Cheerio, I'm off for a few days...

Cheerio,

I am off for a few days with Mother
and leaving Mr. HB and Pepper in care of the Bungalow.

We will be SHOPPING
south of the border!

the writing is in the sand...

things are looking up...

Any thoughts on where I might be headed?

Mother is so keen that she has been packed and ready all week!

Mr. HB is excited about the Hockey Play Offs

I do not think as excited as

I have been excited about the Royal Wedding...

wasn't it amazing?

There was such a buzz at work about the ceremony

the attention to detail

the crowds of well wishers who camped out days in advance

the

uplifting feeling that people feel when there is something good in the news.

I cannot help but think of those devastating tornadoes

and Japan will always be in my thoughts...

Go Canucks Go!

Can you imagine dining at Buckingham Palace?

What would you wear and what would you say if you met the Royals?

What would you choose as a wedding gift?

I think I'd send something made by our BC First Nations peoples

Sterling Salad Servers perhaps...

or a pair of Cowichan Valley sweaters....

as seen here at the

UBC Museum of Anthropology

More Friday Flowers...

Spring has Sprung!

Bungalow Garden 

Native Lilies

Look at these bracts...

I never planted this plant it just pops up willy nilly all over the garden.

This Euphorbia is in dire need of thinning out

I do love the lime shade of green.

Grasses are drought tolerant and we have water restrictions 

so I have been trying to plant things that are hardy

not so water dependent.

I quite like the colour of this grass.

I LOVE my roses 

and they LOVE water!

View from the Park

A sea of Blue Camas

Apologies for his post

 it is a rather hastily put together and rather a scrambled one.

I will cross the Sea to the South

and see you later...

I hope the sun is shining down on your patch.

Have a delicious weekend!

Friday flowers...roses and royal wedding images....

Hello
a very quick post wedding post.

Have a Fabulous Friday...
everythings coming up roses

Love is in the air...
I can still hear
the sound of church bells ringing and
images of the Royal Wedding will stay with me for a long time...

I thought Kate looked amazing, her dress was stunning.
Looking lovely

The hats are spectacular, love the pomp and the magnificance of it all.
Swooning from here.

I must be a romantic because I wept when I saw them exchanging their vows.

Hostess

Locks and walks...and wedding talk.

Sunny skies are overhead and its a great time for a walk.
I used to walk in athletic shoes or as they call them in the UK
trainers...
I have opted for a different style of walking shoe.

Josef Siebel

makes a great shoe

excellent support and superior comfort

long wearing and not too dowdy.

These are several years old.

Josef Siebel

recent purchase

Privo by Clarks

shoes today

I've been to the salon and had my locks coloured

no more high and low lights

just my natural colour minus the grey tinsel.

I got the nod of approval from Mr. HB which made my day!

It's a bit of a shock looking in the mirror now

even at the best of times!

I am working hard at acceptance

and not taking every new wrinkle or crease as a personal insult

the sagging and creasing is part of aging

and aging is what we have to accept

and move on...

with grace

Life is too short to be too focused on ones self

it feels so much healthier to look beyond

and seek out opportunities to help others.

Are you going to watch the Royal Wedding?

I am definitely going to tape it

 and watch it later

as it starts here at 2 am

and I do love to get a full nights sleep!

I might be wearing this...

in honour of Princess Diana...

a woman whose life was cut far too short.

Will you be watching and if so, what will you wear?

Shall we Dansk to a Symphony in Blue?

I found this vintage Dansk Paella pan in a local shop.

The shape and form were so attractive that even though I have never made Paella I decided that I could use it for a baking and serving dish.

I can visualize it filled with pasta and sauce, wine steamed clams, a hearty stew or a curry.

The shape is smooth 

and the enamel is in perfect condition.

In 1974 Avocado Green and Harvest Gold were the popular colors 

for appliances and kitchen decor.

Our wedding gifts were in Avocado Green

none of them exist today 

almost 37 years later!

We had a Blue themed kitchen for many years

with a whistling Copco kettle and baking dishes

and

Wedgewood Midwinter Stonehenge crockery in Blue.

In a recent post 

I showcased the current white Maxwell Williams 

white goes with everything!

Some Blue is creeping back into 

The Humble Bungalow

"what comes around goes around"

Grape Hyacinths

Seattle Music Experience

Frank Gehry designed structure

a symphony in blue

(too big for the Bungalow!)

Salt from Guernsey

hand scooped by salters

French sea salt is a Humble Bungalow staple

Blue sealer jars

 Suburban Princess

this display is for you!

Hydrangea

Postcard from Jeanne

Thank you

lovely blues...sent from across the sea

Harumi Ota 

a very talented porcelain artist created two bowls that caught my fancy a few years ago which I purchased and admire

here

and 

here

While I am embracing blues...

I cannot conceive of reintroducing Avocado Greens

except in the form of tasty and heathy avocados!

Does anyone have a Paella recipe that I must try?

Thank you for stopping by...

Family Photos...Memories and A Mighty Leaf

It's been a hectic weekend,
I am feeling weary but very satisfied by what a small and mighty group can accomplish.
We have not completed the job and it will require a few more days on the job but at a less frantic pace.

The most fun I had was going through boxes and boxes of family photographs.
Many were of people that I didn't know and unfortunately there were no names or dates identifying them, so they got recycled.

Mr. HB's Family

in front of their home in the mid 1950's

Mr. HB looks so cute as a toddler!

Look at that daffodil bed, it must be Springtime.

Mr. HB must be about 10 years old here fishing in the BC Gulf Islands 

aboard the family's first boat

an Ed Monk designed wooden classic.

She is anchored in what was to become their favourite anchorage

an inlet near Prevost Island.

It's a lovely spot, 

protected and peaceful

we used to get fresh oysters off the rocks at low tide.

Mr. HB had a speed boat when we met and he was a fabulous skier

this inlet was the perfect place to practice his skills

and impress his girlfriend

(ME!)

We have also spent many lovely days anchored there aboard our Chris Craft Constellation.

Waking up at first light 

a mug of fresh brewed coffee in hand

and a quiet and calm surface

listening to the gulls

and 

waiting for the day to unfold

and then staying up after dark looking up at the stars

they are so much brighter without ambient light from the city.

There's nothing like a box of old photos to stir up the memories!

Mr. HB is snoozing on the sofa

and I have snuck off to my computer

to write a quick post

and have a cup of Tea

before turning in for the night.

I've recently discovered a new and tasty Herbal Tea

Mighty Leaf

White Orchard

 African Nectar is delicious too.

You might like to try some

a sampler pack is available which is a great way to find one that you might enjoy

I feel the need to digest the immense emotions that have surfaced

I am surprised by the intensity of this experience

and thoughts seem to flit in and out

memories...

of innocent times 

spent 

when one never considered mortality 

or illness 

or sorting out belongings that filled up a lifetime 

until now.

A cup of tea is the perfect drink to sip while pondering life and making plans...

in my Humble opinion I think perhaps tea is the "penultimate drink"

or maybe I am just a tea grammy!

What do you think?