A weed is a plant whose virtue is not yet known.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Have you ever wandered the woods wondering which plants have been used for hundreds of years for their medicinal qualities? And which plants are edible?
Herbalists Karen Vail and Mary O’Brien have taken years to research and write their new resource guide Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Southern Rockies. Photos were taken by the authors from the fields, forests and mountains. Much effort has gone into the project. I know because I’ve consulted with them.
Now it’s time to bring their book to fruition by publishing it. These two ladies know their stuff and have conducted hiking tours for many years all for the sake of educating others about the healing qualities of herbs and flowers, some of our greatest natural resources found in nature.
Learn more about this very useful guide and the professional and educational qualifications of the herbalists. They offer their combined knowledge of 50 years in this publication. Take a few minutes to listen to the authors talk about what’s between the covers!
Please join me in supporting their efforts.
P.S. I can guarantee you will also see some beautiful landscapes in the video.
We can never get a re-creation of community and heal our society without giving our citizens a sense of belonging.— Patch Adams
What makes a great community? As an outsider, I’ve noticed things the 2014 Winner of the Coolest Small Town in America, Berlin, Maryland has in common with Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the town I’ve called home for the past seven years.These elements are what, in my opinion, helps a community to thrive.
Cohesion between a strong Main Street Association and the local Council on the Arts
People who are forward-thinkers, not afraid of change but respect the past.
A strong volunteer base who want to contribute to building a town that others will envy.
Leaders who understand the history behind the community and what makes it unique.
Berlin, Maryland “Historically Charming & Artistically Alive & Eternally Young” has been the location site of two movies, which no doubt has helped bring notariety to the community. Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere was filmed there in 1998 and contributed 27.5 million dollars to the local economy. In 2001 Berlin was transformed into a town at the turn of the century with dirt roads, period costumes and horses and carriages for the film Tuck Everlasting. Actors Sissy Spacek, Ben Kingsley and William Hurt starred in the fictional film.
Movie producers as well as the audiences were captivated by the Victorian town center, the tree-lined streets and historic homes and museums in this small town in “Chesapeake Country.”
Want to know more about what makes a great community? Read this article, and visit the Berlin, Maryland website. Also scroll back to the two previous day’s blogs to see more pictures. Every business in Berlin is worthy of mention on All Things Fulfilling. Due to lack of space, only a small number are featured. Each makes this community a fulfilling destination that reminds us of what it was like to live in charming small town America.
If you are a baby boomer, you’ll appreciate the lyrics of this 1972 song which you’ll probably remember from the crossroads of your life. Listen in as you scroll through these images!
Thanks to my twin sister Jan for the photo contributions to this blog. It was wonderful to have an early celebration of our birthday by painting the town together.
Join me tomorrow as I celebrate a special segment of local artists in the place I’ve resided for the past seven years. They make up in part what is unique about the town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Life is just a chance to grow a soul. ~ A.Powell Davies
Building a life for oneself that includes all things fulfilling means different things to different people.
Some people have big life ambitions, some small and some none at all. Personality, culture, family and societal environments, values and education are just a few factors that play into how we design our lives or not.
We’ve all heard the expressions “life is what you make it or make the best of your life or you only have one life to live so make it a good one.” Self-reflection and self-growth is needed if you want to follow these adages because we need to know what makes us happy and then make a life in sync with our interests and passions.
Summertime is the best time of year to grow anything. It’s the high time. The sun is shining, we are feeling optimitic and spending more time outdoors in nature. What are you doing today nuture your spirit?
Real courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne
I doubt I would have ever become acquainted with the term “cowboy ethics” unless I had moved West. Sure, I believe and practice what it is about but I’d never attached such a term to it.
In fact, when I began this blog All Things Fulfilling, before I even knew what cowboy ethics were, I had decided I’d use all the principles associated with the term as I went about my mission of inspiring, informing and educating people about independent publishing. The fact that I found personal fulfillment in my writing was a bonus and a God-send.
