SUNNY SURPRISES
Hello!
Look what turned up in the garden
over the summer;
presumably a sunflower seed
from the bird feeders
was accidentally spilled
or dropped
by one of our feathered friends.
With a little added human support,
it stands tall
with its head held high.
Brings a sunny smile 😊 ☀️ 🌞

To unexpected findings and sunny surprises.

by Dr Julie Charlesworth 2/9/21

With photos and verse.

SPRING TO SUMMER, ONE YEAR ON ©

Spring turns to summer,
One year on.
Life goes on.
And with caution, resilience, and optimism
We can move on
For the better,
Together.

Meanwhile,
At home in the garden,
This month the birds
Have been nesting
Or singing on high.

The Ruby Wedding Roses
Planted last year
Are back this year
In glorious bloom.

Like many other people
I have been thinking
About serious issues
And preparedness
For possible battles ahead;
Particularly
For life sciences,
Clinical and health research.

This weekend,
However,
I’m not dwelling unduly
On the issues
But rather
Taking time out,
‘To smell the roses’.

©Julie Charlesworth, 2021

Here’s to building on successes, managing the risks, and keeping it all in perspective. Take care, be strong, think positively.

by Dr Julie Charlesworth 24/6/21

….

A few photos I have taken to capture some special moments and share them with you.
(N.B. I took the photos of the birds in the garden from a sensible distance using a zoom feature on my smart phone – so as not to disturb our feathered friends).

—————————

This is a title and theme of several of my talks.
I have also expressed it in a short piece I have written:

CHANCE, CHOICE AND DEFINING MOMENTS ©

Reflecting on what I have learned so far
From life and science.
(And, I am still learning.)
There is this thread that seems to hold true:
Progress in both life and in science (and other matters matter too)
Is often down to a matter of
Chance, Choice and Defining Moments!

My message to newcomers,
In either case.
And what I would tell my younger self,
Is this:

A story will evolve, and you may not see it
Until later on.
Maybe it was there all along.
Or maybe we ‘cherry pick’,
Or tease out a story in hindsight.

There will be chances you have,
And see
Or don’t see.
Chance itself clearly plays a part.
The choices you make
May be right
Or may seem wrong.
The defining moments that set us
On a new course,
May be different from what you think
At the time.

Remember, when we are grown up
At heart, we are each still the child we once were.
It is still in me
And it is still in you.
And there is always scope for growth,
More that you can do.

So, take it all seriously
But not too seriously.
Serendipity is at play.
Don’t overthink and worry too much.
Keep on learning and try to enjoy the ride,
On this rich tapestry
of Chance, Choice and Defining Moments.

©Julie Charlesworth, 2020

by Dr Julie Charlesworth 21/9/20

To those who ‘know their onions’. If someone says you know your onions, it means you are experienced in something or you know a lot about a particular subject. Of course, we should take our work seriously but maybe we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.

And on that note for the weekend I’ve written this very silly short rhyme.

THE FUNNY ONION ©

There was a funny onion 🧅
Whose life felt less appealing
They say I smell.
I make them cry 😢
Bring them to tears.
I don’t know why.

Noses running,
Eyes smarting.
Windy bellies,
Someone’s starting ;)
Who did that?
‘More tea, Vicar?’ ☕️

To the silliest rhymes
In the strangest times.
Let’s bring out the funny ones.
High five to gaffes and lots of laughs
🖐 😂
To those who know their onions.

🧅 🧅 🧅

©Julie Charlesworth, 2020

by Dr Julie Charlesworth 18/9/20

Just for a change I thought I’d post something a little different.
This is a new poem that I have just written.

A HUG ©

A hug
That means so much.
A touch that softly sparks a gentle flame,
Rekindling the embers.
Generating warmth.
A glow.

Behold I am alive.
My weeping, yearning soul is calmed
And I can breathe again.

©Julie Charlesworth, 2020

Here’s to love and laughter. Take care. Stay safe.

by Dr Julie Charlesworth 30/07/20

Have you been feeling confounded? There may be different approaches to consider when your original plans are thwarted.

CONFOUNDED? ©

Well, that was it then.
All my plans,
Everything up in the air!
Except of course the planes.
They were grounded.

And I was a bit confounded!

©Julie Charlesworth, 2020

But not for long. As many people have found, and can still find, there are different ways to ‘meet up’or celebrate.
And we will rise again – literally, figuratively or metaphorically.
…..

Ruby Wedding in Lockdown

The photos show how Hubby and I spent our special anniversary in lockdown earlier in the month – in a tent in our back garden with fish ‘n’ chips and Prosecco. Not quite what we had planned but very different and so much fun 😂.

The tent is the present from me to Hubby.
I knew he’d love it – but 😬 wondering now what I have committed myself to 😂.

by Dr Julie Charlesworth 25/6/20

People are looking to scientists for answers, and scientists are working all-out to provide solutions to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. I think it is timely to put this in perspective and consider aspects of how science works. Notwithstanding that absolute certainty cannot necessarily be achieved, scientists aim to facilitate evidence-based decisions. A few thoughts are captured in a short piece I have written in verse.

SCIENCE AND UNCERTAINTY ©

People seek answers
And often crave certainty,
Maybe more so in difficult times.

Maybe we cannot always
Know everything.
It is good to acknowledge that.

And that is a scientific approach.

Scientists seek evidence.
Test hypotheses.
Are prepared to change
Their opinions,
In the light of new evidence…

They may propose new hypotheses
Seek evidence
And so it goes…

On the way,
Science may develop products
Or deeper understanding.
Either of these or both together
Are worthy aims and outcomes.

Research often brings surprises,
Which may prove to be
Even more important
Than the original notion.

Curiosity is a driver.
Tenacity and persistence are necessary.
Collaboration helps.
Openness is better for all.

Uncertainty is accepted.
Integrity is key.

©Julie Charlesworth, 2020