Category Archives: creation

Cookin’ Up a Soulful Pot

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As a blog writer, when the inspiration hits, I am on the job no matter what day of the week it is.  I am compelled to put it down on paper, when the mind and heart is awakened by a spark of creative thought. It’s all part of fulfilling my need to write. 

Today is National Day of Chicken Soup for the Soul, did you know that? It’s Saturday, a good day to stay at home and create a soup full of thoughts that will warm me both inside and out. Intuition tells me the ingredients to build a healthy stock would be – 

  • Year-long gratitude for the personally fulfilling things I have in my life
  • Observance of the gift of quiet times
  • Understanding that the ordinary can be extraordinary
  • Appreciation for the natural beauty of the earth
  • Rigorous amounts of stirring of the spirit by exploring one’s own gifts
  • Ecstatic feelings for our son and seeing him make his marc on the world
  • New Ideas to bring inspiration and creativity
  • Eager anticipation of beauty in the holiday season
  • Variety in Independent Thoughts, Words and Views for my blog readers
  • Energy  and excitement as I go about my daily work
  • Rousing possibilities for telling my own story
  • Abundance of work to do
  • Limitless discovery of “kindred spirits”
  • Old fashioned values of home and hearth
  • Nurturing of the book I am writing -it is close to my heart
  • Enduring love from friends and family 

Create your own unique recipe for Chicken Soup for the Soul. Add  ingredients that  bring happiness, contentment and peace to your life.  Stir the pot with a big strong spoon, so the harmony and balance of flavors will be just right. 

Bountiful Living to You !

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A Parallel Universe in Film

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“The exquisite order displayed by our scientific understanding of the physical world calls for the divine.”

~ Vera Kistiakowsky (MIT Physicist) 

Happy Film Friday, everyone! There is an independent film that I am itching to see. It is called Another Earth. This film won the Alfred P. Sloan prize at the Sundance Film Festival, in the category of science and technology. It is a film about fragility and forgiveness, discovery, exploration and possibility all wrapped up unto a dramatic film.

The movie, directed by Mike Cahill and co-authored by Mike Cahill and Brit Marling, is sure to be a subject for discussion among those who study and discuss astro-physics. Blog writers pondering the field of science http://bit.ly/np0LKS are writing about this film. 

If  Another Earth does not appeal to your whims of wanting to see a movie this weekend, the IMDB (Independent Movie Database) has released it’s list of favorite independent films for the year 2011. Follow this link, http://bit.ly/im3unr and find another film of your choosing.

The independent film industry provides us with intelligent, thought-provoking entertainment, equally as fulfilling as the movies featured on the big screen. Don’t  discount what the independent filmmakers have to offer!

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The Design of the Universe

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“Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace.  ~ Kent Nerburn

I like living in a place where I can fully experience the change of the seasons. I get the opportunity to see our natural environment from different perspectives. In winter, mother nature dons her white winter coat, in summer she shows off her brightest attire, camouflage coveralls of earthy colors are strewn all over the ground in late autumn and in springtime a fresh new green wardrobe dresses the soil. Each season has a different set of inherent wonders that appear year after year. It never ceases to amaze me how the earth knows when to bow its head and slumber, and when it is time to wake up and come alive. In is all in the grand and splendid design of God’s created Universe. 

It is autumn and I look forward, with great anticipation, to fulfilling my seasonal cravings for:

  • Sitting at the fireside with a good book
  • The taste of homemade pumpkin pie with a large dollop of whipped cream
  • The aroma of cinnamon and spice candles
  • Hearing the crunch of the fallen, dried leaves under my feet
  • Knitting a warm winter wrap.
  • Mugs of hot mulled cider and hot cocoa
  • Seeing still life and landscape paintings representative of the season
  • Sitting on the deck wrapped in a cozy blanket, with cuppa hot tea in hand, deeply breathing in the smells of the rotting leaves.
  • A big turkey dinner with all the fixings with family or friends
  • Soaking in the tub with warm vanilla scented bubble bath
  • Creating a seasonal table top arrangement of gourds, pumpkins and Indian corn.
  • The warm, yeasty flavors of a hearty fresh baked bread 

Soon our outdoors time will be reduced by the very nature of the season – bitterly cold days, icy roads, impassable highways and byways.  Before this fall season passes us by, find fulfillment in the season. Get outdoors in the brisk air – paint one last landscape in plein air, ride your bike, take a fall hike, seek out a fall harvest festival. Have fun! The earth was put here for us to enjoy!

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Daylight Comes in Memories

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 “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” ~ Wayne Dyer 

Daylight savings time has arrived. For those people whose bodies are sensitive to light, perhaps the long season of diminished day light will provide an extra hour of sleep.

