“A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.” – Phyllis McKinley
“We are really seeing a resurgence in the fiber arts,” said Windy Karpavage as I sat in her lovely studio on remote Taylors Island of the Chesapeake several weekends ago. “I just held a week long knitting and felting class at the Dorchester Art Center in Cambridge (Maryland) and it was very well attended. The girls had so much fun and so did I as their teacher.”
There is truth behind the words of the owner of Kaire je Studio. According to an article in Contentment Health Magazine there has been a revival of knitting and other crafts in the fiber arts industry. There is not a lack of articles to substantiate the facts.
I had gone to her studio to seek help with my knitting project. I used to be beyond a beginner in my skills but since I had taken a 27 year hiatus from one of my past hobbies, reading and following knitting instructions sometimes is a little challenging.
Were you paying attention? Sometimes it is the little things that count. Did you see the reference between the medical school mentioned on the August 25th blog posting on www.allthingsfulfilling.com and a highly treasured author of children’s literature? Go to Celebrate Aging and play I SPY and see if you can figure it out.
The beginnings of the creative talent of “the doctor” who has brought millions of children joy became clear to me when I read an article in the September/October 2015 issue of Yankee Magazine. Here is an article that explains it even more.
Now, there is a new generation of books from the Cat in the Hat Learning Library that teach youth the basics of healthy living. They are part of the Healthy America program for Children.
Since future generations of children will benefit from the knowledge aspiring physicians acquire through this famed health institution and its research facility, it seems only logical that the medical school carries the name of an alumni. He has brought smiles to faces of children in many countries through his 47 books. Check it out!
Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. This blog is brought to you by the author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.
Ink on paper is as beautiful to me as flowers on the mountains — God composes, why shouldn’t we? ~Terri Guillemets
Good news came to a group of independent publishers last weekend at the annual EVVY book awards sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. All four of our We Write Steamboat members who were finalists came away with an award. They are as follows:
Major General Louis W Prentiss, Jr. for his book Memories of a Life in the Army (military category)
Erik Landvik for Uncluttered Faith (spirituality/religion)
Jane Stein, author & Pam Duckworth, illustrator for Dear Class: Traveling Around the World with Mrs. J (juvenile non-fiction) and interior design/layout in the technical awards.
Merit Clark’s Killing Streak in the fiction/mystery & detective category and also 3rd place for cover design.
That’s the good news on this Thirsty Thursday from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In the coming weeks more EVVY award winners will be featured on All Things Fulfilling. Stay tuned!
“We can not accomplish all we need to without working together.” ~ Bill Richardson
I wish you could really know the joy I am feeling right now. Last week I found out that four authors in our We Write Steamboat networking group are finalists for five awards in the annual EVVY book contest sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association.
The group was formed in 2011 with a mission of “fostering independent publishing success.” Since then Steamboat authors have been well-represented each year as finalists and award winners. As the founder of the group, I couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished in bringing recognition to this community of writers.
Here is the list of Steamboat’s 2015 EVVY award finalists.
Major General Louis W Prentiss, Jr. for his book Memories of a Life in the Army (military category)
Merit Clark’s Killing Streak in the fiction/mystery & detective category and also finalist for cover design
Erik Landvik for Uncluttered Faith (spirituality/religion)
Jane Stein author & Pam Duckworth, illustrator for Dear Class: Traveling Around the World with Mrs. J (juvenile non-fiction)
What a gift it has been to live and work among a community of independent publishers. I must also give recognition to the Steamboat Writers Group. Their expertise and knowledge with regards to critiquing works in progress is very valuable and that is why for thirty-plus years the group has held together.
It’s a joyful time for all of the independent publishers who are finalists in the EVVY competition. Good luck to everyone! All Things Fulfilling will be posting more information about the 2015 EVVY award-winning authors in coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Tomorrow I will be featuring an artist whose life calling has gone from farm boy in Virginia to dentist to author/independent publisher and internationally acclaimed scultpure artist. Now there’s a story!
This blog is brought to you by two time 2014 EVVY award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.
We can never get a re-creation of community and heal our society without giving our citizens a sense of belonging.— Patch Adams
What makes a great community? As an outsider, I’ve noticed things the 2014 Winner of the Coolest Small Town in America, Berlin, Maryland has in common with Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the town I’ve called home for the past seven years.These elements are what, in my opinion, helps a community to thrive.
Cohesion between a strong Main Street Association and the local Council on the Arts
People who are forward-thinkers, not afraid of change but respect the past.
A strong volunteer base who want to contribute to building a town that others will envy.
Leaders who understand the history behind the community and what makes it unique.
Berlin, Maryland “Historically Charming & Artistically Alive & Eternally Young” has been the location site of two movies, which no doubt has helped bring notariety to the community. Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere was filmed there in 1998 and contributed 27.5 million dollars to the local economy. In 2001 Berlin was transformed into a town at the turn of the century with dirt roads, period costumes and horses and carriages for the film Tuck Everlasting. Actors Sissy Spacek, Ben Kingsley and William Hurt starred in the fictional film.
