Connections to First Chapter

Leave a comment

Posted on October 7, 2014

“In the first chapter of Genesis it is written that God placed mankind in the Garden of Eden. God knew from the very beginning that this perfect environment would be the key source for mankind’s healing and health.” ~ Dr. David Stewart author of Healing: God’s Forgotten Gift http://bit.ly/1rTR4LR.

An hour or two in the National Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC is enough to uplift anyone’s spirit. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing horticultural wonders from all over the world inside and outside this beautiful structure last weekend.

Many of the plants I saw have healing properties that have been known for centuries. Others are yet to be discovered. http://www.deborahkingcenter.com/blog/2014/02/25/the-healing-powers-of-plants/

For instance, digitalis is a plant that for centuries has been used for heart ailments. However, today it is synthetically produced for many reasons. One is the ease of regulation of dosage. http://science.jrank.org/pages/2088/Digitalis.html.

Why has our world relied on so many synthetically produced drugs when much of what we need to heal is already at our dispose? I must ask. Some medicinal plants are not indigenous to areas where large populations of people roam. So, I suppose harvesting them to use in the healing arts industry may be too costly.

I ponder that in other cases a choice between harvesting beautiful plants for pharmaceuticals and risking that they will become endangered, and no longer available for visual enjoyment and soulful pleasures may be a consideration.

Today I’d like to share some images from the medicinal horticultural section of the National Botanical Gardens. Additional photos will be shared over the next few weeks of flowers from a spectrum of colors, as well as some wonderful architecture and art from our National Portrait Gallery.

Stay tuned to this site – I have all kinds of more fulfilling things to share with you of things I discovered in Washington, DC over the weekend.

This blog brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on her memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link. http://amzn.to/1xTvPwQ

What a gorgeous building and grounds at the National Botanical Gardens

Plenty inside the National Botanical Gardens to keep this avid gardener interested and uplifted!

Below: Aromatherapy – pots of spices from around the world – I indulged myself frequently at the “smelling pots”

To read an article on the manufacturing of digitalis, a drug that so many heart patients rely on visit this link.http://science.jrank.org/pages/2088/Digitalis.html.

Water is a magical substance. The health of all life is irrevocably connected with water. Find yourself around it, immerse yourself in it, and drink it with gratitude. ~ Unknown

For a great resource about healing plants, please visit this site http://m.steamboattoday.com/news/2014/sep/14/local-herbalist-releases-first-ebook-series/

All Photos were taken by Sue Batton Leonard inside the National Botanic Gardens. Please read copyright statement on this site on the right hand side of the page.

Simple Gifts of Life

Leave a comment

Posted on October 2, 2014

Have you ever made a list of things that truly make you happy? When you get right down to it I’m a cheap date. I don’t need wining and dining out in fancy restaurants, riding around in fancy cars, a McMansion to live in, high-valued gems and jewels to decorate me. Those things really don’t hold much weight of importance in my book.

In fact, my “toys” include few things – some knitting needles, books, some pretty home decorating items that are meaningful to me, and some attractive artwork that appeals to my idea of beauty. Originals are nice but not required.

My idea of the best kind of plaything to acquire is a sweet, loyal and friendly dog who walks with me and is low maintenance except when it comes to cuddle time.

As I have “aged” I have an increasing appreciation for just being on this earth to witness the goodness and gifts that each day brings.

Here are seven things that in recent years I have learned bring me personal fulfillment. They are invaluable to my sense of personal happiness but hard to measure in dollars.

Allowing myself all the time I need to browse library shelves for a good read.
Warm, sunny days when I don’t have to wrap myself in layers.
Impressing myself with my own creativity, motivation and resilience.
Down time to do something or nothing of my own choosing.
Hearing a voice that opens with that ever sunny “Hi, Mom!”
The luxury of sitting in a pew and listening to a hymn that is familiar from my childhood.
Connecting with others who have similar life values.
Space enough not to feel restricted and a place that reflects my tastes and personality.

How about you – what do you highly value in your life that you would put at the top of your “must have” list?

This blog brought to you by the award-winning author, Sue Batton Leonard. For information on her memoir Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link. http://amzn.to/1rA6fdU

Appreciate the Season

Leave a comment

Posted on October 2, 2014

“You continue to amaze me,” my cardiologist whom I have been seeing annually for twenty-five years said to me last week as he spoke with me after my yearly check-up and echocardiogram.

