Earthquake!

We awoke this morning to hear the news of a severe earthquake in New Zealand. Darling daughter and her husband are honeymooning in NZ...
currently they are staying in Wellington
we have heard that the magnitude was 7. 5 and that there were tsunamis predicted...

Thankfully they are safe...

Their hotel is located very close to the waterfront and they were evacuated from their hotel after the quake in the middle of the night.

They have been allowed back inside to their suite.

Plaster has fallen down inside the hotel and there are cracks in the ceilings...

some apartments nearby on Market Lane have sustained significant damage.

The live streaming NZ news coverage is actually quite good...

(I admit that I am not a news junkie)

 It is so different when ones family is in the middle of an event.

We have been able to chat with them on What's App.

They are planning to travel to Blenheim in the Marlborough area on the South Island where family live.

The ferries, railways, buses are not running today.

Some roads are cracked, there are land slides, buildings are damaged and some homes have collapsed.

We know the risks of earthquakes as we are in a zone where two underground plates are merging... the "Big One" is predicted but we do not know when it will happen.

Our earthquake kit is much better stocked than before...

we have added warm blankets, tarps, tools, gloves, canned food, a cook stove,

and many more small items that may come in handy

I hope we will never need to use it but at least we have a few things put by.

I hope to calm down now that we know they are safe...

I am planning to pick up my knitting needles and start another project.

The baby bonnet for Mira is finished...

it knit up quite quickly and I am excited to see if it fits!

My knitted poncho is finished...

I wore it two days in a row!

Burberry scarf and the poncho with my NYDJ.

Lovely baroque pearl brooch, a gift several years ago from darling daughter.

Feeling so thankful and grateful...

Must close for now...

Take care and thank you for stopping by my Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seeking Perspective...thoughts for the day.

How are you feeling today?
Are you experiencing anxiety?

There are many many people feeling unsettled in light of the recent US election...
many of them are north of the border
here where I live,
in Canada.

I refuse to subscribe to the constant bombardment of the media...
I am not a news junkie,
it affects me in a negative way
that I often find crippling...

Limiting exposure to negativity is a self preservation technique that I have had to employ over much of my adult life...
if I did not avert my eyes
occasionally to the horrors in our world
I would never sleep a wink at night.

I am not putting my head in the sand,
one cannot live in a society and not be informed...
but we must listen to our hearts
and decide just how much we can absorb and tolerate and still function.

Nature is a beautiful and rich sanctuary 

that feeds my soul.

Seeking small and simple things of beauty provide me with moments of Joy.

I wonder what lies ahead on this journey...

 uncertainty can fill us with fear.

Fear that can stop us from living a full life 

that same fear can poison our spirit

paralyzing us.

Some will find taking action will help them...

others will hold home, family and friends close.

What will you choose to do?

How are you coping?

Today in this time of uncertainty,

Embracing the moment...

living mindfully

savouring the beauty in nature

will help keep me stay focused on living a joyful life.

Just this one simple thing

 is enough to help me maintain my perspective 

from spiralling down the rabbit hole.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday the view from here....

Walking at my usual pace has been difficult recently due to a sore knee...
I don't know what I have done.
I could have twisted it or pulled a muscle,
so I am walking slower and trying not to exacerbate it.

Really must not complain too much as there are so many more serious things to consider out there, other than knee pain...
I'm sure you can think of a thing or two worse.

"Sorbis Hupehensis"

Aren't these wee pink berries adorable?

They are growing on a bush on a street nearby The Humble Bungalow.

Mr. HB made me a fancy cocktail...

a Chambord Cosmopolitan.

Chambord is a raspberry liqueur from the Loire Valley.

Here is a link to the recipe.

We used pure unsweetened cranberry juice and it is delicious!

The cooler weather inspires me to make roasts on Sunday evenings.

A free range organic chicken or a prime rib is a tasty treat at this time of year.

Yorkshire pudding is yummy too!

Root vegetables roasted in a shallow pan with a bit of olive oil brings out their flavours.

All the produce is locally grown.

It's important to support the island farmers.

This is the current view out the kitchen window...

the crew that are dismantling the home beside us have chosen a yellow dumpster which looks quite pretty with the autumnal foliage.

The noise starts around 8am and goes until about 4pm.

We will have two homes on this site once the building gets started.

Two couples eager to get into the housing market have purchased the old home from an estate for just under a million dollars!

(Our real estate market has been brisk but is showing signs of slowing down)

The couples have been by and introduced themselves to us 

and all the neighbours near to the property.

