Category Archives: help and healing through art

Sounds of a Pioneer Valley

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The weekend before Thanksgiving I attended a concert called “What a Wonderful World” presented by the Yampa Valley Singers.

A fulfilling selection of thirteen songs was so appropriate to the season of thanksgiving; reminding me of things I am grateful for. The compositions ranged from spiritual to patriotic to contemporary show tunes. Most of the songs familiar; some  creative renditions of the originals. Here is the list of musical numbers from the event.

  • How Can I Keep from Singing?
  • America the Beautiful
  • For the Beauty of the Earth
  • Home (from the Broadway show The Wiz)
  • Try to Remember
  • Blowin’ in the Wind
  • Stopping by the Woods (based on Robert Frost’s poem)
  • A Long Way from Home
  • Blow Bugle Blow
  • All Good Gifts
  • I Vow to Thee, My Country
  • Hava Nagila
  • What a Wonderful World 

I am so grateful the Yampa Valley Singers come together several times of the year to share their artisic talents and voices with our community. I’ve gotten such enjoyment out of each of their concerts since I moved to Steamboat.

As I  sat enjoying the tune “How Can I Keep from Singing?” I thought if it wasn’t for my lack of a decent musical voice I would answer their call and join in. But, they wouldn’t want to hear my vocal utterances. Why ruin a good thing?

The Yampa Valley Singers sell independently published DVDs of their concerts- affordable gifts!  The choral group is comprised of approximately 30 -35 of people -friends and neighbors to many in this valley. To order a CD of the music from the concert “What a Wonderful World,” please click on this link. http://bit.ly/UnLPCO. There are also some wonderful cds from the Yampa Valley Boys that make for great gifts.For ordering Christmas Trail by the Yampa Valley Boys. click here.

Thank you for a very enjoyable evening, Yampa Valley Singers, and to the United Methodist Church in Steamboat for providing a space to hold the concert.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

 

Music of Americana

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“Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple.”  ~Woodie Guthrie

Did you happen to see American Masters on PBS last Tuesday evening? Woody Guthrie: Ain’t Got No Home was a wonderful documentary filled with songs of Americana. Click for info & ordering

There are so many dramatic twists and turns in Guthrie’s life story that it made for a fulfilling documentary, giving us insight into him as a person, well beyond his musical abilities. In my opinion, he and his family’s brokenness made for outstanding lyrical songwriting. His struggles  seemed to give him insight into the human condition and  he had the ability to simply translate those feelings into inspirational songs that have been remembered and still sung four decades later. A wandering minstrel he was, with such talent as a full rounded musician.

To read more about Woodie Guthrie and the complex life he led, please visit this link http://to.pbs.org/SosT2w.

If you missed this American Masters documentary, keep your eye out for a rerun of it. It is well-worth watching and the songs will take you back to some of the most poignant times in our country’s history.

To order cd’s of Guthries music Click on this link

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Begin Everyday with Thanksgiving

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Happy Thanksgiving Week to All! It has been a year since I have been with my family, so I ‘ll be taking a break from blogging and return to All Things Fulfilling on the Monday after Thanksgiving. I hope over the holiday you are with people who bring meaning and special times to your life.

Does this image conjure up some warm thoughts and feelings about your own heritage? Perhaps it may bring fulfilling memories of family members who led the way or of our country’s pilgrims and pioneers. Reflect and reminisce about some of the traditions that you still celebrate from Thanksgivings gone by. 

In the aftermath of the election season, also take a few minutes to say a prayer for the  military who have protected our freedoms. Although there are people who are unhappy about the election, we are so very fortunate to live in a nation where we can make a choice through our voting. The American story of freedom is like no other in any other nation. Count your blessings on this day, one by one. 

On  Thursday, remember the words of Walt Disney: “Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards – the things we live by and teach our children are preserved or diminished by how fully we exchange ideas and feelings.”

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Imparting Knowledge to Younger Generations

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There is so much we can learn from generations who came before us, if we would only listen and read about what others have to say through their writing.

