Category Archives: Living simply and happy

Designing A Life of One’s Own

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“Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most
important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”  ~ From Steve Jobs’
Stanford Commencement Address

What do you get when two architects wed and it is catered by the bride’s father who is a chef? A great wedding with every last detail
artistically and creatively designed.

This past weekend, I returned to the East Coast for a fulfilling weekend of family and fun. Among those witnessing the union of my
niece and her new husband were young professionals in the architectural field who were fellow classmates to the bride and groom. They were graduates of Roger Williams University http://www.rwu.edu/  and Wentworth Institute of Technology. http://www.wit.edu/.

In addition to capable and well-educated architects, other twenty-something professionals who are following their passions and crafting careers for themselves in neo-natal nursing, the building trades, fashion and design were in attendance. There were also young adults who care for others by keeping people  safe  environmentally, nutritionally, mentally/emotionally and at our country’s borders. The filmmaking industry was represented, as well as a young graduate who is interested in historic preservation, too.

The dance floor was filled with wedding guests gyrating and jiving all night long. Almost all of us, including yours truly, expressed our individuality through creative dance. The young musicians and artists who designed and provided the musical entertainment brought together three generations of people who played together through movement to music embracing body, soul and spirit.

I am very optimistic about our country’s future. After having visited with many of the young adults at the event, who are just a sampling of the next generation of skilled professionals working in the United States and abroad, we have much to be hopeful about. As this new generation ages, perhaps more stories will be told about successfully and independently finding fulfillment in the workplace.

A newly married couple of architects, in love, are off to a good start. They are designing a life of fulfilling things by doing what they
love and loving what they do! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Babcock!

Letting Go and Having Fun!

Yours Truly gets a spin around the dance floor with son Marc – the filmmaker!

Together through  heart and soul.

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American Spirit Brings Change

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead


It is eye-opening to have lived on the East Coast of the United States all of my life, and then to relocate to the West. Aside from the vast change in landscape, the difference in people’s attitudes has been most interesting to absorb. In my opinion, business to business dealings among Westerners is less antagonistic. Westerners seem to have a better understanding that working collaboratively and cooperatively will bring about forward movement. In deed, the “pioneering spirit” is still alive and well in the West. 


During my tour of Frederick, Maryland I visited with a storeowner who may have explained much of the success this town has had in bringing fulfilling awards of distinction to their downtown. The storekeeper, having moved from Chattanooga, Tennessee two years ago, expressed his delight at having arrived in this town. A solid vision along with a strong Main Street Association of business owners, shopkeepers, restauranteurs, artists and other members of the community, working together rather competing against one another, along with the Chamber of Commerce and the Maryland Council on the Arts, has apparently been the secret to success. All should be commended for developing a town that has been awarded by American Style Magazine as a 2010 Top Arts Destination. 


Salvaged, just one of the retail stores I visited, is a reflection of the entire downtown area of Frederick, Maryland. www.salvagedmaryland.com. In each of the shops that I browsed, the merchandise was trendy. Geared for doing business in the new millennium and artfully displayed. Even red brick warehouses filled with antiques that I had visited some twenty years prior are no longer jumbled messes. They have been attractively re-arranged. Shoppers who ordinarily are not fans of antiquated home furnishings may now see value in restoring, salvaging and reclaiming period furniture rather than letting it be dumped in landfills. 


Despite challenges that have come to retail establishments in recent years, this community appears to have weathered the battles better than many. Frederick,Maryland seems well positioned to attract tourists and other businesses in the new century. The people’s visionary spirit is driving this town in the same manner as those who led the Western expansion. 


Tomorrow, we will wrap up this blog series. Return again, so your mind can complete the picture I have drawn of a town that is thriving along the Mason-Dixon Line. The return to the values that are at the roots of our country has in part, driven success.


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Artfully Restoring America

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“The only thing that can save the world is the reclaiming of the awareness of the world.” ~ Allen Ginsberg

Several days ago, I returned to a town that I had not visited in almost twenty years. I was blown away by the change that has taken place in what used to be a run-down town filled with uncared for historic Federal Style buildings in the heart of the Civil War heritage Area.Frederick, amid the rolling hills and abundant farmland of Frederick County, Maryland has become a charming and vibrant community that has been designated as one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations and as a Preserve America Community http://bit.ly/pwZygfy. It was named a 2010 Top Arts Destinations by American Style Magazine http://bit.ly/aj5eGd in the Small Cities category. 

