August 10, 2025 ~ Tidbits

 

Thank you all for the lovely and kind comments 

about our cat Pepper's 

recent passing...

Chester has been keeping us amused with his antics...

he is a chunky boy and surprised us by jumping up 3 feet from the ledge to the top of the cupboards.

(Pepper used to do this too.)

I am so grateful to have pictures of Pepper and wonderful memories.

Our Humble Bungalow Garden is full of limelight hydrangeas in full bloom.

They are like trees!!

The garden is slowly winding down for a rest...

outside today while hand watering I noticed some of the fading flowers and plants.

There are tomatoes coming along, and a handful of green beans and cukes to harvest.

Inside the greenhouse a watermelon and a cantaloupe.

I've been keeping fairly quiet,

 choosing a few activities that provide peace and solace.

I love daily rituals...

my morning coffee is sacred.

My BFF loves this body serum so naturally I had to try it...

it is made in Alberta and it is very emollient and smells lovely.

I've got crepey skin on my 70 year old arms...

the lotion seems to diminish the scaly look and softens the dryness.

I am using it after my morning showers and I feel like it lasts all day long.

The fragrance is not overpowering...

apparently it comes in a variety of scents.

I met up with my sister...

if you have been following me for awhile then you might remember that she is an accomplished equestrian who teaches riding.

I've heard her called "the horse whisperer"

She's had quite a few horses over the years...

as she started riding when she was about 12 years old.

As luck would have it she helped me to tick off one of the things on my bucket list...

(drive a vintage tractor)

We harrowed a paddock...

this tractor pulled a harrowing attachment which basically rakes and levels out the sand 

in the riding ring.

When I drove it I went slow (1st gear)

she was more experienced and went faster...it still took awhile to get the job done.

My recent tractor ride coincides with a thrift shop find...

pristine LEVI'S

Jeans are very stiff...

I need to wash them a few times and wear them in...

perhaps beat them on some rocks?

(isn't that what they do when they stonewash jeans?)

I'll never make a farmer or even a farmhand :-))

(I am much more suited as a gardener)

Met up with friends for a coffee and a chat...

so relaxing sitting in the sun sipping coffee and nibbling a cookie.

It was a lovely meet up!

The Miriam sweater is progressing well...

knitting the yoke now and then will bind off and pick up stitches along the front.

There is garter stitch edging that matches the hem of the sleeves and body.

 

Using the vintage Baycrest Aran yarn that our daughter found at the thrift shop.

($10.00)

I found two new pieces for my vintage 1930's tea set last week...

a cup and saucer and a large plate.

~ Royal Albert Canterbury pattern ~

Pieces are hard to find locally so I felt like I had won the lottery!!

I have ordered some online but they are much more expensive due to shipping and the rarity and availability of this pattern.

NEXT

I need to have some friends pop over for a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

Well I didn't think I would be posting a new blogpost

quite so soon but I guess I am ready...

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Pepper has passed....

~ Darling Pepper ~

The past few days have been very emotional and unbelievably seriously sad days... 

I've been living as if I was in a walking Coma.

Our darling and beloved Pepper was losing weight for the past few months. We had a full work up at the vets but nothing showed up so we put her on medication in case it was arthritis...

We have been catering to her every need, but on Tuesday she decided she was not going to eat anything more which was heartbreaking.

We have been down this road before with other pets so we knew it was time...

She was such a sweet girl....

So soft but she had her quirks...

she chirruped, drank water from the faucet and was a keener when it came to food.

Pepper LOVED butter!!!

If we had a dish on the counter she'd jump up and lick it.

She could smell it and was able to leap up onto the counter...

we had many a fiasco when we had guests for dinner!!!

She was the BOSS...

Chester was the "Pester"

She groomed him and kept him in line...

They spent many hours cat napping on our bed.

Pepper was curious, she was loving and she was a great cat.

I am so sad that she has passed on and I will miss her everyday.

We will keep her memory close to our hearts and cheer up Chester...

He's a wee bit out of sorts.

As we all are.

I hope that Pepper is resting comfortably....

She was a great cat.

I've been feeling much more grief these past few days...

and I knew that she was ill but it has sidelined me.

SO

I may be silent for a bit.

In the meantime...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

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 ~

December greetings from The Humble Bungalow...

 

~ Festive Greetings from The Humble Bungalow ~

We've put up the faux tree with twinkling white fairy lights.

One of our cats still climbs the tree

so we do not add our vintage glass baubles.

One year the cat knocked the tree to the floor 

resulting in a mess of shattered baubles...

sadly several vintage treasures were lost.

 

We keep our decorating simple and have added some silver baubles and stars.

Do you follow Pamela Anderson on Instagram?

She has moved back to the island, renovated her family home,

 planted rose and vegetable gardens and more recently has published a cookbook.

She has totally reinvented herself...written a memoir, appeared in a documentary

starred in a play on Broadway, and is appearing in films.

Pamela is a co-founder of Sonsie skincare products.

My skincare products were getting low and when I heard that she had a rose scented cleanser I thought I might try some.

I purchased the "bundle" cleanser, serum and moisturizing balm.

I would have bought the lip balm but it was sold out.

I have been using the Sonsie products for about a week and already can see an improvement in my skin tone.

Having rosacea and seeing a reduction of redness is VERY exciting!

