummy when they came out of the oven.  

Ah, adventures in baking....

;),

Lois

Acorn Squash

 Good morning,

I harvested this acorn squash from the front yard yesterday afternoon. It's wet and sitting on a kitchen towel because I just washed it off. 

 The back story:

 While cooking, Catherine sometimes tosses seeds from veggies she is preparing into the front or side yard.  Well, this one "took" and sure enough, we have a lovely acorn squash.  It seems only one seed sprouted into a vine, but there are a couple more small fruits still growing and a couple of flowers.  If it stays warm enough, we may get another one or two to the kitchen.

This is such fun!

What did you grow this summer?

All the best,

Lois

Old Glory - 24/7/365

  

Good morning,

We fly Old Glory 24/7/365 at our home.  Of course, we have lights on the flag so it is lit at night.

Recently, the light fixture we had on the ground aiming up at the flag was stolen.  Kjell realized the light was "out" so went outside to check and found the entire fixture was stolen.

So...  

 ...it is good to be married to an engineer.  

Kjell has constructed a light from the bottom that is powered by the sun and shines straight up at the flag.  Along with the light from the top of the pole, the flag is very well lit at night.  The light and solar panel you see in the image above are anchored to the flag pole so that it would take tools, strength, and time to remove it all.  So...

...we also have a camera system on the flag pole.  

It's always something, isn't it.  Hopefully, we won't have any more problems with theft in our yard.   

Happy Fall,

Lois

Salmon and Manicotti

 Good morning,

This was an easy-to-make dinner for two. 

Catherine brought home two pieces of salmon that I baked in lemon juice, butter, and dill. 

 She also brought us two Take Home Entrees from Olive Garden.  

 I baked the salmon for 45 minutes on 350 F,

...heated the manicotti in the microwave for 3.5 minutes per instructions...

...and plated two yummy meals!

Thank you, Catherine, for bringing home the good stuff!

Love you,

Mom

It's (Almost) That Time of the Year

 Good morning,

It's Fall.  Leaves are turning, the air is cooler.  

Not only do we have Halloween decorations, but Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations are also in the stores and on line.

Actually, there are only 76 days until Christmas so for some people it's not too early to plan.  

Where has 2025 gone?

Happy Fall, Everyone!

Lois

Innocence

 Good morning,

They look so innocent when they are sleeping, don't they....

Ah, how looks can be deceiving.

Yesterday I told our two year old Lily she is lucky she is so cute.  

;),

Lois

By the LIght of the Silvery Moon

 Good morning,

The moon has been brilliant the past few nights.  I took this image when we took the pups out for last call around 10 PM.  

The buildings you see across the street and beyond are Xavier University.  Yes, we're close, literally right across the street.  I've always loved hearing the bell chimes from Bellarmine Chapel on campus.  I'm an XU grad and have taught there. Several family members are also XU graduates.  Xavier is family.

So peaceful.

All the best,

Lois

Work in Process this Week - Brilliant Rainbow Lap Blanket

 Good morning,

We recently sold the Brilliant Rainbow Lap Blanket that was in the shop so it was time to start another one.  I enjoy working with this yarn, but will soon run out of it.  It is made by Lion Brand and has been discontinued.  

 When finished, this blanket will be in the shop.  There are currently more than 300 items available in the shop that are ready to ship now.  Come take a look!  EvensensProductions.Etsy.com

 What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the very best,

Lois

Irish Stew for Two

 Good morning,

Figuring out what we'll have for dinner each evening for just the two of us is sometimes a bother.  Yes, we both love to cook, but we also both have back issues that make it hard to stand in the kitchen for very long.

Daughter Catherine has been great finding easy to make dinners for us.  Sometimes they are just so-so simply because they are pre-made, but sometimes we get a real winner.  She picked up this Irish Stew at Costco and I'll put it on the grocery list for her to get it again. 

 The meat was tender, the veggies were not mushy, and the gravy was tasty.  Win-win-win.

Thank you, Catherine, for doing our grocery shopping and finding yummy meals for us.

Love you,

Mom

Lily's Logs

 Good morning,

Lily is at it again.  She's taking logs from the log rack and collecting them on her "deck chair" on the patio.

She chews on them for awhile, then goes and gets more.  We have to be careful where we walk, especially when we take the pups out at night.

In a couple of weeks it'll be chilly enough to start the fireplace.  I'll collect logs from the patio collection first.

Kids!

:),

Lois

Needlework and Wood Working Update - October, 2025

 Good morning,

Here are the items we have completed since the last Needlework and Wood Working Update.  

Above is a Red, White, and Blue Lap Blanket that is great for all ages from baby to granny.  $55.  Only one available.  More information and images here.   

 This soft and cushy scarf will be a welcome addition to your wardrobe this winter.  It can be worn with the neck line rolled over as shown, or flat.  It's unisex, only one available, $48.  More information and images here.

 This super comfortable toboggan hat matches the scarf above.  $38. More information and images here.