On Sunday afternoon, the photography of Andrew Zuckerman and his wisdom project was featured on Rocky Mountain Public Broadcast Service (RMPBS). Zuckerman’s portrait photography is really stunning. He captured 51 important celebrity personalities who are familiar to most of us through their careers in all different fields. Each person’s image was captured, through the lens of the camera, with a pure white background; completely eliminating any distraction to the eye when viewing the aging faces. Hence, each person’s unique facial characteristics really pop. The stark photographs allow the viewer to better see beyond the external.

Zukerman’s book, Wisdom: The Greatest Gift One Generation Can Give To Another  is accompanied by a DVD. An oral recounting tells each person’s truth about life as they know it. To read more about the people who are featured in this project, Click here for info and ordering

There is also a show produced by Maryland Public Broadcast Service called My Generation, hosted by Leeza Gibbons in association with AARP.  This weekly, Emmy nominated show also highlights individuals, aged 50 and older, who have much to share with younger people about living healthy, active lives. Lifetime experience and knowledge is the basis for great words of advice. http://bit.ly/SYWDae.

 The advice and knowledge imparted in the book/DVD and the TV programs all give insight into the art of living a fulfilling life. Check them out.

This blog brought to you Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpectedand by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Generation of Smart, Healthy Children

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“As a kindergarten teacher, I have come to understand the powerful interplay between our senses, memory and food.” ~ Grady Turner

There is an e-book project in the works that I am more excited about than many others I have heard about. I desperately want to see it come to fruition. Why? This independent publishing project is about the new generation and teaching through interactive e-books.

Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC is a company that is developing “kids activities that use healthy food as a learning tool.” These lessons have been successfully used and tested in the classroom by award winning  kindergarten teacher, Grady Turner, B.A., MEd. They meet and reinforce academic standards.

The impetus behind this Eat, Play, Learn Books is a need our country has – raising children who know about the benefits of staying healthy and fit. 

This series published by Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC covers four diciplines of learning – reading and writing, math, science and social studies. The e-books, complimented with video, will lead parents and children through a series of fun activities that reinforce healthy food choices. It is geared for children aged 4 to 9. The activities can be done at home, providing parents and children outstanding quality time together. Through the activities in the books, children are introduced food that is both nutritious and commonly found in homes and the grocery store.  

Electronic books published by Eat, Play Learn Books, LLC are downloadable on e-readers, computers and palm-size digital devices, too – such as cell phones.Click here for Eat Play Learn – Lessons 1-3 Reading and Writing

Please join me in supporting this wonderful publishing project and raise a generation of healthier children.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected

Elect to Write this Month

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Holy Cow! The first week of November has already passed us by. Don’t we all know it, with all the political rhetoric we’ve been subjected to on TV, radio and online. I’ll pass on commenting about the outcome of the election and talk about something else. It feels like my bogging has been all over the map in subject matter this week. For those who have been dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in their lives, I am sure you can relate to being spread out in all different places. I hope help arrives real soon for the East Coast people in the way of temporary housing, food, gasoline, heat.

Let’s switch gears, yet again in today’s blogwriting.

 Did you know November is also known for – Na No Wri Mo – National Novel Writing Month? Are you participating? Elect this month to join the challenge and start that book you have always wanted to write but haven’t yet begun. Perhaps being part of a national contest will be just what you need to propel you forward in your efforts. 

Want to learn more about Na No Wri Mo? Here is a link that will provide you with all the details.http://www.nanowrimo.org/. Don’t delay, the contest is only one month long, and we are already a week into it. 

Kids are encouraged to participate, too. Check with your local library. There may be a coordinated program in your area to involve children, making it even more rewarding. 

I’ll bet there will be some amazing horror stories and stories of great inspiration that will be written about Hurricane Sandy, as there were with Hurricane Katrina. Join in on Na No Wri MO –  relieve some stress,  share your stories or just have fun and enjoy the beauty of the writing process.

Write your heart out this month! It may do you some good.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Help for Individual and Societal Problem

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“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it.” – Margret Fuller

Last winter, on All Things Fulfilling, we put the spotlight on a multi-award winning book called Mission Possible: A Missionary Doctor’s Journey of Healing by Dr. Dawn V Obrecht.  

