The roses are in full flush...and I am linking up with Jane's Flower Party today.

The weather is damp and foggy...and it looks like it might hang around for the foreseeable future.
The garden is putting on a fabulous show despite the weather and surprising for October.
Spurred on by a patch of sunshine I popped outside...
Sunshine has a way of making everything look better and brighter.

Jude the Obscure

my favourite of all the David Austen roses grown in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Peachy perfection and a scent that is sweet and strong.

I've already put the cushions away for the season but the porch and chairs are still in service...

in fact they beckoned me to come out and sit for a bit with my mug of fresh brewed Earl Grey Tea.

I sat in the stillness and let my gaze wander.

Birds are chirping and flitting about scavenging for food in the soil.

There's a hush and it's almost eerily quiet for this time of day.

It's a great time to gather one's thoughts and mull things over.

I find that pausing for a tea break does that for me...

it's rather magical how it transports me to a calm place.

I sauntered lazily around the garden, stopping to look and smell the blooms.

The McCartney Rose

a sweet scent...very heady, typical of an old fashioned rose.

Climbing Iceberg

a few blooms putting on a brave show.

Mushrooms growing in the grass where our heritage apple tree used to grow.

The King Apple was prolific in it's size and quantity.

 The bounty is sorely missed by our family as the great harvest meant apples for eating, cooking, and to share with our friends and neighbours.

Mr. HB and I have ordered two dwarf Apple Trees for next spring.

Liberty and Chehalis.

If they thrive we'll add a King the following year.

As it is a triploid type of tree it needs two diploids to pollinate the flowers allowing the tree to bear fruit.

Who knew that growing apples was complicated?

Gertrude Jekyll

unknown rose

Our backyard seating area by the garden shed.

Isla's pool and slide have been stored until next spring...

she looked out the window and said "Grammy Can I go on the Slide?"

I must think about what to prepare for dinner tonight.

It's one of those days when I cannot quite decide what to cook!

 By not deciding dinner might be a slapdash cobbled together affair.

Wish me luck.

I am linking up with Flower Jane's floral party today.

Pop over and see Small But Charming to see what other bloggers are posting.

Thank you for stopping in to visit today.

Please come back soon.

Shrouded in Fog, my OOTD and a surprise!

Fog horns are droning out on the strait...
it's a day to cocoon indoors with the heat on.
Fog is damp and dreary...kind of spooky too and it's not even Halloween.

I whipped around The Humble Bungalow so fast my domestic chores were done in a flash.
So I had some time to play around with scarves and type up a new post.

A white and grey drippy almost foggy Hermes here today...

A bright punch of orange always seems to perk things up.

I like to layer a sweater or jacket over this look as the scarf draws the eye upward.

Here I am mixing up a luxe Hermes scarf with a pedestrian Tee.

I probably wear my scarves tied simply as seen here most frequently.

The Cowboy is great if you want to focus on a certain part of the scarf's design.

Merino Tees from Costco

made in Canada!

Priced to sell and I think it's wise to buy in multiples.

Great for layering and oh so cozy and warm.

I opted for one in grey and the other in black.

I went up a size as they fit snug.

I have washed both and they hang to dry in no time.

I'd say these are going to be the workhorses in my winter wardrobe this year.

Calvin Klein candle in Fig.

I don't know about you but I do love a scented candle in the Fall and Winter.

I picked this one up at Home Sense.

My OOTD

included jeans and shoes.

Miz Mooz ballet flats.

DKNY jeans

Gelco vest

I think the weather influenced my OOTD!

It looks like FOG.

Look what Mr. HB found today!

I have really missed not having this cleanser.

The company has redesigned the label and it is back in Canada!

You know it really is the small things...

Thank you to my friend LA for suggesting where to search and thank you to Mr. HB for doing the legwork!

A huge thank you to the American readers who offered to send me some Bon Ami cleanser.

I'm so grateful for your kindness.

Have a fabulous weekend!

I'll be off for a couple of days as we have guests staying in our Humble Bungalow.

Until next time...

Be Well.

There are memories stirring inside these walls.

 My childhood friend Diane lives back east in Toronto and has done so for many years.
We are still in touch, as we are "friends" on Facebook.

Her Mother passed away this summer...she was well into her 90's.

Many memories resurfaced after hearing of her demise...

So many wonderful memories from our formative years...
of times spent playing in their home.

Diane's home was the sort that fueled my imagination.
It had all sorts of nooks and crannies,
there were deep closets under the eaves...where their clothes hung.
These also made a great spot to make forts and play Barbies.

We were avid Nancy Drew readers and we would lie for hours on her twin beds reading side by side while munching on 5 cent candies.

We went to the Library Reading Program "Circus McGircus"...our Mothers allowed us to take the bus together as the stop was by their doorstep at the top of our streets. The bus stopped right at the Library stairs and Victoria was a small town back then, much safer in many ways.

We loved The Beatles...she liked John and I liked Paul.
One of her aunts used to send her the fan magazines from the UK so we would drool over the pictures of all the pop stars.
Her home was without a television set so she came over to our house to watch The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. I can still hear my parents telling us to stop screaming!

Diane's home seemed a tad more refined than ours...it was architecturally different and interesting and only had a radio and a piano....yet it felt steeped in culture....romantic.

