July Joys ~ Roses, ( a surprise recipe) books and time at Quarterdeck Cottage.

 

The Lavender is ready to harvest...

I snipped a few stems off the plant and made some fragrant sachets.

This job takes a while to do...

patience is required to remove the buds and so I brew a big pot of tea

sit myself in a comfy chair on the front porch and get stuck in.

I love the scent of lavender and the sachets are useful in the drawers...

where I store lingerie, sweaters and nightgowns.

I found these wee gauze bags at the local Dollar Store.

I reuse them from year to year.

Yellow rose at the back is Climbing Graham Thomas...

the pink one closest is Strawberry Hill.

These two are out back by the greenhouse and the work area...

both are happy and have oodles of blooms and they are both very fragrant.

Strawberry Hill has deep cups with frilly petals.

Here's a closer look at Graham Thomas...

bold yellow blooms.

I love to look at the cheerful lush display when I am out in the garden working.

It feels like these jobs are so worth it,

a reward for our efforts when we get these rather stunning displays.

This lovely iris bloom is only one of many on the plant...

it is a newer plant in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Another bright colour and the wee yellow stripe in the middle of the petals 

makes for a wonderful bold contrast.

Iced Latte...

a refreshing choice for a hot afternoon by the pool.

I loved this fun and fantastical book by Jess Kidd.

Her books are new to me, and they are a wee bit different than my usual books.

They are FUN and the mystery gets solved in the end...

a wild ride to get to the past page but ever so entertaining.

Mr HB and I play crib at the cottage...

he wins almost ALL THE TIME!

~ Beach walks and Sea Glass ~

The weather was lovely when we were at Quarterdeck Cottage...

sunny and warm, pools were open and water was perfect.

I need a new swimsuit...and I am going to go shopping these next few weeks.

My older black suit is 4 or 5 years old and is definitely needing to be retired!!

Canada Day...July 1st

Beaver Chairs at Roseland Park.

Knitting on the Miriam Sweater 

using the vintage Baycrest Aran Yarn. 

(darling daughter found at a local thrift shop)

Loved Jess Kidd's other book and saw this at the Pender Island Bookshop...

read it in 2 days...such a wild romp and lovely quirky characters.

Climbing Royal Sunset Rose 

a bowlful of petals...

Made some rosewater face spray...

easy and a lovely way to use up petals.

Roses are definitely my muse...

love them in the garden, love them in bouquets.

Do you grow roses?

I've had a molar crack and half of it fell apart...

I think I actually ate it :-((

I thought my burger had a crunchy bite, then I realized that my tooth was rough!

So I am booked in to see my dentist...

a crown perhaps?

Oh well at 70 one must expect these things...

We are watching Outrageous on Britbox...

it is about the Mitford sisters.

I read the book years ago and the series is staying very close to the book.

The scenes are lush and the locations and houses are fabulous.

I adore the fashions and am eager to watch each and every episode.

Are you watching a great period drama?

The trailer for Downton Abbey is out...it's a MUST SEE for me.

How about you?

Now to this next book...

another grand story is unfolding and turns out it is a real page turner.

Well that's about it for now...

lots to do here in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Playing Catch up after our time away...

Thank you for popping by and checking out my little blog...

until next time.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Mother's Day Post and a wee bit of shopping...

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope that you are having a good one...

Whether you are celebrating with your family

perhaps remembering and honouring your precious memories of your Mom

or sharing this special day with other women...

Cheers to all of the great women in our lives who helped us.

Who mentored us in our careers...

inspired and cheered us on

and 

continue to be beacons of light.

We were at the cottage last week...

the weather was great!

It was a mixed bag of activities and meals were quite simple.

Knitting, reading, beach combing, thrifting, visiting with friends.

I am surprised that we didn't even get in one game of crib!!

Found more sea glass and a vintage boat "block" at the thrift shop.

I like the distressed look of the block with its peeling paint...and a wee bit of rust.

Summer feels like it is on the way.

My trusty vintage Eddie Bauer sunhat...going into its 3rd decade 

(Thank you Patricia !) 

Found feathers add to the age and charm...

Hosted a Happy Hour on the Deck...

We sat outside until the winds picked up and practically blew us indoors!!

I bought a new sweater by the French Company Saint James...

it was on sale locally at W&J Wilson's.

I have a Breton striped top and a Black sweater by the same company.

The quality of their clothing is absolutely top notch.

Periwinkle Blue Cashmere Cardigan...

reminds me of the shutters in Provence.

Will be a workhorse in my wardrobe....

Paired well with my Akoya Pearls and a simple white Tee.

Wore it with my wide legged black rayon pants.

Black Vessi slip on shoes.

In other news :

Won the Mother's Day draw at a la mode Consignment in Oak Bay!!!

Will be picking up my gift when they open on Tuesday.

Thank you Alexa :-))

If you live in Victoria and shop in Oak Bay don't miss this gem of a shop...

We are so fortunate here in Victoria to have a variety of great second hand and consignment shops...so many great ones. I LOVE shopping in this shop!

My other faves are :

Twice is Nice

House of Savoy

Well I have my first cold since Covid hit the planet...

So I am feeling a wee bit foggy in the brain.

Will close for now as

I need to pop the kettle on and make some honey and lemon.

Hope that you are feeling good and keeping your spirits up.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

September...and it Feels like Fall

Photo of The Hostess by my friend Laurette.

We had a wee dinner party last weekend at Quarterdeck Cottage.