Doc Dawn’s second publication was recently published by Richer Press. It focuses on her field of specialty, addiction medicine. From the Edge of the Cliff: Understanding the Two Phases of Recovery and Becoming the Person You’re Meant to Be addresses the author’s personal account of “coming clean” and her own successful recovery of 28 years. “Doc ” Dawn willingly opens up her life to help others who face the pervasive problem of drugs and alcohol in today’s society. Addiction is not specific to any one community, socio-economic group, or any other specific segment of the population; addiction is an equal-opportunity disease. Most people are somehow touched by an addiction, if not personally then tangentially, perhaps at work or in a relative or neighbor.  People in places everywhere struggle or know someone who struggles with overuse and unhealthy reliance on drugs and alcohol.

Education about the two phases of recovery and the quality of life that comes with putting addiction behind is an enormous part of the information available in this publication. Learn how abstaining from the use of “legal drugs” prescribed by physicians can be the key to avoiding triggering relapses.

The author uses her expertise as a board certified Medical Addictionist, and her own experience, and approaches the subject in this book in a voice that is non-clinical in nature. It is effective in reaching those who struggle to admit there is a problem in their life. From the Edge of the Cliff is also a helpful resource for those who wish to reach out to a family member or friend who is struggling with any kind of addiction.

To read more about Doc Dawn’s publications,Click on this link

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpectedandwww.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Reading Life’s Signals

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“Hear with your heart, see with your soul, be guided by a hand that you can not hold, and trust even if you can not see. That’s how faith must be.” ~ Unknown

Last week when I was interviewing Mara Purl, author of What the Heart Knows and  Where the Heart Lives we spoke about her recent keynote address for Go for the Red event, sponsored by the American Heart Association.

I asked her whether there was a connection between the message in her books and the subject of her keynote address. She said “she  took  the principles of Life Simple 7 http://bit.ly/RsCok9  that  are outlined in the American Heart Association’s brochures and literature. Then she made a correlation between a  literal interpretation of unclogging our lives by saying “we need to stop ignoring our intuition when it is telling us something.”  When our intuition tells us to change something, such as to stop smoking or get that cholesterol checked, Mara said “we need to listen.”

In Mara’s story “Where the Heart Lives,” the protagonist makes a geographical move, based on a “heart” decision. This decision has implications that changes her life and the focus of it. For more information on Mara Purl’s books, <a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=mara%20purl&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Amara%20purl&tag=allthinfulf-20&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&linkId=JAPOA45PHI7EE76U”>Click here</a><img src=”https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=allthinfulf-20&l=ur2&o=1&#8243; width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”” style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” />.

The events of Hurricane Sandy, reminds us of how life can turn on us at a moments notice, dealing  nasty,long lasting blows. Unfortunately, individuals sometimes forget to take the time to interpret signs and signals that tell us it is time to slow down and heed the warnings along the path of life.

What a gift life is!  It is up to us as individuals to honor the life we have been given by taking good care of ourselves through healthy diets, regular exercise and by avoiding addictive behaviors – such as overindulging in food, alcohol, and other risky behaviors. Maintaining healthy personal relationships helps us to be mentally and spiritually fit.

Intuition research has been a growing field among nurses and other medical professionals.  It has been said that listening to our hearts and intuition, can help us to create better lifestyles for ourselves. Sometimes we learn the hard way, through devastating life events. We are all  guilty of not listening to our hearts at various points in our lives, I suppose. Here is an article that addresses some of the most recent findings concerning intuition research. http://lifesciencefoundation.org/inmain.html

What kind of listener you are? Head or heart?  Do you listen to what your heart is telling you?

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

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Film Friday: Adaptation

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It has been a busy week on All Things Fulfilling. I feel as if I have been knocked over by a self induced hurricane this week. Between daily blogging, my creative writing course and other business meetings and commitments, I am glad it is Friday. It was a delight to be part of author Mara Purl’s blog tour this week also. If you missed out, scroll down to read my interview with Mara about her second book “Where the Heart Lives.”

At lunchtime today, local writers from the independent publishing networking group that I started a year and a half ago here in Steamboat, will be presenting their books and will talk about the independent publishing process with the Yampa Valley University Women. Another group I belong to. 

This morning as I start my blog writing, I feel exactly like Charlie Kaufman in the film Adaptation. Here are his words and also my thinking.  