At the center of it all, are now vibrant shops, charming restaurants, and Federal style buildings that have been salvaged, restored, and renewed. Great testimony for the argument that rather than building new, America should be reclaiming spaces and places to bring life back into existing towns and cities. 

I took a walking tour of the city, strolling along the beautifully restored area of town along side the Carroll Creek, an estuary of the MonocacyRiver. I came across the  Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center www.delaplaine.org and looked in on three exhibits that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

It is fair time in Frederick!  In the upper hall way of the brick cannery building reclaimed as Art Space, was an exhibit of black and white photos that brought back nostalgic memories of State Fairs. A second exhibit, a National Juried Quilt Exhibit was one the best selections of Art Quilts that I have seen. Few quilts were of the ilk that you see on Grandmother’s beds and it was interesting to see how the names of the quilts were carried out in the artistic creation of the quilts. 

The third exhibit – Painting with Thread by Joanne Bast http://bit.ly/qfKBx6  were canvases that had been so densely stitched with thread that they created fiber paintings of iconic Chesapeake Bay scenes, charming homes or gardens, and in street scenes of other places. One of my favorites appeared to be  perhaps a village in Italy. 

The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center was just the start of my afternoon tour of Frederick. Major support for this vibrant, restored Art Space is provided by the Delaplaine Foundation, the Ausherman Family Foundation, www.fredericktourism.org and the Maryland State Arts Council. 

Join me next time for more of my travels through Frederick. In a new millennium, this town is finding success in artistically fulfilling their vision, of a vibrant community through heart and spirit.

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Artist Preserves Cowboy Film History

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“A maverick hero during the wild west was… tough, independent, fearless. Characters of honor and principle.” ~ Unknown 

In 1980, artist Kerry Powell http://bit.ly/rkDr1X  helped to spearhead efforts to preserve the Western cinematic history of Lone Pine,California by organizing the Lone Pine Film Festival. The Alabama Hills and the Inyo Mountains, located only 170 miles from Hollywood, provided the scenic backdrops to some 400 western movies produced between the years 1920 to the 1970s. Some of the notables were: 

    • The Round Up (1920)
    • Gunga Din (1939)
    • High Sierra (1941)
    • Along the Great Divide (1951)
    • Thunder in the Sun (1959)
    • How the West Was Won (1962)
    • Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) 

    For many, “Westerns” congered up romantic notions of life on the American western front and independent living at its best. Artist Kerry Powell’s painted murals around the town of Lone Pine, California reflect the era of Western filmmaking. Her desire to protect this era in cinematography came from her fulfilling memories of the production crews arriving in town, movie sets being built and of the legendary actors, most of whom are now deceased, who stayed at her family’s motel. Big name Hollywood actors such as Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Gene Autry, John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Johnny Weismuller were just a few of the actors that frequented this area to produce movies.

Eleven years later, The Lone Pine Film Festival now draws audiences of 5,000 Western film enthusiasts from around the world. It is scheduled for October 7 – 9. For ticket information, please visit http://bit.ly/pK7I9h. 

The period of the cowboys and Indians is seldom captured in movies anymore, and the film production process will never be the same. Modern-day filmmaking has changed all that. So, saddle up and attend this year’s fest! The 100th birthday of Roy Rogers will be celebrated this year. It is guaranteed to be one of the best Western Film fests yet.

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Positive Thinking Day

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“Love is  a promise; fulfill it.” ~ Mother Theresa

Today is September 13th – Positive Thinking Day! Thirty-one years ago today my husband and I decided we would commit to each other in marriage and from that day forward I don’t think either of us has spent much time thinking it will not work. 

Like many couples we have had plenty of inconsequential differences and life has presented us with lots of challenges over the years, for sure! He, being the athlete with all the principles of dedication that that takes, has stayed the course. I, being the determined cuss that I am, do not give up on matters of heart and soul. 

