Category Archives: aging well

Bubble Gum, Bobby Socks, Malt Shops

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“The best things in life comes in threes like friends, dreams and memories.” ~ Mencius

It’s Friday! Let’s have a little more fun thinking of the past.

Yesterday’s blog motivated me to dig up some more nostalgia that I hope you baby boomers will enjoy. I don’t know about you but, when I think bobby socks, I automatically think bubble gum. Who among you remembers these lyrics?

Does your chewing gum loose it’s flavor on the bedpost over night?

Does your mother say to spit it out, and you swallow it in spite?

For those baby boomers who are considering writing memoirs and are having troubles getting started, I am giving you a few writing prompts in today’s blog. Here’s your homework over the weekend. Chose one of them and jot down your thoughts.

bubble gum and bobbie socks

I know, you don’t like homework and I can hear y’all whining now “What a drag! The teacher gave us a heap of homework over the weekend. I was going to go down to the malt shop for a frappe and hang out. Then to the sock hop. Now I’ll have to stay home and write!”

Well, here is a little homework help. If the picture and lyrics weren’t enough to stir your memories, perhaps this video will.

Have a great weekend everybody. This weekend shake a leg and get your own T-W-E-E-T, T-W-E-E-T thing going.  See you right back here on All Things Fulfilling on Monday!

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Bringing Memories Alive

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We do not know the true value of our moments until they have undergone the test of memory.” ~ Georges Duhamel

Today on Thirsty Thursday, I’m sharing this video purely for a little fun and with hopes of stirring your memories. If you are a baby boomer or even more mature than that you may remember this little ditty. If you remember the song and the era, celebrate! That means you still have some of your faculties intact. Hip-hip hurray!

As you listen, scroll through the images below. What do you associate these pictures with? Write your thoughts down.  Ready, set, get started!

 

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haircurlersLamb chop

ice grinder vintage

desks with lift top

diary with key

diaper pinsgummed reinforcement rings for notebook paper

kukla fran and ollie

line dance

evening in paris

library dewey decimal

soda fountain

pincurls

dippity do

little rascals

That’s all for today on All Things Fulfilling. I don’t want to give our aging readers sensory overload. We will dig up some more nostalgic images and share them in the near future!

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Take Time: Celebrate Self

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When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow. ~ unknown

If it’s been a challenging year, and we all have times when it rains on our parade, there is even more to praise for having gotten through it. Sometimes it’s hard to beat our own drum and we need a little help. In this article there are ten good suggestions, in case you are at a loss.

One of the best ways to celebrate self is to tap into your inner child. Walk in the rain, deck yourself out in colors of the rainbow, run in a gunnysack race just for the pure fun of it. Toast up some marshmallows and don’t worry about your waistline, find a swing set in the park and find glory in the feelings of freedom as you soar clear up to the sky.

Find your own bliss and celebrate life!

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This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard. For information on her award-winning publication Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Exploring Roots and Characters

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I believe that the memoir is the novel of the 21st century; it’s an amazing form that we haven’t even begun to tap…we’re just getting started figuring out what the rules are.”  ~ Susan Cheever

Have you ever considered how our lives are made up of stories? Everyone has stories to tell and some people are natural storytellers. However, sometimes getting stories down on paper is not as easy as telling them orally.

Think about family stories for a minute. Unless these rich narratives are written down and published, future generations will never know them. The characters who sprouted from the family tree will be lost.
Not to be overly-dramatic, the truth is that unless we share family stories through the form of memoir writing, in a few generations down the road we risk becoming like be a nation of adoptees who don’t know who their parents or grandparents were.

The good news is, we are living in an age where ordinary people can write and publish their stories independently. You don’t have to have a big family name behind you or sensational story to tell in order to become published. Resources are freely available for ordinary people.

