Showing posts with label Ikebana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ikebana. Show all posts

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Almost Easter...


The Erythronium Lilies are in bloom...
Easter is almost here.

Are you celebrating with an Easter dinner with friends or family?


The lily plants have been multiplying since we planted them 
over a decade or so ago...
I love their delicate form and nodding heads.

We have some Native white Fawn lilies but they are slow to multiply.


Dried Annabelle hydrangeas are still hanging out in the dining room.
Picked them last year when they were in full bloom.
They've faded but they still perk up the dark corner here in The Humble Bungalow.


The hallway was bathed in morning sunlight and I had to capture the moment.


A different view of the Hall and Dining Room 
to the right is the small living room.

I've been washing the inside windows...
we hired a local company do the outside a week ago.

I cannot reach the high small panes as my step stool is too low 
 I do not like working on step ladders!
It feels too wobbly and risky to be 5 feet off the ground.

Not sure if we will just live with them slightly hazy?
Perhaps hire that same company to come inside next time, 
in the fall perhaps?

Do you wash all your windows?

Spring cleaning is rewarding once the tasks have been done...
I find now at 70, that I procrastinate.
I do keep the house "tidy" and try to keep "clutter" under control.
How do you feel about housework?

Dust and cat hair are always with us...
with 2 cats and an old home we seem to be constantly vacuuming and dusting.


When we were at the Cottage I treated myself to a bunch of yellow roses...
too bad that greenhouse roses from the florist are not fragrant.


They lasted the entire week...glowed bright and bold such a sunny shade.
I changed the water daily and recut them twice,
 first when I got to the cottage
then again halfway through the week.


On the yellow theme I purchase a new cookbook!
I follow Julius Roberts on Instagram...he is a farmer and a chef.


The picture from his book spoke to me!!!
I knew that this simple recipe would be amazing...


So flavourful...
I learned how to spatchcock a chicken too.


The fragrance from the pan was unbelievably rich.


Served it with mashed potatoes and some steamed fresh asparagus.
We had enough for two meals and then I used the carcass for soup.

Keeping things fresh and interesting is very much on my radar.

A new Ikebana presentation was advertised...
Happily my friend and I attended.

Such a simple idea to find things in nature and make them into beautiful art.


The black container is so interesting...
a curly twiggy branch
 reeds, a pink rhododendron and some feathery foliage.


Leafy branches, red rhododendron blooms and a twiggy branch on the table.


Gerbera daisies, flowing curvy branches and some Pieris in a shallow dish.

The presenter has taken 120 lessons.
 She has learned all the rules and principles of the practise and has graduated to the "freeform" stage of Ikebana.

She suggested that we look for interesting vases and bowls at the local thrift shops.
The Kenzens are available online.
 We are fortunate to have a local shop here in town that sells them...
Gardener's Kit.

I bought 4 small ones and a large round one.

It's fun to learn new things and explore creative pursuits and hobbies.
What are you learning?

A new skill, or a foreign language?
Pottery, Sewing, A Craft?

The weather has been sunny and warm these past few days.

My skin is sensitive and I have rosacea 
so I ordered some Eminence sunscreen from a Canadian website.
They have reformulated their powdered sunscreen...
I like how easy it is to use and it is buildable.
There is a built in brush.

We've got a Federal election here in Canada and we vote soon...
it is a very important election what with new trade war and the tariffs.
I hope we can build a stronger Canada, one that will not result in a recession.

We've got many issues that need fixing...
our medical system needs more doctors and nurses
there are too many people that are homeless
 lots of families are struggling financially.

~ PLEASE VOTE ~


Well I have to get some dinner ready now.

On the menu tonight...
Tossed green salad, gnocchi with cheese and bacon, Maple BBQ chicken thighs.

Thank you for taking time to pop in and read my blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Mid March Musings...

 


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 ~