Giveaway recipient...a dilemma for Mr. HB!

Greetings from The Humble Bungalow!

We have been busy of late with many lovely seasonal events and one particularly very special one today...a precious school pageant starring all the pupils of the private school that focuses on the arts as well as the mandated BC curriculum.
Our sweet red headed granddaughter Isla,
sang solo parts of a song by Sarah Brightman "The Music of The Night"
that moved this Grammy to tears....
MR. HB's eyes weren't the driest either!

I have been "under the weather" with a stiff neck this past week

and attribute it to too much knitting or possibly a virus.

 I have been trying to keep warm and cozy by wearing a fleecy jacket and cashmere socks.

But enough about me...

Mr. HB had to choose the recipient of the WW slow cooker recipe cookbook and he found it a tougher job than he signed on for so he narrowed it down to two...

So...dear reader he did what many people do when in doubt...

The Finel mid century bowl was put into action with the two entries inside...

He pulled this one out of the bowl.

Carol Woodard please send me an email with your mailing address

and I will send you the book.

We entered the 50/50 and the wine draw tonight at the pageant...

no wins here but so glad that we can help support a great school and see our sweet grand daughter on stage.

Hope you are having a lovely week.

May I just say that I have had an outpouring of support from readers who were feeling uncomfortable about the rude comments and I would like to take this opportunity to say that you have restored my faith in human nature.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Weekend Paint In...

The Annual Art Gallery Moss Street Paint In was held this past weekend and Mr. HB and I wandered up the road to the Gallery perusing the artists stalls before enjoying a bite of lunch.

Of course we donated to the gallery's fund raising event.

The Victoria Art Gallery is located not far from our Humble Bungalow.

Over 35,000 people were in attendance 

and the street was full of people and dogs...

(almost) everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

This sign was situated just outside a very large pottery display

many people were lined up to get a closer look.

Two fellows were sitting here when I reached for my IPhone and when they saw what I was doing they made a quick exit!

There was another sign, 

one raising awareness of a possible site for a large sewage treatment facility...

it just happens to be on the waterfront at Clover Point Park.

IMO not the best possible site for this kind of facility...

This hydrangea was given to us when my father passed away in 2007.

The blooms are the largest that I have seen since we planted it.

With so many people parking on our street and wandering past The Humble Bungalow I decided that I needed to dress up the front porch a wee bit so I picked a bouquet and popped it on the table by the front door.

This week is going to be a very busy one 

so my computer time is going to be limited.

Hope you have a great week lined up and that you have set aside some time to stop and smell the flowers!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seeking peace and perspective...in the Humble Bungalow Garden.

The late night news coverage of the violence in Nice, France was hard to watch.

is unsettling...
difficult to process....

I was worried for the safety of our friends who live in the South of France
so I sent off a couple of emails before retiring to bed.

When I woke up I went to the computer and read the emails from our friends confirming they are safe...

Sunshine shining through the freshly cleaned windows was a welcome gift.
The birds were chirping and the garden beckoned...

Coreopsis

I took my coffee outside and wandered in The Humble Bungalow Garden...
I am going to take you along too.

Limelight Hydrangea

Fisherman's Wand

Limelight Hydrangea blooms are quite large.

Calla Lily

The flowers and birdsong are calming...

I understand that

world events are beyond my control.

All I can do is control my own reactions to these events.

My current novel...

sitting quietly reading with a cuppa on the porch.

This lovely Hollyhock is blooming in a garden nearby...

The delicate crepe papery petals reminds me of our Romneya Coulteri.

Romneya Coulteri

I find solace when I am immersed in domestic routines 

like polishing silver,  

weeding the garden 

or 

cooking in the kitchen.

 ~ Stuffed Peppers ~

Two recipes popped up at the top of my google search for stuffed peppers

I added some other ingredients that I had on hand.

Halve the peppers and remove the seeds.

Cooked rice

add

sun dried tomatoes, corn, olives, basil, onions, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic 

Mix to blend in a bowl.

Stuff the peppers

top with tomato sauce and grated cheese.

Chill until time to bake.

Cover loosely with foil

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. 

Without them humanity cannot survive."

~ Dalai Lama ~

Chester looking rather relaxed on the front table in the entry hall.

He uses the wicker chair behind him as his scratching post.

He is a naughty boy, but is so cute that he gets away with it!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Elopement flowers...

By the time you read this post
our darling daughter and her fiancee will be married...

Married!

Such a joyous occasion to stand before each other
in a beautiful setting by the sea
to pledge their love and future years together
as husband and wife.

The Humble Bungalow Kitchen 

looks like a flower shop.

Hey Jude!

Thank you for your timely blooms...

I was worried that this stellar David Austin rose "Jude the Obscure" would have finished flowering 

as it has been going steady since early May.

We also ordered flowers from our favourite shop Thorn and Thistle Flowers 

so there are going to be two bouquets.

One for the actual ceremony and one for the photos.

