I have been moved and shaken...

I have not seen a play of this quality or magnitude EVER.
I hadn't expected to be so moved or to be so shaken by such a powerful performance on stage.

Schindler's List had a similar effect...
and it took me several years before I could see it.

(I'd read every WW ll book available on the holocaust in High School)

I wept salty tears and lay awake for many nights after viewing it.

Things stay with me...I cannot forget
like a sponge soaking up all the pain
and only time lessens the effect,
the visions blur a bit and I can put it in a perspective that allow me to function but not forget.

Mother and I saw The Laramie Project...
go here for the background....

We have seasons tickets to a local Theatre Guild and are usually entertained by classic plays which are light and cheerful...mother feels refreshed and optimistic and chatters on and laughs on the drive home.

Today...you could have heard a pin drop in the theatre...it was an intense and brilliant production and the actors were gifted and committed to bringing home a true story...
a story that was both horrific and brutal but needed to be told... cleverly crafted and with such raw emotion by the performers ( a cast of 33) I was moved by what I saw.
I sat ever so still in my seat hanging on every word...and breathing quietly trying desperately to control my desire to weep...as loudly or sniffle as others close by were doing...kleenex was making an entrance.

Suffice to say...if you EVER get a chance to see this play...
RUN don't WALK...as this run here at our small theatre was SOLD OUT for every performance.

I now know why...

So here I sit, rocked to my core...
(goodness only knows what my delicate mother is doing right now)
she felt very distressed and confused at intermission
and started relating how she had been sheltered from the horrific events of WWll and only later did she realize...
she looked shell shocked as she uttered these words

as I dropped her off she intimated to me that she was going to have a large glass of wine as soon as she got in the door...

I've come home early from a party
preoccupied with thoughts and images
that I cannot get out of my mind...

It might be a night of tossing and turning...
I am having a Gin and Tonic...
I know it's late
and I have a brunch tomorrow.

the dishwasher is humming though it's cycles
Pepper is playing in a basket on the floor that transported my curry dish to the potluck
Mr. HB is reading the 3rd Steig Larsen book in the Bungalow Living room
it looks like a "normal" night...
hah!

I am sitting alone in near darkness,
I can hear my heart beating
and it feels like it's beating in my ears
here I sit at my computer
looking for some solace
and find none
I struggle as I am trying to type something that conveys even a little bit of how I feel
the words are not coming easy to me...
they sound pappy and mushy and juvenile
some sound like I am pontificating
others show how sheltered my life has been.

I want to say something profound
something that might be significant enough to open some eyes to what is happening to so many
and I fear that I cannot...
these words ellude me
so I'll stop now and reflect...

I am so troubled by man's inhumanity against man...
one positive has come out of this tragic event a law has been enacted

and now go here

I think...what can I, as one single human being, do to make the world a better place...
I forsee many sleepless nights ahead.

Simple deconstructed dressing...

Salads are one of my favourite ways of getting nutritious and healthy greens into my diet.

A salad can be made with a very few simple ingredients that you have on hand or be chock full of assorted tasty treats.

I think homemade dressings are the best because they are the freshest alternative and contain no preservatives. They are cheaper and can be mixed in a jiffy using a jar...no need for fancy gizmos here, just keep it simple.

You'll need a jar, some good quality oil, vinegar, salt and pepper for a basic dressing.
I like to add garlic, and dijon mustard...
you can add whatever herbs or flavours that appeal to you.

A friend of mine likes to add a couple of spoonfuls of whatever jam she has on hand.

Jamie Oliver...superior cook and visionary who has trained youth at risk by teaching them cooking skills and employing them in his restaurants. He also was the instigator responsible for redesigning the meals served in the UK schools with a new focus on healthy food choices. He trained hundreds of school dinner ladies by introducing them to a variety of healthy vegetables and lower fat alternatives to chips and chicken.

He has a new show on that follows him as he cooks his way across the USA. I watched the Los Angeles episode recently and was very impressed. He has a strong sense of humanity and empathy and feels that cooking can break through ethnic, political, and racial barriers.

It was a very powerful show...thank you Jamie!

I'm thinking that most of us believe that all families should be able to sit down and enjoy eating a meal together in peace...don't you agree?

Now, let's move on as I have slightly gone off on a tangent!

Here's what Jamie Oliver has to say about salad dressing...

Simple Salad

Hostess Style...

Washed romaine lettuce spun dry in a spinner or gently pressed between a clean tea towel.

Tear into bite size pieces...one does not need a knife when eating this type of salad.

Cheese wafers homemade or store bought

I love this brand, made in small batches...a bit dear, but extremely tasty.

(these can be crumbled or left whole to pick up and nosh like a cracker)

dress with homemade vinaigrette...

1 large clove of garlic minced

1tsp. dijon mustard

freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. vinegar

3 tbsp. olive oil

make and shake just before serving

toss 

 enjoy!

If you feel that you need some help in the imagination department

here is a great book of salads where the guesswork has been done for you.

I received this wonderful book from my BFF 

she is a fabulous cook...and a dear dear friend.

So now... 

your job is to action some salad and dress it as you see fit!

My social calendar is chock full this weekend

hope you have a lovely one.

Cheers!

Friend and artist...Cheryl Fortier

Cheryl Fortier is a BC artist and a personal friend
she spends time in her Vancouver BC studio
and in Auvilar, France as a host for the VCCA

She lives aboard a classic Chris Craft in False Creek
she has a lovely husband, dear friend to mine...
a skilled I.T. guy, photographer, navigator, scotch drinker and wine connoisseur...

Seen here about to partake in fresh Dungeness Crab Cakes...
caught by Mr. HB one of the the best crab hunters and catchers I have known.

The Humble Bungalow Hostess's specialty at anchor...
crab cakes served with my BFF 's amazing ginger dip.

