Mid Month...a MISH MASH of Musings

 

~ Green Moss Growing on a Rock ~

I stumbled upon this pretty lush green sight and thought how beautiful it is...

How many people would stop and take notice?

Would they have TIME to stop?

Would they even care?

I think simple things of beauty in our world are worth noting.

When I was young

I would lie on the grass in our backyard and imagine fairies living in the grass.

Buttercups would be their yellow bonnets and clover would be their parasols.

Bees would be buzzing 

making the music that the fairies would dance to...

These wee worlds would whirl around in my imagination...

obviously I have not forgotten 

the power of their magic.

I still look for the MAGIC on my walks.

If only to regain those innocent and naive ideas and thoughts from my youth.

~ Baking Sourdough Bread ~

The simple process of mixing, folding, and baking bread has many rewards.

There is a sense of purpose and a genuine feel of true comfort.

The finished fresh Boule is so much more than just a loaf of bread...

it is a vehicle that transports us back to a simpler time.

The day of bread mixing is a Joyful experience.

The basic routine offers up a schedule that one wholly participates in...

mind and body.

(It might sound a wee bit "airy fairy" but that is how I feel)

I look for opportunities to relax the mind and body...

bread baking is an escape from reality.

So much in our world is in chaos and I seek solace.

I deliberately choose solace...

Yoga, knitting, walking, reading, and baking bread.

Things that are soothing and force to take me "out of my head."

~ Healthy Lunch with My Besties ~

Lunching with long time Friends as we celebrate and honour our birthdays.

We meet up for an annual Christmas lunch too...

we are good friends from primary school.

In a few months ALL of us will be in our 70's

so many stories intertwine and connect us.

In order to entertain more efficiently we purchased an antique table.

Our tiny living room has no coffee table so we used an oak card table

or 

set up the food in the dining room where people had to wander in and help themselves.

Now we can move the table into the living room and put the food on the table!

SO much better! 

It must be time to invite some people over to gather together. 

~ I snapped a selfie while waiting for the ferry ~

Yes the pearls came out to play!

OOTD is very casual.

Jeans ~ Mango Mom Jeans

White Tee ~ Mododoc

Knit vest ~ Churchmouse Library Vest pattern

Puffer coat ~ Lands' End

~ Here's the ferry ~

We are off to the Cottage

Grabbed two books that were on HOLD from the library.

Started with Elizabeth Strout's newest...

in LARGE PRINT !

I almost don't need to wear my glasses :-))

~ Ran a few errands this morning ~

Got a few groceries and bought some body balm at the pharmacy.

I forgot that I had run out when we left last month...

Alas

there was hardly any beach for walking...

 so I went to the Thrift Shop and the shops and galleries at Hope Bay.

With only a scant amount of scent left in my perfume bottle 

I found myself sniffing the samples.

Well this certainly sounds inviting...

Choosing the Rose Quartz option AURA

made locally on Pender Island by Fiadh Alchemy.

Sunshine and Blue skies are keeping us company today and feeling grateful.

Going to make French Onion Soup for our dinner...

chopping and slicing are such a tonic.

Hope that your New Year is off to a good start...

Take and Make time to nurture yourself, employ self care when necessary.

You will need to use that stored positive energy.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

French luxury items ~ My Stylish French Box

Oh be still my beating heart...
the anticipation and opening of this luxurious box is to be savoured...

I love the satin ribbon tied in a bow

the contents are hidden beneath whisper soft tissue paper

There is a folder with descriptions of the items.

Details about the makers and companies behind the products.

a beautiful leather case for my sunglasses

Paves Sonores

(I need a new one too!)

Look at this beautiful box!

Rose et Marius

inside is an enamel case with a scented pot of fig perfume

refillable too which is very handy

a story from the perfumer

it's a refreshing summery scent

one I will enjoy wearing

Hand made woven lavender wand

La Maison Franc

I plan to pop this in my lingerie drawer

a small chalk board for memos and messages

Un Esprit En Plus

a botanical print from an antique book

suitable for framing

a notebook

Les Editions Du Paon

 extra virgin olive oil spray

Nicolas Alziari

two gorgeous cushion covers from 

Charvet Editions

Thank you to Sharon and her team.

