Enchanted April....Dare I dream?

A few weeks ago I posted a pork tenderloin roast recipe and I have another one in my repertoire...
This one has an asian tangy taste and while I LOVE it Mr. HB is not as enamoured with the flavours...not sure why, but we all have our favourites.

So here it is if you would like to try it...

cook and baste the tenderloin about an hour at 350 degrees.

If you try it and like it please leave me a  comment.

My favourite bridge player Meg at the club has had a serious fall...

she is 94 and she broke both her hip and her arm

her mind is a sharp as a tack and we are missing her so much.

She is in rehab and we are planning to go to the hospital

and play some cards as soon as she is able.

I am hoping that she will recover from her injuries.

Her bidding and advice on bridge is so valuable...

she has been playing bridge since she was a teenager 

she encourages us when we are bidding our hands and nudges us to bid game.

I always wear my wedding rings...

one notices hands when seated at the bridge table.

My hands have been dry of late and so I have made a point to keep the hand lotion by the sink to remind myself to use it.

This vintage art deco diamond does not get as much wear as it should.

I don't own a lot of jewelry...

unlike darling daughter, 

who has oodles and oodles of the stuff!

She works hard to find the most amazing pieces...

AND 

she has a full time job!

I have very few pieces of "costume" jewelry and opt for real gemstones.

Sterling silver bangles, pearls, vintage, ethnic, and modern artisan jewelry.

One need not break the budget when choosing a new piece,

 there are so many gorgeous jewels on Etsy and Ebay and in antique shops.

At my age I wonder if I should acquire more gems or save for holidays abroad?

Recently I met up with a friend for lunch.

 We both LOVE France and have fond memories of our trips to Paris 

we got to talking in between bites of our salads

and mentioned that we should arrange to have our own 

"Enchanted April" 

 perhaps Provence would be our destination...

Can you imagine a group of women sharing a home in Provence?

Savouring the countryside for a month?

I can!

 I am dreaming about this possibility.

So with that in mind I am off to find more local French language classes...

BTW

if you know of anyone who has a home to rent in Provence or has rented one that they enjoyed please email me bungalowhostess@gmail.com

merci beaucoup!

 ~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Royalty amongst other things...

The young royal family Kate, William, George and Charlotte are here in Victoria for the week and they are staying at Government House.
Government House is on Rockland Avenue just a few blocks north of The Humble Bungalow.
Government House has a tea room where Mother and I go to in the summertime and where we sit on the patio to have lunch and share a pot of tea.
I love to walk through the rose gardens and smell the beautiful roses...
the gardens are tended by an army of volunteers and it looks splendid.

The gates are closed for security this week while the Royals are in residence...
our SIL is busy working on the tour providing audio tech support.

I did not take the following picture but wanted to share it with you...
it is a wee bit fuzzy and I think it must have been taken with a zoom lens.

Kate looked radiant in her Royal Blue dress and exquisite hat.

She wore sapphire (I have been advised that they are actually tanzanite) and diamond earrings with her lovely sapphire engagement ring.

On her dress she pinned a diamond studded Maple Leaf borrowed 

from HRH Queen Elizabeth.

It was a gift from Canada to honour Queen Elizabeth (another error on my part, they were given to the Queen Mother) on one of her visits to Canada.

I apologize for these errors as I took the information from the local news reporter who obviously had not done her homework...

we have amended the info thanks to reader and royal watcher Patricia!

Helicopters are in the sky in our neighbourhood

hovering above the motorcade.  

Security is serious business and there are strict protocols in place.

One of our orchids is flowering and the rest are dormant...

We have settled into a slower pace 

as Fall nudges its way into The Humble Bungalow...

the garden will be put to bed in the next few weeks and then I plan to pull out my knitting.

I made a lettuce soup.

Have you ever heard of lettuce soup?

I had a tub of lettuce that was almost wilted and knew that we would never eat it all by its best before date so I looked online and found a recipe.

