Walking in Sunshine...

The heat of summer is upon us and we spent a lot of time trying to stay hydrated while sitting in a shady location...for us that meant lazing about in our wicker chairs on the front porch of The Humble Bungalow.

My current novel...which is the perfect summer read.

I wore this hat on my walk along the seafront in the heat of the day

there was not a whisper of wind.

The California Poppies seem to like it hot.

They do not get watered in this location they rely solely on precipitation.

They must be drought tolerant hardy plants to thrive at the edge of the shoreline.

Driftwood Shelter

a place to recline in the shade.

Behold a crudely made crib board !

It always amazes me what I see on my beach walks.

I expect to see shells, stones and kelp...

it is the unexpected items that are "out of place" that surprise me.

I made two loaves of bread...

the Bungalow smelled wonderful and the dough rises so much faster in the heat!

Mr. HB loves his great Nana's bread and this recipe has been in his family for several generations.

The roses are starting to wilt in the heat...

as am I!

This morning it feels a wee bit cooler and I am wearing a simple black bamboo tank style dress by Gilmour and some black flip flop sandals...

I let my hair "air dry" and plan to take it easy today.

I will buy a store bought BBQ chicken and some deli salads for dinner 

I do not want to heat up the kitchen later in the day...

That's about it for now...

I'll post about our Sunday boat trip next time

until then

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Date night...

Date nights are still important even after almost 42 years of marriage...
Making time for each other and sharing a little treat now and again keeps things fresh and introduces a wee bit of fun.

Lunches and dinners out, or attending a play, or watching a film are traditional "dates." We like to mix things up...

Last weekend we took time out to enjoy an soft ice cream cone followed by a drive along the seafront in Mr. HB's convertible.

We recently had a date night "at home"

We lit one of our scented candles on our vintage silver tray.

Mr. HB made me my favourite cocktail...a French 75 and 

served it in one of our French Bee Flutes!

 French 75

gin

bubbly

lemon juice

simple syrup

garnished with lemon curls

Delicious mixture of bitter and sweet with just a hint of bubbles.

We harvested a few spears of fresh asparagus from The Humble Bungalow garden.

I steamed the asparagus in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Made a side dish of penne pasta with frozen peas and Gorgonzola cheese.

The star of the show was the Chicken Piccata!

Chicken Piccata

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves pounded thin between parchment paper

lightly seasoned with cayenne pepper, salt and ground pepper

dredged in flour and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Place chicken in the pan and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side, remove to a plate.

Cook 1 tbsp drained capers in pan until warm, about 30 seconds.

Pour 1/2 cup white wine into the pan and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and cook for about 2 minutes.

Stir in 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup water and 3 tablespoons cold butter into mixture to form a sauce about 2 minutes of cooking time then add 2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley.

Add chicken back into pan and cook until heated through...serve with sauce spooned over top and garnish with lemon slices.

Enjoy!

Jude The Obscure David Austin Rose

The Humble Bungalow Garden has been getting lots of attention on these warm sunny days.

People have been stopping by taking photographs...

and two women were out front this morning literally gushing about the roses and saying that since they "discovered it" they have added it to their walking route.

My goodness...

with all the lovely and lush gardens nearby

 I cannot believe that our wee garden is getting so many compliments.

I suppose the hard work is paying off...

Our Humble Bungalow Garden

May 2016

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Retirement dressing...

Darling Daughter has a keen eye for vintage treasures and she found this amazing leather handbag.

 ~ Kelly Style ~

The closest to an Hermes Kelly bag that this Humble Hostess will ever own!

Having a daughter who knows your taste and who shops a lot is quite convenient!

I rarely go thrifting anymore unless I am with her...

~ I am trying not to spend much money 

and to be content with less. ~

My wardrobe is much smaller than it was when I was gainfully employed.

My retirement lifestyle is casual

simpler 

than when I was working.

Every morning I put on my

walking clothes

and

things to wear when I am gardening.

My walking gear consists of a pair of black knit capri length pants

a tee top

scarf

jewelry

bamboo pop sox

walking shoes

~ Casual dressing is not sloppy dressing. ~

Classic clothes are worn 

when I go out 

running my errands

for appointments

or

with my husband

friends

sister and Mother.

