Shelagh Meagher's Blog, page 6
October 6, 2014
Gumption sneak peek
It’s been three years and hundreds of conversations, interviews and stories in the making. To say nothing of the sweat and tears, the test readers and workshop guinea pigs, the many, many contributors of talent and know-how, the triumphs and disasters, the touching kindnesses both small and large, the slow-mo grind that is tenacity in action, and the enthusiastic […]
September 8, 2014
Saw a seal, didn’t drown
This adventure is about kayaking. On the ocean. It’s important to understand that I’m one of those people who sink fast in water. I didn’t even learn to swim with any ease until my late teens. So, although I’ve canoed and sailed, the idea of trapping myself in a tiny, wobbling craft - with one of those […]
August 22, 2014
My Jenny Lawson ball gown moment
Ah, the power of an in-your-face, crinoline-enhanced ball gown. I was goaded into trying on this bright coral number at a second hand store. Having pulled it off the racks as an example of something that was ridiculously over-the-top, my sister-in-law shamed me into trying it on. My arguments against were valid enough: I have nowhere to […]
August 15, 2014
10 things I learned on my solo road trip
The last time I took a road trip by myself I was in my twenties and driving an MG ragtop down to Florida and back, along the east coast. This time it was a Fiat 500 (about the same size, sunroof only) and I headed off to Nova Scotia. Here are some of the discoveries […]
July 30, 2014
Learning to play polo
When I was at Polo for Heart, where people play like this: A friend spotted a brochure advertising polo lessons. Three weeks later we found ourselves at Chukker Hill Farm, learning how to play. At slightly less speed. Polo is like hockey on horses – fast and physical. Well trained polo ponies know the game, they […]
July 18, 2014
Solo Across the Mongolian Steppes
When I was twelve I watched a movie about Ghengis Khan, starring Omar Sharif. That single viewing sparked a life-long dream to ride across the Mongolian steppes. I never had enough money or time to do it. There were so many other priorities in my family and work, how could I just flit off to a little-traveled […]
July 11, 2014
I dreamed I met Danielle Laporte
Last night I dreamed that I met Danielle Laporte on a plane. Danielle is someone I admire greatly for her ability to do her thing, whether or not I always agree with what she has to say. So when, in my dream, she declared she was a distant cousin of mine, I was thrilled. OK, […]
June 21, 2014
Leaving behind the Hokey Pokey
This new story has just been contributed. Thanks, Catherine! A newly retired woman goes on an exercise adventure to avoid a fate of doing Hokey Pokey classes with 80 year olds for the rest of her life. Using the tools of baby steps, a cheerleader and a guide to discover just what her body can do, […]
June 5, 2014
Newfie on the loose
On the flight back from Nova Scotia this week I sat behind a little old lady. I first noticed she was different than most people when she engaged her seat-mate in conversation. It turns out they had a lot in common, despite a 50 year age gap. Then I noticed how she interacted with the […]
May 27, 2014
Speak up and save your thyroid
While holed up at my sister’s house in Nova Scotia, I was about to use a newspaper page to light the wood stove when I noticed an article that really struck me. Dr. Tara Lantz, writing in the South Shore Breaker:“…a key component to thyroid health is speaking: voicing your feelings, your concerns, your point […]
