What's happening here in the Humble Bungalow...saying thank you to Jamie Cat Callan

Cold weather has been hanging around here in Victoria for the past few weeks with no signs of warming up. Our zero and minus 4 degree days make for a chilly outing if one is not adequately dressed. This morning, for example, Victorians living on the west shore awoke to a burst water main that closed the Trans Canada Highway into town! The traffic was snarled for hours and now only one lane is open.

Hat, gloves, scarf, warm down coat over top of layers of tops and socks have been necessary when venturing out of the house...
imagine the "Michelin Man" puffy coat
worn with a woolly hat that covers my ears,
a scarf
with just my eyes peeking out
and you get the picture...
BRRR
the usual 60 minute walks are just not happening.
(I may need to resort to mall walking!)

I finally broke down and purchased a heavier pair of tights so that I could wear my skirts and dresses with my Chelsea boots.
I have not worn heavy tights since I retired from the school district and I was surprised when I looked for some...the prices are much higher than I remember.
As part of my job I was required to do outdoor supervision at recess and lunch and because I feel the cold I dressed like I was going to the North Pole...
Comfort wins.

OOTD...

Grey Boiled wool skirt

wool, rayon and spandex tights

Chelsea boots

grey top

(not visible)

It is a wee bit of a risk posting a picture

 I am such rubbish at taking selfies.

 BTW

still patiently waiting for my hair to turn completely grey...

in the meantime I have embraced grey clothing with a pop of colour.

This is what I think of now as

 "Grammy Style"

plus

I love knitting, cooking and taking care of the wee ones...

officially and unabashedly grandmotherly!

Sitting in The Humble Bungalow Living Room

gazing into the twinkle lights

sipping a cafe creme

is where I start my day.

Currently reading The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman 

I loved her other novels.

Patricia is a very gifted writer..

 she has a new one coming out in January

"Runaway Midwife"

already reserved at the library.

I have read oodles and oodles of books over the years

and I have so much respect for writers 

and 

their discipline to their craft.

I regularly consider, and wonder, if I could ever write a book.

Recently on Facebook

Jamie Cat Callan 

hosted a writing contest 

the winner would receive

a copy of her

 "Writer's Tool Box" 

check this out!

Thank you Jamie

(I was fortunate in winning one of her Tool Kits)

After reading all of Jamie's books

I met her on her Ooh La La tour in Paris...

Jamie is energetic

enthusiastic

loves life

is fun to be around

she is

  a totally delightful woman

her 

"joie de vivre" is positively contagious.

Jamie is currently working on a new book...

which I am so looking forward to reading it when it comes out next year.

Chester demands my attention when I sit...

often he pushes my book away before settling into my lap for a cuddle.

OOTD

party version

Sitting in the peace and quiet

dreams are formed

hopes

wishes

destinations farther than my front garden

a leap of faith

who knows what the future will bring?

Thank you Jamie

You continue to inspire me everyday.

I will always remember my trip to Paris.

If it were not for Jamie

 I am not sure that I would have ever realized my dream.

So many thoughts bubble up 

so many of those feelings that lay dormant 

before I embarked on that amazing trans formative journey.

In gratitude...

Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Gifts and some festive ideas from the Humble Bungalow

I finished knitting the cozy scarf I was working on this past week.

 I delivered it this afternoon after the Christmas coffee with my knitting group.

Our group took up the challenge and opened up our wallets to donate to the local newspaper The Times-Colonist Christmas fund.

The scarf is a simple 4 row repeat.

I can visualize this enlarged as a cozy throw or made in to a lap blanket.

This week I made a delicious apple chutney with the apples that were left in the fruit bowl.

 Recipe is from The Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten

found on  The Food Network website here is the recipe.

It was easy and quick to assemble.

Simmered for about an hour and the whole house smelled wonderful!

As it turns out, I was out of raisins, so I substituted dried cranberries instead 

they add a nice sweet tang and pretty seasonal colour.

It keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks...

 I am planning to serve it with turkey, pork, ham and a strong cheddar cheese.

I melted some cheese on a whole wheat wrap and topped it with this chutney

and ate it for my lunch.

I could not wait to try it

and 

oh my it is good!

Traditional "Grannies" dish cloths are in production

using up cotton leftover yarn.

They make a useful Hostess gift paired with a luxury soap or fancy dish detergent.

Glazed Lemon Loaf with raspberries

I doubled the ingredients and made two loaves

recipe here

One off to family and the other shared with Mother and some for our house.

It freezes well so I may end up popping half into the freezer for future use.

It is a time of year where we give tokens of appreciation 

to those who work with and for us 

and

 give gifts to friends and family.

When considering "Hostess Gifts"

I prefer gifts that are consumables...

we have enough "stuff" 

so I give things that do not take up unwanted "space" 

 gifts that are (hopefully) useful.

~ HOSTESS GIFTS ~

Beeswax candles

linen tea towels

chocolate

wine

bath salts

soaps and a dish cloth

scented votive candles

emollient hand cream

baking

tea

candied nuts

jams and marmalade

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

napkins

aprons

~ PLANTS ~ 

Orchids

Amaryllis

African Violets

Forced Bulbs

Ferns

Succulents

~ PERSONAL GIFTS ~

These are gifts chosen specifically for the individual based on their tastes

and 

are considered much more intimate than a Hostess Gift.

scarves

socks

gift certificates

pajamas

books

journals

CD

stationary

spa vouchers

wallet 

tote bag 

restaurant or event gift certificate

perfume

bath robe

a collectible chosen specifically for the recipient

or

something specific from their "wish list"

There are so many wonderful things to see in town at this time of year.