Clothes in the past couple of years have not "worn out."

There are a pair of skinny NYDJ that have faded but they are still fine to wear.

 (I do not wear ripped jeans but faded are OK)

A classic white shirt was sadly stained beyond bleaching 

by a spot of unknown origin...

now gone.

Clothes purchased for summer include:

white linen pants

white and grey long linen top

white linen tank top

white V neck sweater

blue and white striped short sleeved tunic top

black Clark sandals

~ I do not plan on buying anything more this season. ~

I find that most mornings I work around The Humble Bungalow and go for my walk then come home and freshen up.

I will change clothes

if I am going out running errands or playing bridge with the ladies at the club...

otherwise 

I stay in my fitness gear

to bake bread

read my book

garden

action domestics

prepare dinner

blog

~ I do like to "play around" with accessories ~

a pretty scarf

earrings

a stack of sterling vintage bangles 

or perhaps a strand of pearls

~ Editing the wardrobe has been a great exercise ~

It has shown me what I really love to wear

~ I wear the same styles and shapes ~

When I shop I tend to buy similar items over and over.

With that thought in mind I really can avoid the shops unless my current pieces fall apart or become laundry fatalities!

~ Recreational shopping is not high on my radar these days ~

Although if a friend wants me to accompany her on a shopping trip

I am more than happy to help her find some new things!

It is fun spending other peoples' money.

Our Humble Bungalow House and Garden 

is where we are funnelling most of our money these days.

~ Plants, Paint and Pipes ~

~ It is fun living vicariously through bloggers whose focus is on fashion ~

Thought you might like to see this cute sign that I recently saw posted on the gate of a home in our neighbourhood...

walking never fails to offer opportunities for beautiful and interesting photographs.

Do you think a dachshund might be in residence?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Well Being...

Do you ever feel frazzled?

After last week with chaos of the plumbing problems
I was edgy and feeling overwhelmed.
So I decided to take some "down time" on the weekend for my well being.

Time to slow down,
to stop multi tasking,
take a day or two and have a change of pace and a rest from the regular routine.

Instead of hopping in the shower,  getting dressed and putting on my make up first thing in the morning I sat quietly with my coffee creme
and lazed about wearing my PJ's and robe.

~ Be Well ~

Time to sleep in and indulge in a little downtime
it feels so luxurious...
Giving oneself the permission to take a day off of the domestics is so simple and restorative, yet it is not in my nature, and it could and should be!

My daily walks offer time for peace, quiet and reflection.

Fresh air and exercise are free.

I opt to walk on a scenic route that provides opportunities for me to capture beauty on my IPhone and then I share them on Instagram and here on the blog.

For that I am grateful...

Re-energizing strategies...

"Stop and smell the roses"

 pick a bouquet and arrange them in a vase and enjoy them indoors.

Mariage Freres Paris Tea, 

in a pretty china cup

is the classic elixir that soothes...

an inspiring book that fuels the desire to feather one's surroundings.

Using simple pieces, editing, rearranging collections for a fresh new look.

Finding things in Nature...

using them in the home

pure white feathers

pine and fir cones

beach stones

fern fronds

leaves

shells

I'm embarking on a new project

"fluffing" and "feathering" my hobby room.

I took down my easel and put away my paints as I have not been using them and they take up so much space that I was not taking advantage of the space.

I am collecting a few bits and bobs that I love...

objects that bring me Joy

items that exude

a sense of calm and serenity.

It is a slow process and one not to force or rush.

Listening and looking...

experiencing the feelings a piece can evoke.

This never happens when I am busy or in a hurry.

Slowing down seems to help engage the creative side of my brain.

David Austin's Ballerina rose 

 soft shades of pink and cream 

looks like it could be featured in an issue of Victoria magazine.

I used to buy every issue of Victoria magazine...

Very few magazines have been purchased since I retired...

with the exception of Town and Country and Country Living UK

When I worked in the school I bought oodles of mags and would pour over them while savouring a chocolate bar and sipping tea.