“Thank you, “ I said. “I am very fortunate, and hope to keep up a great bill of health.”

“Keep on doing what you are doing!” He said.

“I will. I promise.” I said.

Every time a day comes around that I don’t really want to go out and walk because it is snowing, raining, too windy or cold, I think about the alternative – declining health or being sickly, and it spurs me out the door every time.

But it’s not just the physical benefits. Walking two or three miles daily lifts me up in other ways. There is no doubt in my mind about the connection between living with positive spirit and good health. There are 15 ways to naturally lift the spirit mentioned in this article. Check it out http://bit.ly/1vA9h0J.

Experiencing change in one’s life every so often is a good way to refresh and renew the spirit. Right now I am on an East Coast book tour and enjoying a change of scenery. It’s good for the “heart health.” Last Friday I was a guest on Salley Gibney’s show “Let’s Talk.” The topic of discussion was “Write your Story.” In the interview we talked a little about my own personal history which is recounted in the memoir “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.” In the coming weeks the footage from GNAT-TV in Vermont will be posted on All Things Fulfilling.

Photo from the Steamboat Pilot, Steamboat Springs Colorado

October 1, 2014

Have a great day everyone. October has arrived and it has already snowed in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It’s a beautiful month to get outside. Take a walk -check out the autumn bounty- the colorful leaves, apples being harvested, pumpkins and gourds at farm stands, the fall scents of foods made with cinnamon and cloves. Woodstove smoke, which indicates cooler temperatures, will soon be lingering in the air.

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard, writing from the State of my native roots, Maryland.

Glam Outdoor Wear of Yesteryear

Leave a comment

Posted on September 16, 2014

“A smile happens in a flash but it’s memory lasts a lifetime” ~ Unknown
Oh, how outdoor clothing for the north country has evolved. A lot of time and research is now put into fabrics and construction of outdoor wear that is designed to be the most rugged, weather-proof, comfortable and warm. There is a whole science behind it – even right down to the manufacturing of socks! http://www.smartwool.com .

Back when I was learning to ski in the 1950s and 1960s, clothing manufacturers didn’t have the variation of fabrics that are available today. There was wool and wool. That’s about it. But the new generation of wool is nothing like it used to be. Remember how heavy it was when it got wet, and the smell? Peewww…. (Can’t figure out how to describe it – but the smell was icky!) Fashions have changed tremendously over the decades of my lifetime. Here is an article from the Vintage Traveler about the evolution of ski wear.http://bit.ly/1wPn5Zd

What little girl in the 1950s and 1960s didn’t just adore her fur hat and muff when it was frigid out. We felt as highstylin’ and glam as our mothers when they went out in their “Persians” with fur collars.

And remember the long “stocking caps?” The cashier at the local A & P knew everybody, including my little brother, Scott, by his signature long, red tasseled stocking cap. Whenever my mom came into the grocery store without my youngest brother, the lady at the checkout always asked “Where’s the little boy with the red stocking cap?”

It tickles me to look back on old styles. With the long lives that most people live today – sometimes people are around long enough to see things make comebacks!

This blog brought to you by the award winning author Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. For more information on the award-winning memoir, please follow this link. http://amzn.to/1ti4XVi

Fire is Lit, Ribbon in the Hair

3 Comments

Posted on September 13, 2014

To My Dear Husband ~~~~

I am sorry that according to this 1955 article, I have failed you miserably. I have not always lived up to the Girl Scout creed of “I promise to do my duty…..” and to The Good Wife Guide…..

…I mean, sometimes, I let you cook breakfast. You changed dirty diapers, and too many times I told you about my day first. Then there is the matter of the fire, I didn’t always make it happen….well, I apologize.

And then there is the issue of our son. Ok, I’ll admit it. He often greeted you with a dirty face and hands. And his hair…what can I say…let’s just hope it never happens again now that he is an adult. I’m sure it won’t, after all he is a visual effects artist. I’ll speak with him later about that matter. At least he is playing the part well of the treasure that he is. That should make you feel better. It does, doesn’t it?

I’ll see what I can do to mend my ways and not be such a modern day woman. We are 34 years into this union. I hope you can forgive me if I start taking your shoes off. I know, I ruined many an evening when I didn’t have you “lean back and relax in your chair…..” Well, I pledge from now on to remember…I’ll say it. I promise. No… really, I will. Yes, I am serious. Truly… I’m not kidding.

