There's a thing about the Sea...

I was in grade 5 or 6 when I was asked by my teacher to memorize and recite a poem in front of the class...I think it was Mr. Miller...at Monterey School.
We called him "Killer Miller" I have no idea why!

The pressure was on as there was a short timeline, but Father had a book of poetry and he helped me choose a few and we whittled it down to this one...
because it "spoke to me."

Sea Fever

by John Masefield,

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; 

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

How was I to know at that age that the sea would play such a large part in my life?

I spent much of my teen years cruising on the sea and met my husband as a result of boating...

We married young and raised two children and bought a boat as soon as we could...we sailed the Gulf Islands and had many adventures.

The kids are grown up and we now have a smaller boat, 

a 27 foot Sea Ray Sun Dancer that I like to refer to as "the Go Fast"...

her real name is "Waterlust" named so as we have a lust for the sea.

I wonder if the call to the sea was meant to be?
Did my early yearnings lead me to this chapter in my life

or was it destiny?

Do you believe in destiny?

I've always been drawn to the sea.

Especially in times of joy and many times of despair...

weeping salty tears.

I love to walk along the seafront and to go beach combing

hopefully seeking 

while

searching for shells and beach glass.

Sea shells, white vintage ironstone, mirrors and candles...

a vignette that calms

and 

satisfies...

Candles are such a simple thing 

yet

I would not be happy if I did not have some in the house.

They add such ambiance...

not unlike 

 staring into the beach fire

or the Guy Fawkes bonfire

it stirs something deep within...

dare I say primordial?

Walking along the seafront offers up so many different views...

 light

 weather

colour

my mood can be altered in a matter of minutes...

Mother Natures's paintbrush is ever changing...

she can be moody

dark

stormy

uplifting

we are mere observers...

speaking of observing

and watching....

I have been watching The Crown on Netflix...

such a grand production with a stellar cast

I am savouring each and every episode.

Are you watching too?

I have been knitting...

and it just so happens that I have been knitting Crowns...

Yes dear reader, 

crowns for the grand children!

 Ravelry pattern in the royal spirit and free...

fun might be in the household of the children as they play Queen and King.

I received an email from a reader in the UK saying that she cannot leave any blog comments and I have checked all my settings and can find nothing amiss...

if you have had trouble commenting on my blog please send me an email.

I hope that all will be well.

Hope you have a great week...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Food, friends and flowers...

Glorious pink rose blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Pretty pink shade and an intoxicating fragrance...

It has been a lovely weekend with friends and family.

We enjoyed having our dear friends from France visit 

we spent hours chatting and catching up....

There was an abundance of food and the wine flowed.

Beef Daube with a baguette followed by a green salad and rhubarb crisp for dinner the night that they arrived.

Tapas following a cruise up the Gorge waterway on the Harbour ferry on Saturday

then dinner out at a French Bistro.

We met our children and grand children for brunch on Sunday

so our friends could reacquaint themselves with Isla and Henry and meet Mira.

After brunch we drove out to the Marina and took our Sea Ray out for a scenic cruise off the Sidney waterfront.

I have a fridge full of food and will not need to cook for a couple of days!

You can see how much food played a major role in our weekend!

I refuse to step on the scale today.

I do not want a shock.

We enjoyed a cocktails on the deck of The Humble Bungalow

The weather cooperated, the sun shone and there was only a hint of a breeze...

We hosted a casual dinner party and invited a long time friend of our house guests.

The menu was simple and tasty.

veggies skewers with goat cheese in balsamic creme

grilled lamb chops 

salad

a dollop of lemon and dollop of mango sorbet 

served with a square a locally made chocolate for dessert.

A reader asked me to post some of my meals and this one is easy quick and tasty.

My plate has a healthy portion of vegetables

1/2 cup rice

small pork chop in a mustard marmalade glaze.

Brown chops in oil and butter.

Cook until no longer pink and remove from pan, cover with foil.

 De-glaze pan with orange juice

stir in grainy mustard

marmalade

add thyme and Worchestershire sauce and blend.

Add chops back into mixture and cook a few more minutes.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Domestic jobs await...

and they will not get done if I keep typing!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

On a sunny Sunday we gathered...

I picked Jude the Obscure roses from our Humble Bungalow Garden

for the party.

Popped them in an icy modernist vase from Finland.

Picked some limelight hydrangeas for the centrepiece in a heritage tea house

set them on the table in a vintage enamel jug

placed the photograph in front

waited for the guests to arrive.

Sunday was memorable

as it was a celebration for the newlyweds.

a lovely venue 

in the garden of dear friends 

a vast green lawn

magnificent perennial borders

vintage lamps and lighting

with views to the garden beyond...

wicker chairs

plump cushions

colourful bunting strung from the rafters

food 

family

friends

boccee ball

children running about

blowing bubbles

laughter

conversation

The lovely couple...

Darling daughter and our son in law...

welcome to the family!

Feeling such gratitude and joy...

spending time with family 

there is no better way that I know of to feel the beauty of love.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Weekend Dinner Party and a Yummy Salad Recipe

Our daughter is going to be wed to her Kiwi fiancee this summer in an intimate ceremony on one of the beautiful Gulf Islands just off our coast.
We were introduced to our future SIL's father and step mom on the weekend and we celebrated by hosting a casual dinner here in The Humble Bungalow.
The Marlborough area in New Zealand is where they reside and they own and run an award winning olive grove and make olive oil...they gave us a bottle and I cannot wait to try it!
Marlborough is well known and famous for their vineyards and top notch wines so we wanted to introduce them to some of our BC wine and local seafood.

We served a very simple dinner and we sipped a Sandhill Pinot Gris from a BC Winery in Oliver.

We were celebrating our future SIL's birthday and getting acquainted with his father and step mom. The conversations were animated and we really got on well.
Such lovely people, warm and friendly, it feels as though we have been friends for a long time.

Dinner menu:

Cheese and olive platter with candied smoked wild salmon for the appetizers
Salad
Baby new potatoes with butter and chopped fresh mint
Salmon glazed with soy sauce and drizzled with maple syrup
Chocolate mousse with raspberries

I tried a new salad which was colourful and full of flavour.
Here is the recipe...
I have not indicated quantities because it is so easy to adapt the amounts to make more or less depending on how many you are serving.

Yummy Salad

A variety of salad greens and I added radicchio for colour
cooked beets (I used baby beets and quartered them after cooking)
radishes sliced
roasted pumpkin seeds
sliced green onions
goat or feta cheese crumbled

Put all these gorgeous ingredients in a large salad bowl.
(I used a shallow white bowl to show the rich colours of this salad)

Dressing

1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of fresh dill or 2 tsp. dried dill weed
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a large jar and shake until emulsified and dress salad just before serving.

I ate the leftovers today (a wee bit soggy but yummy!)

I am half way through this book and am having difficulty putting it down.

It is well written and very interesting...and yes it is on my Paris themed reading list!

(I have it on good authority that Tilar Mazzeo is residing in Victoria for several months of each year)

Well I must get a move on and tackle some of the domestics around here...

no more excuses!

 After I have finished them I am going to pop the kettle on and sit for a bit and read my book!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~