I don’t completely understand his intense love of sports and hunting. He does not fully “get” my adoration for watching  the sunrise each and everyday. We value our time together and alone. Never the less, we have managed to work out our differences and remain steadfast and committed. 

 Our common values in life are what have kept us together for all these years and has made our married life fulfilling.  He is slightly more undeviating than me in political views, but, we are very much on the  same side of the political spectrum. Our opinions on parenting and raising a family were almost in sync and we both highly value loyalty, responsibility, doing the right thing, honesty and integrity. We are both, I would say, optimists and waste little time letting ourselves be dragged down. 

Happy Anniversary to Mo chuisle mo chroí ! I am positively, positive that my wish is to continue my fulfilling  journey through life with you. And I know you would wholeheartedly agree that the best thing that has come out of our pledge to each other is our son, who means the world to both of us.

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Fulfill Your Need to Tell Your Story!

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“Knowledge is Power.” ~ Sir Francis Bacon 

Tomorrow, SHe Writes Steamboat will be hosting the Colorado Independent Publishers Association at the Bud Werner Library. www.steamboatlibrary.org.  What an opportunity this will be to find out more about writing your own story. Learn about the educational programs, vendor affiliations and services that are available from CIPA to help you through the process of independently publishing your story. 

We are so rich in individual narratives in this corner of Northwestern Colorado and the Elk River Valley. Retirees, career professionals, and interesting individuals who have unique stories to tell of their lives in other places seek out this part of the country so they can begin a new chapter of their lives – one that includes fulfilling dreams, passions and interests. 

If you have ever had the thought “I could write a book about that!” join us, tomorrow at 9:30 am at the Bud Werner Memorial Library in Library Hall. The morning informational session is free and open to the public. Stay for the afternoon, but do pre-register, please, through this link. (look for the September 9 Steamboat seminars) http://bit.ly/p9GbYG. 

Can’t come, but still interested? There is an 18 minute webinar now available on-line that will give you an overview of the independent publishing industry. It explains how a new generation of book publishing including e-commerce and e- marketing has evolved. The publishing universe in this new century now includes anyone willing to tell their story. That includes you!  http://bit.ly/oIkV2g. 

See you tomorrow at 9:30 am sharp!

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Things Worthy of Attention

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“Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours.” ~ Swedish Proverb 

The other day, I began to think about the title of this blog site All Things Fulfilling. Depending upon someone’s point of view, values and own personal interpretation of the word “things,” this blog site could be misconstrued. Some may deduce this blog site is about material “things” – stylish clothes, jewelry, fancy cars, “toys” …. you know, those kinds of “things.”  We all own them and place importance on them in varying amounts. 

All things fulfilling is really about other kinds of “gifts” that bring personal satisfaction to our lives – perhaps it is a good book, an inspirational movie, a spiritual thought, word or deed.  Music that uplifts us, charity towards others, and creating joyful, meaningful lives are also subjects that are not foreign to this site. 

Nearly 700 blogs have been written on All Things Fulfilling in slightly more than 2 years. Someone recently asked me – how do you find so much affirmative to write about with all that is going on in this crazy world?  It’s easy! I have plenty of fullness in my life!

  • Absoluteness in my vision for my work
  • Gratefulness for each waking day
  • Oneness with my personal life and my life of work
  • Ordinariness in what it takes to fulfill me (a vanilla ice cream is swell!)
  • Daftness – Why not? Keeps life interesting! 
  • Levelheadedness (so I am told –How can that be? I am daft!)
  • Introspectiveness – enough to dig to find the real treasures in my life
  • Friendliness – great people surround me in this community
  • Endlessness in love I feel from my family 

A Good Life! 

Next time you are feeling down and in the dumps, create your own fullness list! To help you in your quest for discovering the positives in your life, take a trip to this site. http://bit.ly/qtyKJK. Look for the good-ness.” If nothing more, it will keep you busy and keep your mind off your troubles. And for that you can be grateful! How’s that?

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My Junket Ahead

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“The only journey is the journey within” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke 

There has been little distinction between my personal life and my life of work since beginning my journey into the independent publishing industry more than 10 years ago.  A melding between head and heart has come as a result of doing what I love. For that I am filled with gratefulness! 

