Shopping success!

Oh dear me, the "shopping pump" has been primed...
after not buying much I have been finding all kinds of things to tempt me and I need to save for my travel plans to France!!!

Darling daughter and I met up this past week for an afternoon of thrifting...
it was a lucky day for me.

~ a crisp white shirt and a vintage leather bag ~

 ~ a white shirt and pearls are classics ~

the shirt is made of cotton and is not too sheer

it has seams in the back so that it is flattering and not too loose

I think this is going to be a versatile addition to my wardrobe.

Love the colour of this bag...

it reminds me of a fine wine

perhaps a burgundy or a claret.

It is made in Canada.

I could not resist this Imari jug...

I was out for my walk and as I often do I wandered into Kay's Korner in the Cook Street Village and lo and behold I spied this sweet vessel.

Currently I have a few pens in it but who knows 

it may have many uses...

a  few flowers would be lovely arranged in this jug.

I stopped on the way home from the village to take a photo of this enormous dinner plate sized dahlia.

The weight reduction focus is front and centre 

progress is going VERY VERY slowly despite the continued walking and the sensible eating.

I am almost ready to scream!

(that would be such bad form)

So I am trying hard to keep my eyes on the long term goal.

Story set in Provence...

a lovely book by a writer who is new to me.

I would recommend this book and say after you read it you might just want to join us for a month in Provence!

I have never owned a pair of Jessica Simpson flats.

They are made of soft leather, are comfy and very cute.

Sadly my Sam Edelman flats are scuffed and looking tatty...

"'So needs must!"

The bows on the toes were a selling feature...

just wish that they were available in red!

Please excuse me now for it is time for bed and a few chapters in my book.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seasonal snippets...

I love how one of our neighbours has decorated the path leading up to her home.

Did you notice the half eaten apple on the left and the glove at the right?

Which leaves me with the thought that perhaps perfection is over rated...

Chestnuts are falling from the trees in our neighbourhood.

Inside this prickly pod there was a small delicate edible chestnut.

These are harvested by many locals who roast them and eat them hot with a sprinkling of salt.

These chestnuts also known as conkers are not edible.

They have a rich "chestnut" colour and a woody appearance.

Mother collects these to bring inside as she says that they keep spiders away.

A few doors down the street these raspberries are growing.

They hang out over the sidewalk and are very tempting...

A few blocks away this tall Hollyhock blooms.

The leaves are turning into their annual autumnal colours.

The sun is setting earlier

 the shadows in the afternoon seem to wane

nights are cooler

I have started wearing socks.

Cauliflowers were on special at the market for an unbelievable price.

 So naturally I bought one and made curried cauliflower soup.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

Saute a large diced onion in a wee bit of oil and cook until soft.

Add a large chopped cauliflower and 6-8 cups of vegetable broth

2 tbsp. of curry powder (or to taste) and simmer until cauliflower is soft.

Use the immersion blender and process until no lumps remain.

The bonus is that this soup is Weight watcher friendly!

I took myself out for a wee bite of brunch after strolling in Oak Bay.

 I finished this book.

Really enjoyed reading Vita Sackville-West

The Edwardians was the first of hers that I read and it was quite a few years ago.

Now I need to get my hands on a book about her lovely home and garden...

Sissinghurst.

The young royal family are leaving today...

It has been a busy time for William and Kate making appearances while touring BC.

 Prince George, Princess Charlotte and their nannies have been out and about.

They have been seen enjoying our local parks.

 The Beacon Hill Petting Zoo has oodles of goats 

George reportedly loved seeing them.

There was a children's tea party on the lawns of Government House

local military families were invited to join in for some fun.

Balloons, bubbles, bunnies and ponies were on site for the celebration.

What a fabulous opportunity to get to meet the family.

Anemone's are still out in full force as are our roses.

It has been a stellar summer for the Humble Bungalow Garden...

but I can see the hydrangeas are fading and many plants are droopy.

The leaves are gathering on the lawn and spider webs are woven in every corner

and hanging onto most of the plants.

Where have the spiders been hiding all summer and why do they suddenly come out at this time of year?

I must close for now and get some things done around The Humble Bungalow.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

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 ~