So quick and easy and really low in Weight Watcher points!

Cook a diced onion in a wee bit of oil until soft.

Add 6 cups of veggie stock and 1 cup of diced potato

simmer for about 20 minutes until potato is cooked.

Add 6-8 cups of mixed salad greens and cook a few more minutes.

Season with salt, pepper, and 1 or 2 tbsps. of a good curry powder (to taste)

Use the immersion blender and process until no lumps remain.

Serve hot topped with a dollop of yogurt if you desire.

I wore my collection of bangles out to lunch last week.

Darling daughter, Savvy son and Mr. HB met for a family lunch.

Talk about one for the memory books...we cannot remember the last time we went out just the four of us!

Mr. HB and I enjoyed a recent date night.

We went out for dinner and a movie...

we saw the new Bridget Jones film and I laughed out loud so much that I had tears rolling down my face.

It is a light comedy and a "feel good" film.

Darling daughter and I went to Aritzia and perused their new stock.

I love their lines of clothing as they are very classic, simple and are suitable for the young and the old.

I purchased a simple off white Wilfred top that is very soft and cozy.

It has a low V neck which is perfect for featuring pearls or a scarf.

I will layer this when the weather gets cooler under my black leather vest or a sweater or jacket.

Darling daughter purchased a fabulous pair of jeans by Citizens of Humanity.

She referred to them as"mom jeans" and we laughed because I was wearing my NYDJ.

(Not Your Daughters' Jeans)

Coincidentally we both had our leather "moto" jackets on with our jeans and tops.

This is the second time in a few weeks where I have found myself dressed in the same style outfit as my companion when out and about!

Today and I have a few chores on my list which will keep me busy

and I am trying to decide what to cook for dinner tonight.

When the weather gets cooler I like to make a cozy meal of roasted veggies and possibly cook a roast of beef.

I need to go for my walk and I may just pop into the grocery store on my way home and see what inspires me...

Keep cozy people.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Blooms and walking the walk.

My week has been quite quiet so far...
domestics seem to have worked their way up on my list of things to do.

At the very top of my list is walking.

I need to make it a priority or it does not happen 

too many other things can get in the way. 

After my morning shower I dress in my walking clothes so that I am ready to go.

Sunscreen, sunglasses

House keys and my Iphone in a small hands free cross body bag.

The orthopedic surgeon advised me to swing my arms when I walk.

These beautiful grapes are growing on the boulevard just down the street.

I am surprised that the birds have not been munching on them.

Hydrangeas are still putting on a spectacular display...

more blooms are on their way.

There is a second flush of flowers on the Romneya coulteri...

also known as "the fried egg plant."

I have been busy deadheading the roses and sweeping the porch.

Garden chores never feel finished but thankfully the rewards continue to delight and encourage me until the dreary rains of the winter set in...

Streaky windows, messy cupboards and too many things in my bureau drawers have side tracked me
from relaxing and sitting down
and devouring reading my book.

Why do I succumb to that nagging voice in my head?
I think it was my upbringing...
Work before pleasure.

The story line is quite different from what I usually read 

but I read and enjoyed Garth Steins' book "The Art of Racing in the Rain"

 So when I spied this in our wee library on the Common across the street

I grabbed it...

The wee library is getting a lot of use and the turnover of books is quite amazing.

Many of these small neighbourhood lending libraries are popping up.

There is a website and maps showing where they are located...

ours is on the map!

Hope all is well with you.

The Royal Family are going to be sleeping just a few blocks from Our Humble Bungalow for the next week!

I hope that they love our city as much as we do!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Getting My Happy On...

Have you heard the news?
The Royals are coming to visit Victoria.

Yes indeed, they will be staying at Government House just a quick 15 minute walk from our Humble Bungalow...
It is exciting and I hope that we might catch a glimpse of the young family...
Justin Trudeau will be in town too...the city is all a flutter.

