Showing posts with label grandchildren. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grandchildren. Show all posts

Monday, August 15, 2022

Wardrobe ~ Classic and Funky


Last weekend I accompanied our son and the grandchildren on a getaway.

We stayed at The Ocean Promenade Hotel in White Rock across from the beach.
Our suite was large with panoramic views
and
 had a kitchen which was handy for our morning coffee and breakfasts.

There were train tracks along the seafront and the trains passed by several times to the delight of our youngest granddaughter...

We took the kids to the Splash Water Park in Tsawwassen.
It was fun filled hours of water play, slipping and sliding, screams and splashes.

I hung out with our youngest who was too short to go on the really scary slides.
We had fun in the pools and she ran up and down to the junior slides...
I cannot believe how MUCH energy these kiddos had!

By the time almost 3 hours in the pool had passed I was knackered...
we went off to Milestones for dinner and then headed back to White Rock to get in our PJ's and get cozy.
I was in bed asleep by 10:00!

We did some back to school shopping at Tsawwassen Mills Mall.

On Sunday, we drove to the shopping mecca on South Granville. 
At Indigo, the girls perused The American Girl Doll collections...
Grammy shopped at Eileen Fisher...
(pure bliss)

I haven't been since Covid.

What a treat!
I found a LBD for Fall and winter.


LBD
Nice weight jersey, pockets, zipper detail.


Zip can be adjusted to your taste...
I added the classic Hermes scarf.

I could wear the big pearl necklace for a bigger WOW impact.


I also have a white top with 3/4 sleeves which will be great underneath.

The black lined walking coat was on sale but my size wasn't in stock at the shop 
so the clerk found one in a Toronto Eileen Fisher Store.
The service at this location is unbeatable!

I recently found a funky Tee...
at Marshalls in Hillside Mall.


Karl Lagerfeld


I wore this with some Eileen Fisher jeans.
I have red ballet flats and a fabulous red lipstick from Milan...
when I am feeling a wee bit daring I will wear them together!


William Shakespeare Rose 
a David Austin stalwart in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

In other news...
Blogger no longer sends alerts to readers 
when a new post is published...
I will mention new posts on my Instagram page.

Please bookmark the link to my blog and check back every week.
I usually write a post each week.

It is frustrating that the service from Blogger is disappearing...
I suppose there is no monetary incentive for them to maintain the service.
Blogging may be going the way of the dodo bird!

Instagram You Tube and Tik Tok definitely are the current faves.

Thank you for popping by...
I appreciate your comments and newsy emails.
Please stay in touch.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Summer snippets 2020...


My neighbour's garden has some rare and unusual plants.

Artistic touches are evident throughout her garden. 

Her choice of colourful flowers make a bold statement and are often dramatic.


Our poppies are still putting on a spectacular show.
I am saving the seeds for next years blooms.

My neighbour across the street and I were out chatting and watched a doe
as she grabbed one of the seed pods and swallowed it right before our eyes!

The urban deer are a hot topic of conversation among the gardeneres at this end of the block...

(5 deer reside in the back yard of a home nearby)

Mom and her fawns are enjoying our front garden "salad bar" so much this year!

No amount of Bobex is stopping their munching.


A dear friend and I went out to an antique store last week.

We wore our masks and perused the shop
before we decided on purchasing these Canadian vintage sap buckets.

We both thought of creative ways that we could use them...

ice buckets, flower vases, planters, 

My friend is planning to use them to collect sap from her Elm tree.


John Paul II Rose
reblooming after getting planted in The Humble Bungalow Garden.


He shares the bed with Crocosmia Lucifer...

I wonder how they are getting along?


Dierama aka Angel's Fishing Wand

 in my neighbour's garden...ours has not yet bloomed.



Bought some new buckets and shovels for the sandy beach at Sidney Spit.
Hope we have some sunny days when we are there with the grandchildren.

We plan to build some sandcastles...


A friend dropped off some books the other evening.
I had run out of books to read.

To me that is a very dire situation...

I purchased The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy
it is a delightful book ~ a perfect beach read.


Am excited to read these other titles. 
They should keep me entertained for the next month or so.


Jude the Obscure with Lady's Mantle


Love the form and fragrance of this beautiful David Austin Rose.

Hubby and I are celebrating our 46th anniversary.

We were married young and were high school sweethearts.
So we have actually been together as a couple for 50 years!


Our friends treated us to a lovely dinner on their porch the other evening.


Look at the rhubarb pie!

Hope that you are staying safe, 
are wearing your mask when you cannot self distance...
our active Covid cases on Vancouver Island 
have increased since Phase 3 has been enacted.

It is quite unsettling hearing the double digit daily cases in BC.

We need to keep our bubbles "small"
and as Dr. Bonnie Henry reminds us
"more faces in bigger spaces."

Fresh air, blue skies, sunshine, birdsong and buzzing bees
just some of the 
JOYS 
of Summer.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~


Thursday, July 9, 2020

Humble Bungalow July 2020

Greetings from The Humble Bungalow...

Our days continue to be quiet ones
as we seek out pleasant distractions in every nook and cranny.


