The Festive Season is well and truly upon us!

Ready or not the festive season is truly in full swing!

Hope that you are hanging in there!

We added a few seasonal decorations to dress up The Humble Bungalow

The faux tree is up and wrapped with white fairy lights.

There is a wreath on the front door...

 boughs and red berries

mandarin oranges.

I spent a lovely hour 

lunching with a good friend at one of my favourite spots...

Pure Vanilla.

The Festive season can get far too busy as there is so much to do.

Cooking, baking, entertaining, being entertained, shopping, cards, decorating, wrapping presents and so it goes...

I need to remind myself to slow down 

and 

savour the simple things in life.

Lets take a collective deep breath...

stop and smell the flowers.

Jude The Obscure is STILL blooming!

Hope that you find some time to savour a few quiet moments this week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD mixed with some Netflix suggestions...

Mod-O-Doc patchwork top

worn here with the skinny knit Calvin Klein knit pants

Cut Loose top and the Calvin Klein skinny knit pants

Clarks shoes.

OOTD 

to play bridge and take lessons at the club.

They are simple easy pieces that can be dressed up with accessories.

Authentic, honest clothes that reflect my no nonsense approach...

(sometimes I might be a tad too serious)

SO

I have been considering buying a fun Tee shirt...

not sure exactly what it will look like

noticed a few women "of a certain age" 

wearing interesting Tees with variations of patterns 

textures

some with writing

which for years I have never considered.

Perhaps there is a Tee for me 

that would look not quite as "out there" worn under a simple sweater

like Mom's cashmere waterfall sweater

 that I wear often as

it feels just SO COZY! 

Speaking of cozy

that reminds me of "comfort food."

French Toast for breakfast 

 our garden grown apples with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Cafe Creme

of course...

We just finished watching the Netflix series Atypical 

which I can highly recommend...

it is about an autistic boy and his family.

Jennifer Jason Leigh is the lead actress.

I am now glued to the Netflix series "This is Us"...

and loving it!

The show reminds me so much of "Thirty Something" 

a series that my husband and I watched with our friends 

many years ago

 I discovered that Ken Olin is involved...

he was in Thirty Something 

and it has a similar vibe

perhaps that must be why I love it so much.

Hope that you have a lovely week.

I am looking forward to a slower pace after our busy weekend cleaning out the basement!

We found all kinds of things that we could get rid of, things we will never use

 things were popped outside on the boulevard for passers by to take 

 the rest is off to the thrift shop.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Weight Watchers...and watching out the window.

Our kitchen window looks out toward the neighbours yard.
My laptop sits atop a quarter sawn oak trestle arts and crafts table so when emailing or blogging I can observe the work going on next door.

Here's a low Weight Watcher point breakfast that I ate a few days ago.

Low fat cottage cheese and fresh fruit.

I have been unable to focus on my WW since Mother passed away but now I need to get back on track.

It is proving to be more of a challenge this time...

I am trying to be disciplined but think I am in trouble and I may need to go back to the meetings as they really helped me before.

Coffee first thing in the morning is my only "real" caffeine of the day.

The rest of the time I opt for decaf beverages or I have trouble sleeping at night.

Dinner one boneless skinless chicken thigh, 

curried quinoa and brown rice

salad with 1 Tbsp. of low point yogurt dressing.

Our views from the kitchen window are changing daily and dramatically...

This used to be a demolition site...just a big hole.

Things are taking shape as the building is being erected.

A basement and main are being framed here...

And here is the view a couple of days later

There will be two new homes on this site.

Breakfast this morning was a symphony in red and white.

I have not seen any movement on the scale so far but I am not discouraged.

My pants feel looser so that's a good sign.

We are celebrating Canada's 150th birthday tomorrow on July 1st

there are a lot of people expected to attend the events on the lawn of the legislative buildings at the Inner Harbour.

I plan to avoid the crowds as I do not like getting jostled or stepped on and because I am so short I can never really see what's going on!

Mr. HB hung the flag up and we are hoping to watch the fireworks

from our neighbourhood.

Happy Canada Day!

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

I'll be back on the blog in a few days...

Hostess Shopping habits...Friday post.

I try to shop locally as much as possible.
This is especially important when it comes to food.
If we want the farms to survive as acreages
and the local farmers to stay in business we need to give them our business.