Movie producers as well as the audiences were captivated by the Victorian town center, the tree-lined streets and historic homes and museums in this small town in “Chesapeake Country.”
Want to know more about what makes a great community? Read this article, and visit the Berlin, Maryland website. Also scroll back to the two previous day’s blogs to see more pictures. Every business in Berlin is worthy of mention on All Things Fulfilling. Due to lack of space, only a small number are featured. Each makes this community a fulfilling destination that reminds us of what it was like to live in charming small town America.
If you are a baby boomer, you’ll appreciate the lyrics of this 1972 song which you’ll probably remember from the crossroads of your life. Listen in as you scroll through these images!
Thanks to my twin sister Jan for the photo contributions to this blog. It was wonderful to have an early celebration of our birthday by painting the town together.
Join me tomorrow as I celebrate a special segment of local artists in the place I’ve resided for the past seven years. They make up in part what is unique about the town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind. ~ Lionel Hampton
Today we will continue our trip down Main Street in Berlin Maryland through images. The biggest treasures you will find in visiting each of the well-organized and well-displayed antiquities stores in the Antiques Capitol of the Eastern Shore on the Chesapeake will be your own recollections and reflections that will be stirred up. Most likely flashbacks will be associated with your childhood if you are a baby boomer.
Besides being The Coolest Small Town in America, Berlin has been the location for several movies. More about that in tomorrow’s blog along with information about why the town has earned a great reputation. We will be discussing some common elements between Berlin, Maryland and the town that I’ve called home for the past seven years, Steamboat Springs, Colorado. These characteristics help a community’s vitality and a community becomes notable for it’s uniqueness.
If you really want to step back in time, listen to the You Tube video as you scroll through these images. Thanks to all the businesses in Berlin who allowed me to take interior photographs. These pictures were captured at the following antique shops: Town Center Antiques, Uptown Antiques, Culver’s Antiques, Stuarts Antiques or Pitts Street Antiques.
Hope you had a grand time, and we will see you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling when we finish up this three -part blog series on the community of Berlin, Maryland.
Today, we are taking an on-line road trip to Berlin, Maryland. Join me over the next few days as we take our journey down memory lane on All Things Fulfilling. America’s Coolest Small Town is indeed “historically charming & artistically alive & eternally young.” I love this community which is only seven miles from the natural beauty of Assateague National Seashore.
Don’t forget to turn on the modern-day record player by listening to the music from this You Tube audio as you scroll through these images.
I wish I could feature an individual story on every business in Berlin because they all contribute to the overall good feelings that I got when I walked the charming streets. Do return tomorrow there will be a myriad of images that will illicit memories from the past. Hopefully the pictures will stir up thoughts of only the good times in your life.
I like the concept of taking old things that some people might consider to be passe´and bringing them back through the process of “upcycling.” The artistic ingenuity that goes into reusing and redesigning found old items into something unique strikes my interest. Not to even mention that fewer items are now being sent to landfills.
In my own home, I like the juxtaposition between old and new. Over the years I’ve incorporated some antiques into my home décor. It allows for variety and one’s own personality and unique preferences to really shine through. Each person’s interpretation of what makes a home comfortable and attractive is different. And I find it fulfilling to see how people artistically embellish their living environments, rather than using “cookie cutter” interior decorating style.
A few artists at Art in the Park in Steamboat Springs exhibited “upcycled” work that I particularly enjoyed. Chelles Painted Décor by Michelle Welch was one artist whose work struck a chord within me for her book night lights and other home accessories which had colorful glass plates incorporated into their design. Her booth space was particularly attractive and showcased her crafts well. There was a lot of thought put into her set-up. Here are a few images.Visit her Facebook page!
Up-Cycled Antiques had a great assortment of wind chimes made with old kitchen utensils. Their whimsical approach to art made me smile. After all, life shouldn’t be taken too serious. It spoils all the fun! Here are a few images I captured and you can visit their Facebook Page or their etsy.com site to see more of their creations.
That’s all for today, folks. We will be here again tomorrow and I hope you’ll check in on us!
When a person starts to talk about their dreams, it’s as if something bubbles up from within. Their eyes brighten, their face glows, and you can feel the excitement in their words. ~John C. Maxwell
Have you ever read a little tidbit of information in a magazine, newspaper, or book and then said to your self “Oh, I didn’t know that!”
The other day I picked up O Magazine and read that bubble gum decreases our anxiety and boosts our happiness. Cortisol, a stress hormone, is reduced after 20 minutes of chewing. Scientists speculate that chewing gum provides benefits to our bodies because our blood flow is changed as well as our heart rate, making us calmer.
Perhaps there is some truth to this notion. We baby boomers loved our Bazooka, and then there was the other brand, Wrigley’s that “doubled your pleasure and doubled your fun.” No wonder life was much simpler and and less stressful back then.
I know when I hear the lyrics to this song from my youth, my happiness quotient is increased. How about you, babyboomer, does this tune bring a smile to your face? Do you remember it?
If your bubble has burst, and you are looking for ways to decrease your stresses and increase your personal fulfillment, this article gives other suggestions. Check it out and see you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.
“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.
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.
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