Smokin' Sunday ~ I bagged a couple of bargains....

 

I planned to go for a long scenic walk on the waterfront...

but when I walked out the front door I was overcome with the smoke.

Forest fires are burning in the province and in Washington State south of Victoria.

I decided to go to the local Value Village store instead of my outdoor walk.

I perused the aisles for treasure...

many others were looking too!

I focused on housewares, clothing, boots and bags.

There were some used rain boots but seriously overpriced :-((

Some so worn out they were laughable...

I think I need to buy some decent new ones.

My last pair of rain boots lasted at least 10 years 

so even if I spend $100+

with any luck

the Cost Per Wearing will be amortized over many years.

I didn't spy any vintage pieces in the houseware section, it was pretty picked over.

I found a "funky denim" printed shirt which I just pulled out of the washer.

The tag inside says Reba Denim ??

I am going to wear it for my home keeping chore days

with my pearls!

The hydrangeas have been hanging to dry and are now ready for display.

I've been looking for a backpack for my walks.

Marshalls had several lovely Italian leather backpacks for $275 and $350 

but I didn't want to spend quite that much.

~ $11.49 ~

Leather backpack style purse.

Broken inside zipper, ripped leather toggle and lining, scuffed exterior.

~ DIY ~

Repairs are completed

I'm all set for hands free walking 

Not bad for the price...

the leather is very soft and the size is perfect for my needs.

(room for my wallet, extra glasses, IPhone, kleenex and stuff)

Am making progress on the Vest project...

After a busy day of laundry, baking bread and standing in line to cast my ballot for the local municipal election I popped the kettle on for a cuppa and knit for a bit.

Love the Rowan Felted Tweed Yarn 

part merino and part alpaca...

made in Italy.

Pope John Paul II

fragrant 

and

blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

What's new with you?

Have you scored any bargains?

Please share your thoughts in the comments

I do appreciate them and it opens up dialogue which enriches our experiences.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

WW pep talk, OOTD, and a few garden snippets.

Hope that you are not getting too bored with the walking and weight watching that is going on here in The Humble Bungalow.
Posting frequently is really helping me to stay on target and sharing seems to be helping some of you, especially those of you who are emailing me behind the scenes.
Keep up the good work and try not to be discouraged...
remember that this is a lifestyle change not a fad or crash diet.
Baby steps...slow and steady...keep your eye on the ball!

Visualize what your target will look like...if it is walking briskly for an hour work up to it...if it is looking at the scale with a specific number in mind...visualize what that will feel like and take note of what you need to do to get there....stay positive and embrace the healthy change.

DKNY light weight puffy hooded vest

transitional piece to wear into the Fall.

Fresh out of the shower with damp hair...

OOTD

long sleeved Tee

puffy vest

jeans

walking shoes

There is nothing glamorous about this OOTD

it is all about function and comfort.

I change out of my shoes and sox and opt for ballet flats after my walk,

~ almost 3 pounds lost ~

Several people have mentioned that they are surprised that I would post my weight on the blog...

they thought it would be so embarrassing

so public!

Well honestly I AM embarrassed

as I have let myself down

by letting the weight creep up on me

by not showing will power and discipline.

Part of the plan is coming to terms with the problem and taking action.

Now let's move on and look at the garden for a bit...

new grass 

"Pennisetum alopecuroides moudry"

planted out front in a  planter

right where the deer love to graze...

wonder if they will munch this one

fuzzy "bottle brush" flowers

variegated grass 

"miscanthus sinesis strictis"

porcupine grass

in another planter by the boxwood hedge

close up of the leaves...

spiky fronds with two tones of green

the city crews came by and poured the concrete this morning

you can see the black plastic casing for the clean out that they installed...

I will be adding some more blue fescue grasses on either side of this clean out 

and now I need to go and find a pretty pot to sit atop the plastic contraption and find some pretty plants to go in it!

New novel which I am enjoying...

I read Alice Hoffman before and had forgotten what a great writer she is 

how she weaves a tale that captures our imagination 

she delves into the most peculiar and unusual of topics.

This one is very curious so far...

I am 80 pages into it but I think it is going to be a very good read indeed.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Walking, weather and waterworks...

Walking in the neighbourhood never gets dull as there is always something beautiful to look at, people to greet in passing and things going on...

Leaves have started to fall...

which is a sure sign that Fall is just around the corner.

I'll really miss the warm weather that we have enjoyed this summer.

It is so wonderful to be able to walk without having to wear a heavy jacket.

Our Humble Bungalow

The city crews have been on site digging up the front bed and installing a sewer clean out at the property line...

of course I have our plants growing on the city's 2 foot strip!

Why would I ever want to leave that 2 foot strip bare?

I can see the trucks and back hoe from my Morris chair in the living room...

The noise was freaking the cats out so they went downstairs

I took myself out for  walk.

Lovely and calm on the waterfront.

Victoria's finest were out practising their ladder skills at Clover Point.

A small crowd gathered to watch as three ladder trucks and crew went through their paces.

This artichoke flower looks so beautiful...

the plants are growing on the city boulevard down the street from us.

(Most of the gardeners on our street have planted things on the city's 2 foot strip)

I finished Elizabeth is Missing and think it was probably the best book I have read all summer.

It is about a woman who has dementia and there is a mystery woven into the storyline.

If you have anyone in your family who suffers from dementia or Alzheimers 

(we do)

it will give you an insight into how that person must feel.

How is your week going?

The garden centre is calling my name...

we need some new plants for our planters.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Poppies, Pipes...and pouring money "Down the Drain!"

There is a crew of workers on site here in The Humble Bungalow.
I am trying to stay out of the way and hence am sitting at my lap top with a cafe creme.
Consciously trying to keep focused (busy) and let go of any anxiety associated with the chaos and noise that has been going on for the past few hours.

