Cultivating beauty...

Look at this wee plant blooming while living in a crevice of concrete.

I thought a bit about how we live brightly despite our circumstances.

If you look around you'll see evidence to back this theory up...

I spied a rusty balcony set high above the street downtown with a riot of colourful blooms.

They were planted in a mixture of recycled metal olive oil cans and large tomato tins.

The tins must have been cast offs from a local eatery as they are far too big to buy them in a grocery store. 

Someone had made this oasis of cheer and beauty for just pennies and a few packets of seeds.

One needn't be rich to cultivate beauty.

There's a bag lady who collects cans and bottles wears the same outfit every time I see her 

She accessorizes it by wearing a bright silk scarf tied around her neck.

Her hair is neatly arranged in a bun.

I wonder what event or events have occurred that placed her on the street.

There is another woman who collects recycling in our area and she has a fabulous English bike with a custom made commodious carrier.

I am a wee bit curious why she is doing this as she appears to be affluent but I cannot bring myself to ask.

I have a tendency to want to know everything and scare people off.

Besides it is none of my business.

I take our water and wine bottles back to the store for the refunds.

On recycling day the blue bins that have bottles and cans are easy picking for the collectors and I am always amazed by their methods of carrying them.

Some have huge plastic bags and others have carriers and one fellow even drove a van!

I think it is important to surround ourselves with things that we find beautiful...

they needn't cost a lot...

you might collect some of Nature's gifts...

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness."

~ John Keats ~

Have a lovely weekend...

I may be off line a bit as I have a birthday dinner party to prepare for and a house guest will be staying with us for a few days.

I cannot let my Hostessing go to the dogs, as I have a name to live up to.

Hostess

Birds of a feather...

My sister and I took Mother out to cheer her flagging spirits.
She loves visiting the petting zoo at Beacon Hill Park where they have farm animals, birds, pigs and baby goats.
It is a great place to take children and in my years at school many field trips were spent there. We'd walk to the park, visit the zoo area and afterwards we'd have a picnic.

With this in mind my sister and I packed a picnic...
we enjoyed salad, hard boiled eggs, raw vegetables, cantaloupe, chocolate and tea.

Last summer I purchased a basket and some cheerful china and that was the beginning of my picnic collection.

The plates are so pretty that I cannot help but smile when I use them.

I found silver plated forks, knives and spoons in thrift shops and have decided that I like a mixed bunch.

We used cloth napkins and laid the table with a pretty April Cornell cotton cloth.

People passing by stopped and commented on how wonderful it was to see us dining in style.

Mother was in her element...she must have thanked us at least 3 times for the picnic supper and the outing.

It feels good to see her so happy...

I just cannot imagine what it would be like to be a senior, alone without family nearby.

With the post title "birds of a feather" you probably are trying to figure out where the birds are...

I took a few pictures when we were out and they are all images of birds.

Nary a pig, or goat in the whole lot!

Gobble gobble

 I think turkeys are quite peculiar looking birds and they are so big!

Lovely bright feathers on this rooster.

Contemplating taking a dip duck?

The majestic peacocks in the park never fail to entertain the visitors.

They are the focus of many photographers especially when they strut their stuff!

This must be a juvenile peacock as the plumage has not matured.

Pure snow white ducks were busy pecking around in the dirt.

This fellow was snoozing right beside the fence at my feet and at first I didn't see him.

It must have been that ray of sunshine that kept him warm to sit so close to the path.

These two birds were wandering about in the grassy area and seemed totally at ease with all the people about.

All in all it was a fun afternoon.

 My sister and I are on the hunt for another adventure for Mother with a spot for a picnic.

"The things that make me happiest in the whole world are going on the occasional picnic, either with my children or with my partner; big family gatherings; and being able to go to the grocery store - if I can get those things in, I'm doing good."

~ Kate Winslet ~

Diane Keaton's "Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty"

Wow what a great read!
I powered through this book and loved every chapter...her words resonate with me.
Curiously it felt like we were sitting together in the same room and she was chatting with me.
I would jump at the chance to meet her for coffee!

She writes from the heart and I loved her "voice."

Read a review here...

Now I can't wait to get my mitts on her first book "Then Again."

While I spent the better part of the afternoon reading this I needed to prepare a simple supper.

On the menu:

Oven Roasted Veggies

I love this dish!

 You can roast almost any veggie that you have on hand.

Just sprinkle with a bit of olive oil and toss to coat.

Cook at 400 for about 35-40 minutes turning several times during the cooking time.

