A new year means new goals! For 2021, my primary goals are all about holding myself accountable (to myself), creating and maintaining the balance between…
I had some bold ambitions for 2020 but, like most of the world, many of my plans, hopes, and dreams were put on hold because…
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…
I have long been aware of the privileges I have in this world simply because I am a white, Christian, American. That’s not to say…
My primary 2020 resolution is to be a stronger, more confident me. As part of that goal, I am working to identify my strengths and weaknesses,…
My primary goal for 2020 is to be a stronger and more confident me. But if I’m honest, it’s a goal that I have been heading…
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…
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…
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.…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
I am very pleased and extremely relieved to be able to (finally!) announce that I have passed my PhD viva – and with only minor…
As is tradition, a new year means a new resolution. Generally, my resolutions are set as a way to focus on self-improvement in realistic terms.…
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,…
Remember when I talked about the frustrations of the chronically ill? Well, my failed plans for an active November are a part of that frustration! Yes,…
I have been thinking about illness a lot lately. Especially about the frustrations of being chronically ill. Even more about the frustrations of being chronically…
This past weekend marked one year since I started taking tolvaptan. In that year, I have learned quite a bit about how to manage the medication…
2017 is over. It was meant to be my “year of doing” but, alas, it would seem that it was a year undone. Undone, indeed*.…