I love dinner parties. Indeed, in my former life, Paul and I had monthly dinner parties. We were the only guests at these lavish meals,…
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not (generally) an entertainer. I don’t host parties or gatherings and rarely invite people into my home.…
Welcome to Castle Ryan, my new house that I hope to transform into a home. It was about 16 years ago that I last made…
And so, it begins. I am now a quinquagenarian; more commonly known as a human in their 50s. This is not a bad thing to…
In the past several months, I have hinted at Big Things that are afoot – and I even came close to saying outright said that…
With the start of the new year, it’s time to start thinking about new things. New goals, new adventures, and new life. In recent years,…
My overarching goal for 2023 was “simply me”. The objective was to focus on my needs and to prioritise them a bit (something I have…
Well, it has finally happened. I have finally applied for settled status in the UK. And let me just say, it’s not been without a…
It has been more than 22 years since I first arrived in Scotland, and now it’s time to test my knowledge of this place I…
I found a photo of Mum a couple of months ago, taken the day after her 48th birthday. As I looked at it, I smiled…
I took another big leap into The Real World yesterday, and I am not completely certain it was the right thing to do or how…
Today marks the halfway point of 2022 – and the halfway point for my goal of running 750 miles for the year. All thanks to…
It’s now been 13 years since my beloved husband, Paul, died suddenly and unexpectedly. It’s a strange feeling, being this far from the immediate grief…
I had so many amazing plans for a motivated, positive start to 2022. But here I am, at the start of the third month of…
Today is the Lunar New Year, marking the Year of the Tiger. This is an important “zodiac” sign* for me because I was born in…
It’s another new year, and I feel it’s going to be a chaotic one. Which is more reason for me to set some goals and…
As always, I had some pretty bold ambitions for 2021. And, as always, I had to let go of some of my goals along the…
And that, my friends, is another annual running goal met with success! Every mile I run for the rest of the year is gravy. And…
I have a new job; one that I have dreamt of for more than 20 years. Yes, as of this week, I am a Lecturer*…
I have been holding my breath for the past several weeks, anxiously awaiting news on my new work visa. As I shared at the start…