Publishing a story for personal fulfillment is reward enough. But future generations will greatly appreciate knowing something about their family narrative because so many tales just get lost.

family link to the past and bridge to future

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard. Author of an award-winning memoir Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Film Friday: Katzenberg on Movies

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Some time ago on All Things Fulfilling, I wrote about the power of movies as art to heal. Today we will be focusing on changes in the filmmaking industry which may make movie going easier as our population ages.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Dreamworks Animation Chief gave a talk about a year ago at the Beverly Hills’ Milken Global Conference on the Entrepreneurial Leadership in the Corporate World panel. He spoke of his opinions of how the movie industry is going to change in coming years. With the ability of “the cloud” being able to hold a vast amount of content, the window for seeing movies at the theatre will become three weeks. The period of time when receipts are highest for even the biggest blockbuster.

At-the-Movies_Sanctuary-GraphicWhat does all this mean? If you wish to see movies in the big screen, don’t delay. Their runs in the theatre will be much shorter. After that if you want to see a movie, you can pay to watch it on your computer, i-phone or in your home theatre. Depending on the size platform you are using to view the movie, the prices will vary. The larger your screen the higher the price. Interesting concept, and these changes have already begun to take place. Read the full article, it is interesting.

That is the latest development in the world of film and e-commerce has it’s advantages for seniors. If it is not possible to go to the movies there are now a variety of ways of to watch the latest films in the comfort of a living room. That’s all for this Film Friday.

On Sunday I will be posting a story on All Things Fulfilling as a tribute to my dad in honor of Fathers Day. See you then!

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author, Sue Batton Leonard.

 

 

Developing Wiser Ways

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Individually, people are finding that a simpler lifestyle provides greater satisfaction than relentless pursuit of materialism. ~ Laurance Rockefeller

Millennials who were wise, learned something from seeing their parents go through difficult financial times when the “crash” came in 2008.

Many have become more creatively economical in their way of living than the previous generation. They are designing lifestyles that are more sustainable rather than acquiring massive debt just to “keep up with Joneses.”  I found this article interesting.

What do we really need to personally fulfill us? That’s the big question. I recently was a guest on a radio blog talk show called a Living a Richer Life voicing my opinion about this very subject. You can listen in by following this link.

It’s been evidenced time and time again by people who have obsessive buying habits that after they go on a buying binge, the feelings of fulfillment lasts only for a little while. In order to be satisfied once again, they need to go on another buying fling. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Here is a great article from the wellnessbucket.com that states five daily habits that contribute to feelings of satisfaction and personal fulfillment.

mistakes as stepping stonesFor those who have done research on the topic of finding joy, many say emptying the bucket of materialistic things and replacing it with these five daily habits can start your journey toward personal fulfillment and happiness.

This blog is brought to you the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

 

 

 

Vintage Ski Family

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Stretch pants – the garment that made skiing a spectator sport.  ~ Author Unknown

IMG_20150526_111915_634I was greeted by sweet Sophie, a stunning cocker spaniel, when I walked into Mountain Traditions. With her smatterings of white and black markings, she reminded me of a container of Oreo cookie ice cream. I’m such a softie when it comes to dogs. I heard her say she wanted to come home with me, I swear I did.  But her owner, Kenton Stratton wouldn’t let her. He said she likes greeting customers too much and she would miss it.

So, I stayed awhile and visited with Sophie and enjoyed the nice variety of vintage ski images in the store which took me back to my childhood days of skiing with my family. Seeing the wooden posters was almost as good as a trip through a ski history museum, such as The Tred of Pioneers here in Steamboat or the ski history museum in Vail or the Vermont Ski Museum in Stowe. I love seeing the old ski fashions and ski equipment displayed. It’s fun stuff.

If you are a baby boomer who grew up skiing with your mom and dad and your siblings like I did, you’ll relate to these images. They make great gifts!

I am grateful that I was able to get permission from Kenton Stratton to take these photographs to share with you. Take a trip down memory lane through these vintage ski images or better yet, go visit Sophie at Mountain Traditions in her new location in the Lower Courtyard of Old Town Square, 635 Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat Springs, CO. Take a dog biscuit with you, Kenton says Sophie is always hungry!