In an interview on Living a Richer Life talk radio some months ago, the host, Earl Cobb, mentioned that many people say they are going to write a book but never accomplish their mission. “How is it that you were successful?” he asked. When I set out to prove to myself that I could publish a book independently as an inexperienced writer, I took to heart the inspirational words I’d heard someone say “I wanted it more than I was afraid of it.” I also changed my vocabulary from I was going to try to write a book to AM writing and publishing a book. I eliminated the word try out of my vocabulary completely. What a difference it made in the outcome and I even became an award-winning author, to boot!
If you want to accomplish your goals and if you can’t eliminate the word try completely, this video featuring Jim Owen of Cowboy Ethics points out another way of looking at the word TRY. You will find it interesting!
Last week in the blog post A Shepard’s Tea, I mentioned having a celebration after the New Year. Perhaps a Hoe Down might be more appropriate since I found fulfillment using Cowboy Ethics in Colorado. Want to learn more about the principles behind the term Cowboy Ethics, visit this website.
If a man loves the labor of his trade, apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called him. – Robert Louis Stevenson
An exciting landmark is coming to All Things Fulfilling. Soon, one hundred-thousand readers will have hit this website which is amazing because when I began writing about what was an obscure concept to many people I had no idea how many would be interested. What I’ve concluded is that incorporating business with a thoughtful mission makes work more meaningful. It puts the emphasis on conducting business for a reason beyond financial gain. It’s fulfilling way to live and work.
Shepard’s Garden, a Montana company is another company that has taken this idea and incorporated it into their products. They sell tea that has a verse attached to every tea bag which has been chosen “with the blessing, encouragement, and comfort of the customer in mind.”
What a great way to reinforce the contemplative moments that come with the restorative ritual of having tea. If you are like me, the time I most appreciate a cup of tea is in the quiet of the morning. What better way to start the day than by reading a meaningful passage.
Stay tuned in the coming months. I am developing some ideas for the New Year that includes gifts for a few lucky recipients.
Tomorrow we will highlight another company of interest that puts a heart & soul centered mission at the core of their business.
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 by Sue Batton Leonard.
“A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” ~ Francis of Assisi
On my husband’s side of the family there has been some illness and a life was close to ending. However, things have taken a dramatic turn. I believe part of the reason that there is good news to report is because the person who stepped into the picture to deal with the situation, my husband’s first cousin, is a natural caretaker. In my mind, she’s a healing artist. It’s what she has done all her life. The situation could not have been handled more capably by anyone else in the family.
I’m so sorry that the task was so large that it meant uprooting her life for five months and tending to an enormous number of details. She closed out one phase of her loved one’s life and lined up everything for new beginnings. Thankfully my husband’s cousin is detail oriented, and made sure every loose string was tied up. Thank you, Mary, for being the sunbeam. You, indeed, are God-sent.
The course of events has made me think about how we forget to pay attention to simple everyday acts of kindness until disaster strikes. This article mentions things we can do to brighten the lives of others that perhaps many of us have never even thought of. Check it out because as it has been said before “life is not all about us.”
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.
I like the concept of taking old things that some people might consider to be passe´and bringing them back through the process of “upcycling.” The artistic ingenuity that goes into reusing and redesigning found old items into something unique strikes my interest. Not to even mention that fewer items are now being sent to landfills.
In my own home, I like the juxtaposition between old and new. Over the years I’ve incorporated some antiques into my home décor. It allows for variety and one’s own personality and unique preferences to really shine through. Each person’s interpretation of what makes a home comfortable and attractive is different. And I find it fulfilling to see how people artistically embellish their living environments, rather than using “cookie cutter” interior decorating style.
A few artists at Art in the Park in Steamboat Springs exhibited “upcycled” work that I particularly enjoyed. Chelles Painted Décor by Michelle Welch was one artist whose work struck a chord within me for her book night lights and other home accessories which had colorful glass plates incorporated into their design. Her booth space was particularly attractive and showcased her crafts well. There was a lot of thought put into her set-up. Here are a few images.Visit her Facebook page!
