Tag Archives: Fun & Magic

Follow me on Facebook for more info on stress/trauma/PTSD/CPTSD

Posted on 2021-04-13 by Shay

When you follow my TraumaAwareAmerica page on Facebook you can receive and find great info, tips, tidbits, insights, art, news, humor, and more about stress/PTSD/Complex PTSD and recovery, neurobiology, and mental health in general. Be sure to join the TraumaAwareAmerica … Continue reading →

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Who is Della the Badass Ladybug?

Posted on 2020-08-19 by Shay

Della the Janked-Up Ladybug™ is a fairly recent arrival to my art. I’m interested in the cartoon as a medium that offers a measure of safety to viewers, so they can take in something that might otherwise be overwhelming. My … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Fun & Magic, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

J.B. the Philadelphia laundry mule driver

Posted on 2017-05-23 by Shay

 If you are lucky, perhaps once in your life the combination of a beautiful day, an unusually good mood, a snap decision based on a moment’s recognition of another’s struggle, and the inclination to trust the kindness of a stranger … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Fun & Magic, Kindness | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The flying fish of fate

Posted on 2017-04-20 by Shay

A year ago today I met a delightful elderly woman on the train when I traveled from Wilmington DE to Wilmington NC on my way to help with a private yacht transit to East Greenrich RI, over 800 miles away. … Continue reading →

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HEAVEN under tow USCG-approved bacon-chipotle stovetop granola bars

Posted on 2017-04-18 by Shay

Although the 1,555 mile delivery of HEAVEN–a leaky, creaky, stinky, noisy, and unseaworthy Lagoon 42 catamaran–was greatly trying and a minor disaster, a few good things did come of it. Like the recipe for HEAVEN Under Tow USCG- Approved Bacon-Chipotle … Continue reading →

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When pinched for time, slow down

Posted on 2016-06-24 by Shay

I was running late for an appointment in another state, and realized there was no way I could make it on time. Not even close. Instead of stressing and trying to get there as fast as possible but still failing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Picking all the flowers

Posted on 2016-06-02 by Shay

Picking flowers can be a radical act. My former husband would “forget” my birthday and other occasions, long before the formal divorce process began. About 10 years ago, a friend, who knew this about my then husband, asked me what I was going … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun & Magic, Kindness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Leap into the void

Posted on 2016-04-07 by Shay

During my transition from single-parent-homeowner-commuter-office-worker to itinerant sailor, I often said that the process was a kind of suicide, a killing off of an old life, of what no longer served me, of the person I had been. Like one … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, sailing, Thriving | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Hands empty, heart full

Posted on 2016-02-14 by Shay

My mother taught me to never show up empty handed, so I stopped at the Whole Foods in Silver Spring to pick up something to take to a Servas event. Parking was scarce on that Sunday afternoon in late January, which meant that … Continue reading →

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A secret wish come true

Posted on 2015-11-03 by Shay

On Day 9 of my epic sail from Galesville, MD to Ponce, Puerto Rico, at about 1435, I was sitting on the port bench seat when I heard what I thought was a dolphin blow. “A dolphin!” I called, so … Continue reading →

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