Blogging can be a tonic to what ails you...

There have been so many interesting and beautiful scenes along my walks these past few days.

I think of these images when sitting in the chair at the dentist.
I am not very calm when I am at the dentist, especially when having my teeth drilled and prepped for new crowns...for an hour and a half!
I tense up.

My dentist is a kind and gentle practitioner...he works efficiently and talks me through any procedure.
Thankfully today my visit was short as the permanent crowns were put on and I hope that this will be the last major work that I will need...at least for a long while!

My jaw is sore and the crowns are feeling rather sensitive right now,
so writing a blog post should be a tonic and help take my mind off the discomfort.

An absolutely stunning view looking across Juan De Fuca Strait towards Washington State.

I could sit and stare at this vista for hours

 watching the light on the ocean and the changes in the tide.

Deep blood red Hollyhock blooming in a garden nearby our Humble Bungalow.

I would love to have a few of these tall plants in our garden 

they don't seem to thrive where I have tried planting them...

or maybe our soil is not to their liking.

This pretty pink flower caught my eye...

I am not too sure what type of plant this is so I will settle on "beautiful!"

Ross Bay Cemetery

a great place to wander

heritage trees

busy squirrels

song birds

deer

Emily Carr is buried here and people come by to adorn her grave with flowers and natural offerings.

She was a very prolific artist and quite the eccentric character...

she led a very interesting life and has written books as well as her paintings and pottery.

You can read more about Emily Carr here.

She was an amazing woman and one who was quite independent at a time when women were expected to lead traditional lives that consisted of marriage, motherhood and domesticity.

In my bridge group there are several amazing "older" women...

one woman in particular stands out

I am going to call her M.

M is head and shoulders above most women her age that I have met.

 M is 94 years old. 

(maybe I should say 94 years young!)

M plays an excellent hand of bridge, 

she counts and keeps track of ALL the cards that are laid and played.

M will critique a bid or a response if she knows it was not the best choice.

M freely compliments when a great play is made or a contract is bid and made and especially when making over tricks! 

M dresses in classic clothes and wears beautiful vintage gold jewelry.

M wears several diamond rings on her left hand...

they glitter as she plays.

M sits tall in her chair, has great posture and walks gracefully.

M's eyes sparkle and twinkle and when she smiles her wrinkles all crinkle together!

M shares funny and cute jokes and tells us about her past.

I have a lot of time for M and am eager to learn more about her.

 M is a wonderful and gracious example of how women of a certain age can be

 vibrant, energetic and intelligent.

Do you know any amazing older women?

Please enter the giveaway from the previous post before October 30th.

Good luck!

Sea Ray Adventures...and wildfires.

We went out on our SeaRay this past weekend and left the cats at home with a friend.
 The forecast was for record high temperatures...and records were broken, we were glad that we didn't take them along as they would have been miserable in the heat.

OPI : "This colour is making waves."

Polka dot PJ's and our new nautical mat.

A trio of blues...

Breakfast is blue too.

Our wee Galley.

Ah...

it's Dusk at the Maple Bay Marina...

and we are finally cool.

Keeping hydrated was tough and we had to seek out shade from the mid day sun.

Taconite is the lovely Fantail Cruiser from the 1920's that you can see in the middle of this image
and to the right a tug that has been converted into a live aboard vessel.

Metal wall art on a house boat at the Marina.

In the afternoon...

the water was calm so we went out in our dingy for a ride to explore the cove.

Pretty orange Nasturtiums

I love the variegated leaves.

A wee bit of whimsy...

some one has been busy carving.

We had asparagus with our BBQ steaks, mushrooms and salad.

We went to bed early and had a sound sleep.

When we woke up there was a fire red sun, smoke in the air and ashes all over our boat.

There are quite a few wildfires burning out of control in our province and the wind has carried the ash and spread it all over the lower mainland and the south of Vancouver Island.

It feels very eerie...

there is a red glow in the sky and you can smell the smoke.

We stopped on the way home at Mill Bay Marina and had a bite of lunch.

This family of Canada Geese and a lone seagull greeted us...

you can see the strange colour of the sky.

Ferocious Forest fires have displaced many people who have had to flee from their homes...

it's very alarming and I can imagine how upset they must feel.

Many brave fire fighters are risking their lives to help get these wildfires under control.

Alaska and the Yukon have dispatched experienced firemen to help our Province.

Hope that you are safe and sound where ever you are...

Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk..."Sisters" and a healthy new recipe.

My sister is several years younger than myself blond haired and blue eyed.
I was born with brown hair and hazel coloured eyes...
She was athletic and I was "bookish" she was a lean child while I was the chubby one!
We are opposites in many ways, have different opinions on politics, medical and scientific practises but we do enjoy each others company. We see eye to eye on many topics and we rarely argue...
we listen to each other with great respect.
We used to fight like cats when we were young...we were very territorial about our space, toys and clothes.
She would sneak into my closet and steal some of my clothes and wear them to school...some she lost.
She once cut the hair off of one of my Barbie dolls...
in retaliation I gave her Midge doll a mustache with a ballpoint pen...
it was LOVE/HATE back then...happily things mellow as we age and we change.

We both love animals, gardening, entertaining, walking, cooking, our friends and our families.
I suppose we are "normal" sisters...it depends on your definition of normal.
We are bound together by blood and linked with a rich history of shared experiences...

My sister is passionate about horses, is an accomplished equestrian with several horses in her barn...
she teaches riding and makes custom made leather chaps.
There are all kinds of physical jobs that go along with owning horses.
Mucking out the stalls, feeding, grooming, riding and training the horses.

Exercise is incorporated into her daily routine which keeps her svelte but it also gives her a big appetite.
While I struggle to keep my weight in check she does not.
I've seen how much she eats and I eat only a portion of what she does, but it is "what she eats" that is different...