Taking tea in a favourite spot in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Tending to the many potted plants on the patio gives me great pleasure.
Hand watering gives me an opportunity to spot weeds and do some advance planning when removing spent plants.


A fragrant bouquet of sweet peas are a lovely treat on a sunny day 
after working long hours in the garden.


Our garden is host to many creatures...

European Wall Lizards
Butterflies
Bees and various other pollinators
Owls
Snails
Raccoons
Deer
Squirrels
Birds


Mama Raccoon as she descends from the next door neighbour's Arbutus Tree.
She was rading the crows nest!
The crows were cawing like mad and making a big fuss.


I snapped a couple of photos but Mama was growling at me so I thought I better sneak back inside before she got any closer.


A quick and lazy dinner that was tasty is just what I needed after a busy day.

Prawns sauteed in butter and garlic with an assortment of deli salads.


Marigold and Helen sweet felted mice made by https://www.williewoolly.com/
were reunited for a fun playtime with our darling granddaughter Isla.
If you haven't yet seen Robyn's felted creations 
do yourself a favour and treat yourself to a visit.


Isla made the swing!
We savoured our tea and had some girl time.


The antique porcelain tea set was my husband's great grandmother's.


Vintage enamelware in The Hunble Bungalow laundry room.
I love the battered look of these pieces and seek them out.

I've not really been to the "shops" much...
the garden centres are outdoors so I feel very comfortable shopping.

Thrift shops have not really been on my radar 
although I dearly miss perusing the aisles for treasures.

I do venture into Kay's Korner in the Cook Street Village when on my walks.
Karin is welcoming and has all the right safety protocols in place.
The wee jug on the left is from her shop...a recent Covid purchase.

Today I am on a mission to buy black mondo grass.
 I plan to plant them in big pot in our front garden.

 The deer do not fancy munching them and there is a bare patch that needs something to fill it.

As we navigate these strange times...

We must continue to be mindful of others respecting their choices
and not being judgemental.

Hope that you are well and staying safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~


Monday, January 6, 2020

Many hands....


(my parade float with horses)

We had the great pleasure of entertaining the 3 darling grands 
on Saturday this past weekend.
As the rain would not abate we spent the day indoors.
We dumped the bin full of Lego on the dining room table and began to use our imagination and get busy creating...


Mira and I collaborated on a castle with a small but very tall flower "garden"
Isla made a mansion with a rooftop garden.
Henry made a police car with a very secure looking jail.

After we cleaned up 
Grammy made dinner and set the table.
While dinner was cooking in the oven the grands played with play doh at the kitchen table.







Today I am spending time cleaning up the kitchen and bathroom.


I can easily procrastinate but the earlier I commit to getting a job done 
the better chance that I will be successful...

Playtime for Grammy will come after I finish!


My kitchen "work station"


Playtex gloves and a lavender scented cleaner by Method.
Great for grime and dirty jobs.

I use this in the bathroom on the sink, toilet and claw foot tub.


It is great on counter tops and walls...

a great laundry stain remover 
I spray it on the spot and gentle use a small brush to remove the stain.

Method doesn't know that I am a fan of their products or that I am writing about their cleaner on the blog.

Simply sharing a very helpful product with you in case you are interested...
it makes my job here a lot easier and it may help you too!

With all that is happening right now in our world 
I cling to routines and rituals for comfort.
Do you?

How are you coping in light of the recent events?



“When tea becomes ritual, 
it takes its place at the heart 
of our ability to see greatness 
in small things. 
Where is beauty to be found? 
In great things that, 
like everything else, 
are doomed to die, 
or in small things 
that aspire to nothing, 
yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?”

~ Muriel Barbery ~
 The Elegance of the Hedgehog

I read recently
 "Knitting is the new Yoga."

That's how I feel when I am knitting...
peace, comfort and serenity 
in the simple act of moving my hands
making something out of yarn.

Let's light a candle, pop the kettle on for tea and pick up our knitting.




Take care
until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday, November 19, 2018

Autumn splendour...last cottage visit.


Autumn is such a glorious time of year 

the vibrant colours elevate my energy 
making the time outdoors richer
with
walks that have become saturated in beauty.


a few raindrops do not dampen my spirits

they look like tiny jewels
embellishing the fallen leaves


 Isla and I were exploring at the cottage when we were last there...
we spied some interesting seed pods on this tree.


 Natural "treasures" from our nature walk
perfect "souvenirs" to take home.

Have you read The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady?
It is an illustrated journal and quite lovely.

This vignette reminds me of that book.


I love seeing life through the eyes of an energetic and enthusiastic child.

Those moments of excited spontaniety...

sharing many magical moments at school 
during the course of my career
 in the classroom and the library

with our own children 
and now our delightful grandchildren.


The moss on these rocks proved to be VERY slippery
Grammy had to say that it was "an unsafe place to play."

I didn't want to have an injury "on my watch!"


Peeking outside 
we spied raindrops on the leaves

"liquid sunshine"

inside we were cozy and content.

We were engaged in creative pursuits...
 felts, crayons, paper, 
colouring and activity books
Lego, games and toys.


"Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence."

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

"Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue." 

~ Buddha ~


Wishing all American readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Hope that your week is off to a grand start!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~