It has finally happened: I am now a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland citizen*. That means no more visas, no more immigration…
I’ve just spent a few days playing tourist in The Other Washington (DC) and am feeling nice and relaxed having enjoyed my last holiday break…
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,…
It’s been a busy month of entertaining American guests here at Castle Ryan. My first overnight guest, Jo, showed up the first week of June.…
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.…
And with that, another Homeland Holiday has ended. And, as always, I am left sad and heartbroken after leaving behind so many people who I…
As part of my mission to travel more in 2023, I have enjoyed a mini-holiday away to sunny Miami, Florida. Whilst most of my travels…
A month ago, I woke to the sad news that my dear friend didn’t wake up. The news came as a shock, and I wanted…
I spent the weekend camping along the Northumbrian Coast in northeast England and I am feeling relaxed and rejuvenated now. It was a nice way…
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…
Yesterday was a day of geocaching with my friend and his wee dug. And not just a day of geocaching: A record-breaking day of geocaching.…
Once again, my Homeland Holidays have come to an end, and I am slowly settling back into life in The Heartland. And, oh, how my…
My primary 2022 goal is to “seek answers, solutions, or improvement for life, the universe, and everything” – a goal set in part because 20+22=42.…
My mother’s funeral was yesterday. It began with a Rosary and ended with rifle fire. Just the way she would have wanted it. It’s still…
A few days ago, I shared a post about my mother and what she meant (means) to me. But she wasn’t just my mother, she…
On Tuesday, 29 April 1947, my mother was born. Sadly, on Monday, 24 January 2022, she died. That means that she is not here with…
I spent the last two Saturdays counting trees for the Roslin Moat 2020 Tree Survey. Hundreds and hundreds of trees. It was not only a…
After nearly three months of the COVID19 lockdown and related social distancing and self-isolation practices, I have enjoyed a day of socialising with a friend.…
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…
I am allowing someone to enter into my little holiday bubble this year. She’s an American PhD student who is “fresh off the boat”, so I extended…