Jacqueline Sheehan's Blog, page 3

No Girls Allowed

I wanted soccer before soccer wanted me. It is hard to imagine when girls were barred from a sport that is now so integral to every town�s recreation department. I sound like the last dinosaur roaming the earth when I tell this tale, but it is true.

When I was in sixth grade

In Praise of Fairy Godmothers

I've been thinking about mothers lately. My friend and yoga teacher, Charles MacInerney guest blogs with his essay about a fairy god-mother in England who offered him the gift of listening.

In Praise of Fairy Godmothers
by Charles F. MacInerney

I was fortunate growing up to have had two mothers - my real mother and my Fairy Godmother.

When I was 6 years old we moved to England and spent 10 years living in Bladon, a small village in Oxfordshire. Anne Sherman was my first and best friend. Our houses faced each other across a pasture

Polly Bergen's Cashmere

Dear Polly Bergen. You died two months ago. I attended your estate sale last week. But I have to be honest; I wasn�t entirely sure I could remember who you were, so I looked you up. And by the way, I bought two of your cashmere sweaters.

You were a stage, screen and

How to Live with a Ghost

How to Share a rental with a Ghost

A few years ago, I rented a house on Peaks Island, Maine while writing one of my books. The house had been unoccupied for a year. The ferry arrived just as it was getting dark. I called the island taxi and a ruffled man drove me

The Cure for Political Gridlock

I have a plan for the political gridlock and general bad behavior in Washington, DC. They�re going to hire my friend Anne and me to take them to Adventure Camp. By them, I mean our Senators; the Congress may require more help than we can offer.

Anne and I have been friends for

Yard Sale Rules Revealed

Yard Sale Rules Revealed

It�s that time of year again. Someone has hauled their treasures to their yard, driveway, or carport and we are free to treasure hunt. Here in Western Mass we call them tag sales. Everyone else in the country insists on calling them something else, like yard sales or garage

Selling Great Aunt Hilda

I sold Great Aunt Hilda. I tried to sell her on Craig�s List, but it was not until I listed her in the local paper that the deal was closed. As soon as I met the buyer, I understood why Craig�s List hadn�t been the right place for her. Hilda had

Evidence that Typos Are a Unique Life Form

Evidence exists that typos are in fact sentient beings. Or in this case, they look a lot like horses and they are plenty sentient. Please note the photo. For years I had suspected that I had examined every word of stories, essays, newsletters, and most recently Facebook postings, until there were absolutely no typos.

RIP Laptop

After a long life, my Mac Book has gone on to its eternal rest. I purchased it in 2005, used, and I couldn�t ask for a sturdier work horse. I was not initially an Apple fan, and in fact, I still live a 50/50 life, pounding away at my Dell PC when I�m at

A Snowy Day for Two Writers

New Englanders love spring and the evidence of spring�s arrival was everywhere last week. Migrating birds had returned, tiny buds had popped out of the ground, and the air had a delicious sweetness to it. And then slam! A late snowstorm rolled in and dropped six inches of snow that had the consistency