Category Archives: Books

Fulfilling Things in a Memory Box

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“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” — Napoleon Hill.


I am so grateful that we have a historian among my college girlfriends. She’s saved everything from those years, right down to swizzle sticks and paper cocktail napkins from our favorite haunts.

It gives me great pleasure to go visit her because that’s when all the memorabilia from those years come out. We have a heyday recalling the stories that go with each of the tokens she’s stashed away in her memory box.  Having souvenirs of the past are a great way to trigger those memories we had forgotten about.

Admittedly, I’m not that much of a saver of things. I have a rule on clothing. If I don’t wear it after two or three years, it gets passed along. Why? Because I don’t like to move things that I don’t actively use. I try to keep my accumulations to a minimum, as hard as that is.

Although I do have a few boxes of things of sentimental value that I cling to, and will never give away,  memoir writing allows me hold dear to memories that are special without having to amass boxes of “things.”

As we age, baby boomers, it is important to write things down before those memories disappear forever.

Do you have a memory box or have you ever thought about making a memory box? Here are just a few photos that I keep in mine.

collage of family pics from when marc was young 25% enlarged

This blog is brought to you by the  author Sue Batton Leonard, who has won three awards for her award-winning memoir, an anthology of short stories.

Grounded, Even at Sea

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“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Taylor Batton 1Something completely different was planned for today’s blog but I just got wind of some  developing news, so I’ve changed my story!

On February 14, 2013, two years ago, I posted a blog called Songs, Taylor Made. The first time I featured young musician, songwriter and vocal artist, Taylor Batton on All Things Fulfilling, he was a student at Maine Maritime Academy. He has since graduated and he’s now navigating waters in places around the world piloting tremendous seafaring vessels – tugboats and such.

Batton uses his times of solitude to come to understand himself better and the world around him. His thoughts are used to create narratives through his music. As he says of his nautical life “You get a really strong sense of loneliness. At the same time, you feel a really strong and strange power. All of that kind of ties into how I go about writing the music. I just try and capture that feeling. ” Listen In.

portland tug taylor

I’m so proud of this young man. Taylor Batton recently signed with Goldship Records of Bristol, TN and his first full length album will soon be released.

taylor Batton 2

His journey has not always been easy. Yet he’s stared down adversity  and has attained each one of his goals,  all the while keeping his eye on what he’s been passionate about (maritime life and music) and not given up.

I look forward to learning more about the release of your new record label and the company who has signed you, Taylor. Hearty Congratulations!

This blog is penned by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Of All Things! A Mustard Seed?

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From a small seed a mighty trunk might grow ~ Aeschylus

The other day, a memory came to me as I stood in the line at the grocery store. I saw an elderly woman who had a beautiful silver watch on her wrist. It was unlike the kind of watch that you see in this day and age, and it reminded me of my Grandmother. Back in her day, watches were made like fine art – the work that went into crafting them was apparent.

mustard seedMy grandmother always wore a lovely watch with a little bauble that hung from it, just like in this image. What really intrigued me was the seed inside the bauble. I thought it was kind of intriguing but, I couldn’t imagine why would anyone carry around a seed hanging from their watch.

My grandmother told me it was a mustard seed but never told me of the seed’s significance. Perhaps it was just one of those things she wanted me to discover for myself as I grew up.

Did you know there is a full story behind  the meaning of the mustard seed? Skip down to the third paragraph of the article, that really gets to the heart of the matter.

Mustard Seed Faith

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

 

 

 

Calling All Valentines Procrastinators

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“Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.”  ~Richard Bach

You knew you shouldn’t have, but you did it anyway, right? You’ve waited to the last minute to think about what to give to your loved one for Valentine’s Day. It’s tomorrow!

“Oh, no,” you say, “time got away!”

You can place your order today and have Short Stories: Lessons of Heart and Soul delivered within minutes as a gift for a loved one since it’s an e-book. It’s perfect for ages twelve and up. A little humor that is family friendly and a wonderful hero with subtle messages are all inside the storyline.

IMG_20150110_153738_111 resized 50%Have a great weekend, everyone. See you back here on All Things Fulfilling on Monday. This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

 

Thirsty Thursday: Grow Happiness

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Ok! I’ll admit it, I like sappy, happy stories.   Yes, I do! It’s a relief to read something uplifting and positive because it gives balance to what is typically shown in the media.

One of the best ways to remove yourself from being inundated with negativity is to simply shut the TV off. As simple as that.

Negative influences can affect our entire demeanor. As people who can exercise our own free will, it’s up to us to decide who we want to hang with and what kind of energy is the most healthy to be around. 

Positive energy breeds positive energy, so keep this in mind. Find your positive energy name and let yourself be surrounded by all things fulfilling in your life that helps you live up to it.

Positive Energy Name

That’s all for today from Extraordinary Surprise Bringer. (aka the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.)

Colored Me Beautifully

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Do you remember back when civilty and common courtesy ruled? Please understand I share this story as an example of those times, not for self-serving purposes. I mean that.

My mother recently went through her hope chest, and sent some wonderful things that she had been saving for me. I couldn’t believe what she held on to for so many years.

In 1974, when I was 19 years old, I had a car accident. It was nothing more than a small fender bender and I think my Dad paid for the damages out of his pocket they were so minimal. At the time I thought it was the biggest tragedy that had ever befallen me. Never did it occur to me that I had been through much worse than that and survived the experience.

My twin sister was in the passenger seat and there were no injuries other than to the spirit. I was beside myself. (You know how teenage girls tend to over react, right?) I felt awful I had damaged someone else’s car and my parent’s vehicle.

