Flowers, family, and food...some simple joys from this past week.

Parrot tulips are so beautiful...

their frills and variegated shades make them one of my favourite Spring Flowers.

They frequently flop as they open up and I regularly trim their stems and pop them into shorter vases.

This bouquet was an unbelievable price...

2 bunches at $2.99 each

I could not resist.

I took my Due Fratelli vintage leather bag out for lunch this week...

on the menu

Curried Vegetarian Wrap with chutney and a side of salad.

Its a treat having someone else prepare lunch and sitting in a vibrant cafe 

listening to the chatter of the diners reminds me of Spring when I was in Paris!

The trees are looking like frothy pink spun sugar cones...

Do you remember those cotton candy cones at the fairgrounds?

I loved watching how the vendors made it look like they were making magic 

it would be sweet and sticky and coat our teeth

somehow it didn't feel like a fair unless we had a cone of our own.

Took our grandchildren, Isla and Henry to the Garden Centre this week.

We bought some Spring flowers and planted them in pots.

One for each of them to tend.

I am hoping that they will love watching things grow and perhaps one day enjoy gardening.

My grandmother was an avid gardener and she showed me how to plant and propagate seeds...got me interested in weeding the beds and sharing in the harvest.

We would sit a shuck peas on her back porch in the sunshine...

such wonderful memories.

Isla is serious about watering her pink flowers.

Henry loves orange and he chose white and blue blooms as the accent plants.

A big yellow digger arrived on the scene...

this is the lot beside our Humble Bungalow!

Two homes are going to be built on this site.

I hope to have Henry over for a visit while this machinery is working so he can watch the action.

In other news we worked in the garden.

A new birdbath was purchased and installed.

Grampa's English peas were planted into pots and trellises were erected.

(popular with the grandchildren)

We dined on a tasty BBQ chicken with deli salads from the market

as the "cook" was knackered from all the exercise and fresh air!

With the leftover chicken 

I am making wraps tonight.

 ~ Corn salsa ~

Roast 1 cup corn and 1 diced red pepper in a bit of olive oil and a tablespoon of brown sugar.

bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

add 1 chopped green onion

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp chili powder

2 tablespoons lime juice

Cook 1 large onion in oil until transparent on medium high heat.

Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.

Cook on low for 15 minutes.

On a warmed flour tortilla

serve with chicken 

(heated if you so desire) 

top with BBQ sauce

add the onions

 salsa

shredded lettuce or arugula

Dinner is ready!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Energy ~ Sleep and OOTD

A decent night of restful and restorative slumber is bliss.
It gives one an energetic start to the day...
often times we wake after a fitful night of tossing and turning...
this is more common for me.
When these nights occur I try to be gentle with myself and start the day slowly...
I have not tried sleeping pills and asked the nurse at Hospice if I should try some after Mom passed away and she suggested that I try Gravol.
I purchased a small package and have tried them on several occasions...
they do work, but I wake feeling groggy so I am not planning to use them often.

Coffee helps wake me up 

 a good book

 transports us away 

it helps to gain perspective

put our troubles aside for awhile.

Once I hit the shower I am wide awake...

ready to seize the day.

Dressing for more energy means wearing some of my favourites...

OOTD

Moto leather jacket ~ Danier

Hermes scarf

NYDJ boyfriend jeans

simple white Tee ~ Joe Fresh

my birthday shoes...

Ferragamo from darling daughter.

These shoes make me feel happy!

I wore this outfit to run errands and I had so much energy that I very nearly forgot to stop and eat lunch.

Parrot tulips from the grocery store...

spreading a beautiful energy 

into The Humble Bungalow Kitchen.

Home style meat loaf, mashed potatoes and carrots...

the ultimate comfort food.

Refuelling with tasty food provides me with more energy.

I made a double batch of this meat loaf so that tomorrow evening all I need to do is reheat the spuds and the meat loaf and boil some peas.

The recipe is from Best of Bridge...

here.

