Category Archives: illustrators and publishers

Growing from the Inside Out

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“And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anaïs Nin.

living your best lifeWhen I  look at the geranium blooming in my office, there is no doubt the days have gotten longer, and the light stronger. No longer starved of what it needs to thrive, the plant looks enriched with more energy. Now the geranium is beginning to stand at attention, rather look wilted and stilted. Even humans, in springtime, have a renewed sense of spirit. We’re ready to spend more time being rejuvenated, creating, celebrating and growing from the inside out.

I’ve been reflecting that a little more than a year ago, I started writing my first full length piece. The writing has gone through about six revisions, and with it, so have I. Each time I have changed the text, there has been a thought process to evaluate whether the words match the message I had in mind. Alone, the exercise in writing has been valuable. But, it has also been an investment in learning more about my own self and what I have to say.

Like the geranium that sits inside in my office, waiting to be put outdoors when the conditions are right, there will come a time when I will need to release the book. Then a whole new dimension will be added to the self-discovery process. If I I have adequately blossomed and grown,  I’ll be able to spread my message through the spoken word also, about all the things I’ve been writing about. I am looking forward to the next step in independent publishing.

Living Your Best Life, by Laura Berman Fortgang, is a wonderful book that can help you to begin your journey toward feeding and nurturing yourself with what it takes to live a healthy, happy life. It is a good springtime read for those who want to invest in changing or rebuild their lives during this season of new life.

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of  Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected

Faith in the Path Less Traveled

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Weave in faith and God will find the thread. ~Author Unknown

I was without my computer for awhile yesterday; it was in the “shop.” I took advantage of the freedom away from digital technology. Since so much of what I do is on-line based, a close relationship with all things paper has nearly been trashed. I often read the news and magazines, and sometimes books, via the computer these days, subscribing to fewer print publications.

Yesterday, for a few blissful hours, I sat in the Bud Memorial Library and read the April 2013 edition of Southwest Magazine from cover to cover. How I enjoyed myself!

The first great article I encountered was about artist Michelle Dunaway. It was superbly written by Gussie Fauntleroy. Dunaway, an artist who lives and studied at the MastersAcademy in Albuquerque, NM mentioned the importance of finding the joy in unexpected things by getting off the beaten path. She told of her childhood hikes with her father, and whenever there was a choice to make about what direction to travel, he taught her to take the path least followed which, more times than not, led to discovering things she didn’t anticipate.

art faithAs a painter, each time Dunaway faces a blank canvas it presents her with opportunities to make choices of color, lines, shape and other design elements that make a good painting. She has been taught to make right choices in art through workshops with the most influential and impressive painters of our time, such asRichard Schmid  and Jeremy Lipking http://www.lipking.com. And by studying the book Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting.

Dunaway says she “has always had an  interest in capturing  human expressions in paintings.” Her image “Faithfulness,” shown in the 2013 issue of Southwest Art, is an exquisite example of her portrait painting talents. It can also been seen on Dunaway’s website. http://www.dunawayfineart.com.

Next time I am in Santa Fe, NM, I look forward to visiting Sage Creek Gallery where Dunaway’s work is represented. Legacy Gallery, M Gallery of Fine Art and Insight Gallery also exhibits and sells her work.

Return  tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Stimulating the Palette with Food Art

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Good food is wise medicine. ~Alison Levitt M.D., Doctor in the Kitchen®

flower kidsSpring has arrived in southern parts of the country. Gardens are sprouting new crops of fruits and veggies. Today on All Things Fulfilling, we will share images of food art that have been circulating over the internet. Mouth-watering ideas and all elements of art – color, shape, form, texture and values have been used to create these food compositions, as well as use of line and space. The visual effects are enough to make even the pickiest child want to eat the daily recommended servings of produce.

Some food art is basic, and any Mom or Dad can make it to impress their families, and stimulate palettes. While other compositions are very time consuming and are best left to highly skilled caterers. With practice and the help of proper kitchen utensils, books and DVDs anyone can now become a culinary artist in their own kitchen, and promote better nutrition.

John Gargone, a chef from Pennsylvania, teaches others his craft of food carving and sculpting in his popular book Food Art: Garnishing Made Easy and through his independently published DVD series.

You are invited to take this tour with me, through the fulfilling world of food and art. Perhaps we will both be inspired to include a little more creativity in our food preparation and diets.

apple with fruit

gold fish

goldfish adult

owl adult

motorcyle adul1imagesCA0MLBNUrose advancedbrocolli poodle kidsjpg

bird advancedface kids

Return on tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Summer: Only a Dream Away

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“In life’s winter, find your invincible summer.” ~ Unknown

Summer Only a Dream AwayI awoke to the cacophony of birdsong this morning, heard it through the open window. One deep inhalation of the chilly air brought scents of freshly mown grass mixed with the crisp, clean fragrance of blooming lavender wafting up my nostrils. As I lay there, trying to become alert after a long, restorative sleep I heard the thwack…thwack of the tennis ball landing on the hard courts across the street, and the players called out “Love Thirty.”  “Thank goodness summer has finally arrived.” I thought.

