New things...

Here we are in Covid-19 Crisis isolation

in week 4, or is it week 5?

Some days when I wake up I am not sure of the day!

Fortunately the birds are singing and the sun is shining

Spring flowers are in bloom and life goes on...

perhaps in a different way 

but nevertheless

we are able to stay snug in our home.

Things have changed...

Hearts in the window in support of our front line workers.

Each evening at 7pm we go out onto the front porch and bang pots and pans.

Our neighbours are participating with gusto.

It gives me goose bumps listening to everyone who joins in to make this racket!

We are a solid community united in spirit.

The daffodils are putting on a magnificent display.

King Alfred Daffodils are sold by the box early in the Fall.

We grabbed a box of 100 and my husband planted them out front in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

The deer do not eat them so we can enjoy their bright sunny blooms.

We listen to the reports from our BC CDC Health Authority

Dr. Bonnie Henry shares the latest numbers of cases here in BC.

She tells us which community has new cases

how many people are in hospital

 those who are in intensive care

those who have recovered

most people who have the virus 

are at home in quarantine.

Bonnie is the voice of reason and is very calm.

We look to her for leadership at this time.

She reminds us that we need to stay home to stay safe and to stop the spread of the virus.

She encourages us to be social but do so virtually.

Dr, Henry has become a hero and I hope that when this is over the province honours her in some significant way.

Snowflake Snowdrops are quite tall...

we purchased 5 pots of bulbs from a farm stand a few years ago and I have my fingers crossed that they will multiply.

I love the wee chartreuse dots on the frilly petals.

I absolutely LOVED this book!

I read it in two days.

How are you managing during your time at home?

Have you been cooking and baking or getting creative?

What are you reading?

Comments are welcomed and remind you that in order to leave one you need to use a Google Search Engine.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Shaken and stirred...

Last week I had a very unsettling experienced and it has stayed with me...
I am still trying to make sense of it.

It's something that has completely blind sided me

and left me quaking...

I was driving in my car...a Volvo estate, along a quiet street in Oak Bay.

 In case you are not familiar with these cars they are a very sturdy and heavy vehicle.

Anyway...

I was driving at 40 km, which is the new speed limit in our residential areas of town, 

when and I passed a cyclist.

The next thing I heard was shouting and swearing.

 When I looked back in my rear view mirror and saw the cyclist racing up to my window.

He was shouting and swearing saying I had clipped the mirror on his handle bar.

I said "oh my goodness I am So Sorry if I hit you I am SO very sorry."

"Are you OK?"

(I felt and heard nothing inside the car even though the windows were wide open)

He said "You are NOT SORRY"

"You are a terrible driver!"

"You were going too fast and passed me between two parked cars!"

I said "I am Sorry if I clipped your mirror."

"I didn't think I had passed that close to you."

By this time he was red in the face, and still yelling so I suggested that we call the police.

He was having none of this and yelled at me as he sped off...

"Respect the bike, Respect the bike!"

He then rode right through the stop sign and swerved onto the road ahead...

my heart was pounding and I was shaken.

I looked around for witnesses and saw no one.

I slowly drove away looking to see if he was in sight.

He was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as I got home I got on the phone to the police and made a full report...

I explained how shaken up I was by this event.

It was all the yelling and swearing that had me so upset.

I was not even sure that my car came in contact with his mirror but if it did I wanted them to know.

(I looked at the passenger side of my car and could find no evidence of any marks or scratches)

The report was filed and within the hour I received a call from the Police...

The previous week there was a report exactly like mine...

a driver reported a cyclist who intimated that his bike had been hit 

the driver had no idea or evidence to that effect

an apology was forthcoming ~ despite lots of shouting from the cyclist.

The driver had filed a report with the station and the cyclist had not.

The officer assured me that I was right to report the event and counselled me not to lose any sleep.

I consider myself a very careful driver and I look for cyclists.

I obey the speed limits and am very aware of pedestrians.

I drive defensively...

Now I am left uncertain, shaken and wondering...

and I'll never know for sure.

Sitting with a mug of Lapsang Souchong Tea

on my wee patio

by the back door

listening to the birds

watching the bees flit from flower to flower

trying to make sense of this event.

What have I learned from this?

I'll never know if my car clipped his mirror...

but one thing for sure is that I'll be on the look out for this same cyclist

in case it happens again.

Life is full of unanswered questions...

Thank goodness for the roses...

they are such a cheerful tonic and I hope in time this feeling of unease will fade.

Hope you enjoy your weekend.

Hostess

XO

Eco chic...food for thought!

I love the two words eco chic...

Embracing "a greener way of living" is fashionable.
There is  pressure to think and act responsibly to help reduce our personal carbon footprint.
Purchasing goods from companies whose business practice is to be mindful of their impact on our planet is the ethical way to shop. Everybody wins.

I have purchased clothing from the Canadian Company Joe Fresh in the past...
and more recently Walmart.
I have found the clothing to be economically priced and well made.