I couldn’t believe the kindness the man that I rammed into showed me. He offered to come home with me to help me tell my parents because I was such a wreck. My sister can testify that the man upheld his offer.

Furthermore, after it was all done and over, the wife of the man I rammed into sent this note to my parents to let him know their car had been repaired and all was well. No hard feelings.

note about my car accident when 19 correct position

(Truthfully, I don’t have any clue what I said or did to warrant the comments on this note.)

Today’s message on All Things Fulfilling is for all parents. I want to share what John Locke once said, “We are like cameleons, we take our color and our hue of our moral character, from those who are around us.” ~ John Locke

Paint a picture of people

Thank you, Mom & Dad. I am so glad I grew up in an era of old-fashioned civilty and you raised me to have a strong moral compass. According to Locke, your colors must have rubbed off on me.  I hope I always stay true to my values.

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul, Sue Batton Leonard.

 

 

 

 

Library Browser Finds

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“I took my time, running my fingers along the spines of books, stopping to pull a title from the shelf and inspect it. A sense of well-being flowed through me ….” ~ Beth Pattillo

I’m truly convinced it’s time well-spent allowing oneself a lengthy browse in a library. The other day I came across a book that if you read only one book this year, The Awakening of Miss Prim should be it. In my opinion, this publication that I randomly came across should be front and center of any library. For a short time, it probably was. But books, even the best, quickly get backlisted.

Old world libraryBriefly, the storyline goes like this. A woman takes a job as a private librarian in the small town of San Ireneo de Arnois. When she arrives she finds that the community, an enclave of sorts, is filled with villagers from the baker to the florist to shoemaker to bookstore owner who have fled from other places to settle where there is something special, “it’s unusually harmonious.” Most believe that by “returning to the old ideals of a simple, traditional, family-based economy” it is what is best for society.

Hailed as “an ode to the simple joys of life,” by Huffington Post, through this impeccably rendered fictional story one comes to understand why books, art, culture, civilty and philosophy matters. Without these things entire generations of people’s values and relationships with one another are altered.

This International Bestseller by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera “set against a backdrop of steaming cups of tea, freshly baked cakes and lovely company” is a short, charming, and deeply thoughtful story. A treasure to behold for all readers.

An interesting side note: This debut novel was originally published in Spanish in 2013. In 2014 it was re-published in paperback, and in English.

This blog is brought to you by award-winning, debut author Sue Batton Leonard.

Preserving Thoughts

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When was the last time you thought much about the Dewey Decimal system? I did today! I decided to go to my favorite hang out in town, the Bud Werner Memorial Library to see where my publication Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected is filed on the bookshelves. Rather than hunt the library row by row, I took the easy way out and went directly to the computer. Sure enough my publication is on file 158.1 in the non-fiction section.

Since I am a curious soul, I wanted to see what other books it rubs covers with when it’s in-house at the library.  Interesting! Here are a few other titles in the same genre beside it:

  • Diana Looman’s Full Esteem Ahead: 100 Ways to Build Self-Esteem in Children & Adults
  • Denis Lovato: Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year
  • Oprah: Love Your Life!
  • Joan Lunden: Wake-Up Call

I love all books and but lately I’ve probably read more fiction than non-fiction. I find non-fiction helpful from an informational and educational standpoint. As Thomas Carlyle once said “All that Mankind has done, thought, gained or been: it is lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books. They are the chosen possession of man.”

Book at Bud Werner library

Personally, I think there’s a lot of truth in that statement and it is the reason I love to both read and write.

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard. The award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and

Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

 

 

 

Keeping Sunday Special

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Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week ~Joseph Addison

Is there anything in your life that makes Sunday special? Or for you is Sunday the same routine as very other day of the week?

father and daughterEvery Sunday: A Father & Daughters’ Enduring Connection by Donna W Dearborn is a story about a promise kept and treasured. The story goes like this –  when Dearborn left home for college, she promised her father she would write to him every Sunday and her father promised the same to her. Well beyond college, for thirty two years, the practice endured.

As the author’s father aged, the letters became even more important to keep his memories alive of all the fun he and his daughter had  together in large part through an active lifestyle.  You see, they’d been hiking companions throughout Donna’s growing up. Spending quality time together was put high on the priority list when Donna was a young child and it remained at the top to the credit of both parties. The two obviously enjoyed being together.

Do you have a “Sunday story” you’d like to tell? Writing is an important way to preserve culture. Not every relationship is joyful and happy, but there are lessons to be learned from all stories. With the ability to publish independently in this digital world we live in, memoirs and autobiographies are becoming an ever more popular genre of writing. Here is a good article about why memoirs are important not just for the writer but also for the reader. Jane Friedman talks about the up-tick in memoir writing in her article.

For those who are interested in writing stories of faith, here is another article about the importance of storytelling for future generations.

Here is a writing prompt to get you started on writing your story of faith.  Sunday is a day like no other because it allows us to (fill in your thoughts!)

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

 

Thirsty Thursday: A Barber’s Message

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Children, after all, are not just adults-in-the-making. They are people whose current needs and rights and experiences must be taken seriously. – Alfie Kohn

Books, inspiration and a motivational message from a man who cuts hair for a living is what today’s message is all about. This barber is reaching “rock star status” among youth with his passion for sharing his views on the importance of education and finishing school.

Take just two minutes to watch this video. This story is not hot off the press but, maybe you haven’t yet seen it. You’ll be impressed!

Come on back on Friday to All Things Fulfilling. We will see what else we can share that will be of interest in helping you to provide important messages to the youth in your life.

This blog is brought to you by the author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.