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,…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
I found myself at the top of Arthur’s Seat this past weekend, which means I’ve reached the summit two months in a row – after not having climbed the…
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*.…
Christmas is coming – as are two of my nieces – so I have decked the halls! But the boughs of holly will have to wait for a couple…
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 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…
After returning from my Homeland Holidays at the end of August, I had great hopes for a spectacular September for my PhD. Only I got sick that first…
I’m in my Homeland for three weeks and that means I’m ready for some playtime! This is my first visit home since my Daddy’s 70th birthday party and…
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…
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…
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…
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…
In the early twenty-first century, a young woman’s choice in the West to live unmarried is widely accepted. Equally, thanks to the divorce law reforms…
Anyone paying attention should know by now that the gloriousness of plastic is less than glorious. And, in fact, our planet is in quite a…
Since (a few failed attempts at) re-entering the dating world post-widowhood, I have learned that there are many struggles to dating in the modern era. From the drama…
It seems that 2016 is a year that has left a lot of bitterness for people across the world, for so many reasons. I’ve lost…