I opt to shop in smaller stores where I know the owners...
the big box stores do not offer much in the way of service
and one generally does not engage in the same sort of conversation with the clerks while conducting business as these stores are usually noisy and crowded and the line ups long
which makes waiting to get through the till a rather tedious exercise.

Having said that, there are a few exceptions...

Like linens...
Our kitchen tea towels are all made of linen.
I love how soft the linen towels get after many washings.
After years of fighting with the iron I have come to terms with the job, and I love ironing...
standing back admiring the stack of freshly ironed tea towels each week on laundry day is a just reward!

I'm not sure why ironing was in the category of "domestic drudgery"...
it never occurred to me that all I needed to do was shift the way that I thought about the job in order to embrace and enjoy the process...
after all is said and done, it is repetitive and very meditative.
Calming...

Patricia Hines designed linen towels from Western Australia

found in a local second hand shop

as new ~ unused

$7.00 each

Each towel has a bit of red in the pattern which is why I bought the pair...

I have a red tea kettle and some other red accents in The Humble Bungalow Kitchen.

Coffee for my morning cafe creme comes from Italy

served in my favourite bowl

from

Emma Bridgewater Black Toast pottery from the UK

Since retiring I have been quite frugal...

especially with clothing.

I have kept a book where I record the clothes that I purchase and how much they cost.

It has been a great exercise and I plan to keep up the habit.

I love to shop vintage and peruse the charity shops.

 This is rather like a hobby as it can take up quite a bit of time.

If one is pressed for time this is not the best way to shop.

We have quite a few good consignment shops in town which are fun to browse.

One of my favourites is Good Things on Oak Bay Avenue.

I have consigned many household things with them...

recently we took some of Mom's items to them.

 I have purchased many more items from them that I could ever list!

(no book itemizing these purchases exists!)

Other shops are;

Value Village, Salvation Army, WIN thrift, St. Vincent de Paul, Super Chance and the James Bay Community Closet are located in town.

The Beacon Hospital Thrift Shop in Sidney is a 40 minute drive

but has a good selection of housewares, books, and clothing.

Like any second hand shop one needs to go with an open mind and look carefully at what is in the store.

Do you shop second hand?

Do you prefer to shop online or in person?

How was your Friday?

Mine was busy, but relaxed.

Yoga class, lunch out with a friend, and a wee bit of shopping

tried to go for a walk in the gale force winds

wrote this post while drinking a pot of tea

next up I will prepare a healthy dinner.

For those of you who may be curious about the lot next door...

and those who aren't please look away now.

This is the view from my kitchen window...

there is a huge pile of dirt waiting to be trucked away.

I wonder if we will have a weekend of peace and quiet.

Hope that you have some fun things planned for the weekend.

Hostess

XO

Week two...

Life has been moving at a fast pace here in The Humble Bungalow.
I prefer to take my time accomplishing tasks
"needs must"
feels like the right phrase
to explain why we are living at this high level of activity.

The bungalow is scented with floral bouquets.

Chrysanthemums, lilies, hydrangeas, roses...

Flowers and food from friends offer up such care and comfort.

They are my go-to gifts when friends and family experience turmoil and loss.

We are on the receiving end this time and it does help...

Coffee has been a key player for me these past few weeks...

sleep and early mornings and a foggy brain have needed a little extra boost!

I've taken myself out for coffee in between meetings with the lawyer, the bank and various agencies.

It has been a full roster of appointments with little time to cook or prepare decent meals.

I have relied on the kindness of friends

and indulged in some easy meals.

The staple BBQ chicken and deli salads are becoming a fast favourite of mine.

Tea and an apple with cheese 

at Mom's 

after I staged the condo for the Real Estate Photographer.

Sitting in the quiet 

listening to the ticking of the clock

surrounded by mom's things

offered up a wee bit of respite.

Mother Nature has been busy tending her garden.

Spring flowers are emerging from their winter slumber.

Parrot tulips for a wonderful friend who kindly made us a meal and has stood by us through thick and thin...

Thank you

XO

Today for the first time in many weeks I slept in...

the bed felt warm and cozy and I slowly got up

easing into a quiet morning

with no appointments until after lunch

I put the laundry in the washing machine

made a coffee

and opened up my dusty laptop to write this post.

