Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Blooms and walking the walk.

My week has been quite quiet so far...
domestics seem to have worked their way up on my list of things to do.


At the very top of my list is walking.
I need to make it a priority or it does not happen 
too many other things can get in the way. 
After my morning shower I dress in my walking clothes so that I am ready to go.
Sunscreen, sunglasses
House keys and my Iphone in a small hands free cross body bag.
The orthopedic surgeon advised me to swing my arms when I walk.


These beautiful grapes are growing on the boulevard just down the street.
I am surprised that the birds have not been munching on them.


Hydrangeas are still putting on a spectacular display...
more blooms are on their way.


There is a second flush of flowers on the Romneya coulteri...
also known as "the fried egg plant."

I have been busy deadheading the roses and sweeping the porch.
Garden chores never feel finished but thankfully the rewards continue to delight and encourage me until the dreary rains of the winter set in...

Streaky windows, messy cupboards and too many things in my bureau drawers have side tracked me
from relaxing and sitting down
and devouring reading my book.

Why do I succumb to that nagging voice in my head?
I think it was my upbringing...
Work before pleasure.


The story line is quite different from what I usually read 
but I read and enjoyed Garth Steins' book "The Art of Racing in the Rain"
 So when I spied this in our wee library on the Common across the street
I grabbed it...

The wee library is getting a lot of use and the turnover of books is quite amazing.


Many of these small neighbourhood lending libraries are popping up.
There is a website and maps showing where they are located...
ours is on the map!

Hope all is well with you.

The Royal Family are going to be sleeping just a few blocks from Our Humble Bungalow for the next week!
I hope that they love our city as much as we do!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Saturday, July 11, 2015

THe Humble Bungalow Garden desperately needs a makeover!

Our Humble Bungalow Garden has been foremost on my mind of late...
it's been giving me some unwelcome moments of total frustration...
don't like feeling this way.
I'm overwhelmed and feel rather helpless...
need some expert advice.


I'm considering (and Mr. HB is listening to my concerns) a complete redesign of the yard.
The garden has become far too "high maintenance" and I have been spending many many hours in the hot sun trying to get on top of it to no avail.

I LOVE my roses and plan to keep them. I want and need to find other plants that will look good and not demand too much of my energy and yet still look stylish.
(Mr. HB wants for us to be happy and content in the garden)


We had some friends over for lunch today to discuss this very topic and I am enthusiastic that we might have some help in the future.

The garden needs a plan...
I've pottered about for years with no grand scheme and the beds have evolved in a willy nilly fashion...and while they look pretty, there is a slapdash feel to the whole space.
Too many curves, plants that have "taken over" and a lawn that is filled with buttercups, dog violets and clover.



We invited a couple of friends who have glorious and beautiful gardens 
 a professional gardener 
to walk with us through our garden
and give us some ideas...
Lunch needed to be quick as our guests had a tight timeline.
We drank tea and ate assorted "tea type" sandwiches.
(triangle sandwiches with the crusts cut off)
We served cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks and olives on the side...
Dessert was home made lemon loaf and clusters of red grapes.

We bantered about some ideas and my friend will plot out some plans
his gardener will give us the names of a few professionals that might be able to assist us in our quest.


David Austen Jude the Obscure Rose


The Humble Bungalow bathroom
Mr. HB designed the remodel of this wee space years ago.
This room is so well planned and it makes me very happy too.
Good design is SO important, in the house AND in the garden.


You can see how small the room dimensions are here as the claw foot tub nearly hits the two walls!


Mr. HB had some great tile patterns in mind...
he showed me several options and we agreed on this one.


We opted for a modern pedestal sink
and a pair of new period style lights from Water Glass Studios.


A lovely original painting on vintage linen of French country side 
a gift from our dear friend and talented artist, Cheryl Fortier.
(In the reflection you might notice all my silver bangles)


There is no storage other than a medicine cabinet in the bathroom.
 We re-purposed an oak arts and crafts bookcase to use for the towels.

Hope you have enjoyed this peek 
"Inside the Humble Bungalow."

Hooray Hooray!
we got a smattering of rain this afternoon.
 A welcome gift as we are experiencing a very dry summer here.
I hope it will help with the forest fire situation.
Our garden certainly needs the extra moisture...
the roses and hydrangeas are "needy and greedy"when it comes to water.

In other exciting news...
a group of neighbours have agreed to join me in building a small neighbourhood library box.
We plan to donate books to share 
We have a glass fronted cabinet which we will paint and build a roof overtop.
We will attach some posts and erect it.
It's one of a number of neighbourhood libraries in our city.
This video is very inspiring...

Take care,
Hostess