Category Archives: Business

Focus on Simple Pleasures

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There are few things in common between where I grew up, in Towson, Maryland and where I am residing at this moment, Steamboat Springs, Colorado except great peaches and sweet corn.

It is an unexpected gift when you live high up in the magnificent Rocky Mountains to find corn and peaches as good as what’s grown in Maryland.  The produce comes in  from Palisades, Colorado every weekend on a truck.

We are getting into the fresh from the farm season! So, although, I am living many, many miles away from all of our family – today I would like post a reminder to myself.

Peaches

And as gift for my readers on this sunny summer day – here is something you can make that is useful, healthy and delicious.It comes from http://www.OasisAdvancedWellness.com. Visit their website, there’s other fulfilling things they’ve posted for the visitors of their space on the internet.

See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling! This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. NOW AVAILABLE IN AUDIO BOOK, TOO! http://amzn.to/1rDx80a.

Peaches two

 

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.

 

 

 

Don’t Step on the Crack!

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Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Don’t step on the crack, you’ll break your mothers back. Don’t step on the crack, you’ll break your mothers back, don’t step……” Remember repeating that over and over again as you paced all up and down the  sidewalks?  For our family, it was a novelty to walk on city sidewalks because we lived in a wooded suburb. When we went to the city being able to sketch on pavement with chalk or to draw out a hopscotch course, we thought was pretty “nifty.”

When we visited our grandparents in Baltimore City, we got to do all kinds of things that we couldn’t do at our house. At home, our playground was the forest and stream. At least an acre or more of land separated the neighbors. At our grandparents, we thought it was pretty neat that we could sit in rocking chairs on a  porch and politely greet passers by.

The ragman  I can still remember the voice and the words of the Ragman’s banter as he navigated the horse and cart down the city streets of Baltimore. “Rags! Rags for sale! Come get your rags.”  Hearing the clip-clop of the horses feet coming down the street, was so exciting. The rag man called out, “New rags for old. Give me yours, and I’ll give you another.” Recycling, I assure you is not a new concept.

All in good jest, my parents used to threaten to sell or trade us to the Ragman if my sister, my brothers and I didn’t behave ourselves. That was enough to make us sit up and pay attention!

If you are a baby boomer, you might have recollections of having the Ragman arrive in your neighborhood and seeing people run out in the street to greet him and check out his wares.

Do you know the origins of the Ragman story? Here’s a link, you can read it for yourself. I found it quite interesting because as a child, the only thing I was interested in was seeing the big horse (usually an old gray mare) pulling the cart down the street. Little did I know there was an inspirational story behind The Ragman.  Check  it out! http://www.inspirationalarchive.com/573/ragman/.

In 2010, Walter Wagernan’s short story The Ragman was produced into a movie. Click on the link if for more information and ordering the DVD Ragman.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author and narrator of the memoir Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Now available in audio book.  Click here to listen to the audio book sample, narrated by the author

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e-Commerce! Fulfilling Dreams!

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Audio Book is Here!

 

“You’ll fall even deeper in love with Fanny when you hear her voice,”  narrated by the author Sue Batton Leonard

Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected is now available in Audio Book format.

Brought to you through Audible.com – Amazon’s audio book division!

“Sue’s ability, through dialogue, to share Fanny’s voice and powerful role in Sue’s developing years is a gift to readers.“

~ Mary Kurtz, author

Click here for easy ordering

Cd Cover Gift of a Lifetime from postnet

Listen to this memoir on your Kindle Fire, through the free audible app. on Apple, Android and Windows devices.

“Audible ~ Fulfilling Dreams through e-Commerce” ~  Sue Batton Leonard

Click here for easy ordering

 

Tomorrow I will have a photo for you of my sister and me as young children. You may not believe we are twins when you see it!

This blog brought to you by http://www.AllThingsFulfilling.com and author, Sue Batton Leonard

A Spirited Community

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“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it…” ― Wilferd Peterson

Steamboat springs Cultural-Heritage-Banner

So much of what author Wilferd Peterson describes in his quote and in his books about living a fulfilling life can be found in the town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado and the surrounding Routt County. His words couldn’t peg this Western community of 10,000 people any better!

What a busy 4th of July weekend! What constitutes a perfect independence weekend in sunny Steamboat? All Things western, creative and American!

  • Thursday evening warm-up: A gondola ride, picnic dinner and hike on the mountain. Enhanced with a stunning sunset, I might add.
  • First Friday Artwalk
  • Deliciously drenched strawberry stained, scented hands after helping to slice 10 flats of fruit first thing in the morning on Saturday.
  • Parade on Main Street. All creatures, great and small, festooned with wearing the red, white and blue.
  • After the parade block party – Annual ice crèam and strawberry sundae fundraiser at www.umcsteamboat.org. Routt beer floats and all American hot dogs across the street at Tred of Pioneers Museum. www.tredofpioneers.org.
  • Celebration of a prestigious institute for the performing arts in Steamboat. Perry-Mansfield celebrates 100 years! www.perry-mansfield.org.
  • The next generation of Olympic hopefuls compete – summertime ski jumping on the 4th at Howelson Hill, the site of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Www.sswsc.org.
  • A beautiful sunset with fireworks to end the 4th with dazzle and spark.
  • Free concert on Saturday evening under the stars.
  •  Art on the Mountain throughout the weekend – arts and crafts to satisfy the most discriminating tastes and interests.