Not too sure where this post is going and whether it will be worthy of publishing but I do have a few lovely images to share with you...

This book in my Paris reading list was started yesterday and it has held my interest and was a welcome diversion while the plumbers were here trying to figure out what was wrong with our plumbing.

Turns out after hours of snaking and exploration and manual digging there is a hole in the sewer pipe that services our Humble Bungalow!
The backhoe will be excavating the rest of the pipe and the plumbers hope they can attach a new piece of pipe without digging up the front garden and tearing down the fence! (fingers crossed)

Let's take a look at the purple poppies shall we?

Aren't they beautiful?

So delicate and the petals are whisper thin, almost like crepe paper.

I plan to gather the poppy seed pods and sprinkle them in other parts of The Humble Garden for next year.

We have a purple iris planted in a pot by the front stairs.

The staff at the garden centre mentioned that deer do not seem to be attracted to the plant. So far the deer have avoided munching it as have been busy feasting on the tender new foliage of the limelight hydrangeas instead.

These sweet little flowers are a ground cover plant from my recent walk to Government House.

Does anyone know what they are called?

I thought they might be an ice plant but am not sure. 

Variegated roses from The Rose Garden at Government House.

They look so pretty...

almost like an artist has mixed two paints together.

"Mother Nature's Paintbrush"

The cats have been quite stressed with the commotion here...

noisy machines and lots of men about.

Yesterday they were so happy when we let them out.

Pepper looks pretty relaxed here...

Chester looks rather sad...

perhaps he is thinking great thoughts?

Yellow Caution Tape...

Watch out for holes and broken pipes.

100 year old clay pipes

high tech tools

The underwater camera is on the job...

our pipe looks clear to the street but the City Sewer that services the street appears to be blocked.

So we have a bigger problem...and apparently the other neighbours will be having some problems soon if they do not fix it.

I called the city Water Works and they are on their way to unblock the main and will come back on Monday to scope it.

So we can flush, wash dishes and clothes and shower to our heart's content after they leave!

I have been distracting myself all day by baking a family favourite.

Great Nana's Bread.

Just waiting for the loaves to rise before baking.

Home maintenance is an ongoing responsibility and one that we take very seriously.

We have been planning to paint the house for several years and it is our summer project.

We redid the roof and gutters two years ago and the more minor projects are lined up for each year and then we have a major project every other year.

When an unexpected "oops" like the broken sewer pipe pops up

 we have no other choice but to get on with it...

We may need to tighten our belts a bit in light of this unexpected expense.

Our savings account will need to be topped up.

I wonder if any of you have a great recipe for brioche?

I want to try my hand at baking some to enjoy with our home grown tomatoes.

I loved baking bread when the children were young and it has been years since I made a loaf of bread...there is something so homey about the smell of bread baking and it so hard to resist slicing into a warm loaf and slathering a piece with fresh salty butter...

YUM YUM!

Thank you for stopping by my blog.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Busy as Bees and a nasty Stinger!

It was a really hot weekend and Mr. HB and I spent most of it in our Humble Bungalow Garden.
We have some projects on the go and Mr. HB finished installing the railings on the front stairs...a project that he started while I was away in Paris. Besides weeding and deadheading the roses I have been wielding a paintbrush!

He will be painting the porch and treads one day this coming week as it was far too hot to do it today.

He has done a fine job and I am so grateful to be married to such a clever and handy man.

Thank you sweetheart!

I painted the planter on the porch black and bought some flowers to fill it.

They are bright and cheerful.

I made this fresh tomato and mint salad with balsamic cream...

Summertime and salads ~ so tasty and WW Friendly!

I know I have shown you Jude the Obscure  in our Humble Bungalow Garden many many times 

but for me this rose never gets old...

The Calla Lilies are amazing this year.

We have three big Callas in the front garden and one in the back.

Dusty Miller is in flower and I only grow it because I like to put it into flower arrangements.

The grey/silver foliage is a fabulous filler and looks wonderful with roses!

The Romneya Coulteri

aka the fried egg plant is looking so pretty.

The petals are very paper like and dainty.

It's a stunner.

and it thrives in poor soil...even gravel and sand.

Once you get it established it will be a star performer.

It's been a real scorcher of a weekend and we are all tried to stay cool...

some of us have fur coats which makes it much harder 

Mr. HB has been guzzling Gatorade while working outside and I have sipped several bottles of Perrier.

I phoned and checked on Mother 

just to make sure that she was keeping hydrated 

seniors are at high risk for heat issues

and she walks most afternoons

fortunately she was home with the fans on, sipping a cool beverage and reading a book

she postponed her walk due to the high heat.

I did not go for my walk either as I was in the garden all day.

Lots of weeding and dead heading was done...

and I painted the French vintage metal table and chair black!

Here's a sneak peek of our patio extension with the freshly painted table and chair.

I'm going to get some black pots and fill them with pretty annuals and place them at the edge of the space...

I can see myself sitting here with my book and a cup of tea or a glass of Perrier.

I got stung twice by a  hornet...

I don't remember having such a nasty bite and I had an allergic reaction.

My wrist got really red and swollen in no time flat

Mr. HB zipped off to our local pharmacy to buy some antihistamine.

It made me very drowsy...

Our Birthday dinner went ahead as normal...

On the menu:

maple syrup ~ ginger ~ soy glazed salmon

tabbouleh salad

spinach strawberry salad

roasted veggies

garlic bread

chocolate cake

I over cooked the roasted veggies and spilled half the salad dressing...

I blame it on the effects of the drugs!

We had a lovely evening and the grandchildren were a delight.

It's my favourite thing...getting together as a family.

Hope your week is off to a great start.