About Margot
Born in 2000, Margot went straight into the NICU for a month
GoPro Hero
Everyday, incredible
accomplishments captured on video
Smile!
3 providers, 4 months, 5 appointments, too many phone calls, to fix 1 cavity
Real food, real meals
From drip-feeding a chemical blend to real food. Recipes included!
No "Can't Do"
A new video challenging assumptions about what Margot can enjoy and do.
Siege or surrender
On a Christmas trip to the tropics, I waved a white flag to our new reality.
Prisoner of Routine
Creating functional & fun routines took lots of effort but salvaged our sanity.
Trail Adventures
A blog for the Rails to Trails Conservancy offers tips to help hit the trails.
Leap of faith: Act I
My hopes took a hit, so I needed inspiration to take risks again, like kayaking.
Leap of faith: Act II
Inspired to kayak? From idea to implementation, and a lesson for research.
It's all downhill!
Can Margot learn to ski? With expert help and sensible teaching, yes!
Best summer ever!
After 18 years, getting summer right for Margot and the whole family!
December 12, 2018
Sometimes the simplest question can bring you to the most interesting places. In this case, the question was, how can we have fun with Margot in the wintertime? And the answer? Downhill skiing, of course!
Other stories in this blog detail Margot's adventures on the road, the trails, and the water. None of these adventures are suitable, however, once the snow falls (not quite true, and more about that later). We could simply tell a gratifying though familiar story of inspiration, as we did in Act 1 of learning to kayak with Margot... barriers overcome, and disabilities temporarily erased. No doubt, watching Margot's beaming smile as she skis downhill is immensely satisfying. But if we stop there, we miss the opportunity to tell a story that is far more useful if not delightfully pedantic (at least to implementation nerds like me) of how we actually did it, as we did in Act 2 of learning to kayak with Margot. By breaking down the key elements, we begin to transform seemingly impossible goals (like learning to ski) into possible ones. So for another tale of implementation, keep reading!!
Getting started downhill
Everyone wants a greenway in their town, but these can turn out to be remarkably complex and costly to build, especially given the kinds of local partnerships and politics involved.
Skiing with Margot: Inspiration to Implementation
Everyone wants a greenway in their town, but these can turn out to be remarkably complex and costly to build, especially given the kinds of local
Downhill faster!
Consider what an ELR might look like in real life, using a road outside of our small town of Kennett Square as an example. How does an ELR compare with other options considered, in terms of cost, safety, and benefits to all possible users?
A state of synchro
A design common in Europe but relatively new to North America, an ELR fits a 10' shared travel lane and 2 5' shoulders for cyclists and pedestrians into a 20' roadway. Revolutionary - yes! Magical? Sure seems like it! Accepted everywhere? Not so fast.
About Margot
Born in 2000, Margot went straight into the NICU for a month
GoPro Hero
Everyday, incredible
accomplishments captured on video
Smile!
3 providers, 4 months, 5 appointments, too many phone calls, to fix 1 cavity
Real food, real meals
From drip-feeding a chemical blend to real food. Recipes included!
No "Can't Do"
A new video challenging assumptions about what Margot can enjoy and do.
Siege or surrender
On a Christmas trip to the tropics, I waved a white flag to our new reality.
Prisoner of Routine
Creating functional & fun routines took lots of effort but salvaged our sanity.
Trail Adventures
A blog for the Rails to Trails Conservancy offers tips to help hit the trails.
Leap of faith: Act I
My hopes took a hit, so I needed inspiration to take risks again, like kayaking.
Leap of faith: Act II
Inspired to kayak? From idea to implementation, and a lesson for research.
It's all downhill!
Can Margot learn to ski? With expert help and sensible teaching, yes!
Best summer ever!
After 18 years, getting summer right for Margot and the whole family!