Falling for Fall...new beginnings.

The weather was glorious today and perfect for walking, please join me and I'll take you on a scenic tour.
We are not going too far from The Humble Bungalow, and we are going to wander through a historic heritage cemetery...

Heritage trees create a lovely canopy

their leaves are turning autumnal shades and leaves crunch underfoot.

mushrooms growing in the flower holder of a grave

The cemetery is quiet and there are benches dotted along the paths for sitting

people walk through here often

and some bring their picnic lunches.

It has a parklike feel despite the fact that it is a graveyard.

Many squirrels scampered about 

and there was a symphonic cacophony of song from the birds.

Days with little wind are few and far between here 

because of the proximity to the ocean.

The seafront is across the road from the cemetery.

After a snowfall this place is hushed in quiet and is pure magic.

I'll try to come back in the snow and show you how lovely the trees look wearing a coat of white.

The headstones and crosses look frothy with the snow swirling and licking at their feet.

But I am rushing the season when speaking of winter

fall has arrived with it's multi-coloured coat 

with hues of umber, ochre, russet and mustard.

I am enjoying these new shades

and will show you in upcoming posts some garments that I will be wearing.

Where do you like to walk?

Do you prefer city streets or country lanes?

I have joined the My Daily Plate at Livestrong.com

(it's free)

they help you track your progress

keep a food and exercise journal

monitor your water consumption

offer tips and it's so easy to use

it's a fabulous site.

Perhaps you'll join me on my journey...

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions,

perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer."

Henry David Thoreau

Walking is my first step...

OK I had a serious talk with myself after reading the Dr. Dukan diet book and decided to start walking more.

Every site on weight loss, every book says walking is the number one step to getting fit.
If you need to start with baby steps they say to start with 20 minutes a day.

There are so many great places to walk in my city and I do walk, now I know that I need to walk for 30 minutes or more each and every day.
Walking briskly, walking with purpose and wearing proper walking shoes, to avoid injury.

So today I walked down and met Mother and sister in the Village for a late breakfast. I ordered a decaf Americano and an egg scramble with veggies. I ate half of what was on the plate and did not eat the toast that accompanied the breakfast. Next time I'll say hold the toast...my sister, who wears size 6, ate the toast for me so it didn't go to waist! (waste)
She stays in shape riding her horses, she has never had children and while I have hypothyroid she has hyperthyroid...
oh the luck of those hereditary genetics.

After breakfast we went to a women's shop, Mercedes Lane. They sell a wide variety of "cheap and cheerful" clothes. The European imports are not cheap, but they need a tall and willowy body to handle all the extra ruffles and ribbons so no temptation here!

Mother tried on a few things and then got tired of changing her clothes...
she's going back tomorrow!
My sister bought an amazing LBD in size 6 of course...
figure hugging and she looked as chic as could be with her blonde locks and her tiny frame and will look fabulous on her next trip to Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs.

I bought a Papillion Company designed tunic out of Vancouver and Los Angeles
to wear with my leggings...

I will layer this with a longer sleeved or 3/4 sleeved Tee when the weather gets colder.

I'll be wearing the Debra Kay necklace that I bought to wear at our son's wedding several years ago.

The $350 sticker price when new was a bit steep 

but now

considering the CPW (cost per wearing) 

it's down to a dollar or less

it as been a super fun piece which I will wear to my grave.

I need to give up bread

all the diet books say so,

at least in the initial stages.

This will be difficult,

I'll be drooling while watching Mr. HB enjoying artisan bread 

with his Scottish Marmalade on toast...

(when will the technologists develop virtual tasting?)

I need an app for that!

I bought this mug for my tea at work...

loving the black and white theme is now transfering to the work place.

Hydration is a dieter's best friend.

I am on the second bottle of Perrier (500ml) of the day

so I am up to half my daily requirement of water and it is easy so far.

The other serious challenge that I will have is the reduction of my consumption of potatoes.

I can tell you that I honestly love potatoes more than any food I have ever eaten.

It must be my Irish heritage!

I feel that I am ready to make some changes 

I know that I am going to be challenged more than I have in many years

I see other women bloggers my age who have succeeded at reducing their weight

and I have no thoughts of becoming stick insect thin...

I would be happy to shed 20 pounds.

My joints would be happier too.