Up-Cycled Antiques had a great assortment of wind chimes made with old kitchen utensils. Their whimsical approach to art made me smile. After all, life shouldn’t be taken too serious. It spoils all the fun! Here are a few images I captured and you can visit their Facebook Page or their etsy.com site to see more of their creations.
That’s all for today, folks. We will be here again tomorrow and I hope you’ll check in on us!
When a person starts to talk about their dreams, it’s as if something bubbles up from within. Their eyes brighten, their face glows, and you can feel the excitement in their words. ~John C. Maxwell
Have you ever read a little tidbit of information in a magazine, newspaper, or book and then said to your self “Oh, I didn’t know that!”
The other day I picked up O Magazine and read that bubble gum decreases our anxiety and boosts our happiness. Cortisol, a stress hormone, is reduced after 20 minutes of chewing. Scientists speculate that chewing gum provides benefits to our bodies because our blood flow is changed as well as our heart rate, making us calmer.
Perhaps there is some truth to this notion. We baby boomers loved our Bazooka, and then there was the other brand, Wrigley’s that “doubled your pleasure and doubled your fun.” No wonder life was much simpler and and less stressful back then.
I know when I hear the lyrics to this song from my youth, my happiness quotient is increased. How about you, babyboomer, does this tune bring a smile to your face? Do you remember it?
If your bubble has burst, and you are looking for ways to decrease your stresses and increase your personal fulfillment, this article gives other suggestions. Check it out and see you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.
“Surrounded by darkness yet enfolded in light.” ~― Alan Brennert
There is an interesting article in the New Yorker Magazine about the connection between reading and happiness. Researchers say when we read that there is a neurological process that takes place in our brain that transports us away from our everyday life to feeling as if we are in the place in the story, right along with the characters.
Bibliotherapy (reading books to make people feel happier) can be traced back to 1916 when the term was used in an article in the Atlantic Monthly. “Books,” the article said, can be used as a “stimulant or a sedative or an irritant or a soporific. The point is that it must do something to you, and you ought to know what it is. A book may be of the nature of a soothing syrup or it may be of the nature of a mustard plaster.”
I had to laugh when I read that quote because I am currently reading a novel called Palisades Park by Alan Brennert. Through the story I have been transported to the famed amusement park in New Jersey and I have been eating hotdogs with mustard and sugary cotton candy in my imagination from the Midway. My mind has been spinning in circles as I’ve imagined the Cyclone roller coaster and the tilt-a-whirl and all the other rides. Every bit of the book has heightened my senses, as it’s stirred nostalgic memories of my youthful visits to the amusement park at Hershey Pennsylvania and Gwynn Oak Park in Baltimore.
Brennert’s book has done well in taking me to Palisades Park during the height of it’s popularity, in the 1930s. He has helped me understand the value of such entertainment in uplifting the American spirit during war times. All four of my senses have been fulfilled through his rich descriptive writing of tastes, sounds, smells and site of the historical times and events in his novel. You’ll hear the cacophony of calliope and shrieks. A sensational nostalgic summertime read! Highly recommended.
If you are looking for other good reads that will transport you back to another historical time Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul, will remind you of the times when life was much simpler. This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.
Last week I was on a blog talk radio show called Living a Richer Life. The discussion of the evening was Finding Your Path to Personal Fulfillment.
The next morning after the show was broadcast I received e-mails from a few listeners who said the show began them thinking about their own lives and their own personal fulfillment. One listener admitted it made him consider his own epitaph. Upon reflection he said he wants his headstone to read “He played every inning.” If you missed the radio broadcast the evening of the airing, it has been archived and you can listen in at your convenience – Click here.
Have you begun your own journey towards personal fulfillment? It is different for each and every one of us. No matter what it looks like it is a fascinating trip towards self-discovery and self-awareness. Listen in to the show and start your trek into parts of yourself that perhaps you’d never realized or thought about before.
This banner is from Natural Life. They have all sorts of wholesome products.
See you on Monday on All Things Fulfilling. We will be featuring a story about a 100 year old woman who has found fulfillment in publishing her first book. Her entire life has been devoted to art and writing and publishing is her latest accomplishment.
All Things Fulfilling 