Just down the street 

there are 3 or 4 significant home renovation projects happening...

our little street seems to be quite a popular place for tradesmen these days...

Chester is not amused...

the constant truck traffic is disturbing his naps.

He and Pepper frequently sit on the front window ledges and keep watch.

Have you been watching The Durells in Corfu on PBS?

I am really enjoying the series...

I read most of Gerald Durrells' novels when I was growing up.

Peacock pecking on the ground in Beacon Hill Park this afternoon.

It did not seem to mind that I was slowly creeping closer...

He glanced over in my direction and then got back to the task at hand...

there were oodles of pea hens whose drab colouring helped them blend into the foliage also pecking for tidbits.

It was chilly today so I bundled up in a scarf and my puffer coat.

 Purposely I chose a different route with varied and interesting scenery 

I felt would keep me focused on distance rather than my pace.

I passed quite a few walkers who were also enjoying the park.

Hope your week is off to a great start.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Cilantro....love it or hate it? Perhaps an acquired taste?

Cilantro divides the masses...
there are people who love the taste
and in our group of friends and family,
an equal number of people who despise the flavour.

Fortunately we are in the "love it group"
and have a green house with a bumper crop of cilantro just waiting to be picked.

Mr. HB suggested that I find some recipes online so that we do not waste the plants.

Here is the link to the recipe for
Pasta with Almond Spinach Cilantro Pesto and Sausages.

You will need a food processor to make quick work of the pesto.

The pesto makes enough for the recipe with leftovers that you can freeze for future use. The author suggest that you freeze the pesto in ice cube trays but we have an automatic ice cube maker in our freezer so I used my trusty scoop and freeze them in a container and when they are frozen I will pop them in a ziploc bag.

Lovely shade of green...and the taste is divine!

Busy cooking in the Humble Bungalow Kitchen

Love this shallow Sophie Conran Portmeirion bowl

I use it for salads and pasta.

a few shavings of parmesan cheese and dinner is served

just as I expected Mr. HB enjoyed the new recipe and there were no leftovers.

Pretty African Violets line the windowsills at Goward House. 

 I take French lessons and play bridge in this heritage home which has been converted to a club for seniors.

Next time I go to a flower shop I am going to pick up a few of these plants....

they are very inexpensive, easy to grow and bloom for a long time.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Friday Bits and Bobs...

How is your week going?

I drove darling daughter and her husband to the airport earlier this week.

They are off on their 5 week honeymoon to New Zealand and Australia.

Mr. HB and I have an app on our IPhones called Plane Finder.

We watched the route that their plane took for several hours 

before going to sleep.

 In the middle of the night I woke and checked again...

saw their plane over the South Pacific Ocean and went back to sleep.

When I woke up their plane was still a few hours away from the Auckland airport and I kept checking as I went about my morning routine.

Then when their plane safely landed I actually breathed a sigh of relief.

Now we await updates of their adventures.

There have been a few grey days this week and a smattering of rain.

Freighters laden with containers float by the seafront on their way to ports beyond our shores.

My walks have been sporadic...

There is a gentle rhythm when actioning the domestic jobs

here in The Humble Bungalow.

My energy is at its peak in the morning and so I try to accomplish as much as possible before noon.

I recently switched out the summer clothes for the Fall and Winter ones.

This is my core everyday wardrobe...

mostly black and greys with a smattering of blue.

3 pairs of jeans

2 pairs of black pants

 black skirt

 grey skirt

white shirt

cream top

black sweater

3 striped tops

grey top

3 black tops

2 blue tops 

2 pairs yoga pants

2 tees

I have a couple of puffy vests and a variety of walking coats and jackets.

Several dresses hang in the downstairs closet with a couple of dressy separates.

I bought a new pair of grey knit skinny pants.

They fit in well with the colour scheme of my core basics.

The fit and length are good and the weight of the fabric is heavy which I like so they do not cling!

I also bought a new walking coat which I will show you in a future post.

It is almost too quiet here this morning...

 it is almost sunrise while I sit to type this post

all I can hear are the birds singing outside our Humble Bungalow.

I must not complain as the house beside us is being demolished.

There will be a crew working with crow bars, hammers just after 8am

and the noise as they fill the container that they have dumped on the lawn 

is enough to make one leave home for a respite...

which I am planning to do!

Hope you have some quiet moments today where you can sit, relax and contemplate all the good things in life...perhaps count your blessings.

Take care and thank you for stopping by...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~