Ten years ago today, I became Mrs Ryan. I stood there at the altar in front of God, family, and friends – with my beloved Paul beside me – and…
I mentioned a while back that my life was suffering because I was unable (and in some ways, unwilling) to set a few routines for myself. So…
Clutter is everywhere. It’s in our closets. It’s in our kitchen cupboards. It’s in our bathroom cabinets. It’s in our desk drawers. It’s in our…
I rolled over this morning in a sleepy haze to snuggle up to Paul, sure he would be there lying next to me. But he…
Eight years ago today, my dear friend Joe passed away. And next Sunday will mark the sixth anniversary of my beloved husband, Paul’s, death. And…
I spoke the other day about the higher-than-normal levels of personal stress I’m experiencing, and that I feel I need a break from my current way of…
Life is hard these days and sometimes I wonder what my limits are. Sometimes I wonder how many more disappointments and frustrations I can manage…
I think one of the hardest things about dating as a widow(er) is the guilt that comes along with it. Worse is that some of…
Dating is hard. Dating in your late 30s and early 40s is hard. Dating as a widow is hard. And trying to do all three…
From time to time, I get emails from people reading my blog. And today was one of those days. It seems that a relatively new widow, Lucy*,…
The weather forecast today was for sleet and snow. But I was enticed out for a walk with a friend, so bundled up to face…
Astute Just Frances readers may know that today is my 41st birthday. And curious readers may wonder how I celebrated the day. So, that’s what…
Today is my last day as a 40-year-old woman. It’s the last day of what I had hoped would be an empowering and fabulous year of…
As part of February’s letter-writing challenge, I’ve decided that I need to think a little more about who I write to. Obviously, I can write to…
My favourite colour is green and has been since I was a young child. I’m sure most people know that, but I doubt that anyone…
What do the words “you’re pretty” and “you’re wrong” have in common? I struggle to accept them! Compliments and criticisms are very similar to me in that way. Although…
I’ve decided to dedicate February to getting back into a good, healthy routine. The idea is this: If I can re-focus enough of my energies,…
Sometimes I feel like the world is laughing at me; like life is laughing at me. Sometimes I feel like my entire life has been one failed…
What’s a penny worth to you? Is it worth stopping what you’re doing so that you can bend over and pick it up? What if…
I took myself into town today for some sightseeing and struggled over how I felt about the day. I had originally planned to spend the…