I am embarking on a journey.

Fear not,

there will be lots of other things going on in The Humble Bungalow.

Menopause seems like a time for redefining and reinventing

seeing life through the eyes of a wise woman

using life experiences to guide one into the next decade 

with humility, grace, and purpose.

Paying attention and being receptive to change 

addressing flaws and shortcomings

which honestly

makes me feel uncomfortable

as they are at my very core

 so personal in nature

that I feel vulnerable.

Acceptance

forgiveness

honesty

joy

strength

gratitude

energy

determination

hope

 at this stage of life anything can happen...

standing on a precipice 

waiting to see 

what is possible...

the unattainable, perhaps.

All these serious thoughts are weaving their way

through my mind as I walk home.

The sun is shining

the streets are covered in leaves

children are playing in the playground

parents are sitting on the benches enjoying their Starbucks coffee

watching.

To all intents and purposes I am invisible...

a woman strolling along the street

happy and smiling 

putting one determined step in front of another 

and giving myself the pep talk of my life.

I've got a long way to go...

starting with a few baby steps and when I get those "under my belt"

I'll tackle some more.

I have emailed Sheila

who is a WW leader

(Independent Fashion Blogger)

I am hoping to get some weight loss information from her years of experience as a WW leader.

You are never too old to turn your life around!

The Doctor is in the House!

I saw myself in a full length mirror the other day and it struck me that my mind and my body are not in sync.
I saw a fat woman gazing back at her image, aghast, incredulous...
yet the mirror does not lie,
it was me staring into the mirror eyeing up a generous rump, and a blurred middle.
How and why did this happen?
Have I been sleep walking through my menopausal years? I think I have been n denial!

I do not want to give up on losing weight...it's been quite a few years, many diets and several dress sizes later...and I find myself wearing a 12 and recently some 14's. I cringe as I write this.
(there, I have typed it and will post it, so I have said it, and you have read it, it is no longer a secret)

Bringing home yet another diet book and I wonder why.
Am I crazy to think that there is some regime out there that will allow me to eat wholesome food that can be bought at the market, food that my husband will eat, food that will nourish satisfy and still shed pounds?
Am I a dreamer?
Will I always be overweight?
What do I need to do besides join and gym to lose some unwanted unhealthy fat?

I have heard talk of this diet by French Dr. Pierre Dukan and now the book is available here in Canada.
Rumor has it that the lovely Kate Middleton, princess royal has been following this diet.
Need I say more?

I lost 20 pounds a few years ago on The South Beach Diet only to gain it all back again within the year.
I tried the Fat Flush Plan before that and lost 15 pounds only to regain 20.
Then the The Park Avenue calcium diet book How the Rich Get Thin which I had great hopes for...but no surprise, it did not work for me.
What I am looking for is a forever eating plan, one that doesn't have extreme phases where food groups are eliminated, one that can be inclusive and sensible, healthy and affordable.

I don't want to buy prepackaged food or food with aspartame or any prepared food for that matter.
I want to eat natural and organic foods, food that is varied and food that comes from from all the food groups.

Dr. Dukan suggests eating protein exclusively in the first phase of his diet for 3-10 days.
Eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, seafood and lean beef and 1 1/2 quarts of mineral water a day.
No vegetables...no fruit, no starch.
Right there alarm bells are going off.

How can someone who loves veggies eat only meats and seafood?
I suppose if I was guaranteed to lose 20 pounds I might give it a try, but something doesn't sit well with me excluding vegetables seems unbalanced...
I would have thought eating only vegetables would have been the way to slim down.
I have met very few fat vegetarians...maybe I need to give up meat?

This book sits on my bedside table and I read a few chapters at a time. I want to find some tips within the cover that will make it worth the money that I paid for it.
I might be rash in my dismissal of his diet and maybe I will warm to it when I get further into the "meat" of the diet.
I have more questions than answers.

Have any of you followers/readers tried this diet?
What are your opinions on the regime?
Did you lose weight ?
How are you embracing changes in your later years?

I for one am embracing black.
Black dresses, black trousers, black tops, coats, sweaters, vests...a bigger body loves black!
You heard it here...
Paint it Black.

Hostess tips on how to handle stress...

Stress comes and goes..
it can tiptoe in slowly or smack us right in the face.

