Category Archives: Artists

New Newswire: Outdoor Enthusiasts

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 “Life is uncharted territory. It reveals its story one moment at a time.” ~ Leo Buscaglia

Vacation adventures from days of my youth have changed a lot with the availability of air travel. People like more active involvement in their experiences.  Both young and old, seek sites in far off places across the globe. Popular forms of enchanting travel for many means visiting mountains, forests, oceans, deserts, fjords and glaciers. Indeed, experiential travel is big these days and so are the numbers of people who enjoy active lifestyles in the great big outdoors!

Crux CollectiveThere is a new website which will soon be officially launching in September called http://thecruxcollective.com/. Anyone who loves nature adventures will enjoy frequenting this site.

The Crux Collective’s mission is to “educate, inspire and encourage traditional and non-traditional exploration of the outdoors.” Watch this site as it develops. It will serve as an interesting news wire with photographs, videos and other interesting content for the outdoors enthusiast.

 

My interpretation of Crux Collective’s mission is “give yourself the gift of living a life of  fulfilling treks and expeditions!” Not everyone has the means to go to exotic places in far off corners of the globe but you can learn more about our world, near and far,  through Crux Collective. Check it out.

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

Drink in the Outdoors

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“Life’s enchanted cup sparkles near the brim.” ~ Lord Byron

Baltimoreans of my generation will surely remember the Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City, Maryland. A trip to the Enchanted Forest always made me feel as if I had stepped into any one of my favorite fables. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, people didn’t travel great distances. Family day trips to amusement parks were considered special. For a child to see scenes of gumdrop cottages and fairyland castles like those in their favorite nursery rhymes turned boys and girls into princes and princesses for a day.

enchantedforestsign

I liked peering into the windows of the Hansel & Gretel house and climbing on the statue of Old King Cole. Tiptoeing through a field of oversized gingerbread ladies and gents was thrilling to a youngster. You could even take a ride in “Alice in Wonderland” teacup shaped cars through the park. Baltimoreans, if you ever wondered where the Enchanted Forest went, follow this link. http://bit.ly/1nY7nQS.

The ENchanted Forest, Hansel and Gretel's House Baltimore
Our world has changed over the decades and so have the people’s ideas of vacationing.  Tomorrow we will be featuring a new website for outdoors enthusiasts who love to travel. The news wire for this site will be “officially launched” in a few weeks and it will feature inspiring places to see and things to do to enhance your lifetime experience. The great outdoors was created for us to enjoy. Take advantage and drink in all the great outdoors has to offer.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of the memoir Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click here for info and ordering.http://amzn.to/1o69dEg. Pssst.. The treasure is in the voice of this author narrated audio book!

 

Alive for the Ride

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“We should come home from new adventures, and perils, and new discoveries everyday with new experience and character.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Remember getting carsick on family road trips? I didn’t often have that problem, but my sister did. Our big ole station wagon with the wooden sides had three bench seats in it and to a child, it seemed nearly as wide as a yacht.

car stuffingTo a family of six, it didn’t matter how large the car was, when we went on vacation, there still was not enough room.

My father always folded the third seat down and packed it to the ceiling, leaving minimal room for us kids.

In the way back  there was no room for sitting up. My youngest brother, Scott and I always got relegated to the far back of the station wagon. My sister always claimed she’d get carsick if she didn’t sit up and face forward.Scott and I had to lay flat out with our noses hitting the ceiling because of the heaps of luggage and gear beneath us. Being the two more passive children in the family, we didn’t complain too much -only every other minute. Actually, I was glad I was alive to be going along for the ride! Now I look back and think if only audio books had been invented. Anything would have been more entertaining than staring straight up at the ceiling!

Speaking of taking to the road, I recently read that Baltimore film producer, John Waters is hitchhiking across the country and writing chronicals of his life on the road in his publication called Carsick. To read the article from the Towson Patch and to listen to his radio interview about his adventures, please visit this link.http://aol.it/1k4zPW3

This blog brought to you by author Sue Batton Leonard. If you are going on a road trip, take along Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. You’ll love the voice in it. The audio book holds the treasure! Click on this link for more information.http://amzn.to/1ldxHXj .

TV Shows of the 1950s and 1960s

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“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.” ~ Randy Pausch

Let’s keep All Things Fulfilling fun and frivolous for the rest of  the week. Baby boomers do you remember the Lorenzo Stomp and Yakety Saks? I can still recall the catchy tune they’d play on channel WJZ TV in Maryland,  “The Land of Pleasant Living!” My sister and brothers and I loved doing the Lorenzo Stomp – it made us laugh and we all looked as if we’d all gone haywire as we whistled and danced around the room.

