Busy Bees...flowers and food from The Humble Bungalow garden.

Hip Hip Hooray!
Sunflower season is upon us and bunches and bunches of these gorgeous flowers are waiting to be scooped up from the Farm Stands and Flower shops.

Such a cheery yellow flower...

so simple and when massed together they make a bold bouquet.

The bees are attracted to these beautiful big blooms.

Look at all the pollen that this worker bee has on its wings and body!

Another bee gathering pollen...looks like the pollen is dropping off the wings

I managed to capture another worker bee in flight...

with so many bees on the sunflowers you could hear them buzzing.

Bees seem to be plentiful here in The Humble Bungalow Garden and for that I am grateful as we have been enjoying the first taste of our tomato crop.

The greenhouse is proving to be quite valuable...

we had our first cucumber last weekend and the flavour was so sweet.

Heirloom tomato "Salad" variety served on top of butter lettuce leaves.

Sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper with a light drizzle of dressing...

yummy!

I was busy running errands and it was noon before I knew it

so I took myself out for a quick bite 

a curried vegetable wrap and a side of salad

sitting at an outdoor table in the sunshine 

with the sounds of the birds and the scent of the sea...

 a lovely summer holiday moment

and I did not need to travel far...

Hope you are having a fabulous week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Home keeping...and then some pampering.

Some days it feels like I spend most of my time home keeping.
Cooking, tidying, cleaning, doing laundry, ironing, grocery shopping...

I like the results of a little elbow grease and everything looks so much better.
The Humble Bungalow is actually a nicer place to relax when the mess is less!

I have entire days where I get out and about to walk, play bridge and go out to meet friends for tea! Playing catch up can take its toll but if I put on some music and wear my fitness clothes (with a few pearls) and my trusty French Linen apron I find that I have way more energy to tackle the jobs that need attention.

Today I tended to my orchids...
I watered them, removed the wilted flowers and cut away some of the brown stems then tied up the new shoots to the stakes in the pots.

I wiped down the counter tops and cleaned out the fridge.

Polished the silver and cleaned out a few cupboards and drawers.

Did some laundry and ironing...

love the look of my linen tea towels all pressed and ready for service.

My hands got a little special treatment...

before putting on my cleaning gloves 

I applied a layer of this wonderful hand cream,

  moving about doing chores added extra warmth inside the gloves.

The cream worked its magic and it felt like a Spa Treatment!

With the fridge cleaned out the few bits of leftovers were turned into soup.

~ Leftover Soup ~

Cook and soften in a few tablespoons of oil

 a couple of onions

a diced carrot

2 -3 stalks of celery 

1 cubed pepper (I used a yellow one)

5 sliced mushrooms

cooked about 15 minutes then added

a piece of cooked steak (about 5 ounces) cut into small pieces

tetra pack of stock (beef or vegetable)

leftover broccoli

salt, pepper, thyme (to taste)

Simmer for a few hours so the flavour really blooms

add

a handful of dried noodles

cook until soft and serve or cool and freeze for a later date.

While the soup was simmering I took a wee break and gave myself a facial.

The aesthetician at the Spa mentioned that this was her favourite formula for her clients that have rosacea so I figured it was worth a try...

you mix the mask with a wee bit of water and leave it on 5-10 minutes

(while lying down with eyes closed relaxing and breathing deeply)

 then gently wipe it off with a warm face cloth.

I loved how soft and clean my skin felt after this mask.

I used the Eminence Coconut Age Defying cream after and did not put any make up on for the rest of the day.

except for

~ Mascara and lip gloss ~ 

My home day spent productively actioning domestics and focusing on my skin...

~ life feels better with a wee bit of pampering ~

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Weekend wrapped up... back in the Humble Bungalow.

After a particularly hectic week Mr. HB and I stole away on our boat and tied up at the dock at Otter Bay Marina on Pender Island.
We were in dire need of some "down time" and find that boating is the perfect remedy for what ails us...
Otter Bay is well maintained and features two pools, cottage rentals, a small store and a cafe. You can rent, kayaks, paddle boards, and scooters...if you want to do more than just relax!

~ OOTD ~

DKNY boyfriend jeans

Sperry Topsiders Espadrilles

Striped Tee

Straw Hat

Sunglasses

Canada Day was spent relaxing, reading, swimming and knitting.

Later in the day the Pender Island Pipe and Drum Band marched down the dock, bagpipers in kilts and full regalia.

Despite the heat they put on quite the show.

You can watch a video of a portion of the performance on my Instagram page.

The rocky shoreline had some interesting details...

Pretty flowers in planters along the docks brightened up the Marina.

Drought tolerant plants were chosen as the Gulf Islands have a limited water supply...we all need to be mindful of our water usage as there are drought conditions all over the province of BC and in many of the US states.

Both Mr. HB and I sleep better on our boat.

It could be the fresh air

or that our bunk is super cozy

and

  there is that gentle rocking motion of the boat as it bobs upon the ocean

which swiftly lulls us into dreamland...

