Tag Archives: Fun & Magic

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

Posted on April 13, 2021 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 Janked-Up Ladybug?

Posted on August 19, 2020 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 May 23, 2017 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 April 20, 2017 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 April 18, 2017 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 June 24, 2016 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 →

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Picking all the flowers

Posted on June 2, 2016 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 April 7, 2016 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 February 14, 2016 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 November 3, 2015 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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