Tulip Mania...and a surprise!

The Spring tulips are magnificent in colour and form...
tulip mania is very real here in The Humble Bungalow!

Intricate patterns and vibrant details.

I've been gardening in these pretty grey pearls...

a gift from our darling daughter.

Love this soft worn in chambray shirt from the Gap.

Its years old and a favourite of mine.

It is so very cozy and in these troubling times I am wearing only comfy clothes.

Cashmere, chambray and yes! Yoga pants.

Keeping it real here.

My days are slow paced and provide a variety of activities...

gardening, dusting, cooking, reading, knitting and walking.

I never know exactly how my days will shape up.

Coffee and checking in with social media and the news are the first things...

Sitting still and looking out the window

while quietly reflecting

on things that I am grateful for and that practise sets the tone for the day.

I don't usually gravitate toward suspense thrillers...

 this one by Shari Lapena caught my eye and WOW!

I read it in two days and was riveted to my seat!

The ending has a real twist!

Reading is such a fabulous distraction.

I am "escaping" every day through books during this pandemic.

How are you doing?

What are you reading?

Chester napping...he makes it look effortless to fall asleep!

I envy him...

Rosemarie who resides in Vancouver sent me these sweet socks.

Cheerful and soft, perfect for these cozy comfort clothing days...

Thank you Rosemarie.

XO

I am going to start reading this book later today.

In the meantime I am going to water the garden and do some laundry.

Routines help fill the time while we are staying home so much.

Are you keeping busy?

Stay safe

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

April Showers bring May flowers...

Tulips are blooming in the glorious Sunshine.

With so much uncertainty in our world 

we are clinging to the comforting rituals and safety of our homes.

Feeling grateful for so much right now...

Food in the fridge and cupboards

hot water for baths and showers

scented soaps

candles

flowers

books

the cats

family

friends

our small cozy bungalow

fresh air

sunshine

walks outdoors

I loved this new book by Santa Montefiore.

This is the 4th book in The Deverill series and it did not disappoint!

Healthy dinner 

steamed assorted vegetables with a Tasty Bite package of Ancient Grain Mixture.

My digestive system has been really acting up...

major heartburn!

maybe it is caused by stress or just plain old age

it would appear that I have all the signs of a hiatus hernia.

I had a telephone call to my GP and I am on some new medication.

Hope that we have nipped it in the bud as there are not many other options right now with all the closures in place.

I've tidied up the pots on the patio.

Primula

Not sure why Chester was hanging out in the clawfoot tub?

He's so entertaining!

Am looking forward to reading this new book.

I placed an order with my favourite independent local book seller 

Ivy's Bookshop on Oak Bay Avenue.

 I am reading so many books during this pandemic...

it is a wonderful "escape" during these quiet weeks.

We have been washing our hands so many times each day that we are getting low on our favourite lemongrass liquid soap.

So I went online and purchased more soap from Nezza Naturals 

another local small business, we were able to pick up our order just outside their front door.

I do hope that we can help small business owners "stay afloat" until more "normal" business can resume.

What are you reading?

Have you been sewing masks?

How are you occupying your time at home?

Love to hear from you...

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~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

What I am wearing these days...and a recipe for Pandemic Pasta

The view from our back deck

the climbing Royal Sunset rose will be blooming soon

The rose is incredibly fragrant and blooms in a deep rich apricot shade.

Sunlight and shadows

life is moving rather slow these days.

Have you found that too?

I am pacing myself with domestic jobs, 

in between gardening, reading and knitting.

Today I pulled the vacuum out.

Do I hear applause?

I am hoovering a room 

then stopping for a different task 

before resuming the vacuuming in another area.

I cleaned out the storage area

did two loads of laundry.

Feeling like I have accomplished a lot and deserve a rest now!

Patting myself on the back.

Time to blog!

Chester enjoying a nap in the sunshine.

Our two rescue cats are indoor cats.

We let them go out on the back deck when we are there to supervise.

Making sure they don't jump off the edge and escape into the wild.

Lunaria aka "money plant" is in bloom.

The garden is starting to come alive!

We are planting veggies and are going to build some more raised beds.

Garlic, asparagus, yellow beans and butternut squash are planted out back.

My husband grows cucumbers, radishes and tomatoes in the greenhouse.

We have two dwarf apple trees in the side garden.

For the future raised beds 

we are thinking we may grow 

beets, carrots, swiss chard, broccoli or broccolini

brussel sprouts, cilantro 

and ?

Pandemic Pasta

I roasted a cubed butternut squash 

in the oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Cooked the penne noodles according to the package directions.

Drained the pasta topped it with the squash

added some salt, pepper and freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese.

Quick and easy dinner

Delicious!

Comfort food and comfy clothes are helping me through the isolation.

I have 2 pairs of yoga pants, both black on rotation...

Most days I am wearing a tunic style black cashmere sweater 

with one of the Yoga pants.

I have another comfy look...