~ a simple garden bouquet for the bride ~

~ a boutonniere for the groom ~

The Humble Bungalow Kitchen 

was in need of tidying by the time I had finished arranging all the flowers.

Putting together floral arrangements and bouquets over the years

for special events and parties has been fun.

Flowers play such a big part in my life.

 Growing them in the garden and arranging them in vases and posies

has been a rewarding and creative endeavour.

Flowers add such beauty and ambiance to a home.

I cannot imagine life without flowers...

The wee library on our street is a great source of books 

 the neighbours read quite a lot and they drop off and exchange novels 

with great regularity.

"Sisters" by Claire Douglas sounds like a good read...

It will need to wait until after 

I finish Elin Hilderbrand's novel "The Island" 

which I am enjoying immensely...

This morning I whipped around the house and got all my chores done then I took myself out for a long walk to get some fresh air and exercise.

The sights and sounds were just what I needed.

While I was walking I got several texts and photos from darling daughter taken at the service.

The weather co-operated with oodles of blue sky and loads of sunshine 

Such a beautiful day for their ceremony.

Next time I see our darling daughter she will be married!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

A Smashing time...

Frozen shoulder has made life a bit frustrating for the Hostess of The Humble Bungalow...
my range of motion is limited and so typing and knitting have been virtually curtailed.

I have been meaning to sit down and write a post but I have had a series of appointments and a few mishaps that have kept me hopping.

Someone decided to take their anger out on my windshield.

It was a smashing day all around...

it reminds me of that song

"if I had a hammer I'd hammer in the morning I'd hammer in the evening..."

I met friends for lunch and parked in an open lot close by the restaurant and when I returned I was actually gobsmacked by what I saw...

and I still wonder 

WHY?

It seems to me to be a senseless act of vandalism.

But let's move on shall we?

I did want to brighten your day by showing you some of the beautiful orchids from The Victoria Orchid Society Show.

I am still enjoying The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton...

it has been a godsend having a novel to take my mind off of my troubles and to give me something to focus on as I wait in the medical offices.

I really wish I could be knitting...

at least I can still play bridge 

  Meg

(whom I adore)

is the 94 year old bridge player 

who continues to inspire me

 had fabulous cards this week...we were "on fire" 

we bid and made a small slam!

I am so grateful for the small joys and simple things in life.

Have yourself a fabulous weekend!

Be Well and Be Kind.

Inviting colour in small doses...

The dark days of January here in the Pacific Northwest are making me crave colour...

My minimal wardrobe could use a dose of energy... as could I!

The basic clothes that hang in my closet are functional and everything works together.
Planning and shopping with the basic shades makes it simple but with the dark days of January here in the Pacific Northwest I find that I crave an injection of colour.

Eileen Fisher would be the designer whose clothes I could exclusively wear and own...
and she works mostly in shades of grey, black and navy in winter.

I saw a sweater from her new spring and summer line made out of a loose linen weave in a soft grey and I absolutely loved it...but the price tag was almost $400. Yikes!

Oh but it would look fabulous with my white jeans...
perhaps...time will tell...I have a birthday coming up in March.

After shopping I came home I brewed a cup of hot tea and painted my nails...in living colour!
I am getting better at this.
The health and look of my cuticles are improving with the use of gloves and hand cream.

Here is that punch of colour that I am craving and at a price that I can afford!

I met darling daughter for a healthy lunch earlier in the week and tried on her newest cocktail ring.

If you are on Instagram please check out her site.

@thingfinder

She has the most stunning collection of jewels and she has an etsy shop where she sells some of her gems.

(etsy shop link on her IG page)

I am going to a celebration of life which is coming up soon 

and I have been trying to decide what to wear.

I will be volunteering at this function.

I went to school with the woman who passed away at 61.

She was a successful lawyer, a court judge, wife and mother.

The volunteers are planning on wearing mostly black.

Vintage Leather vest Pamela McCoy which can be layered over any number of tops

paired with the versatile Lisa Campione skirt.

Lord and Taylor waffle knit sweater.

Pair this with tights and short boots.

Jeanne Beker poly sleeveless top adds some sheen.

Susan Bristol (ages old) knit sweater jacket.

(Ladylike)

Tweedy jacket

(Mother approved)

Assorted Pearl necklaces...to layer or wear alone.

Vintage bakelite clamper bracelet.

I may wear a LBD as I have several contenders in the closet.

What do you wear to funerals or celebrations of life?

New brighter lipstick by L'Oreal number 590 Blushing Berry.

The colour is actually darker and richer than it looks in this light.

I bought a new address book to replace the one that I had that was falling apart.

It took me over an hour this past weekend but I managed to update and  transfer all the addresses.

New fitness/workout wear from Costco.

Inexpensive and the fabrics are super cozy.

I just heard that Alan Rickman died...I loved his acting and enjoyed his films.

His passing came right on the heels of David Bowie's death, 

both 69 and both died of cancer.

So sad.

I must get out of my colourful Ralph Lauren PJ's...

I've been at the computer far too long but oh my

the coffee tastes good this morning...

Time to seize the day!

Hostess