You can top with fresh rosemary, crumbled feta cheese and balsamic vinegar if you so desire.

Twice baked stuffed potatoes

Bake the potatoes

remove from oven and cut in half allow to cool a bit

scoop out the middle of each half potato and place in a large bowl

add chopped green onion as desired

crumbled bacon

calorie reduced mayonnaise or fat free yogurt

salt and pepper

grated cheese

 (set some aside for the topping)

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

Roast chicken

free range organic chicken

rinsed and patted dry

top with a bit of oil or butter so the Herbs de Provence have something to stick onto

roast until done

Set on board tent with foil for 20 minutes to rest before carving.

Poppies are putting on a show stopping performance in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

This red poppy reminds me of my recent shopping trip to "The Red Store"

which is what darling little Isla calls Target.

Target is new in town and I had visited the first location in the first few weeks of it's opening.

I had been disappointed because the shelves were quite bare so it was difficult to get a "feel" for the type of merchandise they would be stocking.

The second location opened this Spring closer to my home and I went this week.

I could hardly believe how well staffed and stocked this Target was compared to the first one!

The clerks were super friendly and there were lots of tempting things to buy...

which I mostly resisted.

I was on a mission to find a certain gift for a certain little girl who is turning 4 this month.

They had some fun red sneakers which I tried on and loved.

 NO you don't NEED them.

Rachel Ashwell has a line of her Shabby Chic linens at Target.

I bought two pillow shams for our master bedroom.

They were tied up with pretty soft pink ribbon and guess who helped me unwrap them!

Chester!

I found a door stop for our guest room which I have decorated in a seaside beach theme.

Cats love to scratch and this door stop might get (ab)-used by them both!

Pepper picked up the ribbon right after Chester left...

the cats keep me company during my days here in The Humble Bungalow.

They follow me around like dogs and watch me put in the laundry and hang about when I do the ironing.

I like their devotion to domestics!

I make it a priority to look for beauty everyday...

like these pretty roses.

They would look lovely in a vase placed next to some of Rachel Ashwell's pretty pastel linens.

 I would do this except my beloved cats have a habit of tearing apart my arrangements.

Freshly picked garden flowers are one thing that I miss and would love to have again in my home.

So for the time being I must be content to look out the windows and admire them from afar...

"As an actress, I'm drawn to emotion and expressing the human condition in all its forms, and I'm fortunate to have thoughts and feelings at my fingertips."

~ Diane Keaton ~

Wardrobe update ~ summer style.

Retirement has meant a change in lifestyle and along with that my wardrobe has been completely revamped.
Work clothes are a thing of the past.

The 30 pound weight loss achieved through the sensible and simple Weight Watchers plan was the instigator.
I needed to replace everything and that could have been very expensive...
I am now on a pension so this proved to be somewhat of a challenge.

Shopping mostly thrift and consignment shops...I opted for classic timeless basics.
And in case you were wondering most pieces are black.
There are numerous white tops and a great pair of Club Monaco jeans and some grey sweaters in the closet.

It's hard for me to justify shopping at boutiques these days and pay the prices that I have in the past
especially when I can find a perfectly good garments for a reasonable price second hand.

The Burberry quilted coat and the Barbour vest were the big ticket items (investment pieces) last fall.

I stocked up on new white cotton tank tops this season as they get worn a lot as layering pieces and they get worn out quite quickly. I love the look of a freshly laundered and ironed white tee or tank top.

The other thing that I have been replacing quite a lot are those white cotton padded sport socks....they do cushion my feet in comfort, so better the socks wear out than the pads of my feet. New walking shoes are at the top of my list as mine have seen better days and many kilometers!

I've been shopping and found a few pieces which are a bit of a departure for me and I wanted to share them with you.

They are fun clothes,
clothes with a bit of a bohemian vibe,
a little edgier than what I am usually attracted to...
perhaps even a little gaudy.
Fasten your seat belts!

Linen print top which looks great layered over a white tank top and skinny jeans.

Blue and white printed fabric reminds me of the summer ocean breeze...

gauzy and cool.

Which leads me into a segue of blue and white...

Blue and white together are a harmonious marriage...

do you like the classic Blue Willow pattern?

Harumi Ota uses this combination in most of his contemporary porcelain pottery.

I am quite smitten with his work and own three of his bowls.

My friend Louise made me this necklace several years ago and I like to wear it in the summertime.

Beach glass beads mixed with pearls and sterling silver.

Cut Loose linen top which makes a great de-constructed jacket.

Looks good over a white cotton tank top too.

