Jumble Sale Table ~ Brooches, Yoga and some easy (Super Bowl) Recipes...

All is calm...

Sparkly Pink Puffer Fish...

Small enough to wear on a hat or beret.

Found at the local Market in a jumble sale table.

Marcasite Brooch

the sparkly "beads" are made from polished hematite

also from the jumble sale table.

Jumble sales are rather like a car boot or garage sale.

They are rather exciting...treasures can be found in these sales.

The items are not curated but heaped together in a jumble!

You may find a treasure.

Yoga is happening...

(albeit a solo practice)

I could benefit from a Zoom session from my instructors.

Our WiFi here is dodgy at best 

with many of the transmissions being pixelated.

So we can never depend on the reliability of the WiFi.

We sit near the window looking out across the Salish Sea 

while we read and where I knit...

many boats pass during the day and are all lit up at night.

The BC Ferries look like birthday cakes!

Local Fiadh Academy Aura Rose Quartz scent...

I use this on my wrists and neck.

It offers a calming fragrance which is lovely for my Yoga practice.

There are very few fragrances in my collection...

I've given up using heavy scents as so many people are allergic to them.

I read and enjoyed Geraldine Brooks recent book Horse...

so when I spied her Pulitzer Prize winning novel March I grabbed it.

Started it early this morning and I am already hooked...

I had to put it down for Yoga and then I met up with a friend for coffee.

I did a bit of shopping at Island Girl...

white Bamboo Yoga Top from Blue Sky.

Lovely chat with the new shop assistant...

saw some really cute Bueno white sneaker high tops...

Oh Dear could be trouble!!

If I dream of them tonight I will go back tomorrow...

What are you reading?

Do you enjoy a wee bit of chocolate?

I find these Ritter Sport bars from Germany quite delicious!

I do TRY to keep my habit under control...

BUT

Milk Chocolate and Hazelnuts are my favourite.

What are your favourite chocolates?

Did you watch the Super Bowl?

If you want a quick and easy Spread for crackers...

try this recipe.

Chutney Spread

2 ~ 8 ounce packages of Philly cream Cheese (room temp)

1/2 cup of mango chutney

1/2 cup of toasted chopped almonds

1 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Mix together in a bowl

 Chill for several hours

Perfect added to a charcuterie board.

Nice with a whole wheat cracker.

We had Spicy Szechuan chicken wings (2 dozen) and an orzo pasta salad for dinner.

Easy Peasy Wings

Put the wings in a bag with about 1/2 cup of all purpose flour and shake.

Place wings on a parchment paper lined sheet pan for an hour at 350 degrees.

Then add a jar of Spicy Szechuan sauce and liberally cover the wings.

Bake at 350 for another 30 minutes until sticky.

Orzo Salad 

Cook about 2 cups of orzo until al dente, drain.

Add a jar of Naam miso sauce, 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, 1 cup frozen green  peas

Mix and chill in fridge.

Bateaux Mouches Scarf/Shawl...

using

Bamboo Rayon 

soft with oodles of drape.

Will be an ongoing project for a few more weeks...

depending on how much time I plan to sit and knit.

The work is meditative, as it is a simple repeating pattern.

Add a pot of tea, a cozy warm seat by the fire and it's my idea of idyllic.

Simple Joys 

There is a lot of stress and crazy things happening in our world.

Fasten your seat belt and find some quiet tasks to keep your hands and mind busy.

Try to breathe, stay calm, eat healthy food, and don't forget to hydrate.

Let me know how you are doing...

 

Actions that you can control help with negative feelings...

Use your energy to do something positive...

pick up litter, do a good deed, pay it forward

Go for a walk, run, meditate, read a good book, call a friend,

eat some chocolate.

Take Care of You :-))

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Canadian Tuxedo, Makeup, and a "Perfect" white tee

 

~ Snow ~

We don't get a lot of snow here in Victoria but when we do...

many things come to a halt.

The Yoga Studio closed, 

the rec centre annex Yoga classes were cancelled, 

schools were closed.

I have been busy here in The Humble Bungalow keeping the home fires burning.

Vacuuming, dusting, reading, knitting, making soup.

Baking ~ Banana bread and a Sourdough Boule.

Watching the birds outside, sipping tea, thinking deep thoughts.

Silently praying for Peace.

The amaryllis bloomed!

I planted it on Boxing Day.

It is sitting on the shelf above the farmhouse sink where I do the dishes.

The kitchen is my favourite place to work.

I spend many hours at the counters 

sharp knives in hand chopping, 

slicing, and dicing...

creating meals to feed us.

Last week I went to the mall in search of the "perfect" white Tee shirt.

I don't know why it is so difficult to find one that fits well

looks good, is not see through, and has some style.

