Shaken and stirred...

Last week I had a very unsettling experienced and it has stayed with me...
I am still trying to make sense of it.

It's something that has completely blind sided me

and left me quaking...

I was driving in my car...a Volvo estate, along a quiet street in Oak Bay.

 In case you are not familiar with these cars they are a very sturdy and heavy vehicle.

Anyway...

I was driving at 40 km, which is the new speed limit in our residential areas of town, 

when and I passed a cyclist.

The next thing I heard was shouting and swearing.

 When I looked back in my rear view mirror and saw the cyclist racing up to my window.

He was shouting and swearing saying I had clipped the mirror on his handle bar.

I said "oh my goodness I am So Sorry if I hit you I am SO very sorry."

"Are you OK?"

(I felt and heard nothing inside the car even though the windows were wide open)

He said "You are NOT SORRY"

"You are a terrible driver!"

"You were going too fast and passed me between two parked cars!"

I said "I am Sorry if I clipped your mirror."

"I didn't think I had passed that close to you."

By this time he was red in the face, and still yelling so I suggested that we call the police.

He was having none of this and yelled at me as he sped off...

"Respect the bike, Respect the bike!"

He then rode right through the stop sign and swerved onto the road ahead...

my heart was pounding and I was shaken.

I looked around for witnesses and saw no one.

I slowly drove away looking to see if he was in sight.

He was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as I got home I got on the phone to the police and made a full report...

I explained how shaken up I was by this event.

It was all the yelling and swearing that had me so upset.

I was not even sure that my car came in contact with his mirror but if it did I wanted them to know.

(I looked at the passenger side of my car and could find no evidence of any marks or scratches)

The report was filed and within the hour I received a call from the Police...

The previous week there was a report exactly like mine...

a driver reported a cyclist who intimated that his bike had been hit 

the driver had no idea or evidence to that effect

an apology was forthcoming ~ despite lots of shouting from the cyclist.

The driver had filed a report with the station and the cyclist had not.

The officer assured me that I was right to report the event and counselled me not to lose any sleep.

I consider myself a very careful driver and I look for cyclists.

I obey the speed limits and am very aware of pedestrians.

I drive defensively...

Now I am left uncertain, shaken and wondering...

and I'll never know for sure.

Sitting with a mug of Lapsang Souchong Tea

on my wee patio

by the back door

listening to the birds

watching the bees flit from flower to flower

trying to make sense of this event.

What have I learned from this?

I'll never know if my car clipped his mirror...

but one thing for sure is that I'll be on the look out for this same cyclist

in case it happens again.

Life is full of unanswered questions...

Thank goodness for the roses...

they are such a cheerful tonic and I hope in time this feeling of unease will fade.

Hope you enjoy your weekend.

Hostess

XO

Balancing Act...

Do you struggle with balance in your life when it comes to work and play?

Does work take precedence over play or free time?

How do you handle life's demands?

Do you push yourself or do you take it slow and easy?

Do you set aside specific time for play?

Have you achieved a healthy balancing act?

(Emma Bridgewater mug and tray)

Today I am taking a day off...(from the garden)
my body aches from the constant digging while ridding the garden of invasive weeds.

I slept like a baby last night and did not want to get up this morning...
"bone weary" might be the term that one could use to describe how I feel.

I'm looking forward to having lunch out with Mother and my cousin who is visiting from the mainland.
Mom and I will do a few errands after lunch but nothing that requires much effort.

The garden can wait...
it will still be there tomorrow morning bright and early waiting for some more attention.

This lovely book on French lifestyle is worth reading.

I like to pick it up every so often and re-read some of the chapters as it helps to remind me to slow down and savour life.

The recipes are simple, elegant and healthy.

 Tasty dishes I am pleased to serve when entertaining friends and family.

Reading about the French and France is like taking a mini holiday...

one can so easily get "lost" in the pages.

I love David Lebovitz's new cookbook.

His recipes are easy to follow and the illustrations are so inspiring.

I follow his blog.

Speaking of French books...

This juicy little novella is a quick read if you are looking for something that you can pick up and put down and not lose track of the story line.

Perfect for coffee breaks at work!

Well my "break" is over and I am going to "get a few things done" before picking up Mother.

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."

 ~Thomas Merton ~

Enjoy your day!

A Comforting Cottage Pie, Luxurious French Linen...and thoughts about happiness.

It's BC Day today and the weekend has flown by...

Mr. HB has been working hard at his office and I have been pottering about in the garden.
I took advantage of a sunny Saturday afternoon and decided I deserved a wee break .
My excuse was to do a bit of browsing and shopping.

There are several of my favourite shops located in the Oak Bay area of our city so I took off in the car and leisurely strolled along the Avenue. Poking into shops and saying hello to the merchants...
when you shop at the same stores on a regular basis you get to know the owners and they become more than just "shopkeepers."
I do not always buy things from them, I go in to see how they are doing and I ask after their families.

The French Touch carries a variety of vintage and antique pieces.

They have classes every month on painting using Anne Sloan Paints.

I adore their stock of lovely vintage linens imported from France.

A dozen of these pretty tea towels were priced separately so I purchased one.

Often the linens are sold as a set... tablecloths and matching sets of napkins or sheets.

Many are embroidered with monogrammed initials.

This one is interesting but I have no idea what it signifies or where in France it came from...

Lovely liquid soap in fragrant "Figue" from Marseilles...

which takes me back to my trip this past Spring to Paris and the South of France.