This is only a small sampling of things there were to see and do over the 4th of July weekend in Steamboat. Coming up next weekend is Art in the Park and the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo. For a full list of summer/fall events here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, please visit this website www.steamboat-chamber.com.

It’s another fulfilling summer here in da ‘Boat! Come and join us in the fun!

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Photo above: Stunning Vistas surround Steamboat!

summer steamboat 7 Perry Mansfield

 Photo Above: Perry-Mansfield celebrates 100 years of mentoring students in the performing arts. http://www.perry-mansfield.org

Steamboat Summer 4Tread-of-Pioneers-Museum

Above: Cultural Heritage Museum – Tred of Pioneers. Includes ski racing and Olympian history from Steamboat

steamboat summer 2

Hot Air Balloon Rodeo – Just one of many signature summer weekends in Steamboat

Colorado-Mountain-College Economic Development Council

Colorado Mountain College – Home of Steamboat Springs  Economic Development Council

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Historic downtown Steamboat in the other season

steamboat first friday art walk

The Arts are important year round. It’s a great community of  creatives -writers, painters, musicians, potters, photographers and multi-media artists.

ToddLodwick_flagbearer

Photo Above: Steamboat has produced 88 Olympians and counting….

steamboat summer pro rodeo

Pro-Rodeo in Steamboat in Summertime

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Superb Fly Fishing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

What a gift of a lifetime for anyone to be living and working in Steamboat! There is so much to experience.

This blog brought to you by author Sue Batton Leonard.

A Will & A Way With Positive Spirit

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roots of faithI am more convinced than ever after attending an an event on Friday evening called Stories! It Takes Roots to Bloom! that telling stories for the sake of others is so very important. Three speakers who were in different stages of life all had something of value to say about how their faith has uplifted them.  As I sat with 150 other women and listened to the speakers, I couldn’t help but think if these three women’s stories were published, they could reach and inspire so many people.

One courageous young woman, a senior in high school went on to describe how finding faith led her out of drug addiction. Today, her life has been turned around and it’s looking very rosy and positive.

A second woman with a much longer life time of experience and wisdom to draw upon shared her difficult family relationships. With certain realizations that have come with age and faith she has moved forward. As an adult, she knows that she is a good person  despite being told otherwise for many years.

The third woman described how even as a young child, she was raised to believe and has been nearly a “ceaseless cheerleader” in faith. Yet there have been times in her life when she’s encountered others who have made her doubt. When she found her match (her husband), she’s seen an example of someone does not question even though before the age of 15 he suffered great losses in his life.

faith like wifiI would like to encourage all people to write personal stories if you feel you have an uplifting message for others. People need to hear stories of HOPE. There is too much negativity in the world today and we need leaders who can change the world by communicating with positive spirit.

Don’t feel you can write a full book? Poems, song lyrics, videos and short stories are other ways to get the word out. In this day and age of digital communications and independent publishing, you need not fear rejection. There are freelance professionals who can help you with your project.

From personal experience I can tell you if you have faith anything is possible.  I did it! I published my story and beat some other odds too that are inside my story.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected

 

Storytelling for the Sake of Others

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Stories are how we learn. The progenitors of the world’s religions understood this, handing down our great myths and legends from generation to generation. —Bill Mooney and David Holt,Storyteller’s Guide (American Storytelling)

I’m looking forward to this evening. I’ve been invited as a guest to attend an event called Stories! It Takes Roots to Bloom! A year or two ago I was invited to attend this annual event organized by the Steamboat Christian Church . The first time I attended it I thoroughly enjoyed myself, so I am thrilled to be welcomed back.  The night revolves around telling stories orally.

When I gave an author talk at my own church, The United Methodist Church of Steamboat http://www.umcsteamboat.org on May 5th, I mentioned my strong belief in the importance of telling stories to help other people and to preserve culture. It makes no difference what religion you practice because those that relate to what an author has to say will appreciate it.

In my opinion, we all come to our faith (or not) through our own experiences, which is just one point of my memoir “Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.” Some people are exposed to very traditional teachings and some come from unique and varied viewpoints, which makes for an interesting American culture.Click here for Info & Ordering on Sue’s memoir

gift of a lifetime image from Amazon_

Several of our We Write Steamboat members are members of this congregation. They have published their stories in testimony to how their faith has made a difference in their careers. Courtney Diehl, an equine veterinarian shares stories about her dealings with horses and their owners. It is  filled with humor that anyone will enjoy. She also gives an accounting of trying to build a successful practice. At the root of her business is her faith that she will make it as a mobile veterinarian.Click here for info & ordering Horse Vet

courtney diehl book large
“Doc Dawn” Dawn V Obrecht, M.D. is a physician specializing in addiction. Her first book is about her medical missionary trips to far off places around the world helping  people who have been devastated by natural environmental disasters. She also has other publications that she has written designed to help those struggling with addiction. These are wonderful examples of personal stories told for the sake of others.Click her for info on all of Dawn V Obrechts books

mission possible

I’d like to extend a thank you to the Director of Women’s Ministry at the Steamboat Christian Church for inviting me. I am sure it will be an inspirational evening.

