Category Archives: mind body and spirit connection

Songs of the Laborers

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Do you ever have those days where you need an encourager to walk the road with you? The other day I found such a person in a very unexpected place. She was up on a roof and completely unaware of the impact she was making.

Here’s what happened. About a week ago, I walked slowly through the streets of a neighborhood, my pace was slower than usual because it was only 7:30am and it was already hot. That day it reached 93 degrees. Most people with common sense would probably not purposefully venture out in it. But, I was determined to get my daily steps in.

As I neared a house, I heard a woman’s voice and I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Finally, as I grew nearer, I identified what it was. A house was being re-roofed, and the only female of the crew, was singing a spiritual song, it’s rhythm syncopated with the banging of the hammer.

Songs in the workplace have long been part of many culture’s history – from those of the industrial workers making garments, to sea shanties of fisherman, to field workers pulling tobacco for harvest, to those who sang “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”

As I walked on, I considered the singing worker’s role. Was the woman the spark that helped drive each and every worker? Was she innately called to be an encourager? Were the spirituals she sang deeply ingrained in her from her ancestral history? Her song motivated me to keep moving forward and gave me new perspective on the task I had set out to do in the heat of the morning. Surely it was not as hot for me, as it was up on the roof in the blaring sun. I was able to dip in and out underneath the shade trees lining the street, but it was not to be for her and her working companions.

“Some of the greatest sermons that have ever been preached were preached by the singing of a song.” —Spencer W. Kimball

 

 

A Woman of Wisdom

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I am feeling most appreciative for time spent writing a memoir for an inspirational woman. As her memoirist, it was my duty to get at the heart of her life story and I hope I have adequately done so. There is a certain level of trust which goes along with this honor and privilege.

Yesterday one proof copy of the book arrived on my doorstep, which will give me one last chance to go over it before it goes to print. Hopefully, between myself and the editor, we have found all the oops between the dots and the dashes.

My client’s request for privacy is important to both of us, so the publication will not be sold in the market place, but, I’d like to give you a little insight into her story. So, I will share the summary which appears on the back cover.

My takeaway from her narrative is exactly as John Dewey stated it, “…education is life itself.” I gained insight into how very important it is to keep learning new things and growing throughout one’s lifetime.

 

By Creator’s Design

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“The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light.”
— Ram Dass

I’ve been doing a little experiment with one of my houseplants to give Chloe, my writers muse a more creative look. In my opinion, she is now looking rather jaunty with her tresses swept to the side! Her transformance has taken some months but now it is coming into full evidence. How timely! Her new look became apparent just as the horse racing season began when the southern-set women put on their fascinator hats, placement atilt on their heads. I didn’t rotate her position for many, many months, thus, her tresses have been leaning toward the greatest source of light – the nearest window.

Isn’t it wonderful that in our Universe, our Creator thought to give us both dark and light? The basic truth is most of us crave the light rather than darkness, it’s the reason why we are more joy-filled in the brighter seasons or when in life we are actively moving in a positive direction.

 

 

Wisdom of the Arts

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Today’s blog is simply food for thought. Does it ever concern you that too few testimonies are written about about man’s search for meaning and about finding one’s way through creative endeavors?

If so, give a nudge of encouragement to others to express themselves artistically or imaginatively without regard to their own opinion about their ability.

An Artist’s Light

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Artist and Quaker-raised James Turrell once said  “It was important that people come to value light as we value gold, silver, paintings, objects.” 

Happy Solar Eclipse Day! I guess today is a good day to put our attention on all things celestial ~

“Hallelujah,’ I said to myself the day after Easter, “I can see the light from both sides now.” What prompted this thought, was a move I made on Easter Day from one place to another. Where I was living, faced in one direction. All light came from west-facing windows only. When I awoke on April 1st in my new abode, I realized how my exposure to the sun had changed. The day starts with the bright light coming in the Eastside windows and then moves around to the other side throughout the day. I can now see both sunrise and sunset.

And very fortunate for me, as an early riser and one who writes first thing in the morning, there is a beautiful little window seat on the East side where the light streams in brilliantly. We will see what new thoughts and perceptions come from my new early morning writing space.

Read more on American artist, James Turrell, who “is known for his work within the Light and Space movement.”

The Spring Outing

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Today, I’d like to share a piece of my writing, which has never been published, titled The Spring Outing! May you feel refreshed, renewed and encouraged by every new dawn during the Eastertide Season.

The Spring Outing

©Sue Batton Leonard 2004

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Winter’s chill has passed

I shall no longer shiver

Today, I am off to the river.

