Five on Friday - cheerful on a rainy day

I haven't joined a Five on Friday for a while and I thought it is about time to write a post with those miscellaneous happenings that might otherwise remain unsaid. Enjoy!

Social life. I can only describe it with one word: busy. I had a big leaving night Friday last week. It was a great night with people I really enjoyed working with for the past three years. It was particularly nice that Richard came along, too (he was my line manager so it seemed only right to invite him). I laughed plenty, chatted so much that I started loosing my voice and drank too much. The next day we invited friend for dinner, which was also good. Richard did all the cooking and the house was miraculously tidy so no stress involved. Richard must have been feeling tired, he managed to set the oven on fire and his pavlova fell to bits. All was still amazingly delicious. Back in January we decided to have friends for dinner more often and so far we are doing well. It doesn't stop there, tonight I am going dancing with friends. How much better can it get?

Flowers. There are so many flowers in our house, it is a delight. I was given a bunch of flowers as part of a leaving present, then I received not one but two bunches from our dinner guests. These were added to the bunch of daffodils, a vase full of tulips and some gerberas that Annie had bought recently. The lingering smell of old socks and wet dog for once is less noticeable.











Kingfishers. I saw not one but two kingfishers when I was walking Jack the other day. It was that typical flash of brilliant blue that alerted me to what I thought was a single bird. I always try to follow kingfishers with my eyes, not an easy feat with these fast flyers. Then I noticed that there were two, probably a pair, sitting on a fallen branch on the opposite bank of the Kelvin, quite far away. I was lucky to have my camera because it allowed me to have a closer look at these magnificent creatures. Some of the photos are a bit blurry because I had to focus through undergrowth whilst leaning over the railings (there to stop people from falling into the river far below). Seeing these kingfishers made my day a better day!






My new job. This is going well. I have not made a fool of myself yet and I am thoroughly enjoying the new challenge, although I find it difficult to navigate around the many tasks I have to do. As so often in academia, it is assumed that the individual has instinctive knowledge of all the processes of any potential post within a University. Not so! Of course there is and there is no how-to or FAQ for newbies. I am still new so colleagues are unaware that I am working until 2:30 pm only, which is quite unusual. I failed to pick James and Alistair up because of an urgent meeting. This is not normally a problem but for reasons unknown Annie didn't get my text asking her to collect her younger brothers from school. Luckily, James and Alistair were not bothered. They argued if they should wait or walk home. No agreement was reached and eventually they were met by Annie, only fifteen minutes late (I called her mid meeting because I worked myself into a mild panic).

Running. This is not going so well. My right hip is painful. I blame having to sit on a chair again in my temporary office (I am waiting for my proper office to be vacated). When I get up, I can barely move with the pain. I usually sit on a bouncy ball, which helps because I am not immobile for hours at a time but I don't fancy moving a huge ball around campus every time I have to use a different desk. I am stuck in week 3 of my running plan. The pain is not so bad on the bike so I have been pushing the pedals extra hard.

What have you been enjoying this week? I'd love to know! Have a great weekend. xx

P.S. If you need another dose of my ramblings, head over to How to Hygge the British Way. Today's post is 'a Weekend with ..... Christina of a Colourful Life'. Yes, that's me 😊. Thank you Jo!

Comments

  1. How lovely to have all those flowers, and your husband cook. Hopefully you will settle in quickly to your new job. The business of juggling childcare is never easy. Hope your hip feels better soon. I got stuck on week three with knee problems for ages. Cycling certainly helped for me. Enjoy your night out and all those flowers :). B x

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  2. What a good week (apart from the dodgy hip and missed message, of course). Your flowers are gorgeous, so colourful. Really envious of your sighting of the equally colourful kingfishers. I've only ever seen one and that was when I was little. Good to hear the new job has started off well (and yes, I know so well those university processes which you're somehow supposed to learn by osmosis). Have a great weekend.

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  3. The flowers are gorgeous. I treated myself to a small bunch of white roses yesterday because I felt the need. I've had some willow twigs in a vase until recently but they were starting to look past their best.

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  4. Oh wow! two kingfishers. Stunning. Love the flowers.

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  5. Kingfishers are beautiful! Congrats on the new job. Hope you enjoy it. The flowers look really wonderful - so bright and cheerful.

    Happy Five on Friday!

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  6. Congrats on the new job & it does sound as if you are settling in well!
    Those beautiful bouquets are amazing & what wonderful odour maskers!!
    I am so jealous you saw TWO kingfishers & you were able to take fab shots of them!
    What a great post!
    Christine

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  7. It's always a challenge starting a new job, but I'm sure you'll soon have the hang of it. I wonder if the pain in your hip could be bursitis? You might want to do some Googling. Wonderful photos of the kingfishers and all the lovely flowers. And a husband who will make dinner is definitely a keeper! :-)

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  8. Glad your new job is going well, it's exciting to start a new one, but challenging in that you don't want people to think you don't know what you're doing, even if you don't know.
    The Kingfishers are gorgeous, you were lucky to catch them sitting.

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  9. Gorgeous kingfishers, and how lovely to see a pair. You will have to keep an eye out for signs of nesting, then you'll be able to watch them bringing fish back to their hole in the bank for their chicks. Glad to hear your new job is going well, sorry you're in pain though, I hope you're able to sort it out soon. Wishing you a good weekend. CJ xx

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  10. Lucky old you seeing all those kingfishers! Such beautiful flowers too. Good luck with the new job.

