Manic Saturday...a recipe, pretty flowers and a new book.

Saturday morning dawned crisp and sunny and I hopped out of bed to give Pepper her medicine...
the poor cat must think I am punishing her by squeezing a syringe full of foul tasting liquid down her throat.
It's hard for me to do this (I would make a terrible nurse) but I can follow orders, especially if the outcome will be favourable, and that it will relieve some discomfort and suffering.

Seeking out comfort...

I lit a scented candle, this one in the signature Aveda fragrance.

It didn't take long for the aroma to permeate the kitchen where I was working.

I was taking control...

by energetically cleaning.

Wiping out drawers and cupboards

rearranging the counter tops.

Washing things that somehow had been overlooked!

When things go awry I like to feel that I do have some measure of control...

even if it is an illusion.

It took awhile to deep clean the space...

when it was all done I looked around with a wonderful feeling of a job well done and was satisfied.

I actioned a comforting meal...

soy ginger glazed chicken

rice

and steamed broccoli.

Soy Ginger Chicken

Mix the following in a bowl:

 2 tsp of grated fresh ginger

1/2 cup soy sauce or Braggs

2 minced cloves garlic

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. honey

Pour over chicken pieces and bake at 350 for about an hour.

Basting once or twice during cooking.

Sauce is yummy over the rice too!

I'm loving the new Cuisinart enamelled pots.

Mr. HB drew my attention to a lily blooming in our front garden.

I seem to recall planting this many years ago but he thinks it might be a volunteer.

It matters little how it got there I am just so grateful that it has decided to thrive and bloom in our space.

A cobalt coloured primula with frilly petals has filled out and is putting on a decent showing this season.

On my frenzy of cleaning and reorganizing I added a few things to the bathroom...

The silver tray used to be on the counter in the kitchen and the perfumes were on my lingerie chest in the bedroom, now they are easy to access in the bathroom.

I think they look quite pretty on the tray.

I found a new copy of Edith Wharton's classic book "House of Mirth" at the bookstore on Sunday.

It sounds like an interesting read...

quite ahead of its time by the sound of it.

Pepper has had a quiet day today, she has been more social and gave us lots of cuddles.

 Thankfully she nibbled a bit of dinner and sipped some water tonight...

I have my fingers crossed that her health will improve with each coming day.

Chester and Pepper  

(a picture from the archives)

Chester has been very gentle and considerate and I am convinced that he knows Pepper is not feeling well.

We sprayed catnip on the cat toys to perk up Pepper and she played for a few minutes like she was a kitten 

which did my heart good to see.

Our furry family are so much a part of our lives that when they are under the weather 

they greatly affect how we feel too.

Looking at my newly arranged counters and tidy kitchen has given me a boost.

It didn't cost me any money and I like the results.

Plus I got some of that anxiety that I was feeling about Pepper out of my system.

 Hope that you have a wonderful week ahead...

OOTD walking style, cats books and grandbabies...

Destination Paris...is a few weeks away and there are a few things left to attend to before I leave.
We've been really busy here in and around The Humble Bungalow.
Cleaning silver, washing and ironing linens, sorting out clothes, weeding and planting in the garden.
Oh and lots of walking...which I like to think of as "training for Paris!"
I weighed in this week and was 1 measly ounce over my 2 pound window from my "goal weight" so I had to pay to weigh in...the upside was that WW has some new chocolate treats at 2 points each that I stocked up on...
no guess work when a chocolate craving comes along and if you are like me...it will strike at some point!

OOTD

casual gear

Jacket ~ Avia

Capri's ~ Tuff Athletics

Tee ~ Joe Fresh

Shoes ~ Lands' End Trail Shoes

The deer have been nibbling our tulips in the garden so we put some up on the porch in hopes that they will not climb the steps to munch their meal.

Loving the variegated leaves...

We harvested our first feed of asparagus this season and oh they were tasty.

The violets have taken over but they make a charming ground cover....

These are new to The Humble Bungalow garden.

a native plant...known commonly as a "shooting star."

So sweet and delicate.

I finished reading Elizabeth George's first in The Inspector Lynley series...

"The Great Deliverance"

I found it quite unsettling...

It was well written but a little TOO scary for my taste.

I am a wuss and prefer lighter books.

I popped into the used book shop in the Village and found this little gem...

while I was there I spied the bonniest blond little boy...and it was none other than our fair haired Henry!

He and his mom were perusing the books in the children's section.

Of course we stopped for a hug and a kiss and we had a "wander about" while his mom chose a book.