Thes boxes sell out quite quickly and you can see why they are so popular.

You can order the next box which will be delivered in November.

Simply click on the link below

Order here

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Renewal: refreshed, recharged, re-energized and "retail-ed!"

The past weekend was full to the brim with simple joys and bright moments which have left me feeling energized.
I have come out of a dark mood and into the light...

My morning cafe creme routine starts with counting my blessings,
I sit quietly reflecting on all the good things in life embracing and adopting the attitude of gratitude to set the tone for the day. I have found this to be very powerful and it changes the way that I see and interpret life events.

Mr HB and I walked in Chinatown...through Fan Tan Alley.

Victoria's Fan Tan Alley

My husband took me out for lunch at The Fan Tan Cafe, a popular Chinese food restaurant in our city's historic chinatown. It was busy, the service was great and we sipped our tea and chatted while we waited for our food. The food was not "totally WW friendly" (noodles were involved!) but the seafood chow mien was chock full of veggies which were so lightly cooked that they were still rich in colour, crisp and delicious.

Here's my fortune cookie and the fortune inside...

I did a wee bit of shopping at the Fan Tan Home Decor and Style shop.

A black dress by Angela Mara made in Italy.

Soft, cozy and the fabric is heavy enough that it does not cling but skims the body which is just the way I like a dress to fit.

It feels like a warm hug.

It was 50% off so I pounced on it and I said YES to the dress!

I plan to keep my eye on this shop as they have quite a few styles that I like.

I wore it out to dinner on Saturday evening when we dined with friends.

This lovely bouquet was a thoughtful gift from my nearest and dearest friend.

She bought it from those darling gals who run Thorn and Thistle Flowers.

They carry such pretty flowers and their plants are amazing...

our Christmas Amaryllis is an indication of their high quality plants.

They sell other things too and now offer coffee and treats

and they now located are in my old neighbourhood.

Sunday I cleaned house and went for my walk.

I opened a new bar of fragrant Verbena soap 

 it is currently scenting our main bathroom.

This soap was from my Mom's condo...

she loved the Verbena scent but she never used it as she loved her Pears soap.

While on the topic of fragrance and scents...

It was time to open a new scented candle.

This one was in the box from 

My Stylish French Box.

I am busy trying to finish my latest knitting project so that I can start my new one!

Have you got a project on the go?

Hope that your week ahead is positive

and filled with 

 lightness and cheer.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Roses and the quest for the perfect scent...remembering Mom.

Humble Bungalow Garden Roses

Pepper seems to enjoy their fragrance.

Samples of rose fragrances sent from the Vancouver Nordstrom store.

The list of rose scented samples that I am testing and there are more suggested by readers of the blog.

Chester enjoying the box that held the samples.

William Shakespeare and Jude the Obscure 

David Austin roses from the Humble Bungalow Garden.

If I could bottle these scents I would.

I had a weepy day yesterday.

It was a combination of things...

the noise from the construction next door.

Power tools and the jack hammering of the road out in front of our bungalow 

I was thinking a lot about MOM and how much I miss having her around.

I have been frequenting some of our favourite spots:

The Willows tea room

W&J Wilson

The Esplanade

Nar bistro

Matticks Farm

Adrienne's Tea Garden

Barbara's Boutique in Sidney

This just brings it closer to home that she's gone and so I had a wee bit of a meltdown.

Fortunately my husband understood and he listened while I talked and wept.

There will be more days like this of that I am sure...

 I'll let the feelings flow along with the tears.

How's your week going?

Thanks for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Beach walks...scenery snippets

The vibrant blue native camas is in full bloom.

This plant grows in and around the Gary Oak Meadows here in Victoria.

The First Nations Peoples used the root for food.

My walking partner and I went out for lunch at Lure

then we sauntered along the ocean front near Victoria's Inner Harbour.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and there were lots of people out and about enjoying the fine weather.