I want a decent quality, a smooth washable fabric that doesn't cling.

I've spent ages looking for a white tee in the thrift shops, no Joy.

After trying many tees in shops 

most were thin, see through tops, much too clingy.

This is one that I found at The Gap...

it ticked all the boxes I bought 2 of them.

($54.95 each yikes!)

Will be a layering workhorse...

when they go on sale I am going to buy a couple more!

DENIM got me again...

pale blue softness.

Thank you GAP

I know this has become a problem...

Hanging in my closet now are 3 denim style shirts.

The newer fleecy one...

(see previous post)

a thrifted Gap one from 5 or 6 years ago

now a pale one for spring and summer.

(Charter and founding member of Denim Shirts Anonymous)

Actually, come to think of it...

the pale one will go well with those pale denim Mango jeans I bought.

Think Canadian Tuxedo :-))

Very good book!

I read Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano a while back and really enjoyed her writing.

Several friends have recommended this book so I borrowed it.

Glad that I did.

Replaced my former CC cream with this one from Marcelle.

Canadian Company in Quebec that has been in business since 1949.

The gals at The Oak Bay Pharmasave suggested the opthamologist recommended mascara and eye shadow...

 I was asking their advice after two eye infections

 which I attributed to my sensitivity to mascara.

Been using this for about 6 months and have had no problems whatsoever!

The lipstick is a sheer red perfect for everyday.

(Loving Red)

My "go to products" for a simple minimal 5 minute make-up routine.

For a woman who is on the cusp of 70 

I find that less is more when it comes to make-up.

That about wraps up this snow day...

need to make dinner.

~ Spaghetti Bolognese ~

I don't usually post as often so I guess this a "bonus" post.

Many of you have popped by The Humble Bungalow Blog

 through the years...many friendships have been forged.

A few of us get together from other areas of the globe.

There are wonderful spin offs to blogging.

Kind of surprising that after all these years

I still feel like writing.

I might be

Am I repeating myself!

Well I'll sign off for now...

What's new with you these days?

Leave me a comment and tell me how you are doing.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Mid Month...a MISH MASH of Musings

 

~ Green Moss Growing on a Rock ~

I stumbled upon this pretty lush green sight and thought how beautiful it is...

How many people would stop and take notice?

Would they have TIME to stop?

Would they even care?

I think simple things of beauty in our world are worth noting.

When I was young

I would lie on the grass in our backyard and imagine fairies living in the grass.

Buttercups would be their yellow bonnets and clover would be their parasols.

Bees would be buzzing 

making the music that the fairies would dance to...

These wee worlds would whirl around in my imagination...

obviously I have not forgotten 

the power of their magic.

I still look for the MAGIC on my walks.

If only to regain those innocent and naive ideas and thoughts from my youth.

~ Baking Sourdough Bread ~

The simple process of mixing, folding, and baking bread has many rewards.

There is a sense of purpose and a genuine feel of true comfort.

The finished fresh Boule is so much more than just a loaf of bread...

it is a vehicle that transports us back to a simpler time.

The day of bread mixing is a Joyful experience.

The basic routine offers up a schedule that one wholly participates in...

mind and body.

(It might sound a wee bit "airy fairy" but that is how I feel)

I look for opportunities to relax the mind and body...

bread baking is an escape from reality.

So much in our world is in chaos and I seek solace.

I deliberately choose solace...

Yoga, knitting, walking, reading, and baking bread.

Things that are soothing and force to take me "out of my head."

~ Healthy Lunch with My Besties ~

Lunching with long time Friends as we celebrate and honour our birthdays.

We meet up for an annual Christmas lunch too...

we are good friends from primary school.

In a few months ALL of us will be in our 70's

so many stories intertwine and connect us.

In order to entertain more efficiently we purchased an antique table.

Our tiny living room has no coffee table so we used an oak card table

or 

set up the food in the dining room where people had to wander in and help themselves.

Now we can move the table into the living room and put the food on the table!

SO much better! 

It must be time to invite some people over to gather together. 

~ I snapped a selfie while waiting for the ferry ~

Yes the pearls came out to play!

OOTD is very casual.

Jeans ~ Mango Mom Jeans

White Tee ~ Mododoc

Knit vest ~ Churchmouse Library Vest pattern

Puffer coat ~ Lands' End

~ Here's the ferry ~

We are off to the Cottage

Grabbed two books that were on HOLD from the library.

Started with Elizabeth Strout's newest...

in LARGE PRINT !

I almost don't need to wear my glasses :-))

~ Ran a few errands this morning ~

Got a few groceries and bought some body balm at the pharmacy.

I forgot that I had run out when we left last month...

Alas

there was hardly any beach for walking...

 so I went to the Thrift Shop and the shops and galleries at Hope Bay.

