I've got the blues....

Blue porcelain pottery

Tumbling bunnies

lilting lyrics

Artist and porcelain maker Harumi Ota gave local artist Robert Amos lessons.

 Robert has created a whimsical line of vessels.

This one was a gift from our darling daughter Jennifer.

The two bowls shown here are by Harumi Ota.

I have had them several years.

For those of you reading this post who may be local 

they were purchased from a local gallery in Oak Bay called Eclectic.

 Harumi Ota frequently sells his work at The Moss Street Market on Saturdays.

Here's my new swimsuit...

also blue and white.

Finding a "flattering" suit was quite a challenge.

First off there was a limited selection in my price range

and 

coming to grips with my ample figure "weighed heavily"

I wanted decent support and good coverage...

needing to camouflage the "wobbly bits" as much as possible.

I ended up at a bathing suit specialty shop...

where they have many sizes and styles and expert fitters.

While in the change rooms I overheard many women's conversations 

 ALL of which were lamenting that they were FAT!

They were mostly young women and teenagers...

I was the eldest by far!

We are sensitive and critical of our bodies...

not everyone can be the same size or shape

we all have "problem areas"

no one is perfect.

 I am overweight

I know that I should slim down and get back to my WW goal weight.

 I have a serious conversation with myself about this regularly...

and its not really working.

I eat healthy

I try not to indulge in chocolates or sweets.

I walk every day and swim once a week.

I look around at the pool and there are women of all shapes and sizes.

There are some who would be considered morbidly obese 

in swimsuits much bigger than mine 

participating in the Aqua Fit classes...

How do they feel in their own skin?

Do we all have negative thoughts about our body image?

Is this a healthy way of thinking?

Here's my healthy lunch.

I AM going to try harder, starting right now, 

TODAY!

How about you?

Are you struggling to lose weight?

How do you feel about your body image?

Have you been swimsuit shopping lately?

Are you shocked by the swimsuit prices?

(many that I looked at were over $200)

Its a lovely sunny day and I am heading out for my second walk.

Thank you for reading my humble blog and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The French omelet...

When I ate lunch in Paris 

in 2015

I chose either omelets or salads.

Before that visit I had never made a decent omelet...

I made scrambled eggs and added things like cheese or herbs

the reason being

I was quite intimidated by the flipping of the egg mixture.

I am using David's recipe which is a basic one...

adding a few bacon bits, mushrooms, cheese and sliced fresh basil.

Here is the link to another one of David's omelets.

The "secret" to making an omelet is to use the freshest eggs

and 

an omelet or a crepe pan!

I purchased this one when I returned from France several years ago and have been able to make omelets ever since!

My friend H turned me onto this tasty curried ketchup

which we found in a deli in Duncan on a recent "road trip."

Omelets are healthy, tasty and low in WW points.

Protein at every meal helps to keep me feeling satisfied.

In between meals I will snack on fresh fruit if I do feel a wee bit peckish.

I am still working at getting back to my WW goal weight.

Eating healthy, 

watching portion sizes, 

walking daily

 are all

lifelong habits.

I've started swimming once a week at the recreation centre

which is helping increase the range of motion 

with my "almost frozen" left shoulder.

The right one froze 2 years ago and it lasted a year.

Massage therapy is helping manage the pain for the most part,

anti inflammatory pills and topical Voltaren round out the rest of the treatment for now...

I really cannot complain too much as I have friends who are currently going through much more serious health issues.

How is your week going?

Do you have a favourite healthy meal or snack?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD...Blues from France and Britain

One of my recent outfits
is a mix of makers...
one from France and the other from the UK.

I cannot say enough about the Saint James brand of clothing...
I absolutely LOVE their clothes.

The skirt is a smidgen above my knees

which is fine by me.

 I wear opaque tights and the black Chelsea boots

I like the mix of textures...

I could wear my pearls for a more classic look.

or

wear this twill scarf

which was Mom's 

or 

this Swiss Vetter silk scarf

that I found at the thrift shop.