I’ll scamper

along with my hamper.

Go to the weeping willow

where there will be a soft pillow.

A mound of moss,

for my clean linen cloth.

 

Before me I’ve strewn,

A canteen of steeped tea

a silver fork, knife and spoon.

A spring onion tart

with ‘shrooms and cheese,

and a tasty salad of caprese.

A square of dark chocolate

is in the pocket.

I’ll save one cup

for after I’ve supped,

while watching spring erupt.

 

With the yellow forsythia branches

I’ll weave in tender pussy willows

dotted with long stemmed violets.

A crown to place on my head

before I lay on my makeshift bed.

 

Amidst snowdrops, 

little bunny hops,

and silly daffodillies,

I’ll  nap and dream

of summer’s August.

When aside the garden

I’ll sit in the long grass

Among the wildflowers mass

drinking chilled sassafras.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlotte was Right!

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March is here. I can already feel a wellspring of creativity bubbling up. Before every next leap I’ve taken in this creative life of mine, I’ve known it because I awaken around 4 am every morning. My mind becomes active and I may as well settle into whatever it is that is brewing, write it down and complete the dialogue I am having with myself. Or occasionally I’ll dabble with paint. Trying to go back to sleep before daybreak is a lost cause.

I am grateful for even earlier than usual awakenings because to me that means spring is in the air and creative energy is stirring.

Charlotte Brontë was right when she said, “A ruffled mind makes a sleepless pillow.”

 

 

Community Engagement

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Lately I’ve had the opportunity to speak with some of my peers who have asked me about my writing life. Then inevitably, the discussion turns to finding purpose in life after retirement.

If you are a baby boomer like me, following what was expected of us was the norm. You know how it goes – get the degree(s), find a job/career, buy a house, have the children. Then BOOM before you know it the empty nest hits and retirement nears leaving us to wonder, now what? We are too active to sit home and age, as previous generations did after retirement. But, many of us haven’t a clue as to what to do next. We’ve never really taken time out for ourselves to explore who we are at heart and creatively.

Personal fulfillment means something different to each one of us. It’s quite profound when you find your passion, as I did with writing, without struggling to find it and it comes in the natural order of life’s events.

Another case in point. I have a friend who is retired, and in her travels to Hawaii she became interested in learning to play the ukulele. So she and a few friends took lessons. They formed a musical group and just had their first concert at a community church in Vermont. Some of the proceeds from the concert will go to support the church’s breakfast outreach program. Way to go ladies!

Peak your interest? Here in our area, Manor Mill Gallery in Monkton is holding ukulele beginner’s classes in May!

If a curiosity about something comes to you, my advice is to stay open to it. It may be a latent interest you’ve always had but were never aware of it. Set out on a creative quest, see where your interest leads rather than trying to orchestrate life to go the way you think it should. Self-discovery is fascinating.

Next time on All Things Fulfilling, I will tell you about a gentlemen who in his retirement has taken an interest he had in his childhood and has now found even a greater level of personal fulfillment in it. Come on back. We are always posting new content.

Art of Casual Crafting

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Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is coming up, thus the reason for this post.

Have you ever known anyone who seems to make an art out of everything they do? I have. I greatly admire them for it. I try to put a little touch of creativity into my every day tasks and bring beauty into my home any which way I can.

I enjoy casual crafting and find personal fulfillment in that. I had fun handcrafting a few simple Christmas gifts. Decoupage satisfied my desire to dabble with something I hadn’t done in a decades. The colors held pretty well on the pansies I had been pressing between parchment paper inside a book since last spring.

I attached a little watercolor tag to each of the decoupaged bottles which said, “Bottle your hopes and dreams, but remember to uncork and act!”

Photo Above: Three decoupaged art journals. Most of the pages were left blank, so the recipient can use the booklet however they wish. My sister called me immediately after receiving hers. “I know exactly what I am going to do with mine!” I look forward to seeing it. She received the journal on the right.

In my writing as with my crafting, I don’t wait for inspiration to strike. I’ve learned to start and see where my Creator leads me. Living without overthinking too much gives us freedom to live by what comes naturally. That’s wholesome living in and of itself.

Cheers for a creative New Year! Hard to believe the first month is nearly over.

Wintering in the Studio

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Today, I am reposting a story called “Angels Across the Fence,” about an encounter I had with a plein air painter a few years ago. It was a delightful day in every way.

Hang in there artists! Spring has never failed us – it will here be sooner or later. As we all know, “there is a time and a reason for every season.”

Angels Across the Fence