We took Mother to the Festival of Trees last week and this week we went to the gingerbread displays at Laurel Point Inn.

Entry #10 Wanderlust

Gingerbread at its finest!

A cookie dough Pentax!

Chris Hadfield our Space Station, guitar playing Canadian astronaut. 

I recognize these landmarks...

now it is time to close...

It has been a busy day and with more to do on my list I will say goodnight.

Sweet Dreams

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Faux tree and a recipe...

Have I mentioned how our cats dictate how we live our life here in our Humble Bungalow? They do.
How they are mischievous and how every year they climb our live Christmas tree and break our vintage baubles? They do.

We have resorted to closing the doors and keeping them out of the living room unless we are there ourselves to shoo them away but I have decided that this is far too stressful...
and so
we have purchased a faux tree to keep the peace and serenity
that we far prefer to savour.

Looks ok

BUT

 it has no fresh fir scent...

no needles to vacuum up...

and the cats...

WELL

they are not at ALL interested in it

So I can say for now, 

we can relax...

PHEW!

There are so many things to do during this festive season.

Baking

Shopping

Entertaining

Being Entertained

Dressing up

Decorating

Christmas events

Writing Letters

Sending Cards

If we opt out of some of these it is not the end of the world.

I like to pace myself and really enjoy the seasonal festivities.

We would be amiss if we did not acknowledge and 

recognize  the people who help and work for and with us over the past year.

MR. HB's  firm hosted a party...

I wore a simple black dress

mesh tights

Chelsea boots

 accessorized with a diamond necklace, studs and my diamond heart bracelet.

Festive ties are a favourite of MR. HB.

He is not a fan of the tacky Christmas Sweaters.

He wore the tie on the left...with a grey shirt and black dress pants.

Very smart indeed.

Here is my diamond heart bracelet.

I am collecting diamond hearts to create a modern day "family heirloom" to pass onto one of my grandchildren. 

We have three little ones so far and so I am planning ahead.

I want to leave them with something to remember me by...
besides my cookies, story reading and home cooked meals.

Blurry image but you get the sparkly idea...

Ojibwa duck decoys, a dome with an allium inside and some copper lights...

Chester says hello from under the tree...

I bought a big bag of tomatoes from the market on sale today.

Incredibly cheap and so fresh!

So I pulled out my Soup Sisters Cook book and looked up the Heirloom tomato soup recipe...

Roast halved tomatoes sprinkled with garlic cloves, diced onions and olive oil

400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Pop into a pot and use the immersion blender to mix it into a pulp.

Add oregano, basil leaves, salt, pepper to taste.

Then add 2 cups of veggie stock and simmer for 30 minutes.

Ladle into a bowl and enjoy!

Its been a busy weekend...

I have been up late two nights in a row.

Feeling a bit like I could benefit from an early night.

Will try and catch a few extra ZZZZ'S

Hope your weekend was fun.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Scarf pattern, salad recipe and a few other snippets...

We have more snow...
this is the view from The Humble Bungalow dining room.

It looks frosty and cold out there.

The red Adirondack chairs are wearing another layer of the white stuff.

This week I have been indoors staying warm and cozy.

 So knitting has occupied a lot of my time

 the newest project is a scarf with an unusual rib effect.

I found a similar one online and modified it.

I plan to knit it until it is about 36 inches long.

I think it will require 2 balls of Drops Andes wool and alpaca blend yarn.

I plan to give this scarf away and I like it so much that I may make another one.

Besides knitting I have been tidying and straightening things here in our bungalow...this is a "before tidying up picture!"

With a cup of tea and a break from my knitting 

I sat and perused some cookbooks 

and discovered a wonderful new coleslaw recipe.

Mandarin Orange Slaw

1 bag shredded coleslaw

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup drained mandarin orange slices

Dressing

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of the mandarin juice

1/2 cup oil

Mix together and chill in the fridge before serving.

It was refreshing and a nice change from the classic coleslaw.

Chester looks so cozy on his fleece blanket.

Pepper is on her perch staring out the window watching the birds.

Well I must get some household chores done now...

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Baby its cold outside...

Care to sit in The Humble Bungalow Garden?

The street view from inside at night...

after the hail we got a sprinkle of snow.

My old trusty Volvo Estate is sporting new tires and how timely...

it is a great vehicle for driving in the snow

it has a W feature for Winter driving

I think it basically is a low low gear but I am no mechanic

 so don't quote me on that!

Dare to join me for dinner on the deck?

How about a cup of tea sitting at the French Bistro table and chair?

This morning it is freezing outside and there is a big snow storm due to arrive sometime tomorrow.

Walking is treacherous so I have been knitting gifts.

These hats might come in handy!

This is a little headband that I am knitting for Mira, our youngest grandchild.

I found the pattern online at mamainastitch.com 

It is a great site with free patterns for knitters and those who crochet.

I hope you are keeping well and are enjoying the sights and sounds of the festive season...

it is so easy to get caught up in the frenzy of shopping and baking

and

 there's nothing like a few snowy days at home

the gift of time 

 to refocus on the simple joys.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~