“To begin… To begin… How to start? I’m hungry. I should get coffee. Coffee would help me think. Maybe I should write something first, then reward myself with coffee. Coffee and a muffin. Okay, so I need to establish the themes. Maybe a banana-nut. That’s a good muffin.” 

Too bad I am not a coffee drinker, hot tea will have to do as a substitute. I will take that banana-nut muffin, though, sounds good!

Speaking of the film  Adaptation, my creative writing teacher says that it is a good movie suggestion to pass along to others. The movie is  directed by Spike Jonze.  She says, it is well worth watching.  “Interesting,” she said “how the screenwriter creates a story out of a person who has a passion for orchid collecting.” For information on this movie, Click here.

This is not a newly released movie. It hit the movie screens back in 2003. It is an adaptation of the book “Orchid Thief.” It won an Oscar and many other film awards.  Actors include Nicholas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, just to name a few of the cast. 

Sorry for the quick blog, today. Have a fulfilling fall weekend, everyone! Please return on Monday for more independent thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

A Charming Idea, Mara Purl

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Today’s blog is part 2 of my interview with Mara Purl, author of the Milford-Haven series. The second book, Where the Heart Lives was the subject of yesterday’s blog. Please scroll down to read it.

Sue: Mara, I’d like to talk with you for a few minutes about books, in general, and what, if any, shift you have noticed among readers in recent years?

Mara: Readers know what they like to read, and with people being so busy these days, I think people are looking for more specific categories of books. Rather than just say, general fiction, they are looking types of fiction such as women’s fiction or family sagas or romance. My books are categorized in all three.

Authors are offering free sample chapters of e-books, prequels that are free, and 99 cent e-books which allows readers to venture into trying new genres and new authors they otherwise may have never discovered.  Short stories had been diminishing in the marketplace, and with the arrival of e-books, they are making a return. Serial story telling has also had a resurgence. 

Because of space constraints, in the past, booksellers have been hesitant to carry whole series of books; not wanting to take up too much space with just one author’s books. With e-books, there is not that concern of taking up too much shelf space. Thus, readers have the ability to read a whole series from beginning to end. Collecting and reading an entire series presents no constraints in storage in electronic (e-book) format.  

For fans of books that bring the reader through a chronology of generations, such as Louis L’Amour books, e-books can be very useful way to fulfill the readers desires to collect an entire series without having to find space to store them in their homes. 

Sue: I have noticed your wonderful newly redesigned website. There are all kinds of fun things for your readers on the site, including jewelry for fans of the Milford- Haven Books. Tell me what it has meant to you to follow the spirit of your character, Miranda Jones, and use your artistic expression to take your creativity in a new direction.

Mara:  Women love jewelry, and I have noticed that stories go along with jewelry that women wear. Women say, “oh, that necklace or bracelet was given to me by so and so, or it used to be my grandmothers, or I got that piece of jewelry when……” I thought that women may like to collect jewelry that will remind them of the Milford-Haven books they have read. As a talisman or reminder to listen to the heart. So, each book has a different shell “dingbat” (an ornament, character or spacer used in typesetting) and each will be available as a charm and can be collected for bracelets. The first book What the Heart Knows has a heart cockle shell “dingbat” in it, and then the 2nd book in the series Where the Heart Lives is a placuna shell, (called a windowpane oyster) which is a marine bivalve that is flat and translucent, in shape).  

Sue: Where can these charms and bracelets be purchased?  I will put a link to your newly designed website for our readers, and people can keep their eyes open for them as an upcoming product. Mara’s Blog site www.marapurlcom.  Link to Milford-Haven book charms on Pinterest  http://pinterest.com/marapurl/.

Mara: Yes, they are still in the development phase by a jeweler in Colorado Springs, but once available, they can be shipped anywhere in the world and if you go to my newly redesigned website, there is information.

Sue: Mara, I appreciate so much the opportunity to interview you again. I am so pleased at the success you are having with the Milford-Haven series. When will Bellekeep Books publish the third in the series When Hearts Keep Secrets be available? I look forward to reading the next book.

Mara: Look for When Hearts Keep Secrets in 2013. Probably in autumn of the year. Also, the e-book “When Whales Watch” the prequel to the second book  is available through Amazon.

For more information on all of Mara Purls’ publications,Click here

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpectedand www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.