Category Archives: Art

A Mother Letting Go

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Holding on is believing that there’s only a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future. – Daphne Rose Kingma

I clearly remember my husband and me standing and waiting for the bus with our son on his first day of school. My mother-in-law was visiting. She was part of the big send off.  Surprisingly, my son had door to door service, the school bus stopped at nearly every student’s  house since we lived in a rural area in Vermont.

I remember the excitement my son exuded as he stood waiting. There didn’t seem to be a bit of nervousness or anxiety on his part, only on mine. I was a mother letting go,  reflecting on my own first day of school standing at the bus stop with my twin sister and my mother, who was probably a lot more anxious than I was when letting go.

When I think of my first day of elementary school, I think of this image. Did anyone else from the baby boomer generation have a plaid book bag like the one pictured? Sure brings back memories, doesn’t it?

red plaid bookbag 1950s

Do you like looking back on your childhood? There is a magazine you can subscribe to that will delight you. It’s called Good Old Days “The Magazine that Remembers the Best.” Here is how to subscribe. http://www.goodolddaysmagazine.com/stories/list.html?cat_id=52

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow and Heads Up!  On Friday there will be an important revelation on All Things Fulfilling. Don’t miss out! I can hardly wait myself!

It’s a Sunny Day!

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Today is a special day for my husband and me. It is our son’s 26th birthday. Don’t know where those years have gone since the day I delivered him, screaming and crying.

Let me clarify – I wasn’t doing the screaming and crying our son was. I was busy counting fingers and toes and marveling at perfection.

The twelve hour labor was a walk in the park compared to what I had been through the four months prior to his birth. You’ll learn more about that journey of unexpected blessings in my upcoming memoir.

When I think of  7:12 pm on Thursday, February 25, 1988,  I remember the words that came into my mind when I saw our precious bundle. They are the very same words I sang to him in the rocking chair!

you are my sunshine

The joy that our son brought has into our lives over these past 26 years is unexplainable. I can’t find the appropriate words except to say we are so very proud that he is our SUN!

Happy Birthday and much love to you on this day, Marc! Remember to take out time from your work today and have some FUN!! Hope our next visit isn’t too far off ~

being what god created him to be

And by the way – your Father and I think you are doing a fantastic job of being yourself and all that comes with it! You are indeed filled with Thursday’s child  attributes– “ruled by Jupiter, the most beneficial of all the planets, the symbol of expansion, happiness, optimism, good humour, room to move – either mentally or physically, spaciousness, freedom and independence.  This child will need these types of things.”

And so you have it! Wishing you a great year ahead.

This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. It’s another blessed day on All Things Fulfilling. A great day of remembrance.

What will Tomorrow’s Picture Bring?

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“Progress is impossible without change, and those who can not change their minds can not change anything.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

On Saturday evening I went to the movies and saw Philomena. Judy Dench was outstanding in her role, and I hope she is awarded an Oscar for her performance. The movie had a lot of important and controversial issues to reflect upon. As I watched the movie I thought about how integral dialogue has become to telling a story brought to cinema. “Talkies” gave way to a whole new generation of movies for the theatre. Now we are in the digital age of filmmaking which brings more changes to the industry.

I used to think that those behind the scenes of making a movie were inconsequential, that the only thing that really mattered was the actors’ performance. I’ve gained a new respect for the entire process of filmmaking since my son is in the business. In deference to all, I now feel  it’s necessary to pay attention to the long list of credits at the end of the film. The cast and crew is no longer a half dozen people like during the days of silent movies. With each passing decade the list of technicians who make movies come to life seems to get longer and more impressive as skills of the filmmaking artists become more specialized.

view master If you are a baby boomer you will remember the excitement of looking at film images through the Viewmaster. How far we have come from looking at film from one of these devices!

In retrospect, the idea of getting a thrill by looking at images through one of these devices is now laughable. Techniques of creating visual images sure have changed since the days of the Viewmaster. Now we can even stream film videos from our computers and from mobile telephones! Who would have thunk it fifty or sixty years ago?

Throughout this week on All Things Fulfilling, I will be posting other images that will arouse memories for baby boomers. Stay tuned!

This blog is brought to you from the space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. wwww.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

A Piece of Humble Pie

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Gratefulness is the gallantry of a heart ready to rise to the opportunity a given moment offers.

~ David Stendl Rast

sweetheart_cherry_pieDo you know what today is? It is February 22nd – National Humble Day. Perhaps at first glance you may have thought I meant National Hubble Day -celebrating “the man who was first to show that the universe is expanding and is considered by many to be the father of observational cosmology.” 