 Eileen Fisher sleeveless linen tanks, one white, one black

with Yoga pants

then I layer my soft denim Gap shirt over top.

Diamond princess cut pendant and diamond stud earrings are worn every day.

I have added pearls on days when I feel like "dressing up!"

I wear scent each morning...

Fig Amore by Bastide from Provence

or

Arlessianne by L'Occitane

also from Provence.

My hair is getting long...

Am wearing it up in a French Roll or a "chignon"

or in a "pony tail" with a velvet scrunchie.

There is a sense of ease in the days here...

no pressure to do anything much.

If I feel lack lustre I will treat myself to a spa at home day.

Sip sparkling mineral water from a pretty etched vintage goblet.

Soak in the clawfoot tub with bath salts.

Light the scented candle.

Moisturize after the bath with some rose scented Andalou lotion.

Self care is so important.

I hope that you are finding ways to treat yourself and others 

gently and with kindness.

Stay safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seeing Red...recipes and pops of colour

I've been struggling to come up with cheerful and inspiring posts while we are isolating and cocooning at home.
Perhaps I have hit a bit of a writer's block so instead of obsessing about why I went to the archives and found some bright red images to share.

We start off with the recipe that I made recently...
My husband absolutely loves pasta!

To start 

I roast cut up tomatoes in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until soft.

Several cloves of diced garlic on top of the tomatoes and a bit of olive oil with fresh ground pepper.

This step makes the flavour richer and more intense.

Lidia Bastianich's meatball recipe is the best one that I have tried.

I use an ice cream scoop to make the balls more uniform.

I add the tomatoes that I have previously roasted 

as well as the other sauce ingredients

It serves 6 so we have it for two dinners with a tossed salad.

My husband usually takes the leftovers for his lunches...

as I said he adores pasta so he never tires of this dish.

We are enjoying our meals here in The Humble Bungalow.

(maybe a bit too much now that we are unable to go out for meals)

Dinnertime has become somewhat sacred...

Comfort food is being served regularly here during the pandemic.

This is the vintage ice cream scoop that I use for the meatballs...

I use it for cookies and muffins too.

I've been using leftover vegetables in my weekly soups.

Waste Not, Want Not.

Luscious juicy red tomatoes 

so pretty to look at...

Flying high up in the sky.

Full blown tulips

Heirloom tomatoes and a brioche loaf

slice the tomatoes and the bread

add butter and a sprinkling of salt

the perfect fresh sandwich

awaits

Tomatoes with fresh Mint 

drizzled with a balsamic cream reduction

makes for a tasty salad.

Pearls and stripes 

why not get dressed up?

Even if there is nowhere special to go...

Hope that you have enjoyed seeing some of these bright pops of colour.

A distraction from reality 

is what I am craving these days filled with so much uncertainty.

People are stressed and struggling to keep positive.

We are safe, the sun is shining, the garden is full of flowers.

There is food in the fridge and the pantry has the basic staples.

We have toilet paper!

Books to read and a knitting project on the needles.

Our world has changed but we are doing what we are told by staying home and staying safe and here in BC the curve is showing signs of flattening.

We are grateful for all the medical staff and essential services

 that allow us to remain safely cocooned at home.

We are all in this together in unity.

Please leave a comment of how you are feeling and what you are doing...

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Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog

Stay Safe

until next time....

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

New things...

Here we are in Covid-19 Crisis isolation

in week 4, or is it week 5?

Some days when I wake up I am not sure of the day!

Fortunately the birds are singing and the sun is shining

Spring flowers are in bloom and life goes on...

perhaps in a different way 

but nevertheless

we are able to stay snug in our home.

Things have changed...

Hearts in the window in support of our front line workers.

Each evening at 7pm we go out onto the front porch and bang pots and pans.

Our neighbours are participating with gusto.

It gives me goose bumps listening to everyone who joins in to make this racket!

We are a solid community united in spirit.

The daffodils are putting on a magnificent display.

King Alfred Daffodils are sold by the box early in the Fall.

We grabbed a box of 100 and my husband planted them out front in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

The deer do not eat them so we can enjoy their bright sunny blooms.

We listen to the reports from our BC CDC Health Authority

Dr. Bonnie Henry shares the latest numbers of cases here in BC.

She tells us which community has new cases

how many people are in hospital

 those who are in intensive care

those who have recovered

most people who have the virus 

are at home in quarantine.

Bonnie is the voice of reason and is very calm.

We look to her for leadership at this time.

She reminds us that we need to stay home to stay safe and to stop the spread of the virus.

She encourages us to be social but do so virtually.

Dr, Henry has become a hero and I hope that when this is over the province honours her in some significant way.

Snowflake Snowdrops are quite tall...

we purchased 5 pots of bulbs from a farm stand a few years ago and I have my fingers crossed that they will multiply.

I love the wee chartreuse dots on the frilly petals.

I absolutely LOVED this book!

I read it in two days.

How are you managing during your time at home?

Have you been cooking and baking or getting creative?

What are you reading?

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~ Be Well and Be Kind ~