I broke the chipped Emma Bridgewater bowl I used for soap

when I was washing it the other week...

it just slipped out of my hands and smashed into a bazillion fragments.

Fortunately it did not damage our farmhouse sink.

Hooray the Hellebores are blooming!

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely.

What have you been doing?

Anything exciting to share?

Please don't be shy!

Hostess

XO

Springtime ~ In the Pink

Pink Spring blossoms are found along many streets and boulevards in Victoria.

They lift the spirits even on the greyest of days.

Moms' robe now hangs in the guest room.

She wore this frequently...and it is silky satin.

One might want a pair of pink marabou slippers to go with it!

Did you notice that the hanger is in the same pattern and fabric as the robe?

I've been keeping the flowers fresh at Mom's condo for the showings...

we think it has sold and are just waiting for the buyers to secure their financing.

There were multiple offers all well above our asking price...

the real estate market here is brisk!

Mr. HB and I went to Fan Tan on Fisgard Street

in the heart of Victoria's Chinatown
 for a date night dinner this week.

Our meal was delicious and my tea arrived in a sweet little cast iron teapot.

It was really heavy especially when you consider the size.

 Pouring tea and a bit of "weight training!"

Spring cleaning, decluttering and rearranging things have been in the works.

Two bags of donations are waiting to be dropped off at the charity shops.

I culled quite a few books from this cupboard before I rearranged the shelves.

The French Market Basket was purchased years ago.

I planned to walk to the shops and wheel my groceries home...

that has happened exactly once!

I must fix that stat by going shopping in the Cook Street Village more often  pulling it behind me!

The wire heart was meant for postcards and photos.

I like it just the way it is...unadorned.

I'm going to pull these pieces together and add a few more.

My plan is to make a candle vignette of sorts...

I love how mirrors and candles can be best friends!

I took this wee painting from Mom's condo yesterday when I rearranged the flowers...

I am not sure that I will keep it forever 

but I could not part with it...

not just yet

and I did not want to regret giving it away...

it is a small street scene in Paris.

I also plan to take one of her French style chairs to add to the one that I have slip covered in linen beside the table in the hobby room.

It could be for one of the grandchildren to sit on as we read stories

or play with the toys...

another thing that is "speaking to me" 

one that I never thought would tug at my heart strings 

but one that is saying loudly...

don't let me go!

The journey is far from over...

saying goodbye

dealing with the details

is totally keeping us busy.

This emotional process is not easy

I have my ups and downs and find myself crying while standing at the kitchen sink.

I have had vivid dreams of Mom, so vivid, that when I wake I think she is still here...

My friends have been so amazing and strangers have been kind.

Every phone call that I make to advise them of moms demise 

is met with gentle soft spoken condolences...

the agency representatives in person are more than sweet

understanding 

patient

death of a loved one is obviously something that we all share in 

 it feels like it brings out the most empathetic responses 

the "best" from most...

Thank you all again for your lovely emails...

they keep coming

and 

I must say they are a delight.

XO

Gratitude...

Thank you for your kind thoughts,
supportive comments
all of the lovely emails behind the scenes...
they have meant so much to me, they cheer me up and really make a difference.

Some of you are sharing pictures of your beautiful roses,
your gardens full of flowers
green verdant pastures
and beaches from continents far away.

There is so much beauty in our world...
not a day goes by that I do not find something beautiful to lift my spirits.

It could be the darling faces of our grandchildren,
the cheerful daffodils blooming in the garden,
or blue skies overhead dotted with puffy white clouds.

Thankfully these simple joys are not too hard to find in my daily round...
and for that I am very grateful.

These cheerful yellow Gerbera daisies were given to our lovely DIL when we took the "littles" out for lunch this week.

I planted up the urn at the bottom of the stairs of The Humble Bungalow

 New Zealand Flax and primulas.

They look good even sprinkled with raindrops...

I got soaked on my walk today.

The skies opened up and the rain pelted down and soaked right though my coat.

When I left home the skies were blue and the sun was out and in the matter of an hour the skies darkened and the clouds let go...

