Category Archives: Education

Literary Benevolence

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More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.~ Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) Comedic Actor, Filmmaker, Writer

Happy Thoughtful Thursday. Today I am thinking about seasonal opportunities for sharing literacy. If you are a library patron or a book lover, these ideas might appeal to you – acts that you can do for others that will mean a lot.

  • Write a literary letter from a beloved literary character about the true meaning of Christmas.
  • Leave post-it notes in random places with uplifting quotes from inspirational writers.
  • Pay off someone’s late fees at the library
  • Drop-off free, pass along books on buses, at a table in a restaurant, on a park bench, in a senior citizen center.
  • Pick-up an extra newspaper at the newsstand and give it to the person behind you in line.
  • Arrange a book swap in a public place and invite anyone walking by to join in, even if they come empty handed. Make sure you have a good supply of  pass-alongs.
  • Put a pass-along book in someone’s mailbox, gift wrapped. What a nice surprise!
  • Create a gift for a loved one – a Shutterfly book of memories. www.shutterfly.com
  • Check out an extra book from the library and take it to a shut-in.
  • Set up a Book Angels program in your community to give new or gently used children books at Christmas time.

book angels

Photo: Book Angels from www.deviantart.com

These random acts of literary kindness can be given at anytime of the year but will especially be appreciated during the holidays.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

Film Friday: Advent Movies

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Advent in heart and homeLet’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush.” ~Anonymous

Sadly, for some people, the holidays are not a “feel good time.” It can be a time of loneliness, desperation and depression for the elderly, those suffering from illness or isolation. Some individuals have few positive nostalgic memories to draw upon to buoy them and help them feel festive and in the mood for celebrating the season.

The good news is that we are in control of our own emotions and we can do things to help raise our own spirits. http://bit.ly/18kHEB0.

Watching “feel good” movies lifts the mood because they offer a diversion from the stresses of everyday life. Here is an article that offers some suggestions about good movies to watch during this season of Advent – the season of waiting and anticipating. The films are not tagged as “Christian movies” but rather movies that provide hope, inspiration and the arrival of better things to come.

They can all be ordered thorough Netflix or they may be available through your local library at no cost at all. http://bit.ly/1drWmUA.

Have a good weekend, and enjoy the season doing whatever brings you personal fulfillment during the Advent season. I’ve got a busy weekend planned preparing for the arrival of our son.  Counting down in anticipation.

Do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Simply Nutty Holidays

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Its a gift to be simple, Its a gift to be free,
Its the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
Will be in the valley of love and delight. ~ Elder Joseph

Does anyone roast chestnuts anymore? My Dad used to roast chestnuts for us kids over an open fire every year in our big stone fireplace. That’s just one fulfilling nostalgic Christmas memory from my childhood.  I am sure he thought it didn’t mean a thing to us, but I remember it vividly – the earthy, nutty flavor sprinkled with just a tad of salt. I liked sitting fireside, watching the flames flick and flicker as he tossed the nuts around in the pan to keep them from burning. I haven’t had roasted chestnuts since.

A few years ago, I saw chestnuts in the store during the Xmas holidays, and I got all excited. I bought some and brought them home, I thinking I’d give it a go by roasting them in the oven. http://www.wikihow.com/Roast-Chestnuts. They were such a disappointment. The nuts, I realized, once I got them home were old, dried and shriveled up even before I popped them in the oven. Into the trash they went. “So much for that,” I thought.

chestnuts roasting on open fireIsn’t it strange how small memories from childhood stick with us? Christmas doesn’t always have to be about extravagant giving. I’m sure you’ve heard it before. “It’s the thought that counts.”  Put extra time into other kinds of gift giving such as creating unique, memorable gift wrapping, setting a beautiful table, cooking food that you delight in having only occasionally. Rather than insanely rushing around trying to do too much, spend sacred time with your friends or family. It will mean so much. It’s difficult to enjoy the Christmas season, that comes just once a year, if life is too harried.

~Simplify~

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

A Russian Winter

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“Art is the right hand of Nature.” ~ Friedrich Schiller

Last Friday evening as I participated in the First Friday Art Walk, I felt as if I was living in the Russian valley of Oymyakon, the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. The twenty below-zero temperatures seemed to have been heaven sent to provide a full-bodied experience for my emersion into the Russian art exhibition that opened that evening at the Steamboat Art Museum. The Russian paintings, on loan from a single private collector, are nothing short of magnificent.