Well, I suppose I am celebrating National Hubble Day in my own kind of way because today I am celebrating all who have expanded my world by introducing me to the world of independent publishing. It all started back in 1998 when I was hired by West Wind Fine Art, LLC  to handle the internet sales of the publication which became a smash hit for painters “Everything I Know about Painting” by Richard Schmid, published by Stove Prairie Press, LLC. (an independent press). At the time, hardly a soul was selling books over the world-wide-web.

Oh…how things have evolved. Never would I have dreamed that the position at West Wind Fine Art, LLC would have launched me into an entirely new cosmos. And an even more far-fetched idea of penning my own book! It’s  due to be released this spring.

Well, things have changed in my world and in the publishing world – dramatically! Ordinary people with extraordinary stories are now writing, publishing and selling books through the power of e-commerce and e-marketing. To read a report on the industry with some of the latest statistics, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/1dt6xv9.

Today, I’ll eat a piece of humble pie and look back at the changes in technology that have made independent  publishing possible for people who  have great stories to tell but would not have had a prayer of having a their stories told and sold traditionally.

This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Look forward to your return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow.

Balance Meant the See Saw

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The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you’ve lost it. ~ Anonymous

It was a different world when I was a kid and so were the childhood stresses and routines.  When I was growing up childhood stress was about whether or not we remembered to bring our gym uniforms home to have them washed, starched and ironed to perfection before putting them back on again. Too many demerits for forgetting affected your grade. If you are a baby boomer, you’ll  relate to that.

Life wasn’t quite as frantic for children as it is today, running from activity to activity. When the school bell rang at 3:10 pm, it was time to go play outside with neighborhood children. Only if it rained, were  you allowed to be indoors to watch an hour of TV, perhaps “Father’s Knows Best.  You knew from routine that when dad came home from work you’d hear your mother shout out “Time for Dinner.”  It was time to gather around the family table. If there was an empty chair the family felt all broken up.

With certainty, Easter meant going to church, and getting all dressed up with white gloves, shiny white or black patent leather “mary jane’s” with a little pocketbook to match. There were rituals that went with every holiday. And  you knew without a doubt that mom’s card club or bowling team met every Thursday afternoon at 1 o’clock sharp.

Back then, life was more certain and families were more intact. see saw 2When raising children in the 1950s and 1960s, there was no need to read books about the mind, body and spirit connection because in my opinion, life was already lived in accordance with more wholesome core values. Balance was what you talked about in connection with the see-saw, not in counseling sessions trying to bring harmony back to an entire family.

Here is a link to an article by Jennifer Buckett that speaks to the issue of past and present values and morals. http://bit.ly/NP5FaN. I don’t necessarily agree with every charge in this article, but overall Buckett makes some good points.

I’d like to hear from our readers. Do you agree that life was lived more in balance in the 1950s and 1960s? What are your thoughts on our societal changes? Are they for the better or worse in raising families?

Come on back tomorrow to the space where independent words, thoughts and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Swinging Life Apart

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“One must learn to love oneself with a wholesome and healthy love so that one can bear to be with oneself ...” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

girls standing up on swing set

Last night I had a wonderful dream that I was back on the elementary school playground with my twin sister. So today in my blogging we are going to travel down nostalgia lane.

Remember those days? Pumping on the swing trying to reach the clouds high in the sky? My sister and I often competed with one another to see who could push the limits. She usually won the race because her stamina was much greater than mine.

We were both pretty fearless when it came to heights, but I may have been the greater daredevil. As soon as we crested the top, we’d let go, become air bound and jump to the ground, nearly giving my mother a double heart attack.

An advantage of being a twin is that you have a “built-in” playmate.The challenge of being a twin is that people often treat twins as if they are one unit rather than two autonomous people with individual strengths, likes and needs.

Years ago, child psychologists theorized it was best to keep twins together in the same classroom, but they have since learned not so! http://bit.ly/1lWgEdY. When seventh grade rolled around my twin and I began to learn what life was like with separate groups of friends. We were put into different classes and weaned away from one another, having to adjust to not being together constantly.

Even to this day, we have lots of mutual friends. It wasn’t until I married that we really were completely separated and life has never been the same for us since. In fact for four decades we have lived in different cultural and geographical climates.  One lives in the heat and humidity surrounded by a huge population of people, the other in artic temperatures in remote and intimate surroundings.

What we share are similar values that were instilled in both of us when we were little. You’ll learn more about my twin double troubles in my memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for info & ordering

Do come back tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Tracking Consumer Book Buying Trends

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In October 2011, Bowker (the storehouse of all publishing statistics) announced they would be doing a major study on book buying trends, specifically on e-books.  The objective of the study is to obtain information about publishing industry growth patterns as well as for tracking quantities (traditional vs non-traditional/ independent book sales). The study takes into consideration the quantity of books in print vs. digital publications (e-books).  To read the August 6, 2013 report, please follow this link. http://www.bowker.com/en-S/aboutus/press_room/2013/pr_08062013.shtml.

