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Just Frances

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Category: Musings & Ramblings

Posts under this category tend to be reflective and at times a form of my own “talk therapy” as the act of writing down my thoughts and feelings can sometimes help me to work through them. I try not to be political or controversial in what I write, so you won’t find many of my “world views” shared here. (But in this COVID-pandemic world, I urge my fellow humans to wear a mask, social distance, and get the blood vaccine when it’s offered to you!)

Posted on22 June 201217 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

I can open doors

by Just Frances6 Comments on I can open doors

There is a debate that I have with one of my sisters quite often, and since it came up on Facebook again, I’m going to…

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Posted on17 June 201217 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

The bestest Daddy

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on The bestest Daddy

I didn’t have the perfect childhood. I didn’t have perfect parents. I didn’t grow up with money or material possession that caused envy of those…

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Posted on16 June 201217 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

I dreamt a dream

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on I dreamt a dream

I wrote this poem a few weeks ago when life was going great and my future was filled with hope: job prospects; PhD funding opportunities;…

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Posted on14 June 201217 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

Getting back into the [blogging] game

by Just Frances4 Comments on Getting back into the [blogging] game

You may have noticed that I’ve been rather quiet these past few weeks. Maybe you’ve found that refreshing or maybe you’ve been wondering where I’ve…

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Posted on8 June 201217 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

Counting my chickens

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Counting my chickens

A couple of weeks ago, I sat looking at my eggs. They were held in separate baskets and they looked so pretty; so promising. And,…

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Posted on23 April 201217 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

The Desiderata way of life

by Just Frances4 Comments on The Desiderata way of life

It’s time to answer another of your questions so I’m going back to the first request to write about a poem that has stirred great emotions for…

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Posted on21 April 201217 July 2021Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

Without regret

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Without regret

OK, I’m going to answer another question from when I asked what you wanted me to write about. The second question was if I believed in…

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Posted on18 April 201216 July 2021Health & Wellness, Musings & Ramblings

Say no to bunny boilers!

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Say no to bunny boilers!

There is a new campaign against stalking starting in the UK today and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to talk about stalking on…

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Posted on13 April 201216 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

The world is filled with beautiful things

by Just Frances1 Comment on The world is filled with beautiful things

It’s poetry day again. I don’t know if this is any good, and I may play with it a bit before calling it final, but…

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Posted on8 April 201216 November 2022Musings & Ramblings

An Easter reflection

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on An Easter reflection

Easter Sunday is rolling to a close and I’m sitting here thinking about how wonderful my life is because of my Saviour, the Lord Jesus…

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Posted on31 March 201216 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

Out of place

by Just Frances6 Comments on Out of place

As I walked into town this afternoon, I noticed a dandelion growing in a wall along the pavement. It was sticking out brightly against the…

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Posted on28 March 201218 August 2021Musings & Ramblings

Journalist? Blogger? Writer.

by Just Frances6 Comments on Journalist? Blogger? Writer.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks working on a paper that asked if there should be regulations or laws to distinguish between what professional…

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Posted on15 March 201216 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

Ode to a St Patrick’s Day Martini

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Ode to a St Patrick’s Day Martini

What’s that? The Martinis! Facebook page (now defunct) is running a poetry competition? And I do love a nice Martini, so how can I resist…

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Posted on14 March 201216 July 2021Health & Wellness, Musings & Ramblings

An ode to my platelets

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on An ode to my platelets

Once again, I’ve found myself with a lower-than-ideal platelet count. Well, it was very low last week (13!) and I had them re-tested today. Hopefully,…

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Posted on10 March 201216 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

Random thoughts: Last of the big spenders

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Random thoughts: Last of the big spenders

Random thoughts – Week 5: List the top 12 things you can buy with your last $20. This challenge all comes down to interpretation. So, here’s how…

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Posted on8 March 201216 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

My shattered ego

by Just Frances10 Comments on My shattered ego

­I’ve gone back and forth over if I would share a specific sliver of my life with you or not. And I almost chose not.…

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Posted on3 March 201216 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

YouTube trails

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on YouTube trails

I decided to spend the day on the couch to rid myself of my latest cold. (Two colds since the New Year? Well that totally…

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Posted on1 March 201216 July 2021Musings & Ramblings

Random thoughts: The wisdom of age

by Just Frances4 Comments on Random thoughts: The wisdom of age

Random thoughts – Week 4: Write a story about letting go, where the main character is a factory worker and a locket is a key object in…

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Posted on26 February 201216 July 2021Health & Wellness, Musings & Ramblings

Random thoughts: Simple pleasures

by Just Frances1 Comment on Random thoughts: Simple pleasures

Random thoughts – Week 3: List 31 simple pleasures; pick one and write about it. Last year I was challenged to write a list of 30 things…

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Posted on24 February 201212 March 2022Culinary Arts, Health & Wellness, Musings & Ramblings

Hunger pains

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Hunger pains

I’ve been thinking about hunger for a few days now – ever since I signed up to participate in Art House Co-op’s “The Meal” project. The project…

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About Just Frances

Just Frances is a personal website maintained by me, Frances Ryan. I am a quirky runner, writer, thinker, drinker, crafter, adventurer, and researcher. I am also a daughter, sister, aunty, friend, and widow. But mostly, I am just Frances. (She/Her)

I blog about my life, including my travels and adventures, my experiences with PKD and ITP, my life as a young(ish) widow, and my life in general, really. Learn more about the topics I write about here.

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