I read this many years ago and thought it a lovely read...

My friend Ruth gave me this book as I enjoyed Rachel's first novel "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry."

I am on the look out for a used copy of The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton...

Our cat Pepper was back at the vets for a complete work up...

she has been having digestive upsets for the past few days and it has been a tense time.

I spent the better part of last evening at the Vet Hospital and we are trying to figure out just what is amiss...

they think she might have IBD.

She has come home with some medications and some special food.

Fingers crossed that she will rally.

On the upside I have a play date with my darling grandson Henry!

Hope that you have a fun weekend.

Hostess

White Wednesday....

On Wednesdays many bloggers used to write post and title them "White Wednesdays"...
well I am resurrecting the practise with this post.
It's a short one as I am busy and cannot devote as much time as I would like to this post.
Living in the moment, being fully present and involved requires effort, energy and time.
So to sit and write at the laptop becomes less frequent...hence my daily speedy post on Instagram.

The Dogwood Tree is blooming in the front...

the branches hang over our drive from the neighbours yard and we get to enjoy the waxy blooms.

When I see the flowers I am reminded of peace, harmony and beauty.

Simple creamy white forms that can yield perfection...

grateful for the opportunity to witness and appreciate such beauty.

The tall nodding snowdrops are still putting on a show.

We purchased several packages of bulbs a few seasons ago 

they are multiplying and filling the beds our front yard...

(Hope the deer do not like to eat these!)

The broken rake that hangs on the fence has a visitor...

let's take a closer look shall we?

Behold the lowly garden snail.

The vintage crystal door knob looks quite out of place outdoors...

next to the rusted door plate... 

 on the French door that opens the weathered grey cedar garden shed.

As you can see I've taken liberties with the white themed post!

Oh and I have been shopping!

I have purchased some new white enamel pots.

Our chartreuse Dutch Oven has seen better days...

so it is out with the old and in with the new.

A wee bit of a splurge I know, but well worth it to have decent tools in the kitchen.

I'll be making soup and a stew this week...some to eat and some to give away.

There is illness about ~ some more serious than others...

we are crossing our fingers for a positive outcome but we cannot control it.

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

~ Lao Tzu ~

"Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides."

Lao Tzu

Oodles to do before I leave for Paris and so I am focused on tending to those details...

I may be posting sporadically before I leave.

I'll be on Instagram if you want to keep in touch...

to follow

Click on the picture at the top right of the blog side bar.

Elizabeth George's first Inspector Lynley book "The Great Deliverance" beckons...

so I'll close for now.

Tell me what you've been up to this past week...

Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk..."Sisters" and a healthy new recipe.

My sister is several years younger than myself blond haired and blue eyed.
I was born with brown hair and hazel coloured eyes...
She was athletic and I was "bookish" she was a lean child while I was the chubby one!
We are opposites in many ways, have different opinions on politics, medical and scientific practises but we do enjoy each others company. We see eye to eye on many topics and we rarely argue...
we listen to each other with great respect.
We used to fight like cats when we were young...we were very territorial about our space, toys and clothes.
She would sneak into my closet and steal some of my clothes and wear them to school...some she lost.
She once cut the hair off of one of my Barbie dolls...
in retaliation I gave her Midge doll a mustache with a ballpoint pen...
it was LOVE/HATE back then...happily things mellow as we age and we change.

We both love animals, gardening, entertaining, walking, cooking, our friends and our families.
I suppose we are "normal" sisters...it depends on your definition of normal.
We are bound together by blood and linked with a rich history of shared experiences...

My sister is passionate about horses, is an accomplished equestrian with several horses in her barn...
she teaches riding and makes custom made leather chaps.
There are all kinds of physical jobs that go along with owning horses.
Mucking out the stalls, feeding, grooming, riding and training the horses.

Exercise is incorporated into her daily routine which keeps her svelte but it also gives her a big appetite.
While I struggle to keep my weight in check she does not.
I've seen how much she eats and I eat only a portion of what she does, but it is "what she eats" that is different...

She eats a lot more salads, vegetables and "raw food" than I do...
we spoke about this on a recent walk and she explained to me how cooking food often takes away the naturally occurring enzymes...
cooking can also enhance some nutrients too...
it's complicated and there is a lot of conflicting information out there.

I thought I'd spend some time reading and researching the theory behind the raw food movement and there are plenty of resources available online...I budgeted an hour while my laundry was drying and it was not enough time!

Weight Watchers recommends eating fresh fruits and vegetables in their natural state.

 No food is forbidden.

