Yesterday was the 4th of July, which means Independence Day in America. And that means parades, barbeques, fireworks, and for some of us, Fun Runs!…
A few days ago, I shared a post about my mother and what she meant (means) to me. But she wasn’t just my mother, she…
Today, I am 48 years old. And today hurts. Not because I’m 48, but rather because I am now officially older than my late husband.…
Today is the Lunar New Year, marking the Year of the Tiger. This is an important “zodiac” sign* for me because I was born in…
I have enjoyed a nice, relaxing Christmas in Cle Elum with my parents. And I have to say, it’s been wonderful, although not a typical…
I built my first gingerbread house today, and I loved it! Not least because I built it with my darling Godson, whom I’ve not seen…
I’m home! After 856 days away, I have finally returned home to hug my parents. (Real hugs are way better than proxy hugs!) I began…
Today should be a big celebration to mark my husband’s 60th birthday. But, as with too many years before, he is not here to celebrate;…
Today marks 20 years since I first arrived in Scotland for “just one year” as a study abroad student. At the time, I never expected…
Life has changed so much in the last 16 months, but life has also been very static. Yes, everything has changed, and nothing has changed,…
Today is my 47th birthday and to celebrate, I ran 47 furlongs! Which I know seems weird, but I like to have a bit of…
I don’t really celebrate my birthday, however, in recent years I have marked the occasion by treating myself to a nice present or a trip…
Today is Independence Day in America and, as an American, I always like to mark the day – even though I live in Scotland. Because…
It has been 10 years since JustFrances.com entered the blogosphere, so I thought it was time for a reflective post to mark the milestone. After all, the average…
And with that, it’s time for another annual re-cap post. Although quite how we’ve got to 31 December 2019, I couldn’t tell you! Yet, here…
I am allowing someone to enter into my little holiday bubble this year. She’s an American PhD student who is “fresh off the boat”, so I extended…
I had a fantastic weekend in Glasgow with friends, despite being a bit run down from last week’s trip to London and Surrey for work.…
I have been off on my Homeland Holidays the last couple of weeks, and am now home in Scotland settling back into my daily routine.…
I cleared out my PhD office at Edinburgh Napier University today. It was a bit of a strange feeling as I know that I will be back in the…
It has been a long time coming, but I am finally a doctor. Oh yes, I am now officially Dr Frances Ryan. The PhD kind…