Her Mother was a former ballerina from The Royal London Ballet Company and she wore her hair in a tight bun everyday. She would practice doing the splits up a wall in the enrty hall...I remember trying to emulate this to no avail!
Both Diane and her sister took ballet and they also took piano lessons from the lady across the street from our house. They were very accomplished like their Mother.

I could share many more memories but I think I'll keep some close to my heart.

Mother, sister and I popped by to see the house after we saw the SOLD sign.
It is enclosed in a wonderful greenspace, very private and we are a tad curious if it will be restored or demolished.

Fearing the latter I took some photos...
I hope you will see the magic in the bones of this home.

It holds so much of my youth wrapped up inside its walls.

the front porch where we shucked peas and licked ice cream cones

Not much has changed...

I love this front door...

the same carpet runner on the stairs

fabulous pillars

If these walls could talk...

you'd hear the sound of laughter and maybe a secret whispered between a couple of girlfriends so many years ago.

Years have passed by...

about 50 give or take since I set foot inside.

It still has charm.

 I am a die hard romantic when it comes right down to it.

I think I fell hard for this house when I was 6 and it still has the magic to move me today at 58.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and share these memories with me.

Hostess

XO

Thanksgiving and my OOTD.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

I quickly snapped this photo when I was cleaning the downstairs powder room.

Love the autumnal colours of the seasonal leaves.

The yellow green shade is one of my favourites and over the years I have purchased several pieces of clothing in that shade.

Obviously not a colour that many seem to appreciate as these items are usually discounted or "on sale!"

Take for example my vest.

Light weight quilted vest made by Cut Loose.

Worn here over the Banana Republic Breton striped Tee 

g 21 skinny jeans

Franco Sarto loafers

A repeat performance here with all but the vest.

Talking a self portrait and laughing at the same time means that I need to do some retakes.

Look at that grey hair!

Seriously I really am embracing it.

Now you can see that there is quite a bit...

as Duchesse pointed out it is not just tinsel!

We have a very busy weekend which revolves around family.

 A celebration of life event for Mr. HB's recently deceased 98 year old uncle which will mean getting together with lots of cousins from near and far.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

When I pause and reflect on things that I have to be thankful for I am humbled by the bounty of blessings I have in my life.

Wishing you JOY in your daily round.

~ ~ ~

"As we express our gratitude, 

we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, 

but to live by them."

  ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy ~

Thursday today and it's a green post...

Oh dear me I seem to be stuck in a domestic zone these days.
This preoccupation is bound to pass as I enrich my days with more exciting yet less expensive pursuits.
Mother has spent her days since Father passed by regular trips to the Mall and shopping for beautiful clothes that she seldom wears. Bear in mind this is not a judgement call on Mom just an observation...

I am home more than I have ever been in the last 25 years so I am noticing small details like dust that never really showed their furry heads on my radar before...so now I take prompt action.
Funny thing happenend the other night when Mr. HB and our son got together to watch the movie Jobs...
I went to Winners to see what they had, I had not set foot in the store for months and I used to be a regular!
The handbags are my first stop and there was a very slim and disappointing array of faux leather bags and not one that I would consider bringing home...next was the clothing. The styles were "Way too Out There" for me.
Rack upon rack of tops with bold slogans and sayings, then add a mixture of lace and peepholes and cotton and studs! I kid you not!
I saw a few cashmere sweaters that I would consider but I didn't feel they were worth the trouble as they were so thin and not a 3 ply to be found.

So after I wove my way through the aisles I found myself staring at the cleaning products.
This surprised me as I picked up many and read the labels...most were full of chemicals whose names I cannot pronounce and know that they are not particularly healthy ingredients.

I did swoon a bit when I sniffed the Caldrea line...I opened them and decided on the Citron Ginger.

First coffee of the morning shot...I forgot my mug is on the counter in the background.

I like products that have a clean scent.

One of our oldest tea towels in The Humble Bungalow still on the job.

Linen laundered many times and now a soft whisper of it's former self!

Ulster Weavers of Ireland.

Oaktree pattern which is still available and you can purchase them from the Irish Linen Shop.

I think I am as passionate about linen tea towels as I am about Hermes scarves.

Though one thing I am certain about is that there will be more tea towels in my future than Hermes scarves!

Hope that you are enjoying your week.

Mother is getting quite confused these days and my sister and I are on high alert.

We understand and know that this is all part of aging...

a natural progression,

yet it is very upsetting all the same.

I actioned a roasty veggie feast.

I find this recipe so soothing.

Comfort food come to mama!

Use any vegetables that you have on hand.

Lightly toss them in olive oil and spread on a roasting pan.

Crank up your oven to 425 degrees.

Roast turning once for 30 minutes.

Turn on the broiler for 5 minutes until the edges get a bit brown.

Remove and sprinkle with rosemary, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

 Add a bit of feta cheese and toss in a serving bowl

Enjoy!

Thank you to Gail, my friend from Australia for this recipe.

I have made it for years after she brought it to one of our staff parties.

She was kind enough to share her recipe with me.

So you can thank Gail too if you decide to make it.

Trust me this one is a keeper.

It goes really well with roast beef and chicken or on it's own as a main course!

It feels very autumnal with the variety of colours.

Thank you for stopping by...