Do return on Monday! This blog brought to you by http://www.AllThingsFulfilling.com and author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on Sue’s publication, click on this text.Gift of a Lifetime – Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected

Life in Chapters and Stories

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Cars, beep, beep they pass us by and then it’s time to get down to business. ~ Big Time Rush quotes

The college years! What fulfilling memories I have from 1971 to 1975. The story I recounted a few days ago on All Things Fulfilling, about my notable car in college is just one of the many memories that I like to look back on. If you missed the blog, here is a link to it.http://bit.ly/1q9rlPg.

Not only did I build friendships of a lifetime during my four years at Johnson State College http://www.jsc.edu it was the first time throughout my education that I felt I could establish meaningful student-teacher relationships. Our college town was tiny. We ran into our professors off campus on a daily basis – in the grocery store, at the local ski areas and yes, in bars. Understand that this was decades before the days of Facebook and other social media and that is how we “networked” – face to face. There were only so many public places to meet-up in a remote area.

During the college years I felt as footloose and fancy-free as any other time in my life. It’s a beautiful feeling and the college years are a great time for young adults to discover who they are, what their passions are and what they want to do in life. I wish every individual could have an opportunity to experience living on a campus but with the cost of college sometimes it is prohibitive. So many life lessons are learned when a student lives away from home and in a dormitory with others.

In my memoir I recount a college experience that changed my life forever, abruptly. With that came huge realizations about life. I wrote about this event in Chapter 32 An Awakening. This chapter is an example of why memoir writing is so important. As Karen Armstrong, author of The Spiral Staircase once said, “We should probably all pause to confront our past from time to time, because it changes its meaning as our circumstances alter.” Click for Info on Karen Armstrong books.


Life, like cars, passes by quickly. Sometimes we make stops in our journeys through our different experiences. After the college years came the responsibilities of career, marriage and child rearing. And with those events came more stories!

JSC photo

Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson State College, Johnson, Vermont

http://www.jsc.edu

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of A Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.  For more information on my publication, click here Sue’s memoir.

Coping Skills and Economy

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“Entitlement is the opposite of enchantment.” ~ Guy Kawaski

Yesterday after I wrote about my college escapades in my  hand-me-down car, I began thinking of how different life is now for students compared to when I was in college in the early 1970s. My sister and I were very fortunate to even have had a vehicle to share in college because the majority didn’t. We were thrilled to death to have inherited the old “jalopy.”

When the budget was low and we ran low on gas money, we pooled our funds with our girlfriends. Back then, giving credit cards to college students was unheard of – most families operated on a cash only basis. If you had built a good reputation or were good friends with the shopkeeper, sometimes they did extend credit in emergency situations. gas rationing

Back in 1973 it didn’t matter who you were or what kind of car you drove, you were not entitled to having a full tank of gas at anytime of day or night. It was the days of gas rationing. My sister and I had to plan our 500 mile treks home from school vacations very carefully. We could only purchase gas on certain days and at some gas stations there was a 10 gallon limit.

To take things even further – we had to wait in line to use the pay telephone if we wanted to call our parents. And forget calling  on a whim – every telephone call cost dearly.There were no package plans! On Sunday evenings, every two weeks, we called home. And the time allotment had two be split between two talking heads, mine and my sisters.

Do you think young adults in today’s society have the same kind of coping skills as in previous generations? I’d like to hear from you.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected Sue’s memoir

Film Friday: Burts Buzz

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honeysuckle and bee“The honeysuckle is learning to appreciate all the small drops in  the sweetness of  life.” ~ Sue Batton Leonard

People find their purpose in life in different capacities but how could an insect inspire a company to try to change to world? Answers are revealed in the documentary film, Burts Buzz, which gives a look at the recluse behind the brand Burts Bees. For more info.click here

This  film, which was released on June 6, 2014, tells the story of how a Maine artist meets a beekeeper and by pairing their interests, they start a company in 1984. With meager beginnings the two begin making bees wax candles, but that was just the start. Since then the brand has grown and is recognizable in places around the world for their products which now include balms for the lips, face, body, babies and more.

In 2007, the non-profit arm of the company The Greater Good Foundation (a 501(c)(3),  was established with a focus on responsible environmental conservancy and protecting honeybees. To read more about the mission, go to  http://bit.ly/1sbQVER.

The film has opened to mixed reviews. Some claim the nectar of the story was not fully drawn out in the narrative. Watch it and decide for yourself. There must be something sweet in it.

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Sue’s memoir