Cheryl is at home on the sea

prawns anyone?

Mr. HB and I have enjoyed many a cruise together with Cheryl and her hubby

theirs is the large Chris Craft 

originally powered by 3 motors

we are the smaller vessel

powered by two

sharing an anchorage 

tied together

going nowhere

and somewhere

sharing time

bobbing

and ebbing

on the tides

Cruising is all about the journey

and we are steering a course

of friendship

                                          We are fortunate to have a few pieces of her work....

Cabbage Island, BC 

I commissioned her paint the Humble Bungalow

 a gift to my husband a few years back for Christmas

she has captured it brilliantly.

                                                         She has been very generous...

 watercolour of a totem 

 Queen Charlotte Islands, BC

which has a place of honour in our dining room

and 

fresh from France

circa 2011

Poppies painted on antique French linen

framed floating in glass

with the Humble Bungalow green paint in the bathroom as a backdrop!

I fell in love...

"still life with apples"

and

wave pattern china

(which we both have and use on our vintage Chris Crafts)

I purchased this on a surprise visit to her studio during the Vancouver Eastside Cultural Crawl.

here she is cooking in the Humble Bungalow

French cuisine

naturally

she's so beautiful...

looking very chic

on a cold winter walk

her smile is bright and genuine

she has a passion for colour 

evidenced in her art

clothing and accessories

she embraces life with zest 

I find that trait enviable and admirable

balanced and strengthened with the practice of Yoga

she embodies grace

and

her spirit is light

 she's started a new blog 

here

please go visit and say hi 

it's her birthday...

say that I sent you!

Happy Birthday Cheryl

Hugs from the Hostess!

Strategies to rise above the bleak and dreary..

January feels like a long month to me...

It is dreary and damp 

I think it has a lot to do with our weather here in the Pacific Northwest...
I am passionate about the contrast of black and white,
whilst the muddy grey of the skies borders on tedious.

We get a huge amount of precipitation and when it's not raining, the clouds and fog hang around.
It feels cold because of all the moisture...makes one feel like cocooning in a shell...or given the opportunity Hibernating!

There are many people who go south to escape...to warmer climates.

This is not an option for me at this time so I have developed some strategies for coping.

I like to see the light when dark is all around..
I seek out bright with every facet of my being...
I turn on lights,
I light a fire to create a spark within to chase away the dim.

I yearn for and seek out colour

in my wardrobe

and more.

I dress in layers and wear cozy cashmere to keep the chill at bay.
Cashmere feels like a soft caress, a wooly hug that snuggles and blankets the skin.

A long scarf works well here as I like to wrap it twice to keep my neck warm...
my neck and feet are the most vulnerable to the damp and feel chilled if they are exposed.

Cashmere socks are wonderful
and I wear them all winter
and often on a very cold night I'll keep them on when I go to bed!

I indulge in baths filled with scented salts and warm water

I close my eyes and breath deeply.

I exfoliate my skin

I love the fresh feeling of softness

and then slather on a rich moisturizer

or I dab on an oil or serum for a "spa effect"

I leisurely peruse magazines while sipping a blended tea...

loose tea leaves add that little extra punch of flavour...

and a little goes a long way.

I like to window shop the sales

and look at new stock for spring and summer.

Taking in an art exhibit or a gallery showing.

Listening to music while actioning domestics 

dressed in my Yoga gear 

for ease of movement and comfort.

Sadly the Bungalow garden is rather dormant at this time of year
so the roses are asleep...their bushes bear rose hips.

I purchase flowers and bring some sunny cheer indoors...

Primulas are plentiful and very inexpensive
and can be planted outside in the garden after they have finished blooming.

I dig deep in the recipe box for comfort food recipes

 a delicious way of nourishing ones self and ones soul.

The joy of preparing a simple meal and the anticipation of the taste

sustain and nurture my core.

Dinner of roasted veggies and a free range organic chicken with gravy

smells good while cooking and tastes even better from the plate!

Trying new recipes from cookbooks borrowed from friends or the library...

online sources are plentiful too.

I like to start the day with a warm breakfast 

something with "staying power"

I top mine with a small amount of Canadian maple syrup.

Pay attention and add some colour to the everyday routines

a pretty cup and saucer for taking tea

makes it taste better 

eye candy

goes a long long way.

I like to reread this book as I garner strength and wisdom through another woman's journey

her desperation and the solace she seeks

eloquently described using simple props from nature.

Anne Morrow Lindberg's A Gift From the Sea 

if you haven't read it 

please do...

Maintain and engage in friendships

a telephone call, 

a walk 

 sharing a coffee

going to the cinema

shopping

connecting with others is paramount for ones health

 friends enrich and elevate my days

and I am grateful for them.

Plan to bring some joy into your day

and get to know what makes you happy

Embrace, radiate and shine 

spread light

so others can see.

If you are feeling blue, get outdoors for a walk

or volunteer your services at a local agency in your community

there are so many people in need.

What strategies do you employ to brighten and illuminate your days?

I've been tagged.....and 5 more...

Deja Pseu has listed the 5 things that she does not leave home without and now she has tagged me.

5 things that I don't leave home without...

# 1. House keys (and car keys if I plan to drive)

#2. My cellphone (for emergencies only)

#3. Kleenex...when I go for my walks especially!

#4. Glasses...reading and sunglasses if it's sunny.

#5. Suitable clothing ( that's a given!)  foundation, mascara, and lip gloss...wallet and/or handbag.

Looks like a lot more than 5...

Now to tag other bloggers...which I find tricky

if I mention your blog 

please do not feel that you need to respond,

only do so if you would enjoy sharing!

Collage of life

Gardening in High Heels

How to be Chic

Moonlight Reflections

The Rich Life (on a budget)