None of us are immune to stress, there is good stress and bad stress. Stress is often there to nudge us into doing something that we know we "should do"
Other times it comes from things far beyond our control and is shocking in it's persistence and intensity.
While I try to avoid stress, it has crept into my life often and I have had to find ways to minimize it's effect on my mind and body.
Strategies that I use may or may not appeal to you dear readers,
I'd like to share what works for me.

Turn off the TV, radio and telephone...sit in silence.
Soak in a hot tub with scented bath salts.
Sip sparkling mineral water with a wedge of lemon or lime in a pretty glass.
Go to your bedroom climb into bed and cocoon in the warmth of your duvet.
Slowly let a square of good chocolate melt on your tongue, savour the flavour.
Look at some beautiful books, the kind that inspire serenity and calm.
Breathe deeply and focus on the inhalations and the exhalations.
(I do this during Yoga practice.)
Practice Yoga or a similar form of stretching and relaxation.
Dim the lights or light a candle.
Slather some body butter on your feet and put on some cotton socks for a mini spa treatment.
Write in a journal, make note of the positives that occurred in your day, aim for 5 gratitude entires.
If all else fails have a weeping session, blow your nose and move on...often we need to cry to release tension.
If there is someone that you are close with, a friend or partner, try some good old fashioned hugs.

If you can afford it, go to a spa for an aromatherapy massage.
Healing hands work wonders kneading those tight muscles and troubles away.

                                        Remind yourself that "this too shall pass."

If you know someone who is going through a stressful patch
 try to go out of your way to lend a hand
 or better yet, lend an ear and listen to their troubles without judgement.

Often clarity comes to us when we relate our woes to a receptive soul.

I am reminded of that British quote that is popping up everywhere these days...
"Keep Calm and Carry On"

(easier said than done!)

What happens when you are Mother's chauffeur.

Mother drives her convertible BMW (and she's 84!) in a close proximity to her condo. She prefers roads and boulevards that she is accustomed to driving so there are no surprises and she doesn't have any fear of getting lost.
Her beat is familiar and local but limiting, so that's where I come in.
She will often suggest that we make a pilgrimage to a larger store miles beyond the city limits and she prefaces this with "Oh and I'd like to buy you lunch while we are out!"

We lunch about once a week and I am the chauffeur, we drive in my older Volvo wagon, which is easy for her to get in and out of plus it has heated seats which she quite likes. I have noticed lately that she is not dressing for the cooler weather, she wears silk camisoles under a tweed jacket and a summer weight skirt. I have not said anything but if it continues I am going to suggest that we do a seasonal closet change up. She has many closets and many more clothes than she needs but she does love to dress well and shopping is a weekly event for her.
She is lonely and misses my Father and has not made a lot of new friends since he passed away. Sadly many of her friends are now deceased and some are in senior care facilities, which she cannot abide.

Today she told me that it was too rainy to go out for her walk the other day so she strolled through the mall and shopped and got her walk in there!
Talk about creative multi tasking...well done Mom!

We found ourselves at Home Sense which is a large store that specializes in everything that you might need to feather the nest. Candles, cookbooks, cushions, towels, bedding, pots and paraphernalia.

Mother bought a new down pillow that she needed.  I bought two!
We both like to buy new pillows every few years for health reasons.
I love down because it squishes and conforms to my head and suits my sleeping habits perfectly.

Mother bought some pretty patterned padded hangers for her silk blouses.

I bought a set of sheets, and two shams and a new coverlet for the Bungalow Bed.

(oops this is a rather dark image)

I like the quilted detail.

The light was playing havoc while I was trying to capture these shots.

So was Miss Pepper

stay away from my Cashmere and Pearls Pepper!

I am happy to report that the Land's Ends cashmere arrived

and I think they have made a fabulous sweater of good quality and it feels so soft and cozy.

If you are looking for a cashmere sweater I would recommend that you check them out.

They have a great return policy and the garments that I have purchased from their on line shop have been better than I had expected.

(no remuneration has been given to me from Land's End!)

You are a great community of followers.

I am still mulling over all your comments

and I have had a few emails as well.

I'm putting the kettle on to brew a pot of tea

and I hope you'll join me in a virtual tea party.

Hope that your weekend will have a few pleasant surprises in store...