Mid February and it's Friday...

Life has been a bit of a roller coaster this week 

and there's more on the way so I am going to fasten my seat belt and try to navigate the days ahead with grace.

Carnations for Mom who has recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Our views have been rather sterile...

I am grateful for family and friends...

Whose love and support sustain us during tough times. 

Looking for the beauty in my daily round has never been more important.

It helps me put things in perspective...

The guest room and a wee antique Herend vessel.

Chester is up to his usual tricks.

Oak tree bark in Oak Bay

Acorn sculpture in the Oak Bay municipal yard.

The view from here...

Humble Bungalow dining room.

Roycroft hand hammered arts and crafts candlesticks

melted beeswax candles.

I love the scent of beeswax candles when they are burning.

I'll be posting snippets when I have the time 

 my time and energy 

right now is focused on Mom.

I may not have the time to respond to comments but be assured that I will read them all.

Thank you again for you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The Humble Bungalow kitchen...and cats.

So before we get too far into this post let me just say that our current kitchen is not the original 1913 arts and crafts design or layout.
The kitchen had been muddled many times,
years before we even set eyes on it and it was a disaster.

Mr HB took time thinking about the improvements and figuring out a workable design...with 3 doors in the space and a set of stairs it was tricky...

The room off to the left is our TV room where we have two love seats.

The stove and island are in front of the stairs that lead 

 to the laundry room, hobby room, Mr. HB's work area and guest room.

Shaw French country sink and pantry cupboard on the right.

Glass fronted cupboards for crockery...

and an open workspace are essential.

Above the sink ~ windowsill orchids...

White ironstone

  an assortment 

Sophie Conran Portmeirion, 

Emma Bridgewater 

and 

vintage china.

McCoy basket weave pot with my favourite wooden spoons and spatulas.

Two of these pots sit behind the stove with utensils at the ready.

I like using wooden spoons and they develop a patina over time.

The radio is on when I am in the kitchen...

I tune into the CBC most of the time.

The Kitchen Aid...

I keep it handy on top of the counter as I find it so useful.

Many of my other seldom used appliances are hidden out of the way.

My day starts with a cafe creme every morning.

A luxury that I acquired while visiting Paris and SW France.

 This De Longhi espresso machine is small and efficient.

The sink "work station" 

domestic life needs some organization.

Many hours every day are spent in the kitchen by choice as I love to cook.

So naturally it plays a prominent role in our home.

Working in a space that is pleasing to the eye...

with tools and equipment that help it function efficiently 

and a few extras make my job here easier.

A drawer full of tea towels and napkins...

There is not a lot of storage on our small bungalow so I try not to buy too many gadgets.

Keeping things to a minimum is simple and it saves money too.

My feline "companions" are here most of the time keeping me company.

Chester lying on the table...

Pepper drinking from the tap...

I apologize for any inconvenience but in light of the recent flurry of spam and unpleasant comments

 I have opted to moderate all blog comments.

 ~ Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

Bits and Bobs today on the Blog...

A small bronze Eiffel Tower sits on the shelf above our Shaw farmhouse sink.

I look up when I wash and scrub dishes and pots and I ponder my trip to Paris

and the south of France

it feels like yesterday in so many ways...

I recently received a lovely diamond eternity band from my husband and I do not want it to get caked with soap so I took it off while doing dishes and popped it atop the bronze Eiffel Tower.

(thank you darling!)

We keep our humble bungalow decor in the arts and crafts style...

not very many "modern accents" dip their toes in our heritage listed home.

That might surprise many of you but we try to be purists.

Cookbooks take up an entire shelf in our kitchen.

I will put Ina Gartens' newest cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey

on my Christmas Wish List.

The kitchen table is a quarter sawn oak mission arts and crafts trestle table

distressed by over 100 years of wear.

This is

where I sit and blog...

a Diptyque candle

adds to the ambiance.

(Mr. HB is watching the hockey game)

I enjoy cooking and feel very content in the kitchen.

I made a delicious Caesar Salad tonight...

if you want a seriously garlicky dressing this is the one for you!

I have several Caesar salad recipes and have shared them over the years.

If you want to see any of the recipes on my blog just scroll down on the right of my sidebar until you find the labels and click on the title recipes...

Caesar Salad Dressing

Place all the following ingredients in a blender

1 egg

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

 1/4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

blend

then with the machine running add slowly

 in a continuous stream

3/4 cup good quality olive oil

arrange washed and dried romaine lettuce on a tray 

(or in a deep bowl)

sprinkle 

bacon or anchovies over top

add

croutons 

(if desired)

I like to plan dinner early in the day so that I can walk to the market and buy what I need.

Pacing myself is much easier now in retirement than when I was working.

Its one of the best perks of retirement.

Time to accomplish things at a slower pace.

I write what we eat for dinner in my day timer so that I can easily see what I have made and I try to rotate the menu so that we get a variety.

Browsing in my cookbooks 

helps to inspire me to be creative and try something new and different.

Increasing my repertoire is always an adventure and not every new recipe is a winner... but I never give up on trying to find new and tasty dishes.

Mr. HB is planning to try a new recipe this weekend.

He seems to be enthused about cooking after his successful Saturday fare last weekend.

