Category Archives: Gifts

Baltimore Nostalgia Time

Leave a comment

Today on All Things Fulfilling: A visual look back at iconic images from my growing up in Baltimore.

Oriole CafeteriasReads drugstores

Berger cookies

Smyth

mary sue easter eggs

DR28_TimoniumAd

61outXDZsKL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_welcome to baltimore hon

That was a fulfilling journey revisiting my childhood through images this morning. Last summer when I was back in Maryland for an extended visit, my mom bought me a box of Berger’s cookies. I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

As the stellar character in my memoir often stated to my mother after having eaten a box of  Berger cookies –

“Dem’s was da bestest, Miz Battoney!”

Indeed, being given a  surprise box of Berger cookies is as satisfying of being given a Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected!

In coming weeks we will be hunting down more images of Baltimore memorabilia… Stay tuned to All Things Fulfilling!

Pillow Dreams

Leave a comment

Every man’s life is a fairy tale written by God’s fingers. ~Hans Christian Andersen

The infamous Dr. Phil says that children should not have to bear adult problems. I admire my parents for they had plenty of adult stresses as a  couple who married quite young and  lived on pins and needles for many years due to “twin issues.” I feel throughout my life, my mom and dad did a fabulous job of letting us kids be kids, unburdened with adult problems. http://bit.ly/P3bMbE.  I am grateful for that.

The other day I was going through my baby book and came upon a letter that I had written to the tooth fairy when I was in elementary school. Here it is verbatim:

untitled (2)“Dear Fairy,

Will you Please keep the tooth under my pillow and give me monney. Wedesday I will put my tooth under my pillow and then you can take it.

From, Sue”

I wonder what my big dreams were for the money that I was expecting? After all it was probably a whole dime the tooth fairy was willing to give me- realize it was  the 1950s! It seems to me from the note, I needed to put my big fortune into spelling lessons rather than something sweet like candy to give me cavities.

In yesterday’s blog, I mentioned the medical bills my parents incurred as a result of giving birth to twins and my medical circumstances. Now that you have seen this letter, do you think I had an inkling that my parents needed some assistance, and I was going to try to help with my big windfall from the tooth fairy? Or do you think I was just being a kid knowing that the tooth fairy doled out money? I wonder. You never know about kids way of thinking.

This blog is brought to you by http://www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. See you back here tomorrow!

 

Believe it or Not

1 Comment

 Y'all ain't gonna believe this.Being a twin, my sister and I were partners in crime. Only our silly, foolish double-trouble was more of the innocent kind.

For a child, there is nothing more fulfilling than having someone to pair up with who is also “game” for participating in childhood foolishness – I had that partner in my sister. For instance, once when we had tired of playing with our baby dolls we took up the challenge of trying to diaper two big toads that were leaping about our yard. “Kleenex and mini-sized safety pins, will work perfectly,” we thought. Yeah, I know, “Oh how silly.” An impossible task to achieve, when the toads were intent on hopping around. It kept us busy for a whole afternoon.

The stellar character my upcoming memoir “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected” caught us in action. “Lord a Mercy,” she said, “what is ya’ll doin’? Y’all leave dem leapin’ lizards ‘lone. You’ll be growing in all da wrong places if ya keeps on touchin’ dem warts on dem frowgs!” 

Ahhh…that’s only one story that was left out of my memoir. Believe it or not, I’ve got plenty more to tell.  Other tales are  coming on Mother’s Day, when “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected” is released.

If you haven’t done so already, go to our new About the Book page on All Things Fulfilling,  you can see the book cover image and read some reviews from pre-publication readers, too.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you tomorrow!

Revelations for My Mother

7 Comments

“…human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.”
― Gabriel Garcí¬a Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

Today is another special day in my personal and family life. Today’s blog will be very brief. It’s February 28th, the birthday of the woman who gave me life – my mother. Since thousands of miles separate us on this day, I wanted to give my mom something to celebrate on her very special birthday – something she will never forget.

So, here you go Mom, here is an image of my book cover that I have been waiting to reveal to you as a birthday gift. The official release of my book will be in May on Mothers Day but today I’m giving you a glimpse of what I have been promising is coming.

Low res front cover final

Happy Birthday, Mom. With gratitude for all you have given me through out my life.

Love you lots ~ Your eldest twin daughter, Sue

See you back here on Monday on All Things Fulfilling. Today I send out a huge thanks to Karen McLane, my cover designer from http://www.postnet.com/steamboat-springs-co105. She worked so diligently to craft a cover that exceeds my expectations for my first publication as an author from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

It’s a Sunny Day!

Leave a comment

Today is a special day for my husband and me. It is our son’s 26th birthday. Don’t know where those years have gone since the day I delivered him, screaming and crying.

Let me clarify – I wasn’t doing the screaming and crying our son was. I was busy counting fingers and toes and marveling at perfection.