OOTD...
Hermes scarf
Betty Barclay striped top
White NYDJ
Black Sam Edelman ballet flats

Leather moto jacket

vintage Italian leather bag

red lipstick Maybelline #547

(purchased at Monoprix Paris in the 6th eme)

I met up with a long time friend for lunch and we sat outside on the patio at the Inn overlooking beautiful Brentwood Bay.

Being a bit of a rebel I broke the rule about wearing white after Labour Day...
Coincidentally my friend B, who recently returned from Paris, was wearing white pants and a striped top as well!
We had lots of catching up and our Paris trip highlights were shared.

This week I treated myself to a relaxing facial at The Silk Road Spa

its been quite awhile since my last Spa visit and I really enjoyed the pampering.

 I wandered around China Town exploring the wee shops

the sunshine and hot tea were just what I craved...

Hooray It is apple harvest time!

 we have been enjoying a few of our crisp and crunchy apples...

Liberty and Chehalis are both relatively young dwarf trees in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

I unwrapped a Diptyque candle,

our Fall and Winter favourite fragrance

ready to light and enjoy on these cooler evenings.

A good book, a candle...

life's little luxuries.

I wonder if we are in for a cold winter as the rose hips are huge and plentiful...

does anyone make rose hip jelly anymore?

Black and white make up the bulk of my wardrobe...

I never seem to tire of the combination.

Grey also plays a role in my small closet.

I must be off and get some things done around here...

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

If I get close enough to see the Royals I will snap a few pictures and share them with you.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

A wee bit of shopping...

I have found that retirement dressing is so much simpler than when I was dressing for work.
Fewer clothes are needed and as a result I am living with less.

Several dressy garments are reserved for date nights and dinners out.
The bulk of my minimal wardrobe is focused on casual and active wear.

I went shopping mostly to browse...
and to replace some socks that had worn out.
The shops were busy!

I perused the shoes as I would love to find a new pair of flats for winter.
Then checked out the new Fall and Winter stock on the racks...
lots to choose from and oodles of sweaters and outer wear.

This light jacket accompanied me to Paris...

I am wearing a simple blue top and the skinny NYDJ that are worn several times every week 

I frequently roll up the cuffs and wear with black Sam Edelman flats.

Checking out the charcoal grey skinny pants that did not make the cut...

too long and the fabric is not weighty enough.

I may regret not buying these pants...

they are not as sturdy as I would like but they would be useful.

Buying wisely, carefully with thoughts of not wasting money...

I already own two pairs of pants like these in black 

so do I really "need" another pair?

I think not.

This Kenar skirt did make the cut...

not the look I would go for with this longer top 

but the fit is good and I am planning on wearing it with tights and short booties.

Will wear it when I take Mother out to lunch,

on date nights for dinner, bridge at the club, and at the theatre.

I find it is difficult taking photos, especially "selfies" in a dressing room.

A cozy puffy jacket for walking in a pewter shade made by Columbia.

In the style of the Michelin Man!

I like the asymmetrical zipper detail and there is a hood for windy days.

It feels light and will help keep me warm during those cold winter walks.

The Kenar wool skirt is going to get a lot of wear this season.

I have only two other skirts in my closet...

one is a black knit 

 the other is a mid calf length dressy skirt in metallic grey and black accents.

I am looking forward to swapping out my summer wardrobe for Fall and Winter garments but we are still enjoying a bit of an "Indian Summer" so I am waiting for a cool patch when the rains decide to stay awhile before I do the switch.

All the garments are checked for wear and I will repair any that need attention and donate a few things that I feel are at the end of their lifespan.

Having only a few items hanging in the closet make getting dressed so much easier...besides our closet is so tiny that we can hardly see what is inside if all the clothes are squished together!

I rely on scarves and accessories to add a personal touch.

Are you shopping for anything new this season?

What's on your wish list?

Dahlia 

big as a dinner plate

seen in a garden on my walking route.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~