Technology-quote-Northrop-FryeIn my opinion, this data is much needed since the publishing industry is so rapidly changing and growing.  The study will be useful to more than just the publishing industry. The technology industry, libraries, and bookstore owners will benefit from this data. Many brick and mortar stores are trying to evaluate out how they can best serve communities with the changes that are underway in publishing.

Knowing the latest book buying trends is also helpful to independent publishers like myself. It helps us to know what platform readers are using most frequently and whether to publish a paper version, digital (e-book) or audio book and how to price them.

Have your book buying habits changed or are they likely to?  Has your reading platform changed from paper to electronic? Are you observing any trends in the kinds of books that are available for sale over the internet? We would like to hear from you.

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EVVY Book Awards: A Big Year

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“I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.” ~ Jonas Salk

2014 CIPA awardsThis is a big year for the EVVY Book Awards presented by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. It is a special event because it is the 20th year of the contest, and it has grown more prestigious than ever. After all, CIPA is one of the largest and most active independent publishing associations in the country.

The word of the contest is spreading and last year submissions came from all over the country, and for that matter as far away as Dubai! You no longer have to be a CIPA member to enter and win! However, there are great benefits to being a CIPA member including their educational opportunities to learn more about what it takes to becoming an award-winning author! Their monthly educational presentations cover all facets of the publishing process including selling in the marketplace.

Here is a link that will provide you with all you need to know about submitting your publication to the 20th annual CIPA EVVY book awards!  http://www.cipacatalog.com/pages/CIPA-EVVY-Awards.

Some key deadline dates to mark on your calendar:

  • February  1, 2014 submissions begin
  • May 17, 2014 Last day to receive entries
  • July 26, 2014 Finalists announced
  • August 23, 2014 Awards Ceremony – The big night!

You can’t win if you don’t submit! Here’s your chance to become an award-winning author of an award-winning book!

Hope to see YOU at the EVVY awards in August. Good luck to all who submit.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

Take in a Winter’s Tale

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Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. ~Author Unknown

Looking for a movie to take your sweetie to this Valentine’s Day? Winter’s Tale is arriving in theatres today! Some reviewers are calling the film “The best date movie.”

winters_tale_ver5Winter’s Tale is a story that takes place in New York at the end of the 20th century. The narrative involves love, miracles and destiny, between an Irish burglar Peter Lake and a young heiress, Beverly Penn, who resides in the mansion he is about to rob. The unexpected twists in the tale bring good and evil together for a fulfilling film.

Akiva Goldsman, Director of A Beautiful Mind, has written and directed this screenplay as an adaptation of Mark Helprin’s book of the same title. http://markhelprin.com/novels/winters-tale. Actors starring in the lead roles are Colin Farrell and Jessica Brown Findley. Other notables include William Hurt and Russell Crowe. To read a full summary of the movie and to see the full list of cast and crew, please visit the website www.winterstale.com.

Appreciate having the gift of having a special friend in your life this Valentines Day, even if there is no romantic attachment. Enjoy however you plan to celebrate!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Thanks for visiting this site!

ValentineCookies

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My Winter Olympics Race

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“Starting your book is only the first five miles of a twenty-six-mile marathon that’s one-third of a triathlon (authoring, publishing, and entrepreneuring).” ― Guy Kawasaki

I’ve been so busy I really haven’t watched much of the Olympics.  For a few minutes I looked in on the ice skating. Lately, I’ve felt like a participant in a speed skating relay race – going back and forth with the publisher to make very minor, but necessary changes. Every last detail has to be in place so it is smooth sailing and there are no trip-ups to having the manuscript published. Thank goodness I finally did a hand-off and gave my manuscript to the publisher. It was time to let go, and let someone else carry the composition to the finish line.

energy goes where attention goesMost people would think now it’s a straight glide to the end point ~  not quite! The marketing, promotion and advertising is a completely  different dimension to a publishing project. Many authors loose steam, big-time, when it comes to that part.

It’s not just the independent publisher who has to carry the load of marketing, promotion and advertising. A traditional publishing house  is committed to putting  big resources behind a top selling author but, most authors are now expected to carry a good portion of the marketing load themselves. It’s understandable. After all, no one can promote a story as well as the one who wrote it because they have an intimate relationship with the characters!

Like any job, writing and publishing is not without it’s challenges. But for me,  it is very personally fulfilling. Thankfully, I went into the project with realistic expectations since I had worked in the independent publishing industry long before starting my own race.

The prize for me will come as each book is sold in the marketplace. Now, it’s back to more work. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.