With only a scant amount of scent left in my perfume bottle 

I found myself sniffing the samples.

Well this certainly sounds inviting...

Choosing the Rose Quartz option AURA

made locally on Pender Island by Fiadh Alchemy.

Sunshine and Blue skies are keeping us company today and feeling grateful.

Going to make French Onion Soup for our dinner...

chopping and slicing are such a tonic.

Hope that your New Year is off to a good start...

Take and Make time to nurture yourself, employ self care when necessary.

You will need to use that stored positive energy.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Solo getaway to Salt Spring Island ~ books, scent, skirt, tee and a sparkly vintage brooch.

 

I took myself away for 4 days to Salt Spring Island before our week at Pender.

I opted to stay close in town and park the car and walk to the shops and galleries.

My room overlooked the harbour.

The Salt Spring Island Inn was a very pleasant surprise.

It was built in 1937 and has been updated over the years...it has 7 rooms.

Three of the rooms have ensuite bathrooms and are advertised as deluxe rooms.

The 4 others share 2 separate bathrooms with showers.

It is very cozy.

The room was quiet and clean and had a TV which I never turned on once!

I purchased the deVol Kitchen Book from a fabulous shop called Rhubarb.

They have the MOST beautiful things in the shop...

they also have a website with some of their items.

I could have spent a fortune in there.

I finished knitting my neck warmer while I was at the Inn.

There is a wonderful cafe on the main floor.

It is popular with the locals and with tourists.

The food was really delicious and even though it was busy, 

the service was wonderful. The staff were friendly and animated.

I ate at the cafe every evening and opted for healthy meals.

(No fries or burgers)

Rain did not stop me from getting out and about...

I was out for an early morning walk before the shops opened up

when I spied this bottle on the sidewalk.

There must be a story here...

Pod has some amazing things inside!

European brands, cashmere sweaters scarves and hats.

Beautiful coats, clothes and shawls.

Met up with my friend Ali and she and I perused the shops.

She loves the Rhubarb Shop too so I went back with her again...

I went to 2 of the 3 thrift shops on SSI.

Found a sparkly brooch stamped Butler.

Love the size of the brooch...it makes a statement.

Found a basic tee top by Mododoc at Mouats.

 They have a vast selection of clothing and were having a sale.

I found the Golden Amber scent at Mondo...

it is woodsy and I love the fragrance.

Denim skirt also from Mouats.

I haven't had a denim skirt in many many years.

This will be a serious work horse in my wardrobe.

I am already planning what I am going to wear with it...

My crisp white shirt and pearls, tights and Black Chelsea Boots for a start...

Tee tops with my hand knit sweaters and vests.

Met up with Terry, my husband's cousin, who has lived on SSI for many decades.

We had a fun day together!

Terry is an avid walker and has made many trips to walk the Camino and various walks in the UK and Scotland.

She took me on a 5km walk in the Channel Ridge area.

I held my breath when she showed me a road that was so steep it went straight up!

I was VERY intimidated...

Terry was patient with me and said I'll talk and when you need to stop I'll wait.

Well I stopped 3 times to catch my breath but I did make it to the top.

After our walk she showed me wonderful areas of the Island that I had never visited.

For example, I had never been to the Mercantile...

The Woodshed

Glorious colours and a wide variety of veggies.

Beeswax Candles...

Fruits and Funghi

Salt Spring Island Kitchen Co.

They make wonderful and unusual jams, sauces, and vinegars.

Also sell the Salt Spring Island Cheeses and have yummy crackers too.

Tempting tasty samples too :-))

I bought two jars of jam...

Hot Mango and Onion and Thyme

The uber popular Francis Bread Bakery...

Totally loved these lights! They remind me of jellyfish.

Lots of tempting treats...

We had a delicious bowl of chowder at The Oystercatcher in Ganges.

Thank you Terry :-))

Went into Louise Campbell's Gallery...

colourful paintings and silk scarves.

I purchased 3 packages of art cards.

On November 11th there was a parade and a ceremony in the town square.

Many people turned out to watch the horses and Canadian Navy Bands.

After the event was over I grabbed a coffee 

then

 I checked out of the Inn and went to the bookstore to buy another book to take with me to Pender.

I read this book in a couple of days and have the sequel waiting at home.

I had never been to Pender from SSI before. It was fun to see the different scenery.

Well that about wraps up my holiday away...

Pender Sunset on our last evening...

I must apologize for being so slow at responding to emails!

I don't use my computer much when I am away.

I have laundry to tackle, bread to make, food to buy, and 

YES many emails to answer...

Only then will I read some more of Ina's new book!

What a lovely story!

Thank you for staying in touch and reading my blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~