After I got home I spent some time browsing Bunny Williams' Garden Book while sipping a restorative cup of Mariage Freres Paris Tea.

Bunny's book is a wonderful guide for gardeners...and I LOVE perusing garden books.

There is so much inspiration to be found within the book.

I have her other books and am thinking that this one might need to be added to my bookshelf.

A little while later I got busy in the kitchen.

I donned my well worn soft linen apron (of course!) and made a comforting Cottage Pie.

Recipe for Cottage Pie

Saute 

1 large diced onion and 1 pound mushrooms sliced

2 peeled and chopped carrots

4 stalks of celery diced

gently cook until vegetables are no longer crisp.

Brown 1 pound of ground chicken until cooked.

add 1 cup chicken stock

(I use a tablespoon of "Better than Bouillon" chicken dissolved in boiling water.)

add in 1 cup of frozen peas

Salt and pepper ~ to taste

Place in ovenproof dish.

Boil peeled potatoes until soft 

drain and mash adding a bit of butter and milk.

Cover the cottage pie with soft mashed potatoes and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

Simple and tasty.

While the cottage pie was baking in the oven 

I picked some alliums and popped them in a vase 

and placed them on the front porch...

I love a day when some domestic work is accomplished in The Humble Bungalow 

and then some time remains for creative pursuits.

It's the truly "the little things"

not the acquisition of luxury goods

that put a smile on my face.

I drive an old Volvo

 wear the same clothes many times.

There's really nothing fancy going on here...

Since returning from France

I've rediscovered the Joy of gardening 

working quietly

next to

the buzzing bees 

the butterflies

amid

the birdsong.

I travelled to Paris last Spring on a trip that I'd dreamed about for years.

It was so exciting and everything was fresh and new.

I felt truly alive...

like I'd been revitalized and injected with a new energy and spirit.

Upon my return ~ and after a period of contemplation 

I've come to the realization 

that what I really "need" to be content and satisfied

is all here in the city where I live with my family and friends

inside these walls 

and outside 

in the garden 

of my own home...

"The Humble Bungalow"

I look forward to future trips but have come to the realization that I am happy leading a quiet life.

It need not be anything remarkable

nothing worthy of the news.

Living a Simple Life suits me just fine.

Thank you for stopping by...

The Humble Bungalow Garden ~ A Picture Gallery of Changes.

As promised I am sharing images of the on-going garden changes...
the projects are proceeding slowly as I am doing most of the work myself.

Deer, drought, over grown plants, and high maintenance borders have necessitated these changes.

The David Austin Roses...

greedy for water and slightly high maintenance 

are staying put!

There was a bed in the middle of the gravel driveway that took a lot of work and the plants were not too happy.

I laid down some landscape cloth and covered the base of the rose with bricks and filled the gaps with gravel and then spread a cubic yard of "screenings"over the cloth so none of it shows.

This will pack down nicely with time and blend in with the rest of the drive.

The romneya coulteri likes "living on the edge."

The dry gravel and sand are it's best friends!

The rampant invasive violets were pulled and the bed dug deep and we have laid black garbage bags in hopes that they will not come back.

This bed in the back side yard will be replanted after a few weeks or possibly months.

this bed is also under wraps...

ugly I know but I couldn't bear to spray with toxic chemicals.

This patio is in the side yard

and features two dwarf apple trees and a riot of Lady's Mantle and Limelight Hydrangeas.

It's shady part of the day and a lovely spot to sit with a cup of tea.

Look what we found nestled under the overgrown lilies!

It was a slow release "frog" fertilizer and now it looks prehistoric!

The view from the kitchen...

The slide is in the space where the greenhouse is going to be placed.

The grass is full of clover, buttercups and violets...we hope to find a hardy grass that will be green in winter and gold in summer as we will not be watering it much, if at all depending on the water restrictions.

The bed with the asparagus and two climbing roses will be modified and the hydrangeas will be dug out and the rhubarb and strawberries will be relocated near the green house.

Pots were planted up to add colour and interest.

The intimate patio area just off the back basement door.

Out front we planted more deer and drought tolerant plants...

in the front of the bed we chose Blue Fescue grasses.

The bees love the prickly blue eryngium and the lavenders.

Blue Russian Sage and Salvias are mixed in with yellow rudbeckias

and at the front more Blue Fescue Grasses.

Pots were replanted...

Feather Grass

Boxwood

Black Mondo grass and a Lime Green succulent.

The deer have so far, resisted munching these hydrangeas and I am so grateful!

I have several of these out in the front yard and I love them.

I'm considering swapping this blue and mauve hydrangea for another limelight...

Roses planted with lily of the valley as a ground cover.

I have kept a few Hostas which the deer love to dine on...

(as do the slugs)

I will see what happens over time and if they are munched too often I will place them in the back garden.

At the end of the drive against the fence we have a drought tolerant bed of mostly grasses.

Montbretia, sedum, hostas, black mondo grass, hellebores, variegated iris and planters with succulents.

We are planning to install a greenhouse and redo the grass in the back yard which are major projects that are a bit more of an investment and require hiring the professionals...
So they are not going to happen for awhile...
in the meantime I putter and chip away at the tasks that I can do myself.
It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing what's happening in our patch.

These flowers look like a smiling face...

do you see it?

Hope you have a fabulous weekend.

We're on "Baby Watch" this weekend.

Fingers crossed that wee one comes soon.

We can hardly wait to meet her!

Cheerio

XO