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  11. I've never seen ranunculas with purple edges on white. Stunning. Sounds like a great week, if only the hip would cooperate.

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  12. What a lovely post, I never seem to get around to linking up with five on Friday these days but it's fun to read others. How wonderful to see the Kingfishers. I don't think I've ever seen one. I love the ranunculas - so beautiful. I hope your hips feels better soon... Now I'm off to read that other post! Xx

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  13. Your week sounds busy but full of fun and exciting things. I love the photos of the kingfishers - they are beautiful creatures but not easy to photograph, so well done and thanks for sharing them here. The flowers are wonderful - I hope you get to enjoy them longer and I wish you good luck with the new job! Have a great weekend! x

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  14. Everything is certainly full of life and colour chez vous at the moment! How wonderful to have the house filled with so many flowers. Love your Kingfisher pics and sounds like you will be the perfect person to compile the FAQ or the Things I'd wished I'd known file, for the future newbies!!
    Happy weekend
    Wren x

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  15. You got good photos of kingfishers because they are so small aren't they? glad the new job is going well, it is always a bit stranage at first. I have Lillies at the moment because I love the smell and white lillies remind me of Easter and I am looking forward to that. Jo x

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  16. Good Luck in the new job! Lovely flowers - I need to treat myself to some I think :-)

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  17. What a colorful post Christina. The bouquet of ranunculus blooms is gorgeous. And those kingfishers are much more colorful than the ones in our area! Ours are either green with white or blue with white - the orange and bloom is an amazing combination. Thanks for sharing.

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  18. How wonderful to see a pair of Kingfishers. Let's hope they are nesting nearby and you will see them again on future walks and maybe some babies too. The ranunculus are stunning and so great to have a house full of flowers. Best wishes for the new job and I hope your office is sorted soon so you can sit more comfortably.

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  19. The Kingfishers are beautiful, aren't they?

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  20. A house full of flowers is certainly a beautiful thing. The ranunculus, with their layers and layers of petals and varied colours are some of my favourites. I've never managed to capture a kingfisher on camera - they move too quickly for me. Your photos are great! I hope your hip soon feels better.

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  21. What a joyful post. You sound really happy. I'm glad you had fun at your leaving party, and a house filled with flowers is always a good thing. And those kingfishers - wow! Have you been to the doctor about your hip? My mum had hip pain for ages and was referred to a physiotherapist who gave her some brilliant daily exercises which really helped her. xx

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  22. you took amazing pictures of kingfishers.. it's difficult to snap those tiny birds..

    Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

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  23. Good luck on your new job.. tell us more about it if you have a chance. Gorgeous flowers you have in vases.. you must be quite popular. Great shots of those birds!! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  24. Oh what a happy post And ucky you seeing a pair of Kingfishers. I have only seen them singly, and then only rarely. Good to hear your new job is going well. It will be lovely to finish at 2.30pm, in the summer months that is almost as good as a day off. I love how independent your children are. I second Gillian's advice about seeing a physio for your hip. I waited six months after my bike fall, hoping my shoulder would get better but only after four (quite intensive) physio sessions and being diligent with exercise at home I'm back to swimming and gardening as usual and better still I'm back to cycling my 10 mile hilly route, including the one in three bit where I came off. Spring has sprung in the south-east and it is beautiful.

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  25. It sounds like life is good for you at the moment, a very happy post! You were so lucky so see two kingfishers!

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  26. My goodness you life is very busy right now. Glad you were properly adored at your party and so glad you are happy in your new post. As for the hip pain take care of yourself. Hugs.

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  27. I have never seen a kingfisher so am very jealous! Glad the new job is going well and you are enjoying life. x Doris

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  28. How wonderful to see not one but two kingfishers and your photos are fabulous. It's hard enough to see these birds because they're so fast, quite another thing to get such great photos. I'm glad your new job's going well, it's always daunting starting something new but I'm sure you'll find your feet in no time at all.

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  29. I'm not ashamed to admit that I have really started to love flowers recently, although they never appealed to me before. I'm hoping to grow so many types this year!

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  30. I adore Kingfishers, you're so lucky to have them sit still for pictures :D
    Good luck with the new job and I hope your hip eases soon.x

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  31. Hey Christina,
    Two kingfishers! Two! How wonderful. You sound dead upbeat and happy, my friend. Lots of lovely things here. Good for you!
    Leanne xx

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  32. Hi Christina,
    So glad I've found your blog though the Five on Friday. After having a quick look around I've concluded that that coffee date needs to happen!
    Your flowers are beautiful! And your dinner sounds perfect to me, pavlova is my favourite dessert.
    I hope you're settling in well to your new job, it sounds very interesting. Hope your hip is feeling better too.
    Carly

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  33. So pleased to hear that your new job is working out well. How wonderful to see king fishers on your walk, they are a rare sight, very exciting to see two. Perhaps they will mate and you will get to see the family growing up! X

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  34. Also, meant to say, please be ultra careful wih your hip. Dont ignore the pain! I did that the last time I started running and as a result now have chronic foot pain which can be quite excrutiating at times. I am told it should right itself in about two years..... x

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Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, I love to hear from you, I really do. I sometimes reply by email but I am not all that reliable... Christina xx

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