OOTD and a new Land's End dress...

Let's be realistic do you dress up when you are ill?

The Hostess does not.

Mother on the other hand, does...

she looks like she could go to the theatre or a party when she's ailing.

Mother's theory is that if one is dressed well

then one naturally feels better.

Sorry Mom

I am not living up to that standard.

I like comfort and to be cozy when I am sidelined and in bed.

Do you eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away?

I do.

Behold the simple black dress

Land's End 

this one is a keeper.

I will be wearing this a lot.

I can wear it with pearls

a funky necklace 

an armload of bangles

a scarf loosely tied at the neck

it can come to the farmer's market on Saturdays with my straw basket

 go to lunch with the gals

I could wear it on the boat and go beach combing 

tea with Mother

to work

shopping

etc...

I can wear this with flip flops or sandals

dress it up or dress it down.

It feels soft and easy to wear.

I'm excited about this super simple dress.

The best part is it was only $55

and if you shop their 30% sale this weekend you'll get free shipping!

(Land's End has no idea that I am promoting their products)

I am about to delve into the joy that is Country Living UK

Happy Sunday to you all.

Thanks for popping by...

until next time.

XO

Saturday morning...

I woke up early only to discover that I am coming down with a cold.....
but it's not a pity party here in The Humble Bungalow.
I jumped into the shower and let the hot water run and steam my sinuses
the kettle was put on
and tea was poured by Mr. HB.

I am sipping my second cup of tea...
planning to do a few necessary errands...
we are almost out of tissues and the fridge needs restocking.

Saturday morning and the weekend is about to begin.

The vegetable seeds were planted last weekend.

In the right raised bed are sweet peas

in the left we planted peas

yellow beets, swiss chard, zucchini

clematis is in back to lure the bees.

Fortunately we have a garden full of mason bees

 a heavy clay based soil that cracks 

and a shingle house

which provide many crevices for these bees to live has turned out to be a bonus.

These Mason bees have been in our garden since we moved in 30 years ago.

the lilies are thriving

 native camas in the park

a sea of blues

I ordered some black pants from Lands End and bought the large 

but when I put them on I was swimming in them!

I have re ordered the medium and hope that they fit better.

I wonder if perhaps the walking and mindful eating is paying off?

(one can hope!)

Pepper loves to sleep on our bed and she sleeps on my side at night.

My legs get cramped sometimes trying to accommodate her furry form.

When the bed is made she sleeps on my side too!

If I snuggle under the duvet this afternoon I am sure she'll be at my side.

This weekend will be a slow paced one so that I can rest up and get rid of this cold.

I am seeking comfort in the simple things

a warm mug of tea

cozy socks

a scarf

a soft sweater

some magazines to lose myself in

a novel

(The Post Mistress)

a blanket to wrap myself up in 

and

perhaps my Steiff bear will join me in bed...

I think I'll skip my walk.

I may buy a bar of really good chocolate

I have not had any chocolate for what seems like months

but in fact may be weeks.

(I'll allow myself one or two squares at the most)

Tell me all the exciting things that you'll be doing this weekend 

as I 'll be living vicariously through your adventures!

Be Well.

XO

Unbelievable!

On my walk I saw something so strange that I had to look twice...
it was not a bird sighting or a whale spy hopping in the bay.
It was...
well you'll have to see it to believe it.

Scene

as seen

 on top of a man made rocky groyne

in the bay not too far from The Humble Bungalow.

Old love seat and chairs 

that someone has obviously dumped there.

In my opinion this is littering of the first order

it looks ridiculous 

and 

makes our pristine waterfront look like a tip.

Bypassers were stopping their cars and hopping out to take pictures.

Some brave ladies, in heels no less...

scaled the rocks and logs and took photos of each other sitting 

on the

precariously perched pieces of furniture.

I stopped my walk to capture this image 

and then hastened on my merry way.

This must have been done under the cover of darkness

no one in their right mind would attempt this during daylight hours

I am sure there would be a substantial fined levied if the city caught them.

Maybe it was a Graduation prank...

there are lots of grad ceremonies going on and schools do try to "outdo" each other.

UBC engineers used to hang VW bugs from the Lion's Gate Bridge

at least they did that when I worked for UBC.

(that was back in the mid 70's)

Did your graduating class participate in any pranks?

I cannot remember what, if anything, my class did

but hey that was in 1973....

and we were still the peace and love generation.

Mr. HB and I were high school sweethearts

we've been together since I was 15 years old...

this is our song

and I am still in love with him....

Have a great Friday....

Hostess

XO

Salad daze....

In the spirit of health and weight reduction I am working my way to a more healthy style of eating.
Salads and proteins are my new go to partners in crime.
Colourful meals that could come from a spa are finding their way into the Humble Bungalow
a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Salad daze

look at the colours!

Romaine and red lettuces, red onions, radishes, yellow peppers, black olives, tomatoes, and shredded carrots. 

There's lots of chewing involved so it takes longer to eat

add some lean chicken or steak

(about 3 ounces)

a small amount of dressing for added flavour

and lunch or dinner is ready.

Rebar basil vinaigrette

I made a batch and keep it in the fridge for a few days and use it sparingly...

olive oil is the base with lots of spices and basil leaves

it is delicious.

I am avoiding bread

although I did have two slices last evening with my bowl

of vegetable beef and bean soup.

No hunger pangs after dinner.

I have also been moderating the amount of wine I am consuming.

Funny that I could convince myself that a liquid could be calorie and sugar free!

Yesterday afternoon when I walked home from work the sound of dueling chainsaws could be heard before I rounded the corner and saw the chipper truck.

Our tree is gone...

the large acacia tree was felled in the garden yesterday 

so after work

we were dong some clean up

and Mr. HB stacked wood!

I did not get a long walk in but I did get a work out in the garden.

Thank you for all your emails of support 

on my recent post about the frustration of post menopausal weight loss.

They really mean a lot to me.

While life may not always be rosy

you can always grow roses!

Your Humble Hostess

XO

Shine or tarnish what camp are you in?

Vintage Silverware has been frequently cropping up in the thrift shops in our area which makes me wonder if it has fallen out of flavour.
I am rather like a crow when it comes to shiny things so it's no surprise when I am lured by something that sparkles.
Mother has already given me the lion's share of the family silver as my sister dislikes polishing what Mother gave her and poor Mother shudders every time she sees the tarnished items!

Polishing days occur twice a year here in The Humble Bungalow
with the exception of the everyday silver teapot which needs monthly attention with Twinkle.

I purchased this wee drinks tray recently for under $20.

Perfumes, toiletries and jewelry would look attractive massed on top.

Dainty tea sandwiches, wee cakes...

there is no shortage of uses for this newbie.

Made in England and artfully carved.

Where do you stand on silver?

If you inherited a box of it would you use it and keep it gleaming or hide it away?

Or would you sell or donate it?

Just wondering if I am old fashioned!

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely...