Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Seeking sunny thoughts...

The terrible news from Belgium has cast a dark shadow on our world...
more lives have been lost in these attacks.

As horrifying as the news is...
I feel powerless and sad.



My sister called me to tell me a friend of hers has passed away today.
She had been battling cancer, the fight was fast and furious, but very brief.
Several types of cancer had spread and metastasized before her initial diagnosis.
She knew it would eventually take her life...
she leaves behind a husband and adult children and many friends from the local garden community.

I visited her garden at Deep Cove on the water...she and her husband had created a special oasis on the edge of the sea.
Her garden was a place of tranquil beauty.

So lovely to wander along the paths, stopping to smell the flowers, or touch an unusual plant, make notes of the interesting foliage planted together so that each plant took centre stage and stood out.
Martha Stewart once sent a crew to take photographs of their home and garden...I don't think they were ever published in the magazine.


An overblown Parrot tulip sits in a vase in Our Humble Bungalow bathroom...
the tulips are very beautiful and remind me of paintings from the Old World Dutch Masters.


Each tulip is different...just as an artist might paint them.
Mother Nature and her handiwork helps ease the spirit.


Droopy tulips 
can you see the leaves have a few cat bites?


Bowing their heads...
I forgot to pierce the stems just under the tip of each bud to help them keep hydrated and stand up straight.
Their colour is so cheerful...


(leaves with the cat bites!)

The culprit is Chester...
he is the cat that we lovingly refer to as "the troublemaker."


Keeping busy helps helps to soothe the soul...


I made a cheesy frittata for dinner and will serve it with a simple green salad.

Easy Peasy Frittata

6 large eggs whisked
1 chopped red pepper
2 green onions sliced thinly
1 cup of leftover veggies cut into small bite sized pieces
( I used squash)
leftover beef, chicken, salmon or crab cut into small pieces
2 cups grated cheese
salt, pepper, parsley and any other spice you like
(I used 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning)

Pour into an ovenproof casserole or quiche pan.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until set.

Serve with a simple green salad tossed with a vinaigrette.
Bon appetit!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

19 comments:

Linda Pakravan said...

Your tulips are a bright spot on a dark day.

2ndheartmom said...

Your tulips seem to reflect the day, a bit sad, but their colors still continue on. The garden sounds beautiful. One of my favorite places has been the botanical gardens in Mendocino CA. The combination of flowers and trees and beach is pretty much all I need in the world. Thanks for sharing - both your thoughts and your recipe! Take care.

LPC said...

Your tulips do reflect the day. I envy you your comfort in keeping busy. In times like this I either have to do work so hard I forget myself, or sit perfectly, perfectly still.

Julie said...

Have you heard of putting a penny in with tulips, at least I think it is tulips.

This is such a sad say.

Unknown said...

Will try your yummy Fritatta, looks divine, have a wonderful Easter, thanks for your continued blogging entries, I appreciate them, stay safe and cheery.

Lyn

Kristien62 said...

Our world has become such a dangerous place and I don't know what anyone can do to stop the violence. It breeds hopelessness. Taking solace in daily rituals like lighting candles and cooking for loved ones can soothe us and help to rekindle hope. For those of you who celebrate Easter, we have a day to celebrate hope and to share hope with our non-Christian friends. Happy Easter to all.

Madame Là-bas said...

The best that we can do is to create peace in our world and to learn to understand others.
I used to have an audiotape (long ago) called The Peace Meditation. You created peace in your home, then you revisited that peace when you needed it (in a noisy Grade 7 classroom), then you visualized sharing your peace with the others in the world that needed it. At church, we "share the peace" every Sunday. Flowers, candles and cooking smells (I made chicken stock today) create peace for me in my world. It's all that we can do.

Pondside said...

The tulips are gorgeous - they reminded me of an Old Master still life as well.

SusanG said...

I didn't know that "pierce under the tip of each bud" trick for tulips. Thank you!

TARYTERRE said...

Thanks for sharing the recipe. Your friend's garden by the sea sounds like a tranquil spot indeed. Perfect to remember her by.

Patricia said...

Lovely post on a sad day....Thank you for the beautiful pics and the cute story of your sweet Chester having a nibble - made me smile !
Would you tell us the trick about "piercing under the tip" of the tulip bud - I didn't know about that !

Anonymous said...

I am sorry to hear about your friend's passing. Her garden by the sea sounds beautiful. I am sure it brought her great pleasure. Your tulips are very pretty. They bring a much welcomed Spring. Our Spring flowers are still emerging. It will be another month or so before we see flowers. Susan

galant said...

Lovely tulips and what lovely memories of your dear friend.
Thank you for the frittata recipe - nice and simple, too. By coincidence, we were out yesterday, on a local beach at a beach café and enjoying ... frittata! It was with red and green peppers and sweet potato, but while I didn't mind the sweetness of it, husband didn't care as much for sweet potato - it is an acquired taste, I think, unless it's a flavour you've been brought up with, and we Brits weren't nourished on sweet potatoes while young. Well, not in the 1950s!
Margaret P

Jeanne Henriques said...

Hi Leslie, it is heartbreaking to see what is happening in the world today. Your tulips are a good reminder to stop and appreciate the beauty in life while we can. Your sister's friend is a reminder that every day is precious and we should make the most of each and every one as I am sure she did in creating a beautiful garden. Sending you warm wishes from Saigon... Jeanne xx

Jen Lawrence said...

Blogging is all about the bright spots. xo

BeachGypsy said...

Another awful tragedy. I have no words....

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Take a needle or a pin and pierce the stem right below the bud..go right through to the other side and remove the pin. It works to keep them upright.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Nice to hear from you Jeanne. I love seeing your gorgeous pictures online!

A.Smith said...

I was told by a professional flower arragenments designer that a shot of vodka in the water will keep them happy. I tried once but since I don't drink other than Lillet Blanc I don't keep vodka around and actually that one time it worked. They were little soldiers inside the tall vase. The things one learns from those who are generous sharing that they know.