As 2018 winds to a close, I find myself reflecting on the year and how I’ve fared over the last 12 months. And, as always,…
Tucked away in the Pentland Hills is a memorial to the Tytler family of Woodhouselee. It is so very near to my cottage, yet I have…
For my Boxing Day adventure, I decided to revisit one of my favourite “quick” walks: Castlelaw Hill, in the Pentland Hills by way of the Castlelaw hill fort and souterrain. The…
This afternoon I enjoyed a Christmas Eve walk into Pentland Hills to visit the Battle of Rullion Green memorial with my housemate. The weather was a bit colder than…
I ran today. And I will run tomorrow. And the next day. And, if all goes well, I will be running every day in December.…
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 any regular Just Frances reader will know, my PhD Dreams began a few years ago. And my actual PhD studies began nearly five years ago. And now,…
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…
It was nearly five years ago that I first felt a lump in my breast and panicked about the possibility of cancer. At that time, a quick…
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 was another wonderful day of enjoying my Homeland Holiday. This time, it started out with a drive to Vantage to visit the Wild Horses Monument with my Daddy. Although,…
A Homeland Holiday is never complete without a visit with my best friend. And that means a trip to Portland for some bestie time! Rachel and I…
As part of my Homeland Holidays, I took a short city-break to meet up with a friend from my academic life. It feels a little odd…
This morning started a bit earlier than normal, as it was an adventure day with my Daddy and my Goddaughter, Virginia. The adventure? Climbing Manastash…
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…
I spent the last few days in Penicuik dog sitting Murphy and exploring the local sites. Murphy is a nearly-2-year-old Golden Retriever. His people are…
At the start of the year, I set myself a gentle running goal: A simple sub-30 5K. I chose the goal because I knew it…
Part of my plan to climb Arthur’s Seat (at least) once a month in 2018 is to explore different parts of the hill. So whilst I generally…
I submitted my first post-PhD life job application today, which I am counting as a milestone moment (hence the celebratory bubbles illustrating this post). The…