Little surprises

I normally do not like surprises especially bad ones. I like routine and I like being prepared for almost any eventuality. I think it is part of my survival instinct. Take for instance my handbag. I have a pouch that contains all medical necessities—paracetamol, ibuprofen, cold and flu tablets, dental floss, toothpicks (unused of course), sinutab, a small tin of Vaseline, chewing gum, breath freshener, a small packet of tissues, antihistamine and some plasters. I also have a small first aid kit and a small sewing kit complete with mini scissors. I have a small Swiss army knife, a small measuring tape and small screwdriver. I won’t get into the other bits like make up, a comb, a small purse and my main wallet. Oh let’s not forget my mobile phone and two sets of keys for work. My handbag needs to be able to carry these things.
I don’t know why I had to write the contents of my handbag because all I wanted to say is I’ve been invited to the Vice Chancellor’s residence for dinner at the University of Exeter. The Vice Chancellor wanted to thank the Guild management for a job well done. I was really chuffed!!! This is a very important invite as far as anyone is concerned in the University and I am looking forward to it. Now I need to figure out what to wear. I guess that’s part of the fun—shopping for evening wear!
I have also finished doing the assessments on my staff and they all signed up to it. I also received a very good one myself so things are looking up!
Yesterday was a very cold day. Everyone told me how cold it was. The funny thing was I just thought it was cold but not freezing. My teeth didn’t chatter or anything like that. In fact I was wearing one of my summer skirts and knee length boots and I didn’t feel too cold. People were quite surprised. My mother in law said it’s amazing how I’ve adapted to the climate here in England. Maybe I just expected it to be cold all of the time and not wishing it to be like in the tropics. However, I hardly ever complain of the weather – unless it gets too hot!
The good news is I’ve seen lots of bulbs growing out of the frozen ground. It is exciting to know what flowering bulbs we have in our new garden. Yes pretty soon it will be sping. This morning I watched the birds outside my kitchen window. Hubby is trying to establish a bird “eat all you can” habitat in the back garden. In fact we just came from the country store to buy more seeds and nuts. We also bought a really nifty bird stand that enables us to hang more than one feeder at the same time. I just love watching the dear creatures flit in and out our garden. We’re big bird fans. We have binoculars on the kitchen ledge so we can easily observe the birds when they feed. Great help for someone like me. This is the life.