 And, if you prefer a beanie style hat, this also matches the scarf above.  Only $14, more information and images here.

Kjell has been having a wonderful time with his newest 3D Printer.  He has designed and created a clock with his printer that is similar to the one he previously made in wood.  I am in awe of Kjell's design skill. We'll be keeping this one, so it's not in the shop.
 

Both of us have other items in process now that you'll see next time.  Thanks for stopping by, for your encouragement, comments, likes, pins, favorites, and purchases, too!  We are so enjoying our creative sides now that we are retired from the "real" world.  Or, perhaps THIS is the real world!  :)

We hope you'll stop by our shop and browse.  We would be delighted if you selected something for yourself or someone special to you.  https://evensensproductions.etsy.com 

All the very best,

Lois

Kjell's Yummy Cheese Omelette

 Good morning,

Kjell has been making the most delicious omelettes.  

This one is a cheese omelette with his special ingredients:  1 T mayonnaise, 1 T sour cream in addition to two eggs, a little milk, and cheese topping.  He makes it in a small corning ware dish in the microwave.  It's so light and fluffy!  

Thanks, Sweetie!  You are in charge of all omelettes here!

Love you,

Lois

Adding:  yes, I took a bite out of the toast before I took the picture.  I couldn't control myself between the kitchen and the dining room.  ;)   

Whole Wheat Bread Today

Good morning,

The house smells wonderful!  These are two loaves of whole wheat bread, just out of the oven.

Oh, yum!

:),

Lois

Elsa the Therapy Dog

 Good morning,

That's Elsa, the most precious friend anyone could have.

Last week after a doctor appointment I didn't feel so well so took a nap.  Sweet Elsa was right there with me making sure I was comfortable and loved.  They just know, don't they, when you don't feel well.

What a sweetheart!  That dog is so very special.

 All the best,

Lois

Bruegger's Treat

 Good morning,

We are fortunate to still have a shopping area where we can take care of so many errands without traveling all over town.  Last week we were able to go to the post office, pick up prescriptions, Kjell got a haircut, and grab some salmon bagels to take home for lunch all in one small area.

Today's images are from Bruegger's Bagels.

 It was raining.  That's not grease on the bag.  ;)  

 Yum! What a treat!

All the best,

Lois

Medical Evacuation

 Good morning,

This is another image from our friend, Erica, who leaned over her balcony rail to see the medical evacuation from Navigator of the Seas.  The ship was slightly diverted from its course to drop a patient off at a Mexican port for medical treatment.

Safety first!

All the best,

Lois

Gangway - Navigator of the Seas

 Good morning,

Today's images are courtesy of our friend, Erica, who cruised recently with our daughter, Catherine, aboard Navigator of the Seas.

 The images are of the gangway being placed on the dockside of a port call.  There are generally at least two gangways down to shore side.  One generally used for guest, the other for crew and perhaps supplies.

  This is a manual job that is repeated at each port.

 It's also interesting to note that there is a worker spraying/cleaning windows on the side of the ship.  Also, paint is continuously touched up at each port of call.  

Safety, security, maintenance are key!

More to come....

Lois

Something Different

 Good morning,

Just so you don't think we only eat steak at J. Alexander's, here's an absolutely delicious cheeseburger we had there recently when our friends Tor, Teresa, and daughter Allie visited us from Louisville.

How fun!  Great friends, good food, lovely conversation.

All the best,

Lois

Laundry Lizard

 Good morning,

This tiny fellow managed to slip in through our basement door and sit on a basket in my laundry room.  

These critters weren't here in our area when we moved in 46 years ago.  They're harmless and eat other little critters, so are OK to have around.

Not to worry.  He wasn't harmed.  He's safe.

:),

Lois

Beautiful Sky

 Good morning,

What a beautiful sky.  Actually, it was even more beautiful than in this image.

I love the color combinations that I use as inspiration for my needlework creations.

That a lovely, peaceful end of the day.

Enjoy,

Lois

Dad's Birthday Dinner With Catherine

 Good morning,

Here's the birthday boy himself!  

Our daughter, Catherine, was out of town on Dad's birthday so we celebrated a little later.  

J. Alexander's has become a favorite restaurant for us.  The food is great, there are chairs with arms (important for me), tables are round (important for great conversation), and the people are lovely. 

 The shrimp appetizer is a favorite...

 ...as is the steak dinner.

 Birthday ice cream!

And, birthday carrot cake, too!

Happy birthday, again, Sweetie!

Love you,

Lois

Work in Process - Sorbet Lap Blanket

 Good morning,

My current work in process is a lap blanket in refreshing sorbet colors.   

This one is beautiful for all ages from newborn to someone in hospice care.  It will be a great size for a wheelchair, too.

When finished, it'll be in the shop.  There are many other blankets in all sizes and colors there now that are ready to ship.

What are you making, baking, growing this week?

All the very best,

Lois