SAM Russian Art

“The Russian Experience” is a beautifully curated exhibit. I’d like to compliment artist Rich Galusha who really took great care in the placement of the paintings even painting the museum walls to accentuate the work – a job well done. And the Russian musical compositions that John Sant’Ambrogio played on the cello complimented the evening.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the educational information that was posted in the museum about the history and various styles of Russian Art. It was interesting to note that most of the artists did not reside in Moscow or St. Petersburg, but rather, they came from small, remote villages throughout the country.

As cold as it was on Friday, I wouldn’t have missed getting out. After all, my husband’s photography debut exhibition along with other student’s work from ColoradoMountainCollege’s digital photography class was next door to the Steamboat Art Museum at the Chief Theatre for Cultural and Performing Arts. http://www.chieftheater.org/. The student’s work will be at the Chief Theatre all month long.

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If you are coming to town this winter, don’t miss out on stopping by the Steamboat Art Museum http://www.steamboatartmuseum.org/ and take in “The Russian Experience.” It will be available until April 12. The frigid blast will have passed since we don’t often see temperatures this low for long periods.

Thankfully, as I strolled the streets going from gallery to gallery, I found some hot cider at the Wild Horse Gallery to warm my inners. It was much appreciated!

Come on back tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, the blog of www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Timeless Message and Gifts Within

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“The horse is an archetypal symbol which will always find ways to stir up deep and moving ancestral memories in every human being.” ~ Paul Mellon

In a time when it seems like many in our culture want to do away with nativity scenes and other signs of the Christmas season, author JL Hardesty has found an extraordinary way to tell the story of the holiday that means so much to so many people. Her book, The Lost Legend of the First Christmas, appropriate for middle school to adult readers, uses a beautiful creature that God created, the horse, along with memorable characters, as messengers of lessons to human beings to tell the tale. The cadence and rhythm of the writing is effective in telling a story in a voice that will long be remembered.

If it is important to you that your loved ones know the true meaning of the holiday, The Lost Legend of the First Christmas is an ideal gift that shares insights of Christianity – having faith and hope in our hearts, and God’s promise to people everywhere.

Come to know the important relationship of the horse to people by reading JL Hardesty’s book.  Horse enthusiasts will love all of JL Hardesty’s publications.The author has spent her entire life in the company of horses, loving them and ceaselessly learning about them. Through her writing, Hardesty shares her knowledge of and adoration for these noble creatures with passion and clarity.

This timeless story is available through Amazon.  http://amzn.to/1cYyYO8. What a great read The Lost Legend of the First Christmas will make as a gift to children who love horses. Put one under the Christmas tree this year for the entire family to enjoy together.

Maggie with Jo Hardesty Lauters Book

Photo: Maggie, a member of the University of Vermont (UVM) equestrian team and student of equine medicine says “Every young equestrian should read The Lost Legend of the First Christmas. She wants to recommend it to her friends.”

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

Film Friday: Frozen

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“Sometimes you just have to bow your head, say a prayer and weather the storm.” ~ Unknown

Over the past few days we received a substantial amount of snow, keeping skiers and people at the ski resort in Steamboat Springs, Colorado happy. Christmas is only a few weeks away and the much sought after fluffy, white powder is much appreciated by tourists in this town.

I awoke to thirty below zero this morning – perhaps it is a good day to go to the movies. frozen1Disney’s movie Frozen is playing at our local theatre, and in many other communities around America.Click here for info and ordering Frozen

On this Film Friday, I would like to share the film critique of Frozen by Jon Katz, a bestselling author well-known for his writing about mans’ best friends, dogs.

He has some interesting insight in his review of the movie about weathering life’s storms.  http://bit.ly/Isaow1. If you are a parent or have an interest in this rising generation of children, I’ll bet you will have some thoughts of your own on what Katz has to say.

frozen2. png

Have a great weekend, everybody. Treat your children to the latest Disney movie – Frozen. It is arriving in theatres just in time for the holidays.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you back here on All Things Fulfilling on Monday!

Sunny Thoughts Welcomed Here

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Life is not about what happens to us, it is all about how we respond to it. ~ Unknown

I laughed the other day. My niece posted on her Facebook page that she was at a Baltimore Ravens game and it was “freeeeeeezzzzzzing.” Really, in mid-November? The geographic coordinates of Maryland wouldn’t indicate terribly dramatic temperatures.  I commented that she doesn’t understand what cold reeeealy means. She has never lived in locations where there are artic temperatures. As I write this blog this morning it is twenty-four below zero here  in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It is not expected to rise above zero today.

sunny thoughts  My motto every winter becomes “The sun is going to shine on me today, no matter what!”. Where I live 350 – 400 inches of snowfall annually is not unusual. It’s piled steep and deep for many, many long months. Sometimes when the temperatures dip so low, I have to dress in so many layers, I walk and move like a penguin.