Friends from France sent me a birthday gift several weeks ago and I have been remiss in not sharing the lovely contents of the parcel.

Fragonard soaps and dotted French socks.

Do you love getting parcels in the mail?

I do, especially when they are filled with such beautiful surprises!

Yesterday I made pasta with spicy tomato and Italian sausage.

I cooked diced onions and red peppers in oil 

then I added slices of the hot Italian sausages and cooked them until they were no longer pink

popped in a jar of Italian passata sauce 

and added sliced black olives, some anchovies and spices.

The sauce tastes better if you leave it simmering on low for at least an hour.

Cook the pasta and when it is al dente

ladle the sauce over top and grate a bit of parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Retail therapy today...

This spotted dress is called a swing dress for a reason...

it has a lovely weight to it and actually swings when you wear it!

I had thought I needed some colour and I still may...

but when I put this dress on I just KNEW it was a great choice for me.

I own a few other pieces by Gilmour and they are fabulous, 

made in Vancouver and reasonably priced.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

The attitude of gratitude is my mantra...

whats yours?

Hope you have a great week.

XO

Week three...being proactive by getting back into healthy routines.

What I kept...

Going through Mom's things took time as we did not want to rush the process...
there were a few surprises, but for the most part, it was what we might have expected from an organized woman
whose attention to detail was evident in everything she touched.

My sister and I donated most of her clothes...
I saved a grey cashmere sweater and have been wearing it most days.
It feels like a cozy warm hug...
it is as if mom has her arms firmly wrapped around me.

I also brought home some small red spatulas...the kind that one uses when scraping out the last of the mayonnaise or mustard out of a small jar. I don't know what moved me to keep them but they are a practical tool that I will use regularly and take up very little room in our small bungalow.

I kept her recipes in the vintage recipe box.

One afternoon in the coming week I will make a pot of tea and peruse her collection.

It could be like a trip back in time...

she had a large repertoire 

that ran the gamut 

from jello whips to apple pie and meat loaf.

                             Mom had oodles and oodles of knick knacks!
     She wrote a note that specified she was leaving me her antique Maling bowl...

                a blue and white porcelain plant pot finds a new home here
                                   

Mom's condo is listed on the market.

I'll miss sitting on the deck with mom sharing a chat and a cup of tea.

There will be so many things that I will miss...

our telephone calls

walks

shopping trips

laughter

these memories will help to comfort me

 The Humble Bungalow is scented with the heady fragrance of lilies.

(I remove the stamens as they stain everything)

On the horizon...

I plan to return to the practise of Yoga

 am looking at local studios and their schedules.

It really helps with relaxation and I feel energized after the sessions.

Walking is back in my daily routine but having been away from it for almost a month my muscles were reminding me of that saying...

"use it or lose it!"

Thankfully bath salts and soaking in the tub have been helping.

I've got the urge to buy something bright and colourful.

My wardrobe of greys and black feels like it could use a punch of colour.

I haven't felt like shopping in quite some time and this might just well be what they call "retail therapy!"

The days are getting lighter

there is birdsong outside the window

spring flowers are emerging

 simple joys

one delights in

that can temper the sadness

 enfold one in a firm embrace

almost as cozy 

as Mom's cashmere sweater...

There is a sense of relief after these busy few weeks.

The pace has slowed and I was able to indulge in a few quiet days

that were spent at home

getting domestics under control

teas and cafe cremes were sipped 

while gazing out the windows

and

flipping through several French magazines

Cote Sud and Campagne Decoration.

Speaking of France...

I have been wearing the samples that I ordered from the new musc collection

by 

 Sylvaine Delacoutre

The Dovana scent is lovely and may be the fragrance that I order

it has notes of iris, neroli, vanilla, and ambrette.

You might like them too.

I am not affiliated with Sylvaine and have received no remuneration for this mention.

Her website is here.

Hope that your weekend is ticking along nicely.

Thank you for stopping by...

XO