I turned over, slowly opening my eyes to a bright reflection streaming in the window and saw my husband standing by the bed. “Did you hear me?” He asked.

“What?”

“You’ve gotta love it,” he said smiling. “Its warm, thirty this morning. I am headed out, for another day of skiing on the mountain in Steamboat, Colorado.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “It’s summer. A minute ago I  heard the “thwack” of the tennis balls on the court across the way.”

“Nice try. Go back to sleep, silly. That was the guys up on the roof chopping and clearing away the ice jams.” My husband replied, looking amused.

“What about the green grass and lavender I smell in the air this morning?” I asked, inhaling deeply again.

“You were just dreaming. Thats the lingering scent of the new bubble bath you used last night before bedtime.”

I jumped up and looked out the window, confused. It was unlike my husband to rise before me in the morning. The snow was softly falling, inch by inch, just like the other 321 inches that came before it this winter.

“Its got to end sometime.” I said, referring to the heaped up snowpiles. “Easter is only a week away. I’m going back to the place in my dreams where I know I can find fulfilling scenes of summer.”  I hopped back in bed and pulled the covers over my head.

“Sweet dreams! Shall I put the fan on incase you need it?”

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Stories of Faith on Film

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 “Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and  looks out the window which hope has opened” ~ Charles Spurgeon

Easter lily

To many people around the world, preparing for Easter  means more than shopping for Peeps™ candy, jelly beans, chocolate eggs and other confections. Spring is the season of renewal of spirit. For people of faith, that means remembering the Easter story of biblical times – a tale of crucifiction, death, resurrection and life.

On this Film Friday, I have resurrected a list of the top ten Easter movies of all times. Although Easter is several weeks away, perhaps your family would enjoy receiving one of these films in their Easter basket. I am posting this list early so you can add one of these DVDs to your shopping cart. Many of them are considered to be epic productions and can be located, and your order can be fulfilled through the Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com :

    • Passion of Christ (2004)

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    • The Robe (1953)

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    • Ben Hur (1959)

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    • Holiday Inn (1942)

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    • Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

The Last Temptation of Christ

    • King of Kings (1961)

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    • The Easter Parade (1948)

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    • Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

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    • Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

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    • The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

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It’s interesting, as I was doing research for this blog I noticed that most of these films were produced decades ago. Is it true that the American people have fallen out of favor with the one of the cornerstone principles that our country was founded upon, faith? Is that why contemporary filmmakers are not approaching religious subjects? I’d like to think not, and Reelz is offering outstanding programming over the Easter Season.

Barabbas: Where the Bible Left off…His Story of Redemption BeganClick for info & ordering, a Reelz Easter Event,  premiers Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26. Part I  of the mini-series, featuring Billy Zane, will be broadcast on the night of March 30 and Part II on March 31. To find out the times and the channel for Reelz in your viewing area, please visit this link . There is also a trailer on the Reelz website .http://www.reelz.com/barabbas/.

I’d like to end this blog with an audio Chapter from my memoir Gift of a Lifetime – Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. It is a short Easter story that the entire family can enjoy listening to together. Have a great weekend!

Growth of Audio Book Industry

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“The reason why the universe is eternal is that it does not live for itself; it gives life to others as it transforms.” ~ Lao Tzu

On Tuesday afternoon we had our monthly We Write Steamboat meeting – a local networking group for independent publishers. It was reported that one of our members, author D.A. Hill, now has an audio book version of his novel. It’s selling well and we discussed the growth of the audio book industry.

We are fortunate to be living in an age when we have so many reading choices. Publishing  has gotten more complicated because of the new options. Learning what readers desire can be very useful for authors who are considering venturing beyond publishing books-in-print. The Independent Publisher, an on-line publication, has posted an interesting article about the growth of the audio book industry. Here is the link.http://bit.ly/11hlMyJ.

The surge of the industry does not surprise me, for the following reasons:

  • The ability to multi-task and listen at same time
  • Portability
  • You can listen while driving or on a personal computer
  • Storage space not needed on a bookshelf
  • Audio books are environmentally wise – no paper/printing involved.

So many reading options are now available. Hopefully youth, who love all things digital, will find a more fulfilling reading experience on their electronic  and audio devices and their interest in the literary world will not wane during the teen years. Audio books are also excellent for seniors whose eyesight has been diminished with age.

All Things Fulfilling is interested in hearing from our readers and subscribers through a poll. What is your favorite method of having books delivered to you ? Do you enjoy digital, audio or books- in-print? The insight we gain through the poll will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Return on tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Blogging and the Noggin’

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social-media-takes-over “Regardless of the changes in technology, the market for well-crafted messages will always have an audience.” ~ Steve Burnett

Blogging seems to have an effect on my perception of daily living. Staying alert to what is going on around me, forces me pay closer attention to the idiosyncrasies of life. As a blogger I’ve begun to think there is a story in everything, even when there isn’t.

