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Just Frances

Just Frances

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Tag: grief

Posted on23 March 202112 April 2021Everyday Life, Health & Wellness, Musings & Ramblings

The year that wasn’t: My year of COVID19 isolation

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on The year that wasn’t: My year of COVID19 isolation

Today marks one year since the UK’s COVID19 lockdown measures became “law” – three days after the “stay home” orders were announced. Since then, the…

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Posted on21 February 202122 February 2021Everyday Life, Fitness & Exercise, Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

47 furlongs for 47 years

by Just Frances2 Comments on 47 furlongs for 47 years

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…

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Posted on28 October 2020Everyday Life, Health & Wellness, Widow Life

Widow dreams, again

by Just Frances1 Comment on Widow dreams, again

This morning was one of those days. It was one of those days when I woke up and I wasn’t a widow. I woke up…

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Posted on10 October 202011 October 2020Everyday Life, Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

A stroll down Memory Lane

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on A stroll down Memory Lane

Over the past two months I have gone back through every single one of the 1,400+ posts here on my blog, as part of the…

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Posted on21 May 202013 October 2020Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

Mrs missing Mr

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Mrs missing Mr

Today would have been my 15th wedding anniversary. And in this very strange time of social distancing and self-isolation, I find myself missing Paul even…

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Posted on26 April 20209 October 2020Travel & Adventure, Widow Life

A pilgrimage by proxy

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on A pilgrimage by proxy

Today marks 11 years since my beloved husband, Paul, passed away so unexpectedly. His death has impacted my life more than I ever could have…

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Posted on7 September 201924 September 2020Everyday Life, Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

Thoughts on crumbling stones

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Thoughts on crumbling stones

On my way to the Death Café a couple of weeks ago, I wandered through a couple of old kirkyards at the base of the Edinburgh Castle.…

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Posted on30 August 201928 September 2020Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

Death and cake

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Death and cake

I attended my first “Death Café” last weekend. I had heard about these events in the past but had never had the time to attend,…

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Posted on21 May 201917 September 2020Widow Life

14 years a Mrs

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on 14 years a Mrs

It has been 14 years since I became Mrs Ryan, although most of that time has been spent as a widow rather than a wife. Yet…

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Posted on28 April 201923 September 2020Musings & Ramblings, Travel & Adventure, Widow Life

The border of Berwick and grief

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on The border of Berwick and grief

On my way home from visiting my late husband’s grave, I stopped off in Berwick-Upon-Tweed for some adventuring. I thought that it would be a good way to…

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Posted on26 April 201923 September 2020Musings & Ramblings, Travel & Adventure, Widow Life

Ten years a widow

by Just Frances1 Comment on Ten years a widow

Today marks ten years of widowhood; ten years since my darling husband died so unexpectedly in the middle of the night. These past ten years have…

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Posted on15 October 20176 October 2020Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

Grief and the art of “moving forward”

by Just Frances4 Comments on Grief and the art of “moving forward”

I am a widow. I was widowed when I was a young woman of 35 and my life has never been the same since. In the…

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Posted on16 June 201729 September 2020Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

It was his loss, too

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on It was his loss, too

When we think about the grieving that happens after the death of a loved one, we often think about the suffering those left behind are…

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Posted on22 May 201724 September 2020Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

Toasting twelve years

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Toasting twelve years

Yesterday was (would have been?) my 12th wedding anniversary. And much like last year, I spent the day distracting myself with my PhD before taking some time to…

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Posted on26 April 201722 September 2020Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

A shattered heart, still beating

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on A shattered heart, still beating

Today marks eight years since his heart stopped beating. And in that very same moment, my own heart shattered into a million pieces. Remarkably, my shattered heart…

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Posted on25 January 201728 September 2020Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

Dangerous widows

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on Dangerous widows

When the Dangerous Women Project was launched last year, I immediately found myself wondering if I was a dangerous woman. I wondered if there was anything about…

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Posted on23 December 201612 November 2020Everyday Life, Widow Life

A Christmas graduation

by Just Frances2 Comments on A Christmas graduation

It’s Christmas Eve Eve (which means that tomorrow is Christmas Eve) and I am acutely aware that this Christmas is different from all of my…

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Posted on24 September 201617 September 2020Travel & Adventure, Widow Life

With love from Zadar

by Just Frances2 Comments on With love from Zadar

Note: This is one of a series of Zadar posts with photos. The other two are: Zadar: A Catholic girl’s paradise and Zadar: Everyday life for an everyday…

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Posted on21 May 201629 September 2020Musings & Ramblings, Widow Life

Dream day

by Just Frances2 Comments on Dream day

Eleven years ago, I entered a beautiful dream world: The dream of happily ever after with my amazing new husband. And whilst being a Mrs…

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Posted on26 April 201622 September 2020Widow Life

April flowers

by Just FrancesLeave a comment on April flowers

Another year has passed since my beloved Paul died. And so, another year has been spent making the journey to lay flowers on his grave. I’d…

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About Just Frances

Just Frances is a silly and pointless website maintained by me, Frances Ryan. I am a quirky runner, writer, thinker, drinker, 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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