A Royal British baby and books...

The Royal Baby has been born!
It will be exciting to see pictures of little prince and watch him grow...
I am sure that he will be very handsome as he has such good looking parents.

They must have a few names in mind...nothing radical I would imagine,
something dignified as tradition would dictate that they name him after one of his ancestors.
The BBC news is completely focused on this event...there's a huge paparazzi buzz.
I am waving my own flag here and toting around my bag joining in on the fun.

I buy books all year to read in the summer when I have more time and fewer demands...

whenever I see a title or book jacket that sounds interesting I bring it home and pop it inside my bedside table.

That was until I realized that the bedside table was full so I filled up my summer straw tote.

I am currenty reading this novel and it is set just after the end of WW II. 

A Polish couple separated by the war are reunited in England

It follows their day to day lives in England and flashes back to their individual struggles during wartime.

It is well written and enjoyable,

I am far from being finished but I can recommend it.

My summer books 

Santa Montefiore's godfather is the Prince of Wales!

Her books are light reading which I prefer in the summer 

especially when there are so many distractions

 I am unable concentrate for longer periods of time...

This is an odd title but the jacket cover says that it is a funny book 

and comes with many rave reviews so I'll give it a try.

What books would you add to my list?

Now that I am officially retired I should be able to read more frequently all year long!

What name do you think Kate and William will name their little prince?

Date night or celebrating anniversary #39

We enjoyed a lovely evening out...
officially date night but this time we were celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary.

Clive's is in the Chateau Victoria Hotel

and is one of the best spots to sip a drink

as the barkeepers really know their business

and have won many awards.

we walked downtown

 as the weather was warm and there was a gentle breeze blowing

we had just finished walking the route of the Art Gallery's Moss Street Paint In

an air conditioned oasis 

with comfortable seating

a Junipero gin martini for the Hostess

a marguerita for Mr. HB

Junipero is small batch gin made in San Francisco

by Fritz Maytag

it's lovely and so smooth!

after a refreshing drink 

we proceeded to Zambri's for dinner

Salmon for the Hostess

Pasta for Mr. HB

A delightful evening all in all...

thanks for the special date night honey!

It's home cooking tonight and I have no idea what I'll prepare...

the memory of the tasty meal is still very much on my mind!

~ We are celebrating ~

July 20, 1974 was a very special day...
our wedding was held on a sunny summer afternoon
nearly 200 people filled the church pews to witness our vows
an assortment of family and friends.

We were so young!

I love this image of us under the rose arbor starting our life together.

Sharing our

Dreams 

Hopes

&

Plans

a future that would take shape

with

shared experiences

life lessons

children

illness

responsibilities

disappointments

successes

challenges

homekeeping

strife

joy

adventures

all of which have contributed to make us the couple that we are today.

There are no secrets to our long marriage.
I've thought about it and can not put my finger on any one thing
although family has always been very important to both if us...

I think it is a combination of luck and respect for each other
and growing up together sharing the good and the bad which has continued to strengthen our bond.

We have made time for each other at least part of every day for the past 39 years...
we have been free to persue hobbies and have other interests which we can discuss together.

Date night, usually a lunch or dinner out once a week
working together on refurbishing our home and garden
has certainly gone a long way to keeping us connected and keen.

Life is never dull or tedious
we have so many things that we want to accomplish
and that list seems to grow longer each day!

Saying I love you

never gets old.

I look at this heart rock 

and feel it is a symbol of a solid and lasting love

one to aspire to...

Happy Anniversary Mr. HB

Looking forward to another great year as your partner in life!

XO

As requested...

This post is in response to a request from a reader...
who emailed me to ask to see more of my "paintings"
those that I refer to it as "mud paintings."

I work in acrylics and have no delusions that what I create is serious
It would be folly to think in those terms...
it is merely a creative outlet not unlike that of gardening.

as you can see they are floral in nature

reflecting my passion for roses and gardening...

~ ~ ~

Nature paints the most beautiful scenes....

of this I am so thankful.

The sunsets have been so beautiful this week...

The farmer's markets are full of gorgeous fruits and vegetables.

It is a bountiful time for Mother Nature in this part of the world.

There is so much to be grateful for...

stop for a quiet ponder and consider what wonderful gifts you have in your life.

Namaste

Merci Beaucoup mes amis...a parcel from France!

Imagine my surprise when I spied the package wrapped in brown paper stuffed in the top of our mail box...
not expecting anything in the post I was naturally excited and intrigued.

Don't you love a parcel wrapped up in brown paper?

The stamp on the front showed it was from France and the postage mark indicated Auvilar.
I knew in a heartbeat that this was from our beloved friends, John and Cheryl.

You may recall that Cheryl is an accomplished artist and John is a very talented photographer.
They reside in Auvilar a few months each year and when they return to BC they live aboard Sovereign
their Classic Mahogany Chris Craft which is moored in False Creek, Vancouver.

the wee heart appears to be made of clay and infused with the most intoxicating delicate scent

the scarf has been infused with the fragrance 

I must find out what the scent is as I would love to buy some perfume if it is available...

so soft

a whisper of viscose

 a beautiful pattern

lovely colour

so feminine

lightweight

a perfect scarf for summer

It can also be used as a wrap.

Merci beaucoup mes amis!

The Humble Bungalow Garden is putting on quite the rose show.

The shrubs and climbers are in their element in this heat.

Joesph's Coat rose

putting on a spectacular presentation.

apricot delight

our weather is hot and sunny

just what roses love

 they are a thirsty flower

greedy like no other

so we water them deeply at the roots

early in the morning so that the leaves are not prey to black spot...

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my humble little blog.

Wishing you loveliness in your day today.

Be Well and Be Kind

~ ~ ~