If I was feeling adventurous 

I'd buy a bright yellow pair of tights and amp up the colour story.

This Saint James top has weight to it...

which makes it warm on its' own 

or 

on colder days it can be worn under my puffy blue down vest.

It marries well with my jeans too.

The skirt is an oldie but a goodie...

I've been trying to play around more with accessories.

They really make getting dressed feel a lot more creative.

Do you mix up what you wear or tend to stick with the same pairing of outfits.

There are blue skies above and it is a gorgeous sunny day out so I wil close for now and wish you all a wonderful weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Birthday #63, the anniversary of Mother's demise...same day as it happens...

I had a rocky start to my birthday on March the 3rd...

coffee and cats were involved.

One of the cats knocked over the cactus in the bathroom and ripped all the leaves off of the plant...

it was Mom's cactus.

It is now in the compost.

The other cat "messed" 

on the carpet downstairs 

so I had to haul out the cleaner and wash the rug.

By that time I was REALLY ready for my morning coffee...

the espresso machine had other ideas!

It was not working.

My husband kindly offered to go out and buy me a latte...

bless his heart.

But after three tries, and a few cuss words

(I do not usually swear)

 I was able to make a cup.

I sat in my chair in the living room and thought about Mom.

I recalled the events of her last day with great detail...

I relived the feelings that I felt on that day.

A few salty tears rolled down my cheeks

 I spoke with friends on the telephone.

I wasn't sure 

if I would be able to go out of the house...

But I managed to pull myself together.

 leisurely showered 

got dressed.

On the agenda

shopping and lunch with my husband.

After lunch 

we went to Black Goat Cashmere on Government Street 

where I tried on a few sweaters...

In the dressing room...stripes are the theme.

OOTD

Saint James Top

Black Calvin Klein skinny ponte knit pants.

(see the black goats on the curtain)

My husband bought me the most luxurious cashmere sweater

it is really a jacket...

the cost of which,

 was, well, a wee bit more than I thought

let's just say that it is an investment piece and will be a workhorse in my wardrobe...

like so many other classics it will never date.

I am so happy with it and I know I will wear it often.

Flowers wired from our dear friends in France.

Here's the sweater...

thick cashmere and oh SO SO SOFT!

The silhouette is loose and the coat has a "swing style."

I wore it to the grocery store when the temperature was 6 degrees and was so very cozy and warm!

You can button up the collar or leave it open...its like a built in scarf!

This is going to be my "go to" sweater for the foreseeable future...

I have mom's grey cashmere waterfall sweater and the black V neck cashmere that I received from my husband for Christmas...

I do not own any other sweaters.

Chester likes playing in the bag.

Fast forward...

Besides writing this post 

I managed to wash the love seat slipcovers

 the bathroom towels

iron the linen

meet a friend for lunch

take mom's income tax stuff to the accountant 

(for the last time)

buy a roller ball of lavender essential oil for better sleep

(I swear by this stuff now...)

buy a big ball of Bernat cotton yarn that I will knit into dishcloths

run and empty the dishwasher

make a salad to go with our dinner

read a few chapters in my current book.

So enough about my day...

how are you doing and what is new?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Cooking lesson with Julie...Aglio e Olio

Our friend Julie came over to visit at Quarter Deck Cottage on Pender Island.

We went for a walk, tootled around the island, saw the sights, went out for lunch, and we visited the antique shop.

I found a Lalique piece of glass at the antique shop.

Which I planned to use as a candle holder 

it was quickly re purposed as a wine coaster!

The Rioja Spanish wine was Julie's suggestion...

I had never tasted it before and it's really a nice wine.

Julie is a friend, whom I consider to be a real  "foodie" 

she is passionate about cooking.

I would call her a gourmet cook. 

She has a catering business...

if you have been a long time reader of my blog you may remember that she catered my 60th birthday party.

So when we perused what was fresh at the grocery store we had many options...

but I was swayed when she described the simple pasta dish Aglio e Olio 

which she described as Italian Fast Food!

I was already salivating!

Here is the link to Chef John's version of the dish.

Thinly sliced garlic cloves cooking very gently in a good quality olive oil.

The pasta water is already boiling on the back burner.

We pounded the chicken breast quite flat, 

coated it in flour 

seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper

before sauteing it in a small amount of oil.

(The pasta is added to the pot of boiling water so that everything will be done at the same time.)

We flipped the chicken breast after it was golden brown...

cooked it on the other side

then added it to the sheet pan with the roasted cherry tomatoes.

We drained the pasta and popped in on top of a platter

added a generous handful of arugula 

sliced the chicken breast

and added it

then

squeezed a half a lemon over top 

drizzled the entire plate with a wee bit of balsamic vinegar.

Here is our tasty dinner.

Thank you to Julie!

Hope you try this recipe and if you do, I would love to hear from you.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Vegetable Extravaganza....

Good morning!

It is really really early...I am wide awake.

Thank goodness the coffee is hot 

as I stand by the window watching the sky.

The morning light is just peeking over the horizon.

All is quiet.

I am conscious of my breathing.

  I will sit here in peace 

looking out and looking inward.

Preparing as I do for the day to unfold.

I cherish the slow morning time 

pondering life and counting my many blessings

since retiring...

There is a sense of calm and order when one has time to gather their thoughts...

knitting them together 

making them strong

determined.

A blurry snapshot of one of the many bald eagles that perch nearby...

this week I stood among several other cottagers as we watched as a bald eagle spread its vast wings and preened itself.

Such magnificent creatures and they are far bigger up close than one might imagine!

A bountiful haul of beach glass after combing the beach for treasure.

The views are stunning!

Just look at those puffy white clouds punctuating the blue sky

I could sit here for hours 

watching 

as the clouds meander across the expansive sky.

This beach would be a fun place to bring the grandchildren...

they could play on the beach before we sit and nibble a picnic lunch.

Perhaps even have a dip in the salt chuck?

Veggies... 

Prepare for the peeling and chopping.

You are going to be roasted!

Just a smattering of olive oil and a grinding of peppercorns 

then you'll be tossed in a super hot oven to caramelize.

You will be left to cool on the counter 

before being sprinkled with balsamic vinegar 

then topped with crumbled feta cheese

tossed together and devoured by a hungry Hostess!

Roasted veggie salad is a tasty treat and low in WW points!

Vegetable Extravaganza

Roast a variety of root vegetables...

I added mushrooms and zucchini to the pan.

Toss a wee bit of olive oil and mix to coat.

Grind a bit of fresh pepper over top.

Roast at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Turn the veggies halfway.

Cool then sprinkle with some balsamic vinegar, 

add a few crumbles of feta cheese.

IF 

there are leftovers 

simply pop them on top of some lettuce for a healthy and colourful salad.

The charming book that I just read...

Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale

it's definitely worth reading.

Hope that you are having a lovely week...and its almost the weekend!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Beach Walk Treasures....

My Beach glass collection is filling a Bonne Maman jam jar.

I found these pieces on my beach walks here on Pender Island.

I'll need to find a larger jar soon...

perhaps I'll find a vintage sealer jar as that would match my shell jar collection.

I find mostly white glass...

aren't the greens and blues dreamy shades?

The blue glass floats are vintage finds

as are the icy glass Timo Sarpaneva candle sticks.

There's a beach theme going on here at Quarter Deck Cottage.

Beached sailboat...

cannot help thinking what an apt name this is for this vessel!

Crisp white Barnacles cling to the rocks.

Someone placed these shells atop a vast chunk of driftwood at Mortimer Spit.

Pender Chocolates serve a delicious Hot chocolate made from thick and rich chocolate ganache...

the chocolate shop is a treasure

so many tasty treats

deciding on which ones to choose is a challenge!

My current read is a light hearted romp

a peek into the lives of an eclectic group of people living on an English Avenue.

I am halfway through it and find its a page turner...

Hope that your week is off to a great start...

we awoke to blues skies and sunshine this morning and that's a great gift.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~