Category Archives: Nature as inspiration and beauty

Books Bring a Change in Environment

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“Conservation is a state of harmony between man and land.” ~ Aldo Leopold

sunrise on the chesapeakeEarly yesterday morning, as I sat looking out over the Chesapeake Bay typing a blog about Walk Two Moons, something very beautiful occurred. A pod of dolphins swam by in front of me. Close to the shoreline, they surfaced and dove, surfaced and dove, very graceful in their movements. It was as if they were signaling a good morning greeting. The water was serene and still, compared to many other mornings when I’ve visited and storms are raging.

“What a different world, I am in right now” I thought, “still a natural environment but unlike the wild, wild West.” One surrounding is not more beautiful than the other, just unique in the kind of climate challenges the residents face.

I recently read a book called Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas, a Colorado author. I learned a lot about what life was like during the days of homesteading and mining in the 1930’s and what friendship means to the human spirit.

Although we humans live in many kinds of different environments, the challenges in life can be the same.  How we as individuals face stormy seas, is all about attitudes and our survival skills in handling it.

That is why I love to read. Books and films allow a way to escape to other places and “walk on other moons.” Through reading, we have the opportunity to see things that we might not ever be able to experience otherwise, and learn how others deal with adversity and being tested.

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. Off I go now, to visit a silk factory in China, and forge relationships with women who work in it.

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

Stepping into New Territory

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Travel quoteOver the next few weeks, I will be taking a business trip, going to new places and visiting old haunts, too. Ultimately, in my travels, my goal will be to find fulfilling things in my journeys. They  may be unexpected, and I’ll share the content digitally. Perhaps it will mean more photos than writing. We will see what develops!

Whenever you frequent this blog space, I encourage you to stay and explore all the other 1,100+ blog postings  on All Things Fulfilling. There’s a lot of information about independent films, music and books as well as educational information about the independent publishing process. Other subjects such as writings on the arts, career motivation, self-improvement, relationships and business, and they can be looked up by category,  on the right hand side of the page.

I’m not exactly where I am going to find myself in my business travels. Whatever I encounter, I’ll  assimilate the experience, enjoy it and share it like an open book.

Return tomorrow to  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Fulfilling an Interest

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Your work is to discover your work and then, with all your heart, to give yourself to it. ~ Unknown

As a representative of We Write Steamboat and a volunteer for World Book Night, I stopped by the Colorado State University Extension of Routt County http://bit.ly/16qQLxr  to give out The Language of Flowers: A Novel

to volunteers in the agriculture department.

I took time to explain to the recipients that the mission of the World Book Night is to spread a love of literacy and I also gave them a brief history of the organization.

book_day 003 (2)We purposely waited until May Day to give out a portion of the books from World Book Night to this group because a gathering of CSU Extension volunteers had just completed their Master Gardeners program, and were holding a breakfast burrito fundraiser.

book_day 002When given the book, gratefulness was the overriding sentiment for a publication that so well-suited the volunteers interests. A few people  I gave books to worked in another part of the office building, but were there to support the fundraiser and get breakfast. One person walked out with me as I left, and said “I have to get back to work, but I can’t wait to peak between the covers!” I had explained to her that there was a glossary at the back of the book that lists flowers and  the emotions that are associated with each. During the Victorian period, giving flowers communicated feelings in relationships, the art of choosing an “appropriate flower” was very important.

My hope, as a World Book Volunteer, is that The Language of Flowers will help the volunteers of CSU Agriculture Department learn a fascinating new aspect about plants they had known little about before.

Happy Reading CSU Volunteers! I hope the snow we received on May Day disappears quickly so you can get out in the gardens and enjoy planting your passion!

Return tomorrow to  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected

Hiking the PCT with Strayed

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“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
~ Dr. Seuss Oh the Places You’’ll Go

This week I’ve hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s a place I never thought I’d visit. I hiked it with author Cheryl Strayed
and saw bears, rattlesnakes, a Texas longhorn bull and more.  At times throughout the journey I felt desperation set in, unimaginable fright, gratitude, inspiration, relief and grief.  Strayed’s thoughts of accomplishing what she set out to do, were familiar.

crossroads in the woods

No, Strayed was not alone  in her story, good authors always find the company of readers who appreciate what their characters have gone through and can often relate. I decided to travel along with Strayed by reading her book, so that when she shows up in Steamboat, at the Bud Werner Memorial Library http://bit.ly/16nUuYj  on April 11th, I’ll able to envision exactly what the Pacific Crest Trail looked like.

Wild is exactly the kind of book that reminds us why even when things are scary and uncertain, it is best to push through it, and accomplish the goal. Then we can look back and find the lessons within, and how challenges help us to rebuild our life.

Seuss’ words of advice are well-meaning. We need to do better job of teaching children there are so many fulfilling places to see and things to do in this world, and not to let obstacles stop them.  Books teach children and adults that we  never travel alone, there’s always a path thats been traveled and beaten before us.

“And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance

You’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.”