Click here and you can read what others remember about the Lorenzo the Tramp Show that originated in Baltimore and later was broadcast in Pennsylvania. http://www.topix.com/forum/city/allentown-pa/T0HNE8P1SAKD5J0J1 As years go by, memories fade. Surely, if you don’t remember Lorenzo the Tramp, you will remember Bozo the Clown. How can you forget this  face? Bozo the Clown After all these years, Bozo has not completely disappeared off the planet. You can still purchase a Bozo the Clown punching bag from http://www.vermontcountrystore.com . What a great gift to give a baby boomer who is celebrating his or her 60th or 65th birthday. Most people who remember Bozo are in that age group.  With aging, life sometimes deals us some punches we aren’t fully prepared to deal with. A gift of a Bozo the Clown punching bag will provide a safe place to vent and bring fulfilling memories of TV yesteryear back. How can this fella not make you smile? bozo clown - available at VT Country Just another fulfilling memory from Sue Batton Leonard, author of  the memoir Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.  Ready for a little nonsense? Watch the video I’ve posted and practice up the Lorenzo Stomp! See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

Circle of Life

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“There are patterns which emerge in one’s life, circling and returning anew, an endless variation of a theme”  ― Jacqueline Carey

Hoola HoopOn Saturday evening, my husband and I went to a free concert at Howelson Hill in Steamboat. It was just one of several offered throughout the summer.

As I sat and listened to the band and watched the crowd, I was reminded of a 1950s fad. There were a handful of girls and grown women  hula hooping to the music! Those ladies were good! They kept the hoop spinning as it revolved around their necks and waists and then when they dropped down to their knees, in a kneeling position, they kept it going. As they stood again, they keep the hoop revolving around their ankles. Never once touching the plastic circle.

Wow- quite different than the hula hoops skills I had. And talk about a workout and being creative with a simple circle- some of the moves, I can’t even find the words to explain it!

Isn’t it funny how fads, like fashions, come and go and come back around again through the ages? Hula hoops provided many hours of fulfilling fun for me, my sister and our girlfriends.

This is just another bit of nostalgia from the gift we humans are given – a lifetime full of memories!

This blog brought to you by author Sue Batton Leonard. Her publication is now also available in audio book for your reading pleasure. Click on this link for more information on the audio book, the paperback and the e-book.http://amzn.to/1nDmKTu

Developing Talent

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“Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.”  ~ Arthur Schoenhauer boy playing pianoSunday was such a joyful day for the family of a ten year old boy from Newport News, Virginia. He’s been visiting his grandparents in Steamboat, and found an opportunity that he didn’t expect when he arrived here – two chances to play the piano in front of an audience of a fully-packed church.

The boy is years beyond his peers in his musical abilities. To say he is “gifted” doesn’t quite cover it. Our first chance as a community to hear this youngster play the piano was Sunday, a week ago. He skillfully played “Let it Go,” from the soundtrack of Disney’s movie “Frozen.” It’s one of my current favorites.

Two days ago he returned to surprise his parents by playing Pachelbel’s – Canon on the pipe organ. While the student has been visiting,  the United Methodist Church in Steamboat has been letting this talented young artist practice on their piano in the sanctuary. His parents were not aware that he also has been allowed to try his hands, for the first time, on a pipe organ.

I got a little teary-eyed as I listened to the boy play the pipe organ so magnificently and skillfully for his young age. I couldn’t  help but think about all the young children who have undiscovered talents or not the right opportunities to develop them. In general, communities of caring people need to do better at helping children nurture their innate abilities. Whether a child’s talents lie in the Arts, Science, Communications or any other field that really holds their passions and interests,  having strong mentors is important.

The most beautiful part of this story – This child already understands the gifts that he has been given and where they have come from. Best to you always, Mason! You really impressed us.

This blog brought to you the author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, Sue Batton Leonard. Now Available in Audio: Click here for info. and also available in paperback and e-book!

Perfecting a Craft

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character

Becoming a published author does not mean a writer is finished learning their craft – hardly! Just like any artist, spending time honing skills is all part of being an writer.

A week from today I will be participating in A Day for Writers in Steamboat Springs. This will be the thirty-third annual event hosted by the Steamboat Writers Group. Here’s what Friday evening and Saturday activities look like:

  • Friday evening Meet & Greet and buffet dinner. Afterward is 10 Minutes of Fame. We will get to read from our published or unpublished work. Fanny (the stellar character in Gift of A Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected) will be making a guest appearance! One never knows what words of wisdom might come out of her mouth.
  • Mystery Writer Rex Burns will lead us in learning more about setting and description. Later in the day we will practice our craft by writing descriptive passages.
  • Teresa Funke will be on hand to talk about book promotion. This will be my second opportunity to listen to this highly skilled professional speaker.I look forward to it. Secondly she will give us some insight into the perspective of what book buyers are looking for. For more information on Teresa’s publications, public speaking and creativity coaching, please visit her website http://www.teresafunke.com/.

I am looking forward to a Day for Writers in Steamboat. The opportunity to attend writers conferences and workshops are a gift of a lifetime for me because I plan to continue writing.  I can’t learn enough about what readers are looking for when they sit down to read a good book. There is more to it than you can ever imagine.

