My mother died on Monday, 24 January 2022 and I have missed her since her last breath left her body. I will miss her forever,…
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…
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 dug out my Christmas decorations yesterday in anticipation of decorating the cottage in a couple of weeks. And when I dug them out, I…
Last year, I conducted a massive “friend cull” on Facebook. It took about a week to complete the process that, ultimately, led to severing Facebook…
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.…
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…
February is letter-writing month, which means I will be writing a letter a day for the whole of February. Regular readers will know that I am…
One hundred years ago, in 1918, Opha May Johnson became the first woman to (officially*) enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Back then, women were only…
And with that, my Homeland Holidays have come to an end. Yes, after two (and a bit) weeks in America, I am now back in Scotland; back…
Today, I became a Godmother. Again. This time, to my wee nephew, Cameron. And whilst all of my Godchildren – and indeed, all of my nieces and…
I am in The Homeland for my summer holidays. Two weeks of family, friends, and fun. And, hopefully, a bit of nice weather! The big…
March is PKD Awareness month, so I thought I would take the time to talk about how PKD affects my liver. (Oh, yes, polycystic kidney…
Today’s post* is brought to you by a writing prompt. The prompt is to “write a list of your favourite holiday activities”. I wanted to…
I spent last week in Washington, DC for an academic conference. But as luck would have it, I was able to catch up with several friends…
After three wonderful weeks in the Homeland, I am heading home to my Heartland of Scotland. My bags are packed, I’ve checked in at the airport, and…
One of the great things about my American holidays this year has been the reunions. Each of my three weekends has brought another group together, which means…
Today was one of those “once in a lifetime” moments that I hope (and expect!) will happen more than once in my lifetime: A total eclipse…
I always knew how lucky I was to grow up in the beauty of Upper Kittitas County. I loved that I could escape into the woods…