The laundry is on...thankfully the LG machines are doing all the dirty work which frees me up to type a blog post while dinner is simmering on the stove.

Tomato Sauce for Spaghetti

Fresh basil from the greenhouse...garlic clove chopped.

Simmering and it smells so wonderful.

 ~ Tomato Sauce ~

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil

add

2 1/2 pounds chopped tomatoes

1 diced onion

cook until softened.

Add in rest of ingredients:

small can of tomato paste

(fill the can with water and pour in)

1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. sugar

2 tbsp. minced fresh basil

1/2 small carrot grated

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 clove garlic chopped fine

salt and pepper to taste

Simmer for 45 minutes.

Boil pasta and cook until al dente and serve with a salad.

Time for me to fold some laundry so I must sign off...

Hope you had a great weekend.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Family, food, flowers, and a funeral...

It is a busy busy week here in The Humble Bungalow...
lots happening and I took a few moments to put this post together.

We have a guest staying with us this week, the focus has been on food, flowers and a funeral...an elderly relative's life will be celebrated.

I apologize that I have not had time to respond to all your comments and my blog reading has taken a back seat to my real life.

Oh and while all this is going on we have the painters here tarting up this old bungalow.

Peony seen on my walk in our neighbourhood.

Fuchsia blooms on Oak Bay Avenue glimpsed while running errands.

Beautiful Blue Hydrangea flowers 

in a yard on a street near Our Humble Bungalow.

We took our daughter and her fiancee out to dinner at our favourite Italian bistro Zambri's last week and gave them their wedding gifts.

Caesar Salad

Tenderloin and polenta with a gorgonzola sauce.

Gifts for the soon to be newlyweds!

This novel has captured my attention,  it was on the shelf in the wee library across the street.

I have been able to sneak in a few chapters and find this book hard to put down...

We took a ride out to the boat on the weekend and I sat and sipped sparking water and knit a few rows...

My knitting is slow going since I had my frozen shoulder.

I am able to knit for short periods each day and with any luck the poncho will be finished by the time Fall arrives!

~ Peek a Boo ~

Our grandson Henry came over for a few hours of fun and play.

Grammy was happy!

Today

Birthday dinner preparations are underway 

and the guests will arrive later.

All the food is organized and the Lemon Charlotte cake is in the fridge.

I need to set the table and put together a few things but they will not take too long...

This bee was busy working in the Poppy when I looked closely...

and it is time for me to get back to work.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Roses, flowers, books and an OOTD

Jude the Obscure is a stalwart David Austin Rose and is my favourite in
The Humble Bungalow Garden...

You may be bored to tears of seeing snapshots of this rose but I cannot help but share a few more...if you are tired of seeing it you must click away now!

Paired with Lady's Mantle the peachy shade looks gorgeous.

The rose petals are scalloped and the blooms are plump.

The fragrance tends to be on the citrus side and is very heady...

I like them in the main bathroom as the room is small and the rose scent lingers.

The IPhone lens was dirty when I captured this image and it almost looks like a special effect...

Bright Yellow Begonia seen on one of my walks.

Another "special effects" image of one of our David Austin roses.

If you look closely you can see the dewdrops on the petals.

I finished this book and I enjoyed it...a perfect summer read.

I have been sipping homemade lemonade.

It is so easy to make...

In a glass pitcher

 squeeze a couple of fresh lemons ~ approximately 1/2 cup of juice

add a wee bit of sugar  ~ maybe 1/4 cup

and top up with water ~ 2- 3 cups

stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Add ice to the glass

and

Pop in a lemon wedge.

Enjoy!

I admire Hollyhocks from afar...in other peoples gardens...

I have tried several times to grow them in our garden but they do not like our clay soil.

They are such a classic cottage garden favourite.

These were blooming by the edge of the Esplanade at Willows Beach in Oak Bay.

I was tempted to grab some of the seed pods and try planting them in our garden but I did not want to "steal" them!

Love this deep shade and the ruffly petals...so pretty.

OOTD

(please try to ignore the chicken neck!)

I wore a Betty Barclay striped top with my Hermes scarf...

black "Yoga Style" capris pants

with cross trainer runners.

I find my feet are happiest when I wear supportive athletic shoes...

(I just wish they looked a bit more stylish.)

I met a friend H who also writes a blog (Pondside) for a walk and a coffee...

we ambled through the streets in Oak Bay

we found ourselves at The Demitasse where they sell plants 

(as well as food and beverages)

A fabulous small nursery, probably my favourite.

 They sell many unusual varieties of flowers, trees and plants.

We both purchased a variegated non spreading buff coloured Alstromeria

It was so nice to sit and catch up and chat with H.

She is a knitter like myself

 we are thinking that we may start up a small knitting group.

When I got home twin fawns were running up the street and I took a video 

which I posted on my Instagram page 

oh my they are so adorable...

But where was their mom?

I have a busy agenda for the next few days so I will be away from my blog but you can follow me on Instagram...link on the blog sidebar.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~