Today is International Pronouns Day, so please let me introduce myself to you, again. (And again.) Hello, my name is Frances, and my pronouns are…
It’s been four years since the world stopped and mass isolations began to take place in many nations and communities. Indeed, my own COVID isolation…
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…
Regular Just Frances readers will know that I have a rare bleeding disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). But what they may not know is that…
Some days, I think about how lonely I am, and about how I want to find someone to share my life with. I think about…
I think one of the hardest things about dating as a widow(er) is the guilt that comes along with it. Worse is that some of…
Dating is hard. Dating in your late 30s and early 40s is hard. Dating as a widow is hard. And trying to do all three…
From time to time, I get emails from people reading my blog. And today was one of those days. It seems that a relatively new widow, Lucy*,…
Sometimes I feel like the world is laughing at me; like life is laughing at me. Sometimes I feel like my entire life has been one failed…
I woke up this morning and checked my Facebook feed whilst waiting for my snooze cycle to end. Only what I read angered me so…
My parents were really mean when I was growing up. They were so mean that they denied my sisters and me access to essential vitamins and minerals.…
I decided quite some time ago that I was ready to date again, though I admit to not actually doing anything about it. It’s not because I secretly don’t…
It’s been more than four years since my husband died and I’ve yet to enter into a new relationship. I’ve now had four first dates…
There’s something ever-so frustrating about the way life and love mix. We want so desperately to be part of a couple, but when someone reaches…
I decided to treat myself to a manicure before the Edinburgh Whisky Fringe more than five weeks ago and was talked into trying out the gel manicure…
Today I learned that I have another obstacle to manoeuvre around before applying for my new student visa. Apparently, because I will be in a computer-based…
Today I was meant to run the Donkey Brae 7-Miler in Aberdour, only the rain scuppered my plans. Not because I can’t run in the rain. Not because…
I’ve been a little quiet lately, and it seems that my absence from the digital world has been noticed. I guess that when people expect…
I am a runner. I eat pizza. I drink beer. And I look good naked*. I realise that’s a bit of an odd opening line,…
For the vast majority of my adult life, I have been alone. I’ve only ever had one “real” boyfriend (after having briefly dated a not-nice…