She eats a lot more salads, vegetables and "raw food" than I do...
we spoke about this on a recent walk and she explained to me how cooking food often takes away the naturally occurring enzymes...
cooking can also enhance some nutrients too...
it's complicated and there is a lot of conflicting information out there.

I thought I'd spend some time reading and researching the theory behind the raw food movement and there are plenty of resources available online...I budgeted an hour while my laundry was drying and it was not enough time!

Weight Watchers recommends eating fresh fruits and vegetables in their natural state.

 No food is forbidden.

She listened to my thoughts about food and fitness and I listened to hers...

My sister walks at a much brisker pace than I do and I attribute that to her being a few inches taller.

(I kept pace with her and we chatted effortlessly the entire time we walked!)

Bleeding hearts in pink...

and in white.

Aren't the flowers so pretty in the Springtime?

It's a season of beauty...

quite possibly my favourite time of year...

everything is new and fresh coming to life after a winter of hibernation.

Carpets of pink petals line the walks and boulevards...

we both took note of the beautiful things along our walk.

The beat of the wings of this majestic eagle were heard above as it soared overhead.

The ease with which this large eagle flew was quite graceful.

The two of us below in our sturdy athletic shoes, arms swinging, and bodies surging forward at a rapid gait...

looking rather like "women on a mission."

Waking fast to counteract our breakfast...

improving on and building up our mid life bone health

walking with intention.

chatting

laughing

talking about Mother 

our spouses 

and 

grandchildren.

(mine, as she does not have children)

((another difference))

~ ~ ~

There is a lot to learn about the raw food movement...

how you cannot use much heat when preparing any food, it is kept quite low to keep the enzymes alive.

Nuts are soaked and used in a lot of recipes.

Blenders and food processors come in handy when mixing nuts and seeds.

It is a VERY labour intensive way of preparing food.

We have several raw food restaurants in Victoria...

Bliss

Be Love

are just two that come to mind.

We are taking Mother out for dinner at Be Love before I leave for France...

it will be interesting to see what she thinks of the food.

My sister mentioned that she lost almost 2 pounds by eating exclusively raw food for two days in a row.

So...

I'm thinking that those pesky few pounds might be shed if I consumed only raw foods...but having said that

  I am not going to commit to a complete overhaul of my cooking practises.

(old dog new tricks kind of thinking here!)

(besides I can pretty much guarantee that my husband would not be a fan)

I came up with a new salad that uses zucchini instead of pasta

it's not raw but it is a step in the right direction and if it helps me shed those few pounds I can eat like this and still enjoy the big flavour and benefit from the lower point counts!

Mock Pasta Salad

Grate a large zucchini and set aside in a colander to drain.

Place in a large bowl and add a few tablespoons of Pesto.

Chop and dice 1/2 red onion

quarter a handful of cherry tomatoes

add 1/4 cup Greek Olives

Salt Pepper to taste

Mix and chill for about an hour before serving.

This is a super tasty salad...

I can imagine this wrapped up in a whole wheat or corn tortilla!

Pesto Salad for lunch with roasted yams and carrots...

I made extra for snacks and lunches.

love the bright colours too!

"Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply"

 ~ Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814 ~

                                             "A sister is both your mirror - and your opposite."
                                                                ~ Elizabeth Fishel ~

Snapshots ~ Highlights from the past week.

It's a rainy Spring day and I am feeling quite lazy...
so I'm writing a blog post instead of going for my usual walk.
I've got a pot of chili simmering on the stove and a pot of Lapsang Souchon tea brewing...

There have been so many opportunities to capture beauty this past week...
maybe my eyes have been "more open" or possibly I have been "tuned into my surroundings."

Walking with eyes open wide...scanning the scenery looking for something worthy of a picture...

I took quite a few pictures this past week of things I have seen on my walks.

If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen a few of these pictures.

There's a lot of varied textures coming together in this image...

the ornate shell, the gritty concrete wall, the calm sea.

All of the photos taken on my walks are captured with my IPhone.

 Driftwood structures are fun to make as a shelter from the sun and the wind.

I like to think of them as "Log Homes." 

Hardy mosses growing in the crevices of the rocks along the seafront...

they thrive despite the salt air and brisk winds.

Nature is so resilient and adaptive.

We enjoyed a delicious brunch at Zambri's earlier...

The food at Zambri's is always fabulous...

Our son and DIL arrived at the restaurant in a newer BMW, which they recently purchased in preparation for the birth of their third child which is due in August.

 It was fun getting together and I just want to say we got some big hugs and cuddles from the two wee ones...

who by the way made our day extra special and who were on their very best behaviour.

Brunch frittata and salad...

The Paris Architect was a great book...

written by an architect it is set during the second world war in Paris.

It was so well written that I didn't want it to end.

A pretty pink rhododendron from the Garden Centre.

Russell Nursery 

Mr. HB wants a green house for our Humble Bungalow Garden.

He was checking out the various models that they sell...

and I do not mean these "models!"

I should have taken note of the artist of this wonderful sculpture.

It's quite beautiful...

Chester decided to take a nap in the sink...

 we had a dinner party and I had cleaned up the dishes

 popped the linens into the washer 

 it was very late and

all I wanted to do was to wash my face and get to bed!

I did a bit of shopping this week...

Dressing room shot of a pretty coral blouse which I didn't buy...

Tahari blouse which I thought was silk, but turned out to be polyester...

the price was too high for a polyester blouse even though the style was nice.

I bought socks which I did need.

I made and delivered David Lebovitz's Coq au Vin recipe for my friend L and her family.

The recipe is from his Paris Kitchen cookbook and wow it was tasty!

It's been a busy week!

How about you what have you been doing?