The Weston family company employed workers in India where a terrible accident occured.
Sadly many workers perished. I wonder if the company knew of the conditions where these workers were employed and if they did, why would they allow people to work in such deplorable conditions?
Ultimately the standards for construction and engineers were most likely responsible for the building's collapse.
You can find more detailed information on the internet if you are interested.

The company spoke to the press after this tragedy and said that they would stand by the workers and their families and offer compensation to those children who suffered the loss of a parent in the factory collapse.
One can remain cautiously optimistic that improvements will be made and that safe conditions and standards will be maintained.
How are we to know if the workers who make our garments are treated fairly or paid a living wage?
Should that influence our spending habits?
If we do not know do we care?
"out of sight out of mind."
I am just putting it out there as I am curious how you feel about this topic.

This great garden tote is made form recycled rubber tires

it is durable and very attractive.

I can't bring myself to get it dirty just yet!

That and the cats like to jump inside it and curl up for a nap.

Pacific Rim Brackets

is a company based in Vancouver

Do you know where the clothes you are wearing were made?

Do you care if they were produced in unsafe factories or made by children?

I'm not very confident that I am as informed as I should be nor do I feel that I am an ethically savvy shopper...

do you have any thoughts on the issue?

~ ~ ~

We've enjoyed a mild sunny Saturday here in Victoria.

One that allowed us to walk along the waterfront and out on the breakwater and back.

I've got homemade clam chowder simmering on the stove for dinner tonight...

I am planning our first of the season prime rib of beef dinner tomorrow evening.

Hoping that our lovely daughter and her man will share the feast with us.

Ina Garten's Apple Crostada will be dessert and I plan to have a long walk to compensate for eating a slice!

I am currently reading Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behaviour and am halfway through...

she is a seriously gifted writer.

The people in the novel are dirt poor and you really feel that poverty.

I feel such empathy and respect for those who struggle to provide for their families.

I am humbled and counting my blessings for so many things.

Basic things

 like a warm home, clean water and food.

I wish you Joy in your daily round.

Hostess

Post 714 or another abstract tangental post.

We have been super busy here in The Humble Bungalow, between listening to the rain gushing through the down spouts we have hosted a baby shower and have been enjoying the visit from Mr. HB's family from up in the Kootenay area of BC.

There has been a minimum of opportunity to blog!
It's funny how I got into a regular routine of blogging. It happened quite seamlessly once I caught the blogging bug...and it has still not waned.
I've noticed quite a few of the blogs that started up when I did have gone the way of the dodo.
Many are blogging less and I wonder if we all get to the point where we have said it all or have very little else to say...
I feel a bit like a proverbial blabber mouth!
I can see by my stats that there are many people out there who read my babble....
and I am curious just what it is that brings people back.

If you have an opinion on this perhaps you'll feel comfortable enough to leave me a comment.

My recent "running errands OOTD"

I know I know

you may be shaking your head right now.

I am wearing LuLulemon Yoga pants

they are so very comfortable and I felt if I wore them with my ballet flats that they might look a bit dressier.

The Fashion Police will certainly cite me for this infraction.

I also wore red Chanel lipstick and donned my scarf....

does that count?

Do I sound like I am pleading my case?

Maybe I am just trying to justify this choice to myself!

This scarf is so simple to tie

if you've never worn a scarf 

cut your teeth on one like this.

Do you like these Simple books?

I have a few of them and they are fun to peruse.

I do see more inspiring details each time I flip through the pages.

One thing I have learned is that accessories are the best way to add a personal touch.

In these fluctuating and uncertain economic times 

I think it's prudent to have a basic lean functional wardrobe.

One that makes you feel great, looks good and flatters, one that does not completely deplete your bank account, and one that is classic enough to withstand a personal economic downturn.

(heaven forbid that should happen but we do need to be mindful and not stick our heads in the sand)

Look the sun made a brief encouraging appearance

and it was as if the sun had been shining all day long.

It takes very little to brighten my day.

What bright spots have made a showing in your day?

Be Well

~ ~ ~ 

Hostess

Darkness at the edge of town....5 hours to be exact!

Yesterday It was a very windy afternoon gusting upwards to 90 kph...and we lost our power...for the first time in a few years which lasted for 5 hours forcing us to be resourceful and creative.

I had tea lights and tapers and fortunately some kitchen matches.

Mr. HB is handy with an axe...

and he can build a great fire!

I was wearing my Eddie Bauer down jacket for a few hours...and wooly socks too!

I have the vintage phone that is good when the power fails...and good because...we ordered in..

A pizza for dinner

and while we waited we had a cocktail!

We played Trivial Pursuit on Mr. HB's IPhone (he won!)

We had a flashlight that we could crank, a radio too, but it only had a few stations and not the ones we like to tune in to.

IT'S A SIGN!

we need to get ourselves disaster ready!

I have cornered the market on candles

we have a Honda generator

a propane BBQ

bottled water

several flashlights

a medical kit

and we live in an active earthquake zone so we should be able to be self sufficient for a minimum of 3 days...

Are you prepared?

I think that we are so much better prepared when we are on the boat, we need to be as our lives depend on it...so why do I think we can be less prepared when we are in our Bungalow in the city?

This might just be a wake up call!