I share this affliction with many  journalists. People, places, events, conversations – they are all of great interest to me. It has gotten to the point that I need to pause, and think, whether something is really newsworthy. Everything, it seems, that passes by the radar screen of my brain gets paid attention to with heightened awareness. 

What’s a blogger to do? I’ve never been known to be a drama queen, so I don’t quite know how to handle the symptoms of this “thing” that is occurring in my brain as a result of being a participant in e-marketing. Social media, has changed the landscape of how news is shared dramatically.

Only “fix” I know, is to create a story, this morning, about this very issue . I feel better already, now I can go about my business of finding contentment in an ordinary day. Where will my observances lead me tomorrow?

Return on tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Family Dynamics in Stories

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“Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk.” ~ Susan Scarf Merrill 

Brother-for-saleOh, brother! How I can relate- there were many times when I was growing up that I felt just like the little girl in this image. 

Did you ever consider that sibling relationships are the longest bonds we will have in our lives with other people? There is a lot of research about how birth order affects our family ties. 

 There is an interesting interview on NPR about the sibling effect. Tune in and listen. http://n.pr/WZnKPG. 

My siblings have been on my mind a lot recently since I have been writing a book which involves many universal issues, including human relationships. The manuscript has been in the hands of select advance readers, including a child psychologist  and the feedback has been invaluable.  I am most grateful for it and I’m wrapping up final revisions before the book is published. My very realistic goal is to have it complete this year.

My family has not read my manuscript. I didn’t want the dynamics of the book to be changed by the  opinions of family members. I’ve dropped only a few clues about the storyline, and they are chomping at the bit to read it. By now, they might  be questioning whether there is really a book in the making or whether I am  just  taunting them and  making teasing promises like when we were children.

Only kidding! I can hardly wait for my family to read it. They don’t know to what what extent they play roles in the storyline.

Visit us tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Lift Up Friends

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 “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~ Marcel Proust 

Friday’s blog on All Things Fulfilling was a tribute to friendship and the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. 

I’ve had have further thoughts about the value of friends  since that blog writing. Coming together in friendship is the result of finding community with like-minded people – individuals who have joint interests, passions and beliefs in life.  In recent years I’ve made friends in service, through Kiwanis, and by volunteering once a week at an interfaith, community-run thrift store called “Lift-Up.” Being involved with arts organizations such as We Write Steamboat(a meet-up group for independent publishers), the Steamboat Writers Group , the Colorado Independent Publishers Association and  Strings Music Festival has brought me pleasure. Community involvement, with the Yampa Valley University Women has also been part of my life here in Routt County, Colorado.

It’s interesting, in a time when the news is reporting  church membership is declining, there seems to be very active participation in churches, in this town. Perhaps the remote location and natural beauty of the region make spiritual exploration important to folks. Yesterday, Reverend Tim at the UnitedMethodistChurch in Steamboat, elevated our spirits through his lenten season storytelling. Our new Director of Youth Ministry and independent musician, Taylor Anderson charmed us with  his musical skills playing the modern remix of  “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on his ukulele. Very uplifting for a day of Irish celebration. A song appropriate for so many who are grateful they can be here to retire, run location-neutral businesses or for recreational reasons.

After the service, our appetites were fulfilled with  tasty goodies baked by women with whom I volunteer at the thrift store donation center. Thank you, Jeanette, Shirley and Louise and to all the other generous people who bring in provisions for fellowship moments after the service each week. The special St. Patty’s Day confections were decorated artistically. The women poured heart and soul into their efforts, it was evident.  It is a pleasure to volunteer with these women at the donation center for the thrift store.

St Pattys Day UMCSt Pattys Day UMC3

Jeanette, Louise, Shirley and Sue (top image). We are only a few the 100+ volunteers that make Lift-Up so successful in this community.

Seasonal Sprouting, Roots of Fulfillment

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“Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.” ~ Dalai Lama

Our blogs this week have been devoted to the power of the mind. Today we are focusing on seasonal attitudes.

I believe God gave us four seasons so we can appreciate each of them for their own reasons and pleasures! What a treat to have Day Light Savings time arrive on Sunday to give us more hours of light. Warmer temps are around the corner, even here in northwestern Colorado. Easter, the holiday named after the Germanic Goddess of the Dawn “Ostern” arrives early this year. I’m grateful for that.

Spring brings beautiful images to my mind, and by just envisioning some the things that I associate with the season brings a smile to my face, and an uplifting of the spirit. It is a good time of year to do some housecleaning because our physical environments, our homes, have been closed up all winter.  

garden sproutsJust as importantly, however, is that we remember that the season of the dawn is for the renewal of the spirit, too. By sweeping away old beliefs, from our minds, that have held us back ,we prepare for new growth of self and allow seeds of fulfilling, new ways of living to take root and sprout.  It has been found that there is a correlation between wellness and spirituality. For more information, see this article. http://bit.ly/15MmRkt.

In this season of Lent, what old attitudes will you lift up and do away with in order to make way for improvements in your life?

Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.