Magazines were an escape from the stresses of work and trying to "do it all."

Home keeping, domestics, parenting, gardening, cooking, shopping etc...

Since retiring I have a looser schedule with fewer demands...

so it should be easy to take a day off here and there,

perhaps by setting unreasonable standards 

or

expecting a lot from myself and others is setting me up for failure.

Is striving for perfection the root of the problem?

See what happens when one has a few days to reflect on things!

I binge watched the newest season of Grace and Frankie On Netflix.

Love that series...

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin

Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen

and a crazy story line come together to make for a very entertaining show.

I had not considered TV viewing as down time 

but if it makes me laugh and I love the characters

and it feels like an indulgence

I consider it 

 "mental snack food!" 

This blog often masquerades as an online journal...

but by now you've probably already figured that out! 

Hope that your week is off to a great start...

thank you for stopping by the Humble Bungalow.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Poppies, Pipes...and pouring money "Down the Drain!"

There is a crew of workers on site here in The Humble Bungalow.
I am trying to stay out of the way and hence am sitting at my lap top with a cafe creme.
Consciously trying to keep focused (busy) and let go of any anxiety associated with the chaos and noise that has been going on for the past few hours.

Not too sure where this post is going and whether it will be worthy of publishing but I do have a few lovely images to share with you...

This book in my Paris reading list was started yesterday and it has held my interest and was a welcome diversion while the plumbers were here trying to figure out what was wrong with our plumbing.

Turns out after hours of snaking and exploration and manual digging there is a hole in the sewer pipe that services our Humble Bungalow!
The backhoe will be excavating the rest of the pipe and the plumbers hope they can attach a new piece of pipe without digging up the front garden and tearing down the fence! (fingers crossed)

Let's take a look at the purple poppies shall we?

Aren't they beautiful?

So delicate and the petals are whisper thin, almost like crepe paper.

I plan to gather the poppy seed pods and sprinkle them in other parts of The Humble Garden for next year.

We have a purple iris planted in a pot by the front stairs.

The staff at the garden centre mentioned that deer do not seem to be attracted to the plant. So far the deer have avoided munching it as have been busy feasting on the tender new foliage of the limelight hydrangeas instead.

These sweet little flowers are a ground cover plant from my recent walk to Government House.

Does anyone know what they are called?

I thought they might be an ice plant but am not sure. 

Variegated roses from The Rose Garden at Government House.

They look so pretty...

almost like an artist has mixed two paints together.

"Mother Nature's Paintbrush"

The cats have been quite stressed with the commotion here...

noisy machines and lots of men about.

Yesterday they were so happy when we let them out.

Pepper looks pretty relaxed here...

Chester looks rather sad...

perhaps he is thinking great thoughts?

Yellow Caution Tape...

Watch out for holes and broken pipes.

100 year old clay pipes

high tech tools

The underwater camera is on the job...

our pipe looks clear to the street but the City Sewer that services the street appears to be blocked.

So we have a bigger problem...and apparently the other neighbours will be having some problems soon if they do not fix it.

I called the city Water Works and they are on their way to unblock the main and will come back on Monday to scope it.

So we can flush, wash dishes and clothes and shower to our heart's content after they leave!

I have been distracting myself all day by baking a family favourite.

Great Nana's Bread.

Just waiting for the loaves to rise before baking.

Home maintenance is an ongoing responsibility and one that we take very seriously.

We have been planning to paint the house for several years and it is our summer project.

We redid the roof and gutters two years ago and the more minor projects are lined up for each year and then we have a major project every other year.

When an unexpected "oops" like the broken sewer pipe pops up

 we have no other choice but to get on with it...

We may need to tighten our belts a bit in light of this unexpected expense.

Our savings account will need to be topped up.

I wonder if any of you have a great recipe for brioche?

I want to try my hand at baking some to enjoy with our home grown tomatoes.

I loved baking bread when the children were young and it has been years since I made a loaf of bread...there is something so homey about the smell of bread baking and it so hard to resist slicing into a warm loaf and slathering a piece with fresh salty butter...

YUM YUM!

Thank you for stopping by my blog.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~