Two couples joined us...

one couple sailed over in their boat and the other couple bunked in with us at the cottage.

On the menu:

Wontons stuffed with crab (Julie's creation)

Fresh grown heirloom tomatoes with balsamic crema.

Ina Gartens Parmesan Chicken served over a bed of arugula.

Baby new potatoes roasted 

Chocolate Mousse with fresh raspberries.

We had a sad thing happen in our family.

My SIL passed away quite suddenly.

I heard that she was not doing well and that my husband's nephew was driving up from Oregon.

I kept in touch via text and he told me they were getting her to the hospital asap.

As soon as she had a bed I picked a bunch of roses and took them out and had a visit.

We had a great chat, I held her hand and we were laughing...

I thought that she would get the help she needed and be back home soon.

That was Thursday afternoon.

We got a call Saturday night and she had passed away from

Congestive Heart Failure.

We have wonderful friends...

Found a pottery shard on the beach...

it goes with the blue and white ironstone that I have at the cottage.

~ Beach Vibes ~

We had some foggy and rainy days but the rest of the week was sunny.

The air felt cooler and there was a Feel of Fall.

A pair of "new to me" mugs from Good Things in Oak Bay.

I knit a bunch this week...

I found it very therapeutic as I was still trying to process the death.

The shawl is called Easy Goes It...I made it in pink last winter.

To lose a loved one is hard...even when they have lived a good long life.

Thank goodness I got to see her before she passed away...

I will hold that visit close to my heart.

A precious memory and a true life gift.

My Sea Glass necklace designed and made by Charlene Hall is getting lots of wear!

I never tire of searching for Sea Glass...

The sunsets were so beautiful.

The mauve shades were quite spectacular...

I enlarged this photo to see what boat this might be...

I thought at first it might be Holland America.

Turns out it is a different cruise line altogether...

I must be waiting to get some repairs or maintenance at a local shipyard.

Pender has freighters that anchor in the bays but this is a rather unusual sight.

Home today and am tackling the laundry and made Pasta Carbonara for dinner.

Very comforting...

We have a few things to tend to this week.

The painters will be here refreshing the front porch and fascia boards.

I'm going to be making soup for a friend who has cancer and is starting chemotherapy.

Hope that I will be back at the pool.

Aqua Fit classes are up and running and the pool has been refurbished.

Other than that,

 I have some dead heading to do on the roses and the apples look ready to pick. 

My husband will be bringing in a harvest of tomatoes for me to freeze.

What are you up to?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Oh My Goodness!! it is already September...

 

Summer is slowly slipping away...

Feet up...

Sipping Green Tea on the porch most afternoons...

My old sneakers fell apart so I purchased a new pair.

These are GBG from Los Angeles 

I have never heard of this brand before?

Snapped a dressing room selfie...

This Lands' End denim dress has been a wonderful weekday workhorse

in my wardrobe.

I will be wearing it this Fall too :-))

The custom sea glass pendant by Charlene Hall of Pender Island 

has been getting oodles of compliments.

Thrifted measuring scoop...

  a new jar for flour are taking up valuable space on my counter.

Weekly sourdough bread making...

Much easier using the flour from the jar 

than grabbing and opening the big heavy and awkward bag from the cupboard.

Cucumbers are growing like weeds!

I am inundated with fresh produce from The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Daily pickings are so rewarding and the flavours are so amazing.

Made fried green tomatoes when a branch broke off...

sauteed in a bit of olive oil

sea salt and topped with Worchestershire Sauce.

Limelight Hydrangeas

are

putting on a spectacular show.

I am going to dry some for the house for the Fall and Winter.

Mr HB planted the vintage garden cart with yellow Dahlias.

I love the whimsy and the pop of colours.

Julia Child Rose

Sunflowers 

grown from seed.

My Friend Rosemarie, from Vancouver, sent me the seeds last Spring.

She sends me unexpected random surprise gifts in the mail!

Thank you dear friend.

XO

August was a VERY busy month with the family.

Birthdays and Cottage time.

On the long weekend I went to White Rock with our son and the three grands...

for the annual back to school shopping trip.

Read a lovely article about Pamela Anderson in BH and G.

She has totally come back to her roots and completely reinvented herself.

Renovated her family home

(which was made into a series)

Produced a documentary

wrote a book "Love Pamela"

Planted a rose garden

is

 growing masses of vegetables.

She bakes sourdough breads, pickles veggies, and makes jam.

She also has a new cookbook coming out in October.

Talk about BUSY!

I am keen to get my hands on it when it comes out!

We explored some of the thrift shops in the White Rock area...

I found some nice things.

A soft wool turtleneck Vera Moda poncho which will be cozy for Fall.

A handmade leather belt made in America.

Silk scarf with hand rolled edges.

All three items cost about $20

We went to IKEA 

Our son bought a few storage boxes and baskets, sheets and duvet covers.

I found basic paper napkins, a dish drying mat and some tea towels.

The highlight was lunch!

Only my second time enjoying their Swedish Meatballs.

Busy place to eat and it is obviously because the food is good!

(and the prices are low)

~ Home Sweet Home ~

Back home...

Quiet day today catching up on laundry and rest.

Made soup for our lunch with the food left in the fridge.

Slim Pickins though...

Have to pop out and get some groceries.

Need to answer some emails...

My first priority was to write and publish a post here 

as it has been a couple of weeks.

Life is Full to the Brim.

~ Jude The Obscure Rose ~

How has your summer been?

Are you ready for Fall?

What is new?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~  Be Well and Be Kind ~