The scenery is aways changing on the waterfront...

boats, sea planes, kayaks, the Coho Ferry,

seals, otters, gulls, blue herons

Along the wide walks

we jostle for position

 baby carriages, joggers, walkers, and runners all share the space.

People sit on park benches and admire the view.

Picnic blankets are spread with snacks.

Tourists take photos.

The snow covered peaks of the Olympic Mountain range look so close

their stunning beauty frames the vista.

We chatter as we walk and gather speed...

I made the mistake of wearing my new periwinkle blue shoes without socks and today I have blisters on my heels.

(I should have worn my Merrell walking shoes with socks.)

I wore the same shoes to the beach on the previous day outing with the grandchildren.

They were fine on the sand and easy to transition back to the gravel lined playground where we played on the swings.

Mount Baker, which usually is in full view, was shrouded by low lying clouds.

The afternoon was chilly and the sky was grey.

The Willows Tea Room reopened for the season on April 29th.

This was where I would take mom.

Often we would sit with a pot of tea 

watch the passers by and sail and power boats on the sea...

Mom would smile

she was happy here.

Mom always loved an outing to Willows Beach.

 The Esplanade was a picturesque and gentle walk...

on a windy day she'd laugh at us braving the walk

in the rain with our brollies

she'd say how silly of us to try and walk 

in this beastly weather

Yet we would finish the walk and somehow feel energized.

When I revisit places that Mom and I regularly frequented

I feel a sadness creep in...

it is

not anything too overwhelming 

but my throat gets tight

and then I breathe as I picture her there beside me.

Our summertime picnics at Willows were always an adventure.

My basket with silverware and fine bone china

made passers by stop and comment.

My sister and I will be spreading Mom's ashes this coming week.

We have finished most of what we need to do for her estate and are ready to toast to Mom and dine in her favourite spot.

First we will swim in the pool

followed by a massage

and relax...

perhaps we'll even hop in the hot tub after dinner.

Mom and Dad in the early 1950's.

Dad died in 2007 and Mom in 2017

I'd like to think that they have been reunited and are watching over us as we remember, honour and celebrate their lives.

~ Love and Family ~

 the greatest gifts that I will cherish forever.

Hope that you have a lovely weekend.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

XO

OOTD and some new bits and bobs.

Selfie of my OOTD

Cut Loose top

 Zella skinny pants

Jessica Simpson flats

I've been wearing comfy clothes more frequently since Mother passed away.

I crave comfort in all the areas where I have control.

Clothing is one area where I abhor discomfort...

I could not resist this classic Saint James raincoat.

It is lightweight and a very comfortable and sensible choice for our April showers.

I am smitten with this line of garments designed in France.

Their Breton striped tops are wonderful and they make some fabulous sweaters and coats...

You may remember that I bought their navy and white striped brolly 

a few weeks ago.

I spy a new gadget in the Humble Bungalow...

this wee machine makes quick work of pills 

found on cashmere and wool sweaters

it is fast and easy to use.

I give it two thumbs up!

a soft scented candle recently found its way into my shopping basket

I love roses and our garden roses are still at least a month away from blooming

so I found a way to imbue the home with the scent of roses...

cheating a bit, I know,  but that's fine by me!

The spiky ball that we use at Yoga is now working overtime to help me at home.

It is amazing how this wee thing can loosen up hips and rid shoulders of tension.

It works really well on the balls of the feet too...

just go easy until you get used to the sensations!

In other news...

the view from here is dramatic.

The driveway has shrunk and our fence has too. 

We consider ourselves kind and decent neighbours...

so we have allowed a portion of our fence to be removed 

some of the driveway has been "loaned" 

to the developers 

to allow them to excavate with ease at the property line.

Deep holes have been fenced off so that no one falls into the pit!

Looking out the window you can see the site which is ready for construction to commence.

Which we have been told will be any day now...

On the past post I asked for books suggestions 

I was most surprised as you went above and beyond my expectations.

Thank you!

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely.

Cheerio from The Humble Bungalow.

XO