Category Archives: Academic resources

Writing Conflict and Lessons

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Life is a circle. The end of one journey is the beginning of the next.”
― Joseph M. Marshall III, The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History

I read a marvelous article recently in Poets and Writers Magazine about character development in stories and it got me thinking about real life people. Is it not true that some of the most interesting individuals you have ever met have incredibly complex life journeys?

If every thing in life was smooth, easy and breezy, our personal stories would be boring and there would be little reason for memoir writing. Out of strife and struggle comes personal growth, and by reading tales written by others we meet some very interesting characters who inspire us to become better people.

art of perseveranceThere is a book I encountered on Goodreads called Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance.  This book may be a good resource for writers who are frustrated and disappointed in their progress or at a loss for direction. Sage advice on not giving up is incorporated into this book. Rather than the typical new age jargon, wisdom of the ages from the Lakota Indian is shared through the writings. Click for info & ordering

Author Joseph M Marshall III, a Native American writer, inspires others in his workshops on character and leadership and through his other publications. Please visit his website to learn more about Marshall as a writer and motivational speaker. http://www.josephmarshall.com .

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Click for info and ordering See you tomorrow on http://www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

An Age Old Question

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If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. ~Rachel Carson

Before I start today’s blog, I have a special birthday to acknowledge – my husband’s.  My partner in life helped create the artist featured in yesterdays blog. As a role model and teacher to our son, he could not have been a more involved father. But then, he was experienced because he has mentored many stellar students. Happy Birthday, Coach!

Across the ages, and across the lands, children have wondered the same things “Who created the universe – the sky, the planets, the stars, human beings?”

playdough poemThe Playdough Poem, by author Sandra Edwards, published by Wine Press Kids, helps to fulfill children’s need to know the answer to these questions. Using a literary work of art along with modeling clay, children can use their tactile skills to make their unique creations that to lead to the children’s understanding of the Universe. This independently published book is used as an art resource and educational activity in Sunday schools, Vacation Bible Schools and with homeschooled Christian families.

This book is written in three languages (English, French and Spanish) all in one publication, to reach multi-cultural communities. As an adult resource, The Playdough Poem is presented at leadership conferences helping teens and older individuals understand one of life’s revelations about creation. Once we arrive at adulthood, it is up to us to create our own lives into something divinely beautiful.

The Playdough Poem is available through iTunes, in paperback, as an e-book and there is even a YouTube video http://bit.ly/16YueHz  which helps interested parties determine whether this book is suitable for sharing in certain environments. The book can be ordered from all over the world. For more information, please visit this website. http://bit.ly/1aiem5W.

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

Artistic and Technical Minds

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Whenever parents with adult children gather, it becomes catch up time. “What is your son or daughter doing these days?” always enters into the conversation. Sometimes this question leaves my husband and me at a loss for words. A pat answer, like “our son is an accountant does not work!” Frequently, we answer “all kinds of things,” because it is the truth and hard to explain it. Only parents with creative adult children seem to understand this.

Our twenty-five year old son is an artist, with technical abilities. These words bring vague connotations because artists have a way of being involved in whatever moves their spirit. Their passions and interests can change frequently, especially if they are multi-media artists.

From now on, perhaps I need to write out on a piece of paper, the link to a website which will clarify his position(s). Here you go, this will explain it. He has his own number.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3786343/ .

It’s very hard to keep track of what our son is doing from day to day, except to say “he is doing a good job of fulfilling his dream and that makes his parents very happy.”

The Artist’s Way for Parents: Raising Creative Children, http://amzn.to/19EfT6U available as an e-book,  is a great resource for adults with young children who are showing signs of becoming budding artists. This is a memoir by Julia Cameron.

Today, in this blog about children and the arts, I’d like to share some photographs. Having permission to use these treasured images is a gift to my husband and me. What is contained in the photos makes us very happy. All images are courtesy of Lindele Media http://www.lindelemedia.com/  in New Mexico, and I wish to say “thank you” for letting us use them.

I look forward to Lindele Media’s upcoming movie “The Garden,” set to be released in 2014. There is a trailer to watch on this website. http://bit.ly/UJrK73  and to learn more about the cast and crew, please visit the Internet Movie Database link http://imdb.to/14VZEjZ .

At Work: The Award-Winning Director of “Moses Stuttered” (2012):

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Photo courtesy of Lindele Media

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To Watch Moses Stuttered http://bit.ly/UJrK73

Tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, our blog will be exploring the creation of each one of us as individuals. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Clearing the Way

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“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Are you person who has always had an artistic calling, yet you have never pursued your passion in earnest? You are not alone. There are many people, for various reasons, who have had to travel down other career paths feeling they have not fulfilled their God-given talents.

Matt Tommey book1The book Unlocking the Heart of the Artist: Practical Guide to Fulfilling Your Creative Call as an Artist in the Kingdom speaks to this issue for the new generation of people who seek personal fulfillment as a priority in their lives. He invites others to live fully, doing what makes them happy, and to become “unstuck” by expressing themselves creatively.