Consulting with others on matters of selling and marketing independent publications through the internet has led me to people I would otherwise not have had the opportunity to meet. Their publications have touched the full spectrum of my emotions. The stories have been inspiring, enlightening and sorrowful. They’ve tickled my funny bone and some have been very intellectually challenging and stimulating, too. With each, I have understood the author’s conviction to express their stories. Everyone has a story to tell. 

The time I have spent working in the independent publishing industry has enriched the synchronicity and flow of life between my career and my heart’s interests. The work I have accomplished has been more than worthy of my time and has been very personally fulfilling. 

Over the past year and one-half, the only place that I have traveled to is through other people’s stories and through my own pilgrimage of ideas for writing my own narrative.

In a few weeks, I will be taking the opportunity to fulfill my love for spending time with family. Our time together these days is infrequent and becoming ever more precious. I will also enjoy a change of scenery. Perhaps it will be time to begin a sojourn into telling my story……..We’ll see!

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Labor of Love

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“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”      ~Martin Luther King          

I tried, I really did! I had made a promise to myself that I would lay low and stay off  the computer this Labor Day weekend. It didn’t work very well. 

The weekend before last I was presented with an e-marketing project for a new client. I decided that I would “sit with it” for a while to make sure my heart and soul were ready to take on the task. I didn’t want to jump into the project until I had thought deeply about the book and had zeroed in on what I felt was the right vision and approach. I am honored to be handling this project. It deserves utmost respect. The obligation to handle the e-marketing of this book, with great sensitivity, weighs heavily on my mind. 

In coming weeks, I look forward to sharing this book with you. But in the meantime, I will tell you that my work on this project has been nothing but a labor of love. Through this task I have gained great affection for the author, received transference of the heartache carried by my client and feel appreciation for the inspiring message that this simple and straightforward book will bring to it’s readers. It is a message of help and hope that speaks to not only target communities of people but to each one of us living and working on God’s Earth. 

Yeah, I should scold myself for working on Labor Day weekend. In this case, I could not help myself. After all, isn’t that what fulfilling work is ideally supposed to be? A labor of love? 

Happy Labor Day, Everyone!

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Changing Course and Changing Lives

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“Go for the sense of inner joy and peace then, all outside things appear.”  

Over the past few weeks, I have visited several blog sites focused on Baby Boomers. The sites have held special interest for me because they were created for many of the same reasons that All Things Fulfilling was born – to participate in the birthing of new tactics in marketing and also to satisfy my desire to take a creative leap in life. 

Many baby boomer men and women have decided the time is now to pursue an interest that has been on the back burner for many years. Just last week, I made a visit to the new business of Karen D. Gilroy of Hayden,Colorado. After fulfilling her duties as a wife and mother, she went back to school and is now fully prepared to counsel others on the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit. She is helping her clients discover the joys that come with living balanced lives. Nutrition and holistic healing have been life-long interests for Karen. 

Tools for positive change, beyond mind, body and spirit counseling and therapy are available in Karen’s newly released book, published by Balboa Press. Through her book, Discovering the Healer Within, Karen shares what she has learned from mentors including Dr. Joseph Murphy, Catherine Ponder, Rhonda Byrne, John Holland, Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, Louise Hay and many others. 

The importance of exercise, the role the subconscious mind plays in “bringing about what we think about,” detoxifying the body to improve physical health, proper food combining, and the self-healing properties of the human body is all addressed in this book. Discovering the Healer Within is offered to provide insightful facts and topics to aid the reader in beginning  their journey of improved health and spirit. 

Discover the Healer Within is available in print or in e-book format. To order this book, please visit http://bit.ly/ok0ehs. To learn more about Karen D. Gilroy’s services as a mind-body-spirit counselor and therapist, please visit http://bit.ly/paoPUe.

Are you a baby boomer who is ready to pursue a new direction in life? Join the National Association of Baby Boomer Women http://bit.ly/jhkg7I . To read more inspiring stories of women who have started down new creative paths in their lives or are rebuilding their lives after the age of 50 – Google the words Baby Boomer Blogs.

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