Spring, summer and fall are my seasons of choice. Here in mountain country, winter is literally experienced in the raw. The biting, blustery Arctic winds are a reminder of the nature’s less gentle ways with us. Moments of glory in winter come when the rays of sunshine peak out from behind the somber clouds of a raging snowstorm. Those rays carry a special splendor, far different and more dazzling, than the sunshine of summer days. I rely on extra moments of light and illumination from within during the dark season of winter. 

This year, my memories and photographs of our family’s October wedding by the Chesapeake Bay, will bring me pleasure in the bleak hours of a winter’s day. My niece’s engagement began with the husband-to-be creating a story that will long be remembered. The thoughts of the sparkle of the bride’s eyes on wedding day, the camaraderie of eight cousins brought together to share a special occasion, the budding new relationship of two strong families tied together through a marriage, and God’s grace in granting long, healthy lives to the bride’s Grandparents who were there to witness the scene, is enough to brighten even the longest winter. 

My Thanksgiving horn of plenty was filled early this year with the blessings of a family gathered. A nourishment of spirit comes with fulfilling thoughts of gratefulness for the abundance of a happy home and family. I need not a thing more.

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Landscapes, Seascapes and TableScapes

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“Art allows us to lose ourselves and find ourselves at the same time.” ~Thomas Merton 

A mix of business and pleasure took me on the road over the past few weeks. I saw landscapes and seascapes far different than what the magnificent Northwest Mountains of Colorado have to offer! 

I like to explore all different kinds of art in Steamboat and in other towns, too. I came across a “Scape” of a different kind in the historic and artsy town of Frederick, Maryland. I visited The Little Pottery Shop and I learned about the wonderful art of Table Scapes. 

The Little Pottery Shop http://bit.ly/tdNhBT  is not only a retail establishment, but it also has a studio for creating handcrafted pottery. The artisans had teamed up with The Loft at AI, an antiques gallery next door, to showcase the displays of their pottery, both hand built and thrown on the wheel. The TableScapes were a feast for the eye! It was like browsing through the “I Spy Books.” Antique drawer knobs and other baubles were adapted for napkin rings, the table linens, glassware, chairs, candleholders, flower vases and other ornamentation all contributed to the overall visual effects. Each table beautifully carried out the theme and other accessories helped create the scene. http://bit.ly/hA0U1s. 

There were 12 enchanting TableScapes:

  • The EnchantedForest
  • Made in Maryland
  • Scare-tacular Table
  • A Walk inProvence
  • The Wedding to Remember
  • Christmas Memories
  • Thanksgiving Turkey Table Talk
  • Indian Treasures Table
  • A Day at the Beach
  • The Madhatter
  • Down on the Farm
  • Serving up the Stew 

No matter where people travel, in this country or worldwide, there are artists everywhere providing personally fulfilling opportunities for people to learn more about art. It’s available in rural hamlets, in cities and everywhere in between. Don’t miss out!

 Made in Maryland TableScape

 A Day at the Beach TableScape

To  see more tablescape photos, please visit http://bit.ly/hA0U1s.

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Answering the Call

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“The idea of a sacred place…is apparently as old as life itself.” ~Joseph Campbell 

We have a winner! On September 2, I wrote a blog which was a follow-up of Glassworks Inspired by Nature, the most frequently read blog on All Things Fulfilling of all time. I put out a challenge to our readers, to send in a suggestion of a beautiful building that incorporates history, architecture and outstanding glass installations. My hope was that the choice would educate me and our readers about an awe-inspiring structure that is in a far off part of the world.  

Marie, sent in her suggestion of the Chartres Cathedral, located inParis,France. It well fit the bill! This sacred UNESCO World Heritage site was constructed between the years 1193 and 1250. It is considered one of the finest examples of French High Gothic Style in the world.

Not only is the building of great historical value, millions of people visit the Cathedral because of a relic that sits inside the doors. The Sancta Camisa, the tunic believed to have been worn by the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the time of Christ’s birth was acquired by the Cathedral in c.876 and it is on display. The indoor labyrinth is of great interest, too.

The church has seen fire damage to the structure and to the vivid stained glass windows, installed throughout. The French Revolution and World War II also took a toll. But many of the original glass installations are still intact. From an art historical viewpoint, the Cathedral, inside and out, has been preserved magnificently. 

Not only is the building  notable for it’s history, architectural elements and for the exquisite glass installations, it is a sacred place for worship for tourists who come from around the world, each and every year. To read more about this fascinating shrine, please visit http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/chartres-cathedral.  

Thank you, Marie, for answering the call and for being a loyal visitor to this blog site. Contributions from readers like you make blogging all the more fulfilling.