I feel so fortunate that he is getting his "chef hat" on.

Finnish mid century "FINEL" mushroom bowl

one of the few "interlopers" in our humble bungalow.

Have you got some fun planned for your weekend ?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

October sunshine...a day in my neighbourhood.

If you are tired of seeing pictures of the seafront where I walk you maybe want to click away now...
The views are the same but the colours and subjects that frequent the area change throughout the day. I never get bored and always find something of interest to capture. I feel very fortunate and grateful to be able to walk in such beauty.

The temperatures were hovering around 13 degrees Celsius this afternoon when I went for my walk. I wore a long sleeved T shirt, jeans and my Barbour vest and I was very warm once I got going...I had to unzip my vest and other walkers were in short sleeves!

There was enough of a breeze to launch the hang gliders off the cliffs.

I've often wondered what the views would be like from a glider.

Can you see the freighter out on the water?

That has been sitting there for weeks as the company that owns it apparently has gone bankrupt. I wonder what will happen to the boat? I would think it could be a hazard to navigation as it is very close to the shipping lanes.

With the foggy mornings of Fall it could be a disaster waiting to happen.

After I came home from my walk I noticed how dirty my windows were...

I started to wash them and dear reader I am absolute RUBBISH when it comes to cleaning windows!

Then I got onto my hands and knees and washed the kitchen floor 

which I am much better equipped to do!

I picked some hydrangeas this week and popped them in one of our arts and crafts vintage vases.

We are hosting Thanksgiving dinner and I am going to be busy preparing the family feast. 

We are looking forward to having everyone here in our small bungalow to help us celebrate.

A friend recommended this book...

it is quite different, 

not sure what is going to happen 

but it all takes place over dinner at a high end restaurant 

two couples and something terrible has happened involving their children

 that is about to be revealed...

Nerine Bowdenii blooming in various beds in Our Humble Bungalow Garden.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

January daze...

This blog is a personal one and it is not one where I discuss politics or world events.

It has come to my attention that many of my readers come here for a "rest"...

a quiet respite from the hectic life that they lead.

It was never my intention to be a radical or significant voice on current affairs.

Dissecting serious issues are not my forte...

this humble blog revolves around family, home and garden...

Things that I know well.

Simple uncomplicated living experienced at it's fullest.

Looking for the finer things in life...

happiness

beauty

Joy

Blogging is a venue for self expression.

Emails and comments from readers are an added bonus...icing on the cake.

Through these communications I feel much more connected to my audience.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you all.

Flowers found their way into the Humble Bungalow as a tonic for the grey January daze.

A few days ago Mr. HB and I stopped for brunch at Bridgeman's Bistro at Mill Bay.

The view of the Marina was pretty despite the grey skies overhead.

The bistro was packed!

We sat at the window and sipped our beverages while waiting for our brunch to arrive.

Boats bobbing 

gulls soaring 

kingfishers diving

swans swimming

the scenery was calming and serene.

After lunch we perused many antique shops.

 We are on the hunt for an arts and crafts mission style small side table

 for The Humble Bungalow living room.

Our current table is wobbly and the wood is curved in the middle so it is not very practical.

We have seen one that we like online in Pasadena but it is $450 US and with the added shipping and our low Canadian dollar makes it far too expensive.

We are planning a trip south to Seattle and will look around when we are there...

arts and crafts furniture was only made for a very short period so pieces are often a challenge to find when you do find them they are usually quite pricey.

(supply and demand)

January is the month I dedicate to re-evaluating my health 

to focus on my day to day regime.

The annual visit to the doctor revealed that my thyroid medication needed changing...

other than that everything seemed in order, except my weight was up 5 pounds.

After Christmas it did not come as a surprise.

 I was eating more sweets and having more cocktails and wine.

With that in mind I am eating much more mindfully and drinking more water.

This article in The Guardian was of interest to me.

 I hope that abstaining from alcohol for a few weeks will give my skin a boost and help me shed a few pounds.

Witch hazel blooming a cheery yellow

peeking through a fence on my walk.

Orange witch hazel further along on the same street.

Flowers and blooms are few and far between at this time of year.

Eyeing a pop of colour in my periphery quickly turns my head!

OPI 

"Did you ear about Van Gogh?"

a putty shade that is a bit edgy and is a neutral shade.

Painting my nails is my newest accessory.

Pavlova on the menu for dessert when our darling daughter and her "kiwi" fiancee came to dinner.

Meringue

It looks a bit messy but it tasted delicious!

We started with a tomato, bocconcini, and basil salad drizzled with balsamic reduction.

Roast free range organic chicken, scalloped potatoes, vegetables and flaky dinner rolls rounded out the meal.

~ Healthy Focused Eating ~

Breakfasts ~ oats and fruit or yogurt and fruit.

Lunches ~ soup or salad.

Dinners ~ a small amount of protein served with lots of fresh veggies and a salad.

~ Daily Walks ~

This sign hangs on a gate in our neighbourhood

recently seen on my walk...

With so many wonderful bloggers and blogs online

 it is with gratitude that I thank you

 for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog and spending a few minutes here.

Be Well and Be Kind.

Hope that your New Year is off to a healthy Start!

Hostess