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Want some of these vintage placards to decorate the walls of your ski house or chalet but it’s too far to travel? Visit the website. http://www.mountaintraditions.com/

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So, family – when are you coming out to Steamboat? 

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

 

 

Windows into a Life

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“Memoir isn’t the summary of a life; it’s a window into a life” ~ William Zinsser

It was a good turnout on Monday when I spoke with the Routt County Council on Aging about memoir writing. We discussed how to begin writing, ways to stir the memory pot and shorter forms of beginning to create a picture of one’s life.

During the Q & A period, at the end of my presentation, there were a number of very thoughtful questions asked.

One woman wanted to know whether you can start your life story in the here and now and work backwards. “Yes”, I told her, “lots of people do that.” In order to handle it well, it helps to have good developmental editing and perhaps a more skilled author. Flashbacks and the use of various scenes are helpful in writing backwards. We also discussed the importance of selecting only those significant life vignettes that have contributed to forming you as the person you are, rather than including an entire lifetime from beginning to end.

Common-Threads-Logo-300x155 (1)The same woman then followed up with another thoughtful question inquiring whether individual stories can be used as a memoir. I suggested she stitch the stories together with a common thread. Then I went on to mention the common themes that run throughout my award-winning memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, a collection of short stories(anthology).

After the presentation was wrapped up a number of individuals mentioned they are currently working on or have dreams of writing children’s books or novels. Others wish to write their memoirs or tales about other family members. I hope they all actively pursue their writing interests because the good news is  

See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. Have a great day everybody! This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected  or short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

 

Published! At 100 Years Young

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Life is like a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it. ~ Danny Kaye

Today I am scheduled to speak with the Routt County Council of Senior Citizens about memoir writing. I will be im_no_spring_chicken_wooden_signintroducing my publication Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. After discovering the work of Virginia Wade Ames, I am feeling as if I have published my memoir as a spring chicken!

The WayfarersCentenarian Virginia “Ginny” Wade Ames has become a published author at 100 years young. Her book “The Wayfarers: Journeying through a Century of Change” is her latest creative endeavor. She has been an artist all her life and when macular degeneration made it difficult to see, she turned her attention from various mediums of visual arts to writing. She has four more manuscripts in the pipe-line for publication.

Throughout her life she has worked in many mediums – perfecting her passions for silk-screen printing, watercolor, acrylic, and pastel painting.  She has even tried her hand at hat making! To learn more about the art of this amazing woman who has found a lifetime of personal fulfillment through her art, please visit her website.

For information about her book, which is said to be witty and full of advice on how get along with one another, please visit this link.

My husband’s cousin, Mary, had the privilege of having lunch last week with this woman at a facility in Arizona called Lifecare. It came as great surprise to Mary that “Ginny Ames” is 100! Described as bright, vocal and intelligent, she comes across with the vibrancy of a seventy-year old woman.

See you tomorrow. This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on her publications.

 

What is on Your Fulfilling List?

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Last week I was on a blog talk radio show called Living a Richer Life. The discussion of the evening was Finding Your Path to Personal Fulfillment.

The next morning after the show was broadcast I received e-mails from a few listeners who said the show began them thinking about their own lives and their own personal fulfillment. One listener admitted it made him consider his own epitaph. Upon reflection he said he wants his headstone to read “He played every inning.”  If you missed the radio broadcast the evening of the airing, it has been archived and you can listen in at your convenience –  Click here.

Have you begun your  own journey towards personal fulfillment? It is different for each and every one of us. No matter what it looks like it is a fascinating trip towards self-discovery and self-awareness. Listen in to the show and start your trek into parts of yourself that perhaps you’d never realized or thought about before.

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This banner is from Natural Life. They have all sorts of wholesome products.

See you on Monday on All Things Fulfilling. We will be featuring a story about a 100 year old woman who has found fulfillment in publishing her first book. Her entire life has been devoted to art and writing and publishing is her latest accomplishment.

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.