The author, Matt Tommey, is a successful basket maker and art consultant from Asheville, North Carolina. His sensible messages to other artists, through his publications, helps clear the way of self-doubt by providing hope and insight to individuals who wish to thrive and become fulltime artists. His book Crafting your Brand: Simple Strategies for Cultivating a Successful Creative Career, is also a good resource for anyone who wants to pursue their calling.

A well-rounded artist, Matt Tommey,  makes a living in a combination of ways, also offering workshops on the craft of basketry. To learn more about his workshops,  how to order these publications and to see his website,  http://bit.ly/1bpQhI9 .

Do return tomorrow for Film Friday, we will be featuring a film that is soon to be released that plays well into our recent topics of writing on All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Bicycles and Freedom

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“The less routine, the more life.” ~ Amos Bronson Alcott

This summer I began switching up my exercise routine alternating from walking everyday to sometimes biking. I haven’t had a bicycle in many years but thanks to my mother, I inherited hers, when she got a new one. At eighty plus years of age, she is still biking three or four days a week. That’s the way to keep on movin’! Most women in the generation before hers took to their rocking chairs at age 60, and now women are staying active well into their 70s, 80s and even at 90.

Its been a while since I have been on a bicycle, and I had forgotten the exhilaration that comes with using that mode of transportation. It is a very fulfilling feeling to be able to cover more ground, than on foot, in a short amount of time.

There are benefits to getting out of a rut, and doing something different. Choosing a unique vacation spot, driving roads less traveled, dressing in something new and stylistically different, eating foods that have never been tried before are just a few things we can do to add spice to our lives.

wheels of changeThere is a book by Sue Macy, a sports historian, called Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires along the Way) which explores how the bike had social impact on women allowing them to become more independent. Women’s infatuation with biking began as far back as the 1890s, and it started a slow evolution in fashion – moving away from Victorian couture. Bloomers, split skirts, and less voluminous dresses began making their entrance onto the fashion scene, which made biking easier for women and more convenient. Click for more info & ordering

Women’s activist Susan B Anthony once said of biking “I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.” Anthony’s independent thoughts remind me that I have freedom of choice. The same old story in my life needs to be replaced every once in a while with new narratives.

“I love biking in scenic Steamboat Springs, Colorado.”

Gift of A Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected is an story that has been waiting to be told for many years. It is now available! Click for info & orderingAll Things Fulfilling is  brought to you by www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com. Where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Good Foundations of Health Literacy

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It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~ Frederick Douglass 

nutrition-habitsEncouraging young students to learn more about healthy food choices is important to the Arthur W Perdue Foundation. A forty-thousand dollar grant towards health literacy has been awarded to the AtlanticGeneralHospital in Worcester County, Maryland. The AGH is creating after school programs to educate children about making better choices in their lives. http://bit.ly/18LrPSQ.

AGH will partner with the HerschelSHorowitzCenter for Health Literacy http://www.healthliteracy.umd.edu/   at the University of Maryland College Park to draft a set of health literacy standards for the K-8 public school curriculum. Health literacy is a relatively new term, and it is being integrated into core curriculum in schools in many states, such as Colorado.

Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC of Steamboat Springs, Colorado http://eatplaylearnbooks.wordpress.com/  is pioneering the way in publishing e-books which incorporates the use of videos of “kids activities that use food as a learning tool.” Great resources for parents and educators.

Kudos to the Perdue Foundation and to Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC for their commitment to educating children about the cornerstones of good health and the long term benefits of eating right!

Return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Gold Standards in Independent Publishing

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quality-mark

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. ~ William A Foster

Award-winning authors with award winning books! Today we continue highlighting authors who took away 2013 EVVY prizes from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) last month.

Click for info & ordering

Each of the aforementioned authors, as well as those who received second, third and merit awards from CIPA are setting high standards for all independent publishers. The Colorado Independent Publishers Association is working hard to ensure that top quality authors are reaping the rewards. The organization is putting into place high standards for judging criteria for book contests. Thank you, CIPA, for leading the way with your EVVY awards.

To read the full list of the 2013 EVVY award-wining books, please visit http://bit.ly/16BLVPn.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce & e-marketing for independent publishers. Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Routt County 2013 EVVY Book Award Winners

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It’s back to books, business and publishing today on All Things Fulfilling.

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May 22, 2013

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

On Saturday, May 18, 2013 in Lone Tree, Colorado, the 2013 EVVY book awards were presented by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Three authors, all members of We Write Steamboat, a meet-up group for independent publishers in RouttCounty, came away winners.

