My latest crochet project is complete: A “nap blanket” for my father using wool from my mother’s vast collection that I inherited over the summer.…
I spent the last two Saturdays counting trees for the Roslin Moat 2020 Tree Survey. Hundreds and hundreds of trees. It was not only a…
Because running a half-marathon isn’t adventurous enough, yesterday afternoon was spent in East Lothian exploring the Thorntonloch Coast with a friend. Of course, it was…
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…
At the end of 2018, I had a last-minute idea to use an A5 notebook as a weekly to-do book. The notebook was just a…
The last three weekends have been quite busy for me, with fun activities to keep me busy. The first weekend was the annual Roslin Village…
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…
Regular readers will know that my PhD Dreams have been an important part of my life for a few years now. And excitedly, my PhD Dreams will…
That’s my final thesis submitted and all of the paperwork completed for my PhD graduation on the 4th of July. Are you as excited as I…
I am very pleased and extremely relieved to be able to (finally!) announce that I have passed my PhD viva – and with only minor…
Today is Thursday, 21 February. I was born on Thursday, 21 February. And on this very Thursday, 21 February, I am 21 in Scrabble tiles.…
One of the lovely things about living so near to the Rosslyn Chapel and the Roslin Glen is that I can explore them whenever I want. And…
Yesterday’s adventure day out was a trip to the Anatomical Museum at The University of Edinburgh. The museum was never really on my radar, but I learned through last…
I took part in a fun, blood-themed scavenger hunt yesterday. The event, Bloodscape, was designed to explore changing blood trends as part of the 2018 Being Human…
As thesis season continues, I am starting to feel more and more confident that I will manage to complete my thesis without (too terribly much) stress. And…
With August now upon us, I am aware that only three months are remaining for “thesis season”. And that is a scary realisation when I…
Wow! It is the 1st of July already. And that means that my PhD thesis is due in just four months. Yikes! Of course, that means that…
Today was another climb up Arthur’s Seat, as part of my goal to climb the hill at least once a month for the whole of 2018.…
I spent a bit of time exploring the “old” Cle Elum cemetery when I was in the Homeland this summer. And in doing so (and talking…
In recent weeks, I have been busy presenting work related to my PhD. The first two of these presentations were workshops designed to help others understand…