I hope you’ll agree to continue on this journey through life that we started. Happy Anniversary!

Much Love, hon ~ Sue

P.S. And by the way, the last item on the list – don’t worry! I do know my place. I belong beside you with a ribbon in my hair.

This blog brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard and her award-winning publication “Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.” http://amzn.to/1ulyFYs.

Camp Fire Songs

4 Comments

Posted on September 11, 2014

I love to go a-wandering

Along the mountain track

And as I go, I love to sing

My knapsack on my back

Chorus:

Val-der-ri, val-der-ra

Val-der-ra, val-der-ha ha ha ha ha ha

Val-der-ri, val-der-ra

(My knapsack on my back)

Who remembers these words and music by Friedrich W. Möller and Antonia Ridge?

This song reminds me of a very happy time in my youth – singing around the campfire with the Girl Scouts. First I was a Brownie, and then I “flew up” to a Junior Girl Scout. Ceremonially it made me feel as valued as becoming a debutante at a “coming out” party. Although I had never experienced what that was like, I imaged as a kid the feelings were similar. I’m from an average, middle class American family with parents who had strong work ethics. They put their family, work and community first.

If you were a Girl Scout, watch this less-than-a-minute video. I promise you will fall into repeating the words as if you just said them yesterday, even if it’s been decades.

In retrospect, I guess my values haven’t changed much and I still love to go a wandering with a knapsack on my back. Val-der-ri, val-der-ra….

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author, Sue Batton Leonard. For more information on her memoir, which won 2 EVVY book awards, visit this link.http://amzn.to/1ulyFYs

My twin and me, atop Mt Werner in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. What a gift to spend a birthday with Jan after 30+ years of being far from each other on our special day.

Holding On to Memories

1 Comment

Posted on August 28, 2014

“Memory believes before knowing remembers.” ~ William Faulkner, Light in August

“I just knew you two would always be in my life,” stated Mary Grace as my sister and I walked down Lincoln Avenue in Steamboat after having stuffed ourselves with nachos and drinks at The Cantina last Saturday evening. Mary was in the middle and linked arms with both of us. We strolled toward Wild Horse Gallery.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I just had a feeling,” said Mary.

“Thank God we are both still alive and kicking!” I thought to myself. (For the back story on that thought, follow this link https://allthingsfulfilling.com/2014/06/04/sisters-of-the-heart/ )

I admitted to Mary that I sort of felt the same way. When I moved to Colorado, I was determined to find her. Last time I had heard she was in Fort Collins and I knew her married name. But, we had only been in touch at Christmas time (by snail mail) maybe twice or three times since our college years in 1973 or 1974.

“Mary, you are just the same,” Jan, my twin, stated. “Don’t you just love it when you have friends you can pick up with just like that even if it’s been decades since you’ve seen them?”

That is exactly what happened when we three got together. What a fulfilling weekend I had! Between spending it with my sister and my husband celebrating our three birthdays, reconnecting with Mary – a childhood friend who was included in my memoir and I have written about her on this site, too. Then there was the icing on the cake. I learned that Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected had won two EVVY book awards. It doesn’t get much better than that!

I can’t help but bask in my memories of last weekend for just one more day. Tomorrow, it’s time to get on with things. I have work to do to plan my East Coast book tour which begins mid-September.

For more information on the EVVY award-winning book Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link. http://amzn.to/1rArrRG.

Pictures from my fulfilling & rewarding Birthday Weekend

Twins Sue & Jan atop Mt Werner, Steamboat Springs, CO Sunset picnic and hike

Left to right – Terry, Jan & Sue Fish Creek Falls, Steamboat

Sue & Mary – Read the back story using this link –

https://allthingsfulfilling.com/?s=horse+sense

Seems fitting the veterinarian and I are sitting outside Wildhorse Gallery

Outside Wildhorse Gallery – Sue with Mark Twain & “Huck,” Mary & Jan

Sue & Jan – First Birthday together for more than 30 years.

A reunion of 3 childhood friends – Jan, Sue & Mary Grace – a real life character in my memoir

Above- We found Eureka: Mediterranean Street Food, to be indeed golden!