It feels good to be alive

I feel such gratitude

and 

although my heart aches for my Mom

I know that she would not want me to be maudlin for too long...

she was a sensible woman

resilient

strong

stylish

with a no nonsense approach to life.

So, in her honour, I am going to try to do my best...

moving ahead

 I will cherish her and keep her memory alive in my heart.

Thanks MOM

XO

Week one....

It's been a week since Mom passed away.

Lots of things to do and little time for the blog

or for commenting 

on all your wonderful stories 

that you have so kindly shared

 about your experiences with death of loved ones...

mostly our Mothers.

Mother 

a picture taken at Christmas 

on our annual visit to Laurel Point

to view the decorated gingerbread houses.

We are using this for her obituary 

which will be published in the newspaper this weekend.

Beautiful bouquets in The Humble Bungalow.

This one, is from our dear friends in France.

It brought tears to my eyes when I read the card.

XO

Beauty abounds...

I adore green and white flowers.

I was home when these arrived and was able to sit and chat for a few minutes

with the special couple who brought them.

XO

Tulips from the bridge ladies.

XO

Members of our "adopted family" brought these!

XO

The grandchildren...

XO

The days are full and busy.

So many details to attend to and lots of phone calls to make.

Lawyers appointments

family to call

sorting

cleaning

Trying to keep things simple means not stressing about the "little things"

like cooking and eating WW friendly foods right now!

Something has to go out the window...

time for some comfort food.

Croissant for breakfast...

flaky and buttery

eaten slowly...

the flakes fluttering down onto the plate moistened by tears.

A skinny latte

with a little heart to start the day...

I will post your comments as they come in and please know that I appreciate and read each and every one.

At this demanding time 

I am unable tor respond individually to your comments.

I humbly apologize

but I think you'll understand.

Hope that you have a lovely weekend.

XO

Dinner in the dining room of The Humble Bungalow...

We are fortunate to have a decent sized dining room in The Humble Bungalow.

In the home where I grew up, we had a sardine can sized dining room where guests were squeezed in around a table, and once you were seated you had to stay until the meal was over.

The white fairy lights are plugged in for special occasions

opting for simple white Sophie Conran china 

and

French Bee glasses.

There is plenty of crystal and Royal Albert china tucked away in the buffet.

Those pieces come out for bigger gatherings like Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Fragrant freesias from Thorn and Thistle Flower Merchants,

my favourite spot in town for fresh flowers and plants. 

We gathered together with darling daughter and her husband to watch their honeymoon video.

For starters

a plate of cheese, crackers, fig jam and olives were served.

Beef tenderloin cooked on a bed of mushrooms 

in a black bean Asian fusion sauce. 

Recipe is in Susan Mendelson's cookbook page 135 

 Mama Now Cooks like This!

(I cannot find her recipe online and for copyright reasons I cannot print the page so I hope you can find a copy of the book in your local bookseller or library)

Served with green beans and garlic mashed potatoes.

The garlic mashed potatoes are from The Barefoot Contessa's Paris cookbook 

(recipe here)

Mixed fruit and berry crumble which we topped with coconut ice cream.

I used Ina Gartens's basic recipe from her Paris cookbook 

substituting apples for the plums.

(recipe here)

Late Evening Tea Time

decaf Yorkshire Blend and a scented candle.

Time to reflect on the day

count my blessings 

then write in my journal.

It was a lovely evening...

Today

Mother and I walked the Esplanade this afternoon 

then we went for a coffee.

Our usual cafe was closed for holidays.

The blue skies and sunny weather were a tonic 

I am feeling a bit unsettled and persnickety.

I seem to have developed 

a headache

after purging our filing cabinet 

which took me several hours...

and 

has left me with a stack of shredding

that I need to attend to in the morning.

(UGH!)

We

also need the dishwasher motor to be replaced

we could opt for the whole new machine but I do not think that very green or eco friendly so we will replace the broken bits and hope for the best.

I plan to wake up with a fresh attitude

brew my cafe creme

sit and reflect on the good things.

Then

put on a crisp white shirt, pearls and my NYDJ boyfriend jeans

and seize the day!

Do you ever have a day where you just feel like someone has hijacked your life?

Don't be shy...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~