~ Dr. Seuss Oh the Places You’ll Go

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Faith in the Path Less Traveled

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Weave in faith and God will find the thread. ~Author Unknown

I was without my computer for awhile yesterday; it was in the “shop.” I took advantage of the freedom away from digital technology. Since so much of what I do is on-line based, a close relationship with all things paper has nearly been trashed. I often read the news and magazines, and sometimes books, via the computer these days, subscribing to fewer print publications.

Yesterday, for a few blissful hours, I sat in the Bud Memorial Library and read the April 2013 edition of Southwest Magazine from cover to cover. How I enjoyed myself!

The first great article I encountered was about artist Michelle Dunaway. It was superbly written by Gussie Fauntleroy. Dunaway, an artist who lives and studied at the MastersAcademy in Albuquerque, NM mentioned the importance of finding the joy in unexpected things by getting off the beaten path. She told of her childhood hikes with her father, and whenever there was a choice to make about what direction to travel, he taught her to take the path least followed which, more times than not, led to discovering things she didn’t anticipate.

art faithAs a painter, each time Dunaway faces a blank canvas it presents her with opportunities to make choices of color, lines, shape and other design elements that make a good painting. She has been taught to make right choices in art through workshops with the most influential and impressive painters of our time, such asRichard Schmid  and Jeremy Lipking http://www.lipking.com. And by studying the book Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting.

Dunaway says she “has always had an  interest in capturing  human expressions in paintings.” Her image “Faithfulness,” shown in the 2013 issue of Southwest Art, is an exquisite example of her portrait painting talents. It can also been seen on Dunaway’s website. http://www.dunawayfineart.com.

Next time I am in Santa Fe, NM, I look forward to visiting Sage Creek Gallery where Dunaway’s work is represented. Legacy Gallery, M Gallery of Fine Art and Insight Gallery also exhibits and sells her work.

Return  tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Stimulating the Palette with Food Art

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Good food is wise medicine. ~Alison Levitt M.D., Doctor in the Kitchen®

flower kidsSpring has arrived in southern parts of the country. Gardens are sprouting new crops of fruits and veggies. Today on All Things Fulfilling, we will share images of food art that have been circulating over the internet. Mouth-watering ideas and all elements of art – color, shape, form, texture and values have been used to create these food compositions, as well as use of line and space. The visual effects are enough to make even the pickiest child want to eat the daily recommended servings of produce.

Some food art is basic, and any Mom or Dad can make it to impress their families, and stimulate palettes. While other compositions are very time consuming and are best left to highly skilled caterers. With practice and the help of proper kitchen utensils, books and DVDs anyone can now become a culinary artist in their own kitchen, and promote better nutrition.

John Gargone, a chef from Pennsylvania, teaches others his craft of food carving and sculpting in his popular book Food Art: Garnishing Made Easy and through his independently published DVD series.

You are invited to take this tour with me, through the fulfilling world of food and art. Perhaps we will both be inspired to include a little more creativity in our food preparation and diets.

apple with fruit

gold fish

goldfish adult

owl adult

motorcyle adul1imagesCA0MLBNUrose advancedbrocolli poodle kidsjpg

bird advancedface kids

Return on tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Summer: Only a Dream Away

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“In life’s winter, find your invincible summer.” ~ Unknown

Summer Only a Dream AwayI awoke to the cacophony of birdsong this morning, heard it through the open window. One deep inhalation of the chilly air brought scents of freshly mown grass mixed with the crisp, clean fragrance of blooming lavender wafting up my nostrils. As I lay there, trying to become alert after a long, restorative sleep I heard the thwack…thwack of the tennis ball landing on the hard courts across the street, and the players called out “Love Thirty.”  “Thank goodness summer has finally arrived.” I thought.

I turned over, slowly opening my eyes to a bright reflection streaming in the window and saw my husband standing by the bed. “Did you hear me?” He asked.

“What?”

“You’ve gotta love it,” he said smiling. “Its warm, thirty this morning. I am headed out, for another day of skiing on the mountain in Steamboat, Colorado.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “It’s summer. A minute ago I  heard the “thwack” of the tennis balls on the court across the way.”

“Nice try. Go back to sleep, silly. That was the guys up on the roof chopping and clearing away the ice jams.” My husband replied, looking amused.

“What about the green grass and lavender I smell in the air this morning?” I asked, inhaling deeply again.

“You were just dreaming. Thats the lingering scent of the new bubble bath you used last night before bedtime.”

I jumped up and looked out the window, confused. It was unlike my husband to rise before me in the morning. The snow was softly falling, inch by inch, just like the other 321 inches that came before it this winter.

“Its got to end sometime.” I said, referring to the heaped up snowpiles. “Easter is only a week away. I’m going back to the place in my dreams where I know I can find fulfilling scenes of summer.”  I hopped back in bed and pulled the covers over my head.

“Sweet dreams! Shall I put the fan on incase you need it?”

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Lift Up Friends

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 “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~ Marcel Proust 

Friday’s blog on All Things Fulfilling was a tribute to friendship and the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. 

I’ve had have further thoughts about the value of friends  since that blog writing. Coming together in friendship is the result of finding community with like-minded people – individuals who have joint interests, passions and beliefs in life.  In recent years I’ve made friends in service, through Kiwanis, and by volunteering once a week at an interfaith, community-run thrift store called “Lift-Up.” Being