The Year of the Rabbit...and other Stuff

 

Last week I took flowers to a board member who had undergone surgery.

I usually opt for white and green bouquets but it was a rather dreary grey day

so

I chose a colourful assortment of blooms.

My favourite florist was not answering their phone so I ventured out and found a lovely assortment at a local grocery store.

After assessing their stock I grabbed a few bunches and found a clear glass vase

then had the clerk put together this pretty arrangement.

I drove out to my friends home and planned to drop the flowers on her doorstep but she greeted me and invited me inside for a visit.

I didn't stay long...

just long enough to hear about the procedure and how she was doing.

She looked remarkably well and was in very good spirits.

Not at all what I was expecting considering the nature of her situation.

The next morning I was busy packing up for the cottage week.

The forecast was for colder than usual temperatures 

so I packed sweaters, wooly socks, hats, scarf and my down puffer coat.

The weather was windy and then a storm rolled in...

bringing down trees on the power lines 

resulting in a power outage that lasted about 20 hours!

It was VERY cold...

we kept the small gas fireplace going but the minus temperatures were powerful.

Once the power was restored we fortified ourselves with hot soup and went out for a brisk walk on the beach.

There was quite a lot of seaglass to be found...

one piece of aqua glass was too big to fit in the vintage sealer jar 

so I plan to bring it home and see if the new empty jar has a bigger mouth on it.

Our current jar is almost full!

We've been reading our books of course!

 Back to the Cazalet Chronicles for me after a year hiatus.

Confusion is book 3 in the 5 book series.

It is a charming account of family life in England that spans the wars...

I enjoy the "voice" that the author, Elizabeth Jane Howard, uses to narrate the story.

The books have been reprinted due to popular demand...

Many people LOVE this series...you might enjoy it too.

Went to the community centre here for a Yoga class which was fun.

Am doing online Yoga to augment my practice when I am not at the studio.

It is with a modicum of optimism that I mention 

my "aches and pains" are easing 

somewhat 

since I returned to the practice...

my goal is to be more flexible and move with ease.

Have you taken on any new hobbies or made changes this month?

January can be a great time to embrace some new habits

it feels like a month that invites fresh eyes to analyse the routines.

Waking up and seeing the possibilities feels quite empowering.

A fresh new awareness...

February awaits...

what changes will it bring?

Chinese New Year 

~ The Year of the Rabbit ~

The rabbit has a quiet personality that hides their confidence and strength

they may often be seen as soft and weak.

In fact, they steadily move towards their goals 

despite the negativity that they receive from others.

With good reasoning skills and attention to detail they make great scholars.

They enjoy being social and often turn to escapism...

Plain routines are not to their liking

despite being conservative and careful they need and crave surprise

to spice up their life!

Happy New Year

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Thoughts on living through a pandemic...and coming out a changed person.

Please join me on the porch of The Humble Bungalow.

Not in person, of course, but in the spirit of friendship.

Our porch is a quiet contemplative place to sit outside 

in the sunshine

a place to chat and perhaps sip a beverage

make yourself comfy...

The news over the past few years has been disheartening and grim.

We've suffered a catastrophic worldwide pandemic...

Covid has changed us all and not necessarily for the better.

Many of the early days of Covid were dark and filled with fear...

we couldn't see our friends or family.

We were set adrift from our comfortable and often predictable routines

left alone to endure and weather the storm.

The Nightly News was focused around the serious nature of the disease

the deaths and the spread of the virus.

Things were incredibly bleak.

We were told the scientists were already working on a vaccine.

We waited and waited

often impatiently 

for the promised vaccine.

I had to limit my exposure to the news broadcasts 

to prevent myself from going down a dark rabbit hole...

I embraced the basic simple joys to keep my spirits level...

my moods were not euphoric but the little things in my daily round kept me going.

Getting outside in the garden was a gift...

We were so fortunate that we could dig in the dirt

plant seeds and watch them grow.

I think we grew closer as a couple and relied on each other 

more than ever before in our married life.

Our "BUBBLE" was small...

two humans and two cats.

The roses rewarded us with blooms for our hard work tending to their needs.

We took JOY seeing things bloom and thrive, 

excited to see seeds sprouting.

Cutting a few blooms and bringing them inside was a luxury.

Popping them in a vessel, be it a jam jar or a crystal vase

was a tonic that enriched our days.

Escaping safely to the cottage to cocoon was an absolute godsend.

We were able to self isolate and have a change of scenery.

It helped to temporarily soothe our worried minds...

We've now come through several years living with this virus.

have had our 4 vaccinations and we have changed...

Life as we knew it will never be the same.

I've learned a lot about myself...

Discovered that I am resilient, and can rise to a challenge.

Am able to amuse myself for long periods of time without going stir crazy!

Can make do and mend.

Will laugh at the littlest things...

Found out the small (est) things can and do bring JOY...

sweeping the floor

cooking new recipes

listening to music

washing the dishes

knitting

reading a good book

collecting sea glass on the beach

walking 

the songs of the birds

butterflies

the smell of a scented candle

coffee

fragrant soap

I think expectations I have held onto for years have been drastically altered.

I no longer crave expensive things...

or even "things" if I am being honest...

I desire only the comforts of home, family and friends.

It is a shift in mindset, 

honestly it is the one huge takeaway for me, from these past two years.