Hydrangeas are almost done for the season but I managed to salvage a few blooms.

These have dried nicely in a vintage Crown Ducal Vase. 

After 3 years of lusting after this Cocoon wool and cashmere coat from Aritzia

I finally bought it and I am SO GLAD!!!

 ~ SO COZY ~

Cold weather means warmer accessories...

the walks by the sea are very cold.

I had a fall a week ago...

Hurt my hip and knee which are badly bruised.

Sustained a cut above my eye.

My eye lid and area below were really red but now are a limey green shade.

Managed to get to see the doctor who sent me for X Rays.

Fortunately nothing is broken.

However I do have a concussion and have had a CT scan...

results should be forthcoming.

Research on walking assists inspired me to buy walking Poles.

Our local Wellwise store carry the poles.

Hubby bought a pair for his walks too.

I have used them a few times and they make a HUGE difference.

 My confidence, stability and balance are much improved.

Do you use walking poles?

Have you ever had a nasty fall requiring x-rays?

How about a concussion?

Tis the season for candles!

Beeswax and a scented candle on the vintage silver tray add ambiance.

I like to sip my coffee, read my book, or knit with these candles glowing.

Silver baubles...

Harrods George V fluted silverplate Teapot and Creamer

Still on the hunt for the sugar bowl...

It has been a quite a week with my bruises and fuzzy head.

Hubby "cooked" which meant that we ordered Thai food and had White Spot.

Thank you honey it was a nice treat :-))

He was my gallant chauffeur for a few appointments and for that I am thankful.

Feeling much better

I am driving again and have been shopping and running errands.

Lots of Christmas baking to do to fill my cookie tins...

are you getting ready for the holidays?

What are your "go to" traditional festive treats?

This might be my only post for December...

SO

I am wishing you a lovely festive season!

Thank You for reading my Humble Bungalow Blog and for all your comments!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

Hello June !

 

Welcome June...

We spent the past week at the cottage.

Beautiful scenery...a surprising mix of weather...Sun, Rain and HAIL !

Our favourite sailboat went out for a brisk sail...

quite a few sailboats took advantage of the gusty winds.

There was a sailpast ceremony for a recently passed member of the Pipe Band.

A bag piper was on the point and all sailors dipped their flags as they passed...

I love the sound of bagpipes.

We went to the Legion for the Saturday night meat draw...

met some nice people and won some snapper!

(not meat but FISH! and a $100 gift card at the local grocery store)

We sat on the deck when the weather was nice...

watched the ferries as they cruised past the cottage.

Observed the cloud formations...

Swam in the refurbished pool. 

It is now a "salt water" pool but it isn't "sea water."

Much more eco friendly and we felt much more boyant!

I am embracing the colours of blue and white at the cottage.

Vintage blue and white ironstone and yellow flowers are a great pairing.

I found this crinkle shirt at the thrift shop...

$3.00

I seriously cannot believe the prices!

I found 2 pound weights!!

$2.00

So excited as my recent diagnosis with osteoporosis recommends weight training...

Found a seated chair routine with Lauren ~ Senior Fitness on YouTube.

The session is 10 minutes so I do it twice.

Hopefully I will have more toned arms for summer sleeveless tops and dresses.

But most important I will be building BONE.

Greek style yogurt...high protein and rich in calcium no added sugar.

Read Mireille's book French Women Don't Get Fat again...

I have gained weight since I broke my ankle.

Inactivity is the culprit and maybe some naughty mood lifting eating :-))

There was a French Theme in my book choices this week...

Read this book written by David Lebovitz...

I have read several of his books.

He documents his Paris apartment purchase and the extensive renovations...

definitely not an easy thing for an Anglophile!

Found this one in a wee library kiosk...

read one of Janine Marsh's books before and enjoyed it...

am not quite finished but her stories of village life are very vivid and funny!

One of our feasts...

Marinated Pork tenderloin on the BBQ

roasted zucchini, peppers and carrots

half a baked potato with sour cream and bacon bits.

Marinate a pork tenderloin in a glass bowl

~ Marinade ~

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soya sauce (I use Braggs)

1 clove chopped garlic

3 tbsp. honey Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Marinate for at least 2 hours.

Heat grill on BBQ

cook until no longer pink

slice on the diagonal

Enjoy!

When we got home...

We were surprised to see my husband's latest project in full bloom!

He dug up all the grass on the boulevard...

planted a lawn alternative and VOILA!

The pollinators LOVE IT!!

OUR 

Climbing Royal Sunset Rose is in bloom.

This rose is so fragrant and repeat blooms all through the summer.

I love the orange shade...

We had a really rainy day today...

we stayed pretty close to home as our elder cat Pepper is unwell.

She has been diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis.

She is on pain medication and staying pretty quiet.

Her appetite is great so that is very encouraging.

Poor Girl...

Quite stressful for us adults...

if you are a pet owner you will know this feeling.

Baked my sourdough boule today...

such a rewarding and healthy habit.

Easy too...it sounds daunting 

once you have made one boule you will be a PRO!

Do you bake sourdough?

Do you know that it is lower in gluten, 

is easier to digest and has amazing probiotics?

Well that about wraps up our news...

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog

I will close for now...

we are going to watch some Acorn TV Mystery shows.

Stress can make us want to seek solace and escape...

English Murder Mysteries are just what we need tonight!!!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~