Thank you all for the Birthday wishes...
The goal I have set for myself is welcoming with gratitude
wholeheartedly
embracing the 70's with a focus on exploring new and different experiences.
Life is full of surprises, simple JOYS
but there is always a hint of the unknown...
Things that can derail or challenge us...
we are living in a very surreal time.
Having said that,
there are many lovely pops of beauty in the day
one needs to be mindful and stop to look.
Yoga is teaching me many good habits...
take time to stop
notice
slow down
be mindful
aware
and
breathe
The house smells so good on bread baking days...
Look at that eyebrow...
I use the sourdough recipe on the Alexandra Cooks website.
I love the routine of making this bread.
A wonderful meditative habit that offers rewards.
Do you make sourdough bread?
I attended a workshop on Ikebana when we were on Pender at the cottage.
It is such an interesting discipline...
there is so much beauty in these spartan carefully arranged designs.
These Kenzan frogs are necessary to hold the twigs, branches and flowers in place.
I bought mine from Susanne Osmond's shop "Gardener's Kit" here in Victoria.
My first attempt at Ikebana...
lots of room for improvement but the process is fun!
Learning something new and fresh, feels very energizing...
have you taken a course or started a new hobby?
We have oodles of tete a tetes blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.
Just love these bright wee blooms...they are hard to resist.
My husband planted a few dozen in the boulevard
where we have a wildflower "meadow" growing.
Some came inside...
popped them in the thrifted vintage elephant vase.
Bold yellow pops of colour...
It's almost like the elephant has something to trumpet about :-))
My late SIL collected elephants...
She told me to always buy an elephant with its' trunk in the upward position...
apparently it means good luck!
Chester seeks out the sunshine...
he loves to sit and snooze in the warmth of the sun.
(I can relate)
When I was making the bed I put the coverlet on the dining room table
he jumped up and got cozy.
Both cats sleep on our bed during the day.
We had a casual dinner here on Sunday and I served some tortilla chips and hummus with our cocktails.
This delicious hummus is sold at The Root Cellar in the Cook Street Village...
dill pickle flavour and YUM it's darn good.
Beans are handy to have on hand...they are so versatile and high in fibre.
Good in soups, homemade hummus and chili and a star in healthy "bowls."
I might try making my own dill pickle hummus...
The sunshine has been so welcome...
the downside is that it shows how dirty the windows are after the storms of winter.
It also draws my attention to the dust bunnies and floors that need washing!
There is never a shortage of jobs to do here in this old house!!
Once these jobs are done, standing back and admiring the results always feels good.
Taking a break with a cup of green tea between these tasks makes it less onerous.
Lately I've been drinking a lot of green tea...
I read about the health benefits and thought I needed to get on that bandwagon.
Spring Cleaning is happening...
soon it will be time to swap out the winter clothes for the summer ones...
am looking forward to wearing linen and cotton.
Putting on a straw sunhat and sunglasses...
perhaps I am rushing things and should be living in the moment :-))
How are you keeping?
What is new?
Am feeling hungry so will close and make a salad and some avocado toast for lunch.
Until next time...
~ Be Well and Be Kind ~
16 comments:
A lovely post. Your photos are gorgeous, especially the first one. I like Ikebana too and love your arrangements. I also really like your 'meadow' outside the fence, which is just so lovely. Never having tried yeast cookery, I think your sour dough loaves are absolutely brilliant, and very professional indeed.
Patricia...Thank you !! Bread making is a weekly event here in The Humble Bungalow.
Ikebana is a lovely and creative art form. I have admired these type of arrangements for years and didn't know much abouit their origins until I took a workshop...I hope to add more of these as the growing season moves ahead.
Yes, the elephant's trunk must always point up. Otherwise the luck will tip out. I admire your lifestyle and your intention to slow down and notice everything. I need to do more of that. I'm working on it.
Hi Lesley, another Patricia here! Your first attempt at ikebana looks lovely, you did well. Somewhat related - my new 'hobby' is learning some Japanese online with Duolingo. Hubby and I would love to visit Japan again.
Question: how long does your sourdough loaf keep fresh, or do you freeze it?
Ikebana certainly reinforces the approach to life if noticing! Lovely arrangement .still waiting for spring…
Another lovely post , thank you!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, photos, and kindness:) Am 63 and overweight but have been practicing yoga 4x a week since my retirement in August 2022. Love it so much, that am now enrolled in a 200-hour yoga teacher training certification program. Despite having rotator cuff surgery this past February 14th, am mindfully moving forward and enjoying all that I can do right now... You have made many friends with your musings and observations, and I am grateful for your spirit:)
Lovely post as always. Your Ikebana arrangement looks lovely. I think Japanese arrangements really highlight the beauty of the plants. I did classes many years ago and occasionally still make arrangements. In recent weeks I have taken your advice and am using your method for making sourdough bread and am getting better results so a big thank you.
Kelly I think as we age we realize how important the "small" things are to our wellbeing. I've spent so many years busy working, volunteering, raising a family and now that I am 70 it feels like a good time to go slow...
XO
Patricia...The sourdough loaf usually lasts about 5 days...I have frozen the loaves and to refresh them I thaw them then sprinkle them with water and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Japanese must be a challenging language! Good luck...Duolingo is so great...I used it for French and Italian.
Spring is coming...we just need to be patient and you live in a wee bit colder province if memory serves me?
:-))
Yoga is such a fabulous practice...my studio offers training and certification too...I think it is a great way to share your knowledge and help others. Bravo! Keep going it is a great study!
Oh Christy that is great to hear about the sourdough...yum!
The Japanese Ikebana reflects so many interesting perspectives...it is not as easy as it might look! I will be practicing a LOT!
I love your pace of life, always finding something of interest to do. You inspired me to actually get myself together and locate an Ikebana workshop and enroll.
Love your first photo particularly. I have hellebores in the garden, but never pick them as I don't have anywhere to put them high up like that.
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