Saturday morning...

I woke up early only to discover that I am coming down with a cold.....
but it's not a pity party here in The Humble Bungalow.
I jumped into the shower and let the hot water run and steam my sinuses
the kettle was put on
and tea was poured by Mr. HB.

I am sipping my second cup of tea...
planning to do a few necessary errands...
we are almost out of tissues and the fridge needs restocking.

Saturday morning and the weekend is about to begin.

The vegetable seeds were planted last weekend.

In the right raised bed are sweet peas

in the left we planted peas

yellow beets, swiss chard, zucchini

clematis is in back to lure the bees.

Fortunately we have a garden full of mason bees

 a heavy clay based soil that cracks 

and a shingle house

which provide many crevices for these bees to live has turned out to be a bonus.

These Mason bees have been in our garden since we moved in 30 years ago.

the lilies are thriving

 native camas in the park

a sea of blues

I ordered some black pants from Lands End and bought the large 

but when I put them on I was swimming in them!

I have re ordered the medium and hope that they fit better.

I wonder if perhaps the walking and mindful eating is paying off?

(one can hope!)

Pepper loves to sleep on our bed and she sleeps on my side at night.

My legs get cramped sometimes trying to accommodate her furry form.

When the bed is made she sleeps on my side too!

If I snuggle under the duvet this afternoon I am sure she'll be at my side.

This weekend will be a slow paced one so that I can rest up and get rid of this cold.

I am seeking comfort in the simple things

a warm mug of tea

cozy socks

a scarf

a soft sweater

some magazines to lose myself in

a novel

(The Post Mistress)

a blanket to wrap myself up in 

and

perhaps my Steiff bear will join me in bed...

I think I'll skip my walk.

I may buy a bar of really good chocolate

I have not had any chocolate for what seems like months

but in fact may be weeks.

(I'll allow myself one or two squares at the most)

Tell me all the exciting things that you'll be doing this weekend 

as I 'll be living vicariously through your adventures!

Be Well.

XO

Unbelievable!

On my walk I saw something so strange that I had to look twice...
it was not a bird sighting or a whale spy hopping in the bay.
It was...
well you'll have to see it to believe it.

Scene

as seen

 on top of a man made rocky groyne

in the bay not too far from The Humble Bungalow.

Old love seat and chairs 

that someone has obviously dumped there.

In my opinion this is littering of the first order

it looks ridiculous 

and 

makes our pristine waterfront look like a tip.

Bypassers were stopping their cars and hopping out to take pictures.

Some brave ladies, in heels no less...

scaled the rocks and logs and took photos of each other sitting 

on the

precariously perched pieces of furniture.

I stopped my walk to capture this image 

and then hastened on my merry way.

This must have been done under the cover of darkness

no one in their right mind would attempt this during daylight hours

I am sure there would be a substantial fined levied if the city caught them.

Maybe it was a Graduation prank...

there are lots of grad ceremonies going on and schools do try to "outdo" each other.

UBC engineers used to hang VW bugs from the Lion's Gate Bridge

at least they did that when I worked for UBC.

(that was back in the mid 70's)

Did your graduating class participate in any pranks?

I cannot remember what, if anything, my class did

but hey that was in 1973....

and we were still the peace and love generation.

Mr. HB and I were high school sweethearts

we've been together since I was 15 years old...

this is our song

and I am still in love with him....

Have a great Friday....

Hostess

XO

Salad daze....

In the spirit of health and weight reduction I am working my way to a more healthy style of eating.
Salads and proteins are my new go to partners in crime.
Colourful meals that could come from a spa are finding their way into the Humble Bungalow
a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Salad daze

look at the colours!

Romaine and red lettuces, red onions, radishes, yellow peppers, black olives, tomatoes, and shredded carrots. 

There's lots of chewing involved so it takes longer to eat

add some lean chicken or steak

(about 3 ounces)

a small amount of dressing for added flavour

and lunch or dinner is ready.

Rebar basil vinaigrette

I made a batch and keep it in the fridge for a few days and use it sparingly...

olive oil is the base with lots of spices and basil leaves

it is delicious.

I am avoiding bread

although I did have two slices last evening with my bowl

of vegetable beef and bean soup.

No hunger pangs after dinner.

I have also been moderating the amount of wine I am consuming.

Funny that I could convince myself that a liquid could be calorie and sugar free!

Yesterday afternoon when I walked home from work the sound of dueling chainsaws could be heard before I rounded the corner and saw the chipper truck.

Our tree is gone...

the large acacia tree was felled in the garden yesterday 

so after work

we were dong some clean up

and Mr. HB stacked wood!

I did not get a long walk in but I did get a work out in the garden.

Thank you for all your emails of support 

on my recent post about the frustration of post menopausal weight loss.

They really mean a lot to me.

While life may not always be rosy

you can always grow roses!

Your Humble Hostess

XO

Shine or tarnish what camp are you in?

Vintage Silverware has been frequently cropping up in the thrift shops in our area which makes me wonder if it has fallen out of flavour.
I am rather like a crow when it comes to shiny things so it's no surprise when I am lured by something that sparkles.
Mother has already given me the lion's share of the family silver as my sister dislikes polishing what Mother gave her and poor Mother shudders every time she sees the tarnished items!

Polishing days occur twice a year here in The Humble Bungalow
with the exception of the everyday silver teapot which needs monthly attention with Twinkle.

I purchased this wee drinks tray recently for under $20.

Perfumes, toiletries and jewelry would look attractive massed on top.

Dainty tea sandwiches, wee cakes...

there is no shortage of uses for this newbie.

Made in England and artfully carved.

Where do you stand on silver?

If you inherited a box of it would you use it and keep it gleaming or hide it away?

Or would you sell or donate it?

Just wondering if I am old fashioned!

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely...

Flowers, friends, and an avocado top...

The Humble Bungalow Garden is starting to bloom...
May is truly a great month for flowers.

Columbine

Lilacs in mauve and white

(same tree!)

 poppies...

Pure white lilacs

showy pavement series rose

Pacific Iris dwarf variety

 my current read

I did buy this book because of the cover!

alliums

Lily of the valley

I have masses and masses of this plant.

I could probably set up a stand and sell it to people as they wander by...

love the scent 

of

"muguet de bois"

If the weather holds I'll take my tea down to this wee table 

sit in the sunshine and soak in some vitamin D

after I've done my weeding.

Later perhaps I'll soak in the tub with some restorative epsom salts

and  I might pop on this new top with white capri's.

Green is my favourite colour and this avocado shade called my name.

It's from the Joe Fresh line

perfect for summertime

light and rather gauzy.

I realized that I "need" to go sandal shopping

I only have one pair of decent sandals and they are going into their 4th year of service.

Flip flops are OK for casual wear 

(and I have two pairs)

but with a dress or a skirt I like to have something a little more stylish.

I looked at lots of shoes but nothing really spoke to me.

I don't want anything too heavy or verging on frumpy

and a bright colour would be fun.

And why are decent shoes so darned expensive?

My BFF got a fabulous dress for the wedding

and we found an unconstructed cover

rather like a sweater alternative 

soft light cotton

with great details that add a chic effect.

She also bought a new Roots cross body bag

and we lunched at Rebar and both enjoyed a delicious quinoa and wild rice salad with beans and avocado.

If you are looking for a fabulous vegetarian spot to lunch do not miss this diner.

Nothing like a fun day with my BFF and some successful shopping 

to put a contented happy smile on my face.

Hope that your weekend is ticking along nicely.