We had great salads & meatballs for our next course, and a great place to catch up.

Bye, Jan. Bye, Mary – come back soon!

Beautiful setting and beautiful birthday weekend in Steamboat

This blog brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fufilling Things in the Unexpected, an EVVY Book Award book, please visit this link. http://amzn.to/1tKKiXF

Laboring At the Same Time

4 Comments

Posted on August 21, 2014

Before we close out this month of celebrations for babies born under Leo the Lion zodiac sign, today it’s my husband’s turn. He was born on this day, August 21^st many moons ago.

My twin sister, my husband and I will continue our yesterday’s birthday celebration for one more day. Tonight we look forward to a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, a picnic dinner and an evening hike.Hopefully, it will be a stellar evening with clear skies so we can see the twinkling stars and an impressive sunset.

The fact that my husband’s mother and my mother gave birth to us just one day apart is pretty neat. Statistically speaking, I can’t find any information about the odds of spouses with birthdays just one day apart (and in the same year).

Today, I’ll enjoy another August day with the two who have been at the top of my world for what seems like forever! They both make my life so much more fulfilling!

Dear Terry ~~~~

This blog brought to you by author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on Sue’s memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please follow this link http://amzn.to/1nb9tO0.

Double Trouble & Sidekick

2 Comments

Posted on August 19, 2014

Double your pleasure…double your fun…

“A gift with a kind countenance is a double present.” ~ Thomas Fuller

I am so excited, I am about to burst! Tomorrow my twin sister arrives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado from the East Coast. She is coming here for the first time and we will be celebrating our birthday! It has been decades (if I am calculating correctly – about 32 or 33 years) since my twin and I have been together to recognize this day of personal importance.

To top off the cake, another sister of the heart, our childhood friend Mary Grace, whom I featured in a chapter of my memoir is arriving also. Jan and Mary have not seen each other since the mid-nineteen seventies! To read more about this special friend, visit this link. https://allthingsfulfilling.com/2014/06/04/sisters-of-the-heart/.

Mary will be here with us for only one night of celebration because she must rush back to her work. She is a veterinarian who is caring for a nearly extinct species – black-footed ferrets. It is the breeding season and she has nearly 200 newborn ferrets under her watchful eye for the U.S. Forest and Wildlife Service. For more information on Mary’s work as a veterinarian, please visit this link.http://bit.ly/1qanHiZ and http://bit.ly/1l7vXEx.

I wrote about Mary’s love of animals and her fulfilling work previously in the blog called Horse Sense. If you missed it, here is the link https://allthingsfulfilling.com/2014/06/03/horse-sense/.

The next few days will be a gift of a lifetime, filled with all kinds of fulfilling things for my twin and me and our sidekick! Bring on the fun, hon……

For more information on Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, available in audio, paperback and e-book, please visit this link.http://amzn.to/1tbsLc3

Those Were The Days

3 Comments

Posted on August 14, 2014

You know you are a baby boomer, born in the 1950s and 1960s if you remember when:

The milk man cometh

the World Book Encyclopedia salesman showed up at your family’s front door

going to the drive-in movies with your parents was exciting (I remember seeing Goldfinger at Timonium Drive-In….shhh…don’t tell my parents. I was supposed to be asleep in the back seat!)

mail arrived accurately without a zip code

phone numbers were only two letters and five digits

pretzels and potato chips were delivered by truck in large tin cans

the Girl Scout “flying up ceremony” was prestigious

you had to walk to the TV to change the channel

seat belts were not even in the vocabulary

Miss Nancy ruled Romper Room

Thumbelina was the most wanted gift on your Xmas List

fun meant “hanging with the crowd,” at S.S. Kresgres or Reads Drugstore drinking ice cold soda, jiving to the juke box, and swirling around on swivel stools.

Those were the days, weren’t they?

As Robert Frost once said “In three words I can sum up what I have learned about life. It goes on.”

This blog is brought to you by author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on the publication Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, which has been selected as a FINALIST in the Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY BOOK AWARDS, please visit this link: http://amzn.to/1kzGw2t

All Things Fulfilling

Writing Focused on Fine Art & The Humanities

Category Archives: Living simply and happy

Connections to First Chapter

Appreciate the Season

Glam Outdoor Wear of Yesteryear

Holding On to Memories

Laboring At the Same Time