She listened to my thoughts about food and fitness and I listened to hers...

My sister walks at a much brisker pace than I do and I attribute that to her being a few inches taller.

(I kept pace with her and we chatted effortlessly the entire time we walked!)

Bleeding hearts in pink...

and in white.

Aren't the flowers so pretty in the Springtime?

It's a season of beauty...

quite possibly my favourite time of year...

everything is new and fresh coming to life after a winter of hibernation.

Carpets of pink petals line the walks and boulevards...

we both took note of the beautiful things along our walk.

The beat of the wings of this majestic eagle were heard above as it soared overhead.

The ease with which this large eagle flew was quite graceful.

The two of us below in our sturdy athletic shoes, arms swinging, and bodies surging forward at a rapid gait...

looking rather like "women on a mission."

Waking fast to counteract our breakfast...

improving on and building up our mid life bone health

walking with intention.

chatting

laughing

talking about Mother 

our spouses 

and 

grandchildren.

(mine, as she does not have children)

((another difference))

~ ~ ~

There is a lot to learn about the raw food movement...

how you cannot use much heat when preparing any food, it is kept quite low to keep the enzymes alive.

Nuts are soaked and used in a lot of recipes.

Blenders and food processors come in handy when mixing nuts and seeds.

It is a VERY labour intensive way of preparing food.

We have several raw food restaurants in Victoria...

Bliss

Be Love

are just two that come to mind.

We are taking Mother out for dinner at Be Love before I leave for France...

it will be interesting to see what she thinks of the food.

My sister mentioned that she lost almost 2 pounds by eating exclusively raw food for two days in a row.

So...

I'm thinking that those pesky few pounds might be shed if I consumed only raw foods...but having said that

  I am not going to commit to a complete overhaul of my cooking practises.

(old dog new tricks kind of thinking here!)

(besides I can pretty much guarantee that my husband would not be a fan)

I came up with a new salad that uses zucchini instead of pasta

it's not raw but it is a step in the right direction and if it helps me shed those few pounds I can eat like this and still enjoy the big flavour and benefit from the lower point counts!

Mock Pasta Salad

Grate a large zucchini and set aside in a colander to drain.

Place in a large bowl and add a few tablespoons of Pesto.

Chop and dice 1/2 red onion

quarter a handful of cherry tomatoes

add 1/4 cup Greek Olives

Salt Pepper to taste

Mix and chill for about an hour before serving.

This is a super tasty salad...

I can imagine this wrapped up in a whole wheat or corn tortilla!

Pesto Salad for lunch with roasted yams and carrots...

I made extra for snacks and lunches.

love the bright colours too!

"Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply"

 ~ Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814 ~

                                             "A sister is both your mirror - and your opposite."
                                                                ~ Elizabeth Fishel ~

OOTD....French class

Madame, our French instructor, is a Parisian.
She grew up in the 6th arrondissement of Paris and her father lives in the home where she grew up...
she is planning to go back and visit for several months later this Spring and Summer.

Madame dresses in a style that is very chic. I like to study how she puts things together.
Her accessories are minimal ~ earrings, a watch or perhaps a scarf.
She has a keen eye for fabrics and shapes that flatter and fit...
ballet flats and a pair of leather loafers alternate depending on whether she is wearing a dress or black pants.
Yes indeed black pants...Madame wears lots of black.

Madame smiles a lot...she laughs and winks at her students which are a mixture of middle aged women and men.
She is a gifted teacher and although I am "struggling" to learn the language she is very encouraging and supportive.

I don't fuss too much about what I wear to French class but for fun I thought I'd show you what I wore last week..

Hermes scarf and a cardigan over top a simple black tank top.

Easy Peasy Scarf tie...

I don't like fussing.

Socks with dots...

no one would see these as they were worn inside my Clarks short black leather booties.

I wore Tulip by Fresh Sugar on my lips...

and my diamond studs.

My walking buddy gave me two books to read...

not sure which one I'll start next.

I've never read Elizabeth George but it comes highly recommended.

I read Rachel Joyce's previous novel and found it to be a delightfully entertaining light read...

this might be one to take on the plane.

It's been a drizzly couple of days but then the sun came out and shone down upon us late in the day.

Which made my heart soar...

 then as if I was not happy enough walking along in the peace and quiet

an eagle flew overhead and I could hear the rush of its wings....

Fly like an Eagle.

I am still weighing in over my goal weight but I am determined to keep walking and tracking my points.

Never give up.

Hope things are looking bright in your neck of the woods...

Hostess

XO