Pretty Shell buttons

Flared cuff detail at the bottom of the sleeves which are not too long so I can show off some silver bracelets.

My flip flops are getting out and about...

OPI Animalia an orange shade that I am loving.

These pants are super comfy and look good with my Gap denim jacket.

The GAP pale wash denim is rather like my grey hair

and speaking of grey...

I collected a bunch of clothes that were too big and took them to the consignment shop a couple of weeks ago...

when I tried on the remaining garments that I thought would fit I was aghast...

all too big and baggy and such a waste having all these garments hang about idle...

so I picked up the phone and made an appointment to consign the rest of them.

This skirt is really more of a pewter shade, but it is hard to tell in this image.

I plan to wear this casual skirt instead of shorts on the boat.

I can see it with my denim jacket or the white linen top.

I could wear it to run errands, to an outdoor cafe or when wandering about in a garden.

It's very different and I quite like the feel of it on with bare legs and flip flops in the heat of the day.

Loose skirts are comfortable, provide decent leg coverage, and are cooler than pants.

My summer shopping tote and one of my straw hats.

If you want to purchase one of these Nicholas Randall on Oak Bay Avenue currently have them in stock.

I bought mine last year at The Bungalow on Estevan Avenue.

Ah Summertime...

flip flops

 straw bags

lemonade and iced tea

paddling pools

ice cream cones

barbecues

picnics

sunshine

roses

lounging on the deck

feeling the sand between your toes

blue skies

white clouds

watermelon slices

potato salad

cold chicken

beach walks

boating

holidays

The sun is out and the birds are chirping.

 It is June the 1st today 

and it feels a bit like summer.

Flower Power..powerful memories.

From what I gather with that last post and all your comments on "Yes or No to hose" (and shorts)
It sounds like I am not alone in this rather tricky area!
In case you are wondering the black Capri's will stay for now...
I am so glad that I have a few skirts and dresses ready for summer wearing.

As I type this post it is hot outside and I am wearing a black bamboo dress by Gilmour which is very cool and offers enough coverage...

Can you imagine a world without garden flowers?
From a simple daisy to a heritage rose flowers add immense beauty to our day.
Whether you pick a bouquet and bring them inside arranged in a vase or tend a perennial garden like I do admiring them in place where they grow...

I don't know when I decided that I loved gardening but have a hunch it was when I was a young girl of about 6 years old. I used to spend lots of time with my grandmother and would often spend the weekend with her.
We'd do all kinds of fun things, regular domestic chores, but for me they were extra special because I shared them with her. We would bake pies, make jam and bread. Her house always smelled wonderful!

I remember that she had a Victory Garden and we'd go outside and pick our greens before supper.
If the vegetable on the menu were peas we'd sit on the back steps with bowls and shuck them...
I'd pop a few sweet peas in my mouth when she wasn't looking!

She let me help her plant vegetable seeds.
They were planted in wax coated milk cartons that she had cut in half. (waste not want not)
We filled them with fresh soil, popped in the tiny seeds and then gently watered them before placing them on the window sills of her Edwardian home.
Watering these daily and then seeing them sprout and grow was fascinating.
After they matured we moved them to her veggie patch in the back of her house.

One of the crops that I remember harvesting was watercress...we made sandwiches with her freshly baked bread, slathered them with salty butter and popped on a handful of the watercress. We ate these for lunch with a pot of freshly brewed tea. Gran Gran introduced me to tea and I have loved this daily ritual ever since.
The peppery flavour of watercress to this day transports me back to that wonderful time of my youth with my beloved Gran Gran. I think of her often and miss having her here in my life...thank goodness I that I was fortunate enough to have spent so many days with her and hold so many precious memories of her close to my heart.

The view from my laundry room looking out at The Humble Bungalow back garden.

Our Foxgloves and roses are blooming brightly.

I like to sit here and listen to the sounds of the birds and the bees as they flutter about in the garden.

The bees love flying deep into the foxglove trumpet flowers....

their buzzing takes on a vibrational sound when they are inside.

I like to take my lunch outside when I am gardening.

Egg salad and pea shoots on Silver Hills Little Big Bread with some carrots

(WW 1 point for two pieces of this fantastic sprouted grain bread)

I work up quite an appetite when I am outdoors pottering about among the beds!

I took this photo at Zanatta Winery when I was there a couple of weeks ago.

Planters are so great that you can place them in the perennial borders

 they can fill in those spots that need a shot of colour.

I'm about to start this novel...

after a long soak in the tub with Epsom's salts!

"For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair."

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh ~

Enjoy the weekend!