There's a thing about the Sea...

I was in grade 5 or 6 when I was asked by my teacher to memorize and recite a poem in front of the class...I think it was Mr. Miller...at Monterey School.
We called him "Killer Miller" I have no idea why!

The pressure was on as there was a short timeline, but Father had a book of poetry and he helped me choose a few and we whittled it down to this one...
because it "spoke to me."

Sea Fever

by John Masefield,

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; 

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

How was I to know at that age that the sea would play such a large part in my life?

I spent much of my teen years cruising on the sea and met my husband as a result of boating...

We married young and raised two children and bought a boat as soon as we could...we sailed the Gulf Islands and had many adventures.

The kids are grown up and we now have a smaller boat, 

a 27 foot Sea Ray Sun Dancer that I like to refer to as "the Go Fast"...

her real name is "Waterlust" named so as we have a lust for the sea.

I wonder if the call to the sea was meant to be?
Did my early yearnings lead me to this chapter in my life

or was it destiny?

Do you believe in destiny?

I've always been drawn to the sea.

Especially in times of joy and many times of despair...

weeping salty tears.

I love to walk along the seafront and to go beach combing

hopefully seeking 

while

searching for shells and beach glass.

Sea shells, white vintage ironstone, mirrors and candles...

a vignette that calms

and 

satisfies...

Candles are such a simple thing 

yet

I would not be happy if I did not have some in the house.

They add such ambiance...

not unlike 

 staring into the beach fire

or the Guy Fawkes bonfire

it stirs something deep within...

dare I say primordial?

Walking along the seafront offers up so many different views...

 light

 weather

colour

my mood can be altered in a matter of minutes...

Mother Natures's paintbrush is ever changing...

she can be moody

dark

stormy

uplifting

we are mere observers...

speaking of observing

and watching....

I have been watching The Crown on Netflix...

such a grand production with a stellar cast

I am savouring each and every episode.

Are you watching too?

I have been knitting...

and it just so happens that I have been knitting Crowns...

Yes dear reader, 

crowns for the grand children!

 Ravelry pattern in the royal spirit and free...

fun might be in the household of the children as they play Queen and King.

I received an email from a reader in the UK saying that she cannot leave any blog comments and I have checked all my settings and can find nothing amiss...

if you have had trouble commenting on my blog please send me an email.

I hope that all will be well.

Hope you have a great week...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Painting the town red...

I am seeing red everywhere I go...

from the innocent shelf in the pharmacy

to the red cup...

 Essie Jag-U-Are red nails

the red stripe in my Burberry scarf

The red fire engine that was called to our hotel when we had to evacuate

(it was a false alarm)

dinner out at our favourite Indian fusion restaurant

curried lamb popsicles served on a bed of potatoes

beef curry and kale

naan bread

I had an entire day to spend in Vancouver while Mr. HB was on course.

I walked for hours browsing and exploring the shops.

One blue top...on sale.

a pair of NYDJ boyfriend style jeans

(I LOVE THESE)

a wee bit of a splurge

I needed to stop for a break after 4 hours...

lettuce wrap

shrimp, crab, coleslaw and a few crunchy noodles

I bought this Hermes fragrance after discovering it in Paris when I was there...

it is a soft feminine scent that I quite love.

(the bottle is refillable)

I love a getaway where I can browse and shop...

and we came home 

to a date night at the theatre

A Fabulous production

in the meantime...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

What a difference a day makes...

Yesterday I had to force myself to go for my walk...
the blustery wind and rain made me want to stay indoors and cocoon.
I absolutely need to get out and walk...
my weight is still over my WW goal weight and I am discouraged.

The winds were strong

and

 they helped to whisk away negativity as I walked along the seafront.

There were only a handful of people out and about...

The sun popped out for a few precious moments and illuminated the leaves

with a vibrant light that one could not help but notice.

I spied a pretty pink hollyhock on the street that leads to the seafront...

it waves on the tall stalk with other blooms 

while braving the inclement weather.

A new rose bloom and buds greeted me when I stepped back into the Humble Bungalow Garden.

I made an easy peasy Frittata for dinner which I served with some steamed vegetables.

Frittata

5 mushrooms sliced 

2 diced green onions 

cherry tomatoes halved

6 eggs beaten

1/2 cup milk (or Cream)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

sprinkling of fresh ground pepper

1 tsp. herbs de Provence

Bake at 350 for about 45-50 minutes until centre is firm and eggs are cooked.

This keeps well covered in the fridge and is a Weight Watcher friendly lunch or dinner.

Watched an episode of The Durell's in Corfu

and gave myself a manicure.

The shade is called Jag-U-Are 

I do love a shiny glossy red nail varnish...

Feeling such relief knowing that our darling daughter and her hubby are safe in Wellington after the earthquake.

We have been chatting and the hotel upgraded them to the penthouse after they saw the damage in their suite...they have an expansive view of the harbour.

My thoughts are with the people in New Zealand...

Today lets all try and do something nice for someone who needs help.

Random Acts of Kindness are a win win for both the giver and the receiver.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

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 ~