9780974461793.Front Cover.vxA first place prize in the health and fitness category was won by Dawn V. Obrecht, M.D. for her publication, From the Edge of the Cliff: Understanding the Two Phases of Recovery and Becoming the Person You’re Meant to Be, published by Richer Press of Phoenix, Arizona. “Doc Dawn” is also the author of Mission Possible: A Missionary Doctors Journey of Healing. It is also an award-winning book. Her practice, specializing in addiction medicine, is based in Steamboat. Click for info & ordering Dawn V Obrechts books

Alzheimers moss bookSecond place prize in the autobiography/memoir category was given to author, Donald Moss, PhD for his book Alzheimer’s: My Journey to a Next Generation Treatment. Dr. Moss resides in RouttCounty on a part-time basis, and recently retired as professor at University of Texas, El Paso. Dr. Moss’s book is available as a paperback and as an e-book. Click for info & ordering Dr. Moss’s book

newtons-ark-coverA merit award was also given to author D.A. Hill of Steamboat for his first novel Newton’s Ark. This book is the first in a trilogy series. It is available as a paperback, in digital format (e-book) and also as an audio book. Click for info & ordering D.A. Hill’s books

More EVVY award winning books will be featured on All Things Fulfilling in coming weeks.

Do return to this blog tomorrow. I will be featuring a book that I mentioned several weeks ago in the blog called Star of the Publishing World http://bit.ly/10RIonQ. The principles within this book will be  helpful to writers who struggle with completing their publishing projects.

Do stay tuned to this blog by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

 

Fulfilling Tour of Newport, RI

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“Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.” ~ Frank Borman

My travelogue of Newport, Rhode Island continues today. I had the opportunity to tour the Marble House, one of the mansions. High up on the Cliff Walk, overlooking  Rhode Island sound and the Atlantic Ocean, it was home to the Vanderbilts who made their fortune as venture capitalists in the NY Central Railroad and steamships. Their investments and other wealthy families foresight in our country’s future, brought more prosperity through expanding commerce.

The opulent stone palace, now a National Historic Landmark, was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and was constructed during the years 1888-1892. Once complete, it was a 39th birthday present to William K Vanderbilt’s wife, Alva. How do you wrap a present like that? In gold, of course, inside, rather than out. She loved to entertain and saw the Marble House as “her temple to the Arts in America.”

Husband and wife, had separate private reading rooms filled with books, on opposite sides of the mid-level landing of the enormous, two story marble stair case. It is where they went to get away, relax from all their social entertaining. They also built a Chinese teahouse on the property with a magnificent view where guests could go for peace and solitude away from the hustle and bustle of the Marble House activities.

Alva and William K Vanderbilt had three children. Their son, William K, Jr. was a pioneer in auto racing. Their son, Harold pursued his passion of yachting and sailed in the America’s Cup three times. Their daughter Consuelo became the 9th Duchess of Marlborough.

Photos are not allowed to be taken inside the mansion. To read more about the Marble House and to see a photo of the gold room in the Marble House, please visit this link. http://www.newportmansions.org/explore/marble-house.

It was a fulfilling weekend in New England, exploring art, history and architecture.

Return on Monday to www.AllThingsFulfilling.com where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

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Another “summer cottage” along Belleview Road

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Above:  Marble House, the Vanderbilt’s Summer Cottage by the Sea.

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Chinese Teahouse on the property of Marble House

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The Backside of Marble House – facing the sea

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Above: Me with the Babcocks, my niece Kara & Her husband Joe – two architects!IMAG0450

Above: Gates of Salve Regina Univ in Newport, RI – it was graduation day!

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Above & Below Images: Stopped by the International Tennis Hall of Fame – it was neat!

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Newport Harbor

Goodbye, Newport! Can’t believe we saw all these sites in Newport in one day. Well worth the stop!

Signed,  Grateful, that I returned to this area once again. Loved every minute!

Paving the Way for Commerce Westward

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“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” ~Warren Buffett

A stroll along The Cliff Walk and Bellevue Avenue was a beautiful place to be last Saturday. Sunny skies and flowering trees added to the charm of Newport, RI, a city filled with mansions from The Guilded Age.

Many of the homes were built with embellishments found in European castles and cathedrals. The structures, fit for kings and royalty, are now museums because they are so expensive to maintain, and they are open to the public for touring. The mansions were once “seaside cottages” for wealthy families who came to Newport, RI, their summer playground. Life by the sea for the Vanderbilt’s, Astor’s, Webb’s and Dupont’s was more glitzy than it is today for most ocean resort dwellers. The families came with a full staff of servants, and house help who helped orchestrate the entertainment of other notables of great wealth and social standing. These prominent society people can be thanked for paving the way for prosperity in the United States. Through their investment in the railroads and steamships, commerce spread westward across America. They were the same individuals who were great patrons of the arts, and invested in magnificent paintings and other art installations, such as sculpture, in their mansions.

Enjoy your tour of Newport, through my photos:

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 Photo above & below: At the start of Cliff Walk in Newport, RI

with my twin sister

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The Breakers, Newport, RI

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Another summer cottage by the sea on Cliff Walk

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Graduation Day at Salve Regina University, Newport, RI http://www.salve.edu/

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Tree on Campus of Salve Regina University – Rooted in two different places!

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Another of the Mansions along Cliff Walk

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Dogwoods, Azaleas, and other flowering trees were in bloom

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Sue, Jan and my niece, Kara in the middle

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. I  will show you a few more of the sites in Newport, RI from my travels. My trip to Rhode Island was not my first, but I found plenty of fulfilling things I had never seen before. Come back  to see the mansion we toured.

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