 

I also decided to declutter the entire bungalow...

donated most everything that we no longer use.

Gave away a lot to charity.

We do not NEED to KEEP stuff we don't love and use.

The feeling of having less stuff is so uplifting.

I did that to my clothes closet too!

My scarf drawer has been reduced to about a dozen scarves in total...

The cupboards look really organized and some quite bare!

I don't crave designer or name brand things...

a few well made items work and I have not shopped as much as pre Covid.

I did buy two lovely linen aprons which I have happily

worn to cook and clean...

with my pearls :-))

My daily household uniform is simple...

Jeans and a Tee, or top, linen apron and a strand of Akoya pearls.

While I know that pearls might be considered a wee bit "mumsy"

I don't care if they are not "on trend."

I wear what I like and they bring me JOY.

Family and friends are so precious...

we make time to see them whenever possible.

When it wasn't safe we saw people outside from afar...

thankfully now we can see the nearest and dearest close up.

What a huge relief that is!

I drank too much alcohol during Covid...

Possibly I was trying to numb myself from reality.

I've not had a drink for 3 months now 

am sipping a tasty faux beer called Partake these days.

Enjoying a de-alcoholized bubbly from Italy called Bottega.

Surprising

it was not hard to quit drinking, but now I crave chocolate!

I haven't decided if I will drink alcohol again or not?

It is too early to know...

I know that I sleep better without the wine.

Our recycling box is not very full these days :-))

I have a lot more things that I could say about Covid and how it changed me...

 this is a good start or maybe it's enough?

How has Covid changed you?

While I am on the subject...

there is a lot of room for (self) improvement left here too...

for example I could lose at least 15 pounds.

Maybe WW is in my future?

I'll close for now 

hope that you will chime in and share some of your thoughts...

What simple JOYS do you enjoy?

The fresh air walks are one of my favourite ways to banish

any negative thoughts and energy.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

Life's little luxuries...

Diamonds, pearls and cashmere are definitely luxuries.

Luxuries worth saving up for but they are not the only luxuries that I love.

Luxuries...

what do you think of when you hear the word luxury?

Online dictionary meanings as found...

noun

"the state of great comfort and extravagant living"

adjective

"luxurious or of the nature of a luxury"

Luxury List

Having time to persue the things in life that bring us Joy

time to savour the richness of everyday living.

Spending quality time with family and friends.

good books

scented soaps and candles

fresh air

flowers

treating yourself to a manicure and pedicure

enjoying a coffee at a cafe

lunch out with friends

a long soak in the bathtub

a picnic in the park or at the beach

watching a classic film

trying a new perfume

finding the perfect little black dress

a fresh bouquet of flowers

There are so many things that we can embrace which elevate our days.

My latest luxury item will be delivered today and I am quite excited!

An apron made from Orkney Linen from Rough Linen

Watch the video of Tricia's story here.

I wear aprons in the garden and when I am cooking.

I am a messy cook!

I ordered the petite apron in charcoal.

Here is the corner of The Humble Bungalow Garden where I sit and take tea.

It is a calm space...

where I listen to the sounds of the birds and bees as they flitter about the flowers.

How are you faring these days?

Are you embracing this quiet time or are you missing the busyness?

Time to fill?

What are you doing to fill up your days?

Homekeeping tasks

garden beds to weed

roses to deadhead

there are a variety of jobs around our home and garden that need attention.

 I never really get caught up

the list is long

I make time in between jobs to rest

take tea

arrange a bouquet of garden roses

read a book.

I am grateful for the many activities that present themselves each day.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD...

I've been wearing white jeans and white linen pants these past few weeks and mixing them with denim shirts, chambray tops and here with a thrifted denim jean jacket.

NYDJ white jeans

Marks Work Warehouse white top

Guess silver sneakers

No Name denim jacket

(the tag was cut out)

I am at Marshall's looking for a new top to wear with my dressy white UP pants.

You can see my messy hair...

it's growing 

but not as fast as I would like it to!

I have to persevere and be patient until the short layers are longer.

I found a top and some birthday gifts for our darling granddaughter Isla 

who is turning 8 in June!

Where does the time go?

She is growing up just so fast!

The top is striped in blue and white

the silhouette is flattering as it camouflages some of my wobbly bits!

The garden is keeping me quite busy these days...

watering all the potted plants

 dead heading the roses

weeding.

I just get "caught up" in one section and then I have to start all over again!

I love being able to pop outside and pick our roses 

 bring them inside and arrange a bouquet

or as in this case give them to a friend

who hosted a celebration of life for a former colleague 

who died unexpectedly

at the age of 70.

Which reminds us all that we need to live each day to the fullest.

Carpe Diem ~ seize the day!

We paid tribute to our dear friend and colleague Ray 

in a beautiful garden 

where we used to have our year end staff parties.

His wife attended and there were lots of hugs, tears, a toast and many stories were told.

She was very fragile 

but was so glad that she was there 

as she realized how much he meant to all of us 

 we were able to tell her about the kind things that he did for so many 

 students and the staff.

Here are two David Austin Graham Thomas roses.

They are heavily scented large sunny yellow blooms.

If you grow many roses as I do you'll come to realize

That they require attention and TLC

like offspring

if they are to thrive and grow.

I only choose varieties that are fragrant, hardy and are repeat bloomers.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Hope your weekend has some fun packed into it.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~