The twelve hour labor was a walk in the park compared to what I had been through the four months prior to his birth. You’ll learn more about that journey of unexpected blessings in my upcoming memoir.

When I think of  7:12 pm on Thursday, February 25, 1988,  I remember the words that came into my mind when I saw our precious bundle. They are the very same words I sang to him in the rocking chair!

you are my sunshine

The joy that our son brought has into our lives over these past 26 years is unexplainable. I can’t find the appropriate words except to say we are so very proud that he is our SUN!

Happy Birthday and much love to you on this day, Marc! Remember to take out time from your work today and have some FUN!! Hope our next visit isn’t too far off ~

being what god created him to be

And by the way – your Father and I think you are doing a fantastic job of being yourself and all that comes with it! You are indeed filled with Thursday’s child  attributes– “ruled by Jupiter, the most beneficial of all the planets, the symbol of expansion, happiness, optimism, good humour, room to move – either mentally or physically, spaciousness, freedom and independence.  This child will need these types of things.”

And so you have it! Wishing you a great year ahead.

This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. It’s another blessed day on All Things Fulfilling. A great day of remembrance.

Swinging Life Apart

2 Comments

“One must learn to love oneself with a wholesome and healthy love so that one can bear to be with oneself ...” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

girls standing up on swing set

Last night I had a wonderful dream that I was back on the elementary school playground with my twin sister. So today in my blogging we are going to travel down nostalgia lane.

Remember those days? Pumping on the swing trying to reach the clouds high in the sky? My sister and I often competed with one another to see who could push the limits. She usually won the race because her stamina was much greater than mine.

We were both pretty fearless when it came to heights, but I may have been the greater daredevil. As soon as we crested the top, we’d let go, become air bound and jump to the ground, nearly giving my mother a double heart attack.

An advantage of being a twin is that you have a “built-in” playmate.The challenge of being a twin is that people often treat twins as if they are one unit rather than two autonomous people with individual strengths, likes and needs.

Years ago, child psychologists theorized it was best to keep twins together in the same classroom, but they have since learned not so! http://bit.ly/1lWgEdY. When seventh grade rolled around my twin and I began to learn what life was like with separate groups of friends. We were put into different classes and weaned away from one another, having to adjust to not being together constantly.

Even to this day, we have lots of mutual friends. It wasn’t until I married that we really were completely separated and life has never been the same for us since. In fact for four decades we have lived in different cultural and geographical climates.  One lives in the heat and humidity surrounded by a huge population of people, the other in artic temperatures in remote and intimate surroundings.

What we share are similar values that were instilled in both of us when we were little. You’ll learn more about my twin double troubles in my memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for info & ordering

Do come back tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Literary Benevolence

Leave a comment

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.

Ringing and Singing

2 Comments

Sing with passion. Work with laughter. Love with heart. ‘Cause that’s all that matter in the end.” ~ Kris Kristofferson

nostalgic carollersI stepped into a local shop a few days after Thanksgiving and holiday tunes rang out. It stirred up memories of my childhood going from house to house Christmas caroling. People rarely carol anymore. According to an article in Time Magazine, a professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, Bob Thompson says caroling has seen a decline since the 1960s. http://ti.me/1bEe9IG

Hearing Christmas songs in the stores always puts a bug in my ear that it is clearly time to get out the holiday CDs and enjoy them. I never tire of the same old tunes. I’m endlessly delighted by the melodies. The Yule season passes all too quickly, and then it is time to put the Christmas CDs away until next year.

Today I thought I’d see what’s being sold on the internet marketplace for new holiday releases.

Here are a few CD suggestions. I bet you can’t go wrong with selecting any one of them. Each one would make for a fulfilling holiday listening experience:

  • Wrapped in Red – Kelly Clarkson
  • A Mary Christmas – Mary J Blige
  • Christmas Voices  – Celtic Thunder
  • Sending you a Little Christmas – Johnny Mathis
  • Hope for All the World – Craig & Dean Phillips
  • Angels Sing: Christmas in Ireland      – Libera
  • Christmas in my Heart – Gretchen Wilson
  • Christmas Spirit – David Arkenstone

If you are at a loss for an affordable gift-giving idea, a Christmas music is always greatly appreciated and it will be enjoyed for many years. CD’s are great stocking stuffers, too!

“It Came Upon Midnight Clear, that glorious song of old…..”

What’s Inside Counts

1 Comment

God’s gifts put mans best dreams to shame ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Gold BoxHappy Thoughtful Thursday! I am going to keep this blog short and sweet. Check out the touching short Christmas story I’m posting through a link. It’s only a few brief paragraphs and worth reading. I promise it will make you think twice about the spirit of Christmas and the gifts you put in a box.

The story is called The Gold Wrapping Paper. http://bit.ly/18xB44Q.

May other thoughtful, meaningful stories bless your life during this holy season!

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

Simply Nutty Holidays

1 Comment

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.