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Interweavings of Faith

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“I am sensitive to the value of faith and religion and spirituality in people’s lives because I’m a journalist.”  ~ Peter Jennings

Last weekend, I attended my third annual United Methodist Women’s (UMW) Retreat. http://bit.ly/9W2ac2. It was a great deal of fun! As in the past years, what made the experience so rich and rewarding was the broad mix of women in many stages of life. There were mothers with younger children, women with college-aged children, empty nesters, grandmothers and retirees. Everyone contributed valuably to the conversations regarding their own spirituality and the paths in life they have traveled to arrive at their thoughts. 

We took several topics throughout the day and broke into random small groups to discuss our feelings and opinions of how the subject matter related to our own lives. Lo and behold, several of those gathered in my group are interested in independently publishing their beautiful and fulfilling stories of their walk with faith.  

Of course, a discussion ensued about how in this day and age anyone can publish and sell their independent stories through e-commerce and e-marketing (selling and marketing publications on the world-wide-web).  

By the end of the day-long retreat, we had all found friendship and fellowship with many women we had never known before. The common threads of places we have traveled, experiences we have had and the spiritual beliefs we share, are often the ties that bind. 

Thank you to all who made the day a great success. The location in Steamboat had an awe inspiring landscape. I enjoyed the art and music, ate a lot of good food and gained a better understanding of what this thing called “yoga” is all about too!

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An Art Filled Trip

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“Inspiration comes of working every day.” ~ Charles Baudelaire

I had a most delightful plane trip yesterday returning to Steamboat Springs, Colorado from the East Coast. For two hours of it, my head was stuck between the catalog pages of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store. Reading the captions of the products in this catalog is like an abbreviated course in art history. For instance, I learned:

  • Vera Neumann’s designs (American Artist1907-1933) became symbolic of American enterprise and optimism in the Truman era.
  • Arthur George “Art” Smith (1917-1982) created his craft at the center of Greenwich Village where he led a bohemian life and
    became known as one of the most creative jewelry designers of the time.
  • It was  common practice for the Greeks in the Hellenistic times, to bury the wealthy with their most valuable jewelry of gold, precious medals and stones.
  • Jefferson R Burdick (American 1900-1963) began at the age of 10 procuring one of  country’s most valuable collections of American paper ephemera, which  included paper dolls, souvenir cards, greeting and playing cards.

The Metropolitan Museum Art Store works closely with art historians to bring products to consumers that are artfully crafted in the
design of the finest master artists from around the world. Gifts include jewelry, cards, art books, Christmas ornaments, calendars sculpture, scarves and art activity sets to engage children in creating art.

Now is the time to begin thinking about Christmas buying for your circle of art friends or family. The catalog can be ordered by calling 1-800-662-3397. Mail order and on-line ordering is available. For more information, visit http://store.metmuseum.org/.

My trip to the East Coast included visiting arts scenes and artists working in many mediums. In the coming weeks, I will be sharing more information on writers, potters, and towns that I encountered along the way. It was a very fulfilling trip. Good to be away and good to be back!

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Finding Fulfillment East to West

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“We all soon had a change of mind, back to the Mountains we rode, with our maps.” ~ Alice Bradshaw Butler

I recently stopped by the Dorchester County Library in Cambridge, Maryland. I entered into the M. Virginia Webb Memorial Maryland Room to revisit the work of author Alice Bradshaw Butler. On my last trip to the Eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, I discovered this poet’s book called “Reflections.” I wanted to explore it some more.

This writers’ life seems to mirror mine in many ways. She, too, was an East Coast gal whose life changes eventually brought her west. Alice Bradshaw Butler was born and bred on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She was educated at Towson State Teachers College (now referred to as Towson University); in the town of my native roots. In 1909 she left her life in Maryland, traveled and settled in the Western plains of Montana.

I’ve gotten got a strong sense that we would be kindred spirits, were she alive today. She seemed to find fulfilling things in both the East and the West. I find myself having conflicted feelings about  which part of the country I like best.  Our own shared personal values, life travels and travails can be summed up in many of her poem’s titles. Here are just a few, all written by Alice Bradshaw Butler:

  • Life Full of Wondrous Things
  • Walking beside Sandy Shore
  • Crossroads (Presence of  God during Difficult Days)
  • My Island Home
  • Gold in them thar Hills
  • Let’s Walk this Land
  • I am So Glad I am a Christian
  • Westward Bound
  • A Different Road
  • A Paradise for a Hunter
  • The Woodland Glen

I returned to this author’s book because I found community with the author, our shared interests and her likeable writing style. As an independent publisher, have you properly identified your market and are you reaching it from east to west through innovative methods of marketing and promotion in a digital world? If not, consult with a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. They will help you and your book become more visible on the world-wide-web.

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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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