I put out a welcome mat for Mother Nature, and look what happened she arrived in all her fury. Up until now she has been just teasing us.  I’ll turn these cold blustery days into warm, sunny fulfilling  thoughts through visualization.  http://expertenough.com/1898/visualization-works.

Where has this week gone? Did you notice it is snowing as you read this blog? Today on this thoughtful Thursday, I’d like to encourage you to return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow for Film Friday. I will be featuring a movie and the critique of it from a New York Times best selling author. He has some very interesting things to say about weathering life’s storms.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Right, No Matter What

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“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you‘re right.” – Henry Ford

This adage is all about “mind over matter,” a motivational principle that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. The phrase means” the mind is more powerful than the body,” according to Wikipedia.com.

Little Engine that CouldThe “mind over matter concept” was integrated into the storyline of a children’s book all the way back in 1930 when “The Little Engine That Could” was published by Platt and Monk. This tale is still popular today. In fact, as recently as 2007, an on-line poll rated the book as one of the Teachers Top 100 Books by the National Education Association.

In yesterday’s blog, I mentioned the recent speech I gave about Helicopter Parenting. Within the context of the speech I cite the fact that if parents do everything for their children, kids start to doubt themselves and lose confidence in their abilities. They begin think they can’t or may not be able to handle a task. Here is a relevant article about the power of the mind and how to use it as a great tool. http://bit.ly/IllFOz.

In my speech I related some of my own experiences in life. To this day, I count myself as a very fortunate child because my parents didn’t let me know that I may face an uphill battle when trying to accomplish certain goals. They expected me to be able to keep up with everyone else. Guess what – it usually worked!

Thanks, Dad and Mom! Now that I am “big,” an adult, that is, I can I admit you were right!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Hope you’ll return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow for more self-fulfilling thoughts.

Preparing for the Stump

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“Speaking from the heart can be the strongest move of all.” ~ Rick Hanson, PhD 

How many of us stay within our comfort zones just because it is easier? I can’t exempt myself from that. There have been many, many times in my life when I have taken the easy way out.

Most people say “public speaking is outside of their comfort zone because it is terrifying and they avoid it all costs.” In fact when I talk with potential clients about their book marketing plans that is the first thing authors mention that they WILL NOT DO.  “If you think I am going to get up in front of a crowd and talk about my publication,” they say, “just forget it.”

speaking from the heartIn September, I decided that I was going to step outside my comfort zone and tackle my own discomfort with public speaking. I enrolled in a class. I have not shied away from speaking to groups completely. In fact, over the past five years I have done more public speaking than any other time in my life.

Guess what? It feels good to move ahead, rather than staying stuck because of self-imposed limitations. Am I cured of glossophobia – the fear of public speaking? I think so because I know I CAN DO IT! In fact I am proud to say for my most important speech of the semester I even impressed myself! What was my message? Something I have strong opinions about. I spoke from the heart about “Helicopter Parenting.”

I have made a further challenge with myself. I will seek every opportunity I can to get up in front of a crowd. So, don’t be surprised to see me out on the stump, especially when my book has been published!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

Tearing up over Books

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Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” – Bill Cosby

I have found out over the past few years that writing a book about a character who cracks you up with laughter and who has played a powerful role in your life can be just as fulfilling as reading a funny book.

Today, I’m in such a happy mood – feeling very chipper. All as a result of reading a few books that have had me in stitches lately.

Ok, I’ll admit it – you couldn’t classify either book as fine literature. You’d be hard pressed to compare the books to the top classics of all time. That would be akin to trying to compare comic books with the Bible.

But to my way of thinking, both books are a panacea for lifting the spirits. Publisher’s Weekly says Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits  “is a hilarious read, perhaps best enjoyed while eating Krispy Kremes with a few girlfriends.” I concur with PW vehemently.

belle-weather I love the author’s humor. The Chicago Sun-Times says Rivenbark “Dishes out what Southern women really think and say when they’re not performing that soft-syllable grits-and-grace routine.”

Belle Weather is food for the soul. It has all necessary ingredients to cheer the spirits even though there is not a whole lot of meat in it to stew over. The thing you might learn is that it has been too long since you’ve read a book that’s made you laugh so hard you’ve got tears running down your face. Don’t you love reading books for pure pleasure?

Another book that has captured me hook, line and sinker  was Rebecca Wells’ New York Times Bestseller called Little Altars Everywhere. I adored it and as I read it, parts were as if I was experiencing a case of deja vu.

Little Altars

You’ll learn more about the value of humor in one’s life when my book is published in the spring.

Do return on tomorrow for more thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.