After next weekend is all over, I will provide you with a recap. So look for the upcoming story on All Things Fulfilling.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard. As  narrator and author, she says of  her audio book ” Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, “the voice contains the real treasure” .For info & ordering click on this link

 

 

 

 

 

Towson, Now and Then

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“Friendship is…..one of those things that give value to survival.” ~ C.S. Lewis

Today I am going to take a trip down memory lane during the 1950s and 1960s  to my native stomping grounds of  Towson, Maryland (in Baltimore County) . It’s the  home of Goucher College http://www.goucher.edu/  and Towson State College (now known as Towson University)http://www.towson.edu . Johns Hopkins University http://www.jhu.edu/ and Loyola University http://www.loyola.edu/ are  just down the road in Baltimore City.

When I was a young girl, Towson Plaza, was our shopping mecca. Stores like Tuerks (Twerks, as Fanny the stellar character in my memoir called it), Reads Drugstore and The Plaza Florest were just a few of the stores located there. Of course, S.S. Kresges (aka  Kresgeree’s according to Fanny) was the “flagship store.” It anchored all the rest of the stores and really kept the shopping center active with business.

Towson Plaza

Just down the street, within walking distance was Towson Bootery, Stebbins Anderson, Finkelstein’s and Sunny Surplus – my Dad’s favorite store! The last time I went into Sunny’s was in the mid-to-late 1970s when I took my husband-to-be there. He nearly went crazy. I wonder if it’s gone out of business?

In the early nineteen-seventies, during the years I went off to college in Vermont, progress really began to take place.Commercial real estate development changed the entire look and feel of that area of town. Evidently, it’s gone through several renovations and revitalizations since then. Here’s a photo with just one of the crown jewel stores in the “Towson Plaza” area now.

towson plaza now

 

Although I visit family in Towson now and then, its been quite a while since I have been to the “Towson Plaza” area. I bet I’d have a hard time finding my way around. I’m hoping to return to the area this fall and do a book signing of “Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.”

I’ll keep you posted. It would be wonderful to see old school friends, aquaintances and people who have done business with five generations of the Batton building businesses throughout Baltimore County and beyond.   http://on.fb.me/1k1hWb5  and http://bit.ly/1u2nrdE.

 

 

 

Life Can be a Wild Ride

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“ Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color.” ~ Author Unknown

 

gwynnoakparksignIf you are a baby boomer you probably remember end of the school year field trips. Those trips were designed to learn how to have fun!

In Baltimore,  Gywnn Oak Park was a fun place to be except when it became very controversial and a place for riots and protests against racial segregation due to its whites-only admissions policy.   The sixty-four acre park closed up due to terrible flooding in 1973 from Hurricane Agnes. To read more historical information about the desegregation of  Gwynn Oak Park, follow these links. http://bit.ly/1jFbyWs  and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynn_Oak_Park

Gwynn Oak Park TheWhip

gwynn oak park 3

Gwynn oak park ticket

But, Hershey Park, Pennsylvania (aka Chocolate Town) was the most desired field trip spot in my world during my days of growing up. My classmates and I got to travel to it on a Greyhound bus rather than on a school bus. That was a big deal. The seats  were plush and you could tip them back. There were headrests and ashtrays on the armrests. We thought that was pretty cool. We saw chocolate being made and Hershey’s amusement park was much larger. It was a blast. Only the real dorks didn’t like it.

I was game to go on on any of the thrilling rides except the roller coaster, aka The Comet. Once was enough. I thought I was going to have a heart attack it was so scary. The fun house with all the distorted mirrors was one of my favorites. I liked the mirror that turned my body image from skin and bones to an inflated balloon in the blink of an eye. My friends finally had a chance to see what I looked like over-sized instead of under-sized. We all thought it was hysterical. We laughed ourselves silly and had to keep going tinkle!

hersey park PA ride

 

hersey park PA ride2

 

Ahh…. the good ole days. Sometimes I wish I could bring those fulfilling times back.

This blog is brought to you by author Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.  Sue’s audio book version of her memoir gives a real sense of the era in which it was written. The treasure is in the voice. Click this link for more information.

 

The Start of Independence

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“Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.” ~ Doug Larson gphdiez3.JPG

Remember the first time your mother let you go to the department store with your girlfriends and gave you some money to buy a sandwich at the lunch counter? It was a big, big deal!

I bet you ordered a hot dog, grilled cheese or maybe splurged on a BLT? Perhaps a cherry coke,a frappe or a ginger ale to go with it. And then there was the juke box. Remember twirling the song selector around and around trying to find “the perfect song?” There were so many “pop hits” but with only a few extra coins in your pocket, playing dozens of songs, just wasn’t possible.

Where was your favorite lunch counter? At a drugstore, department store or at a regular malt shop? What did you find there that was so fulfilling – your independence, the food, the friends you met up with or how fast you could get the stool to twirl around and around?

I love writing about nostalgic times. It’s one reason I penned the memoir  “Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.” Click here for info & ordering. Its now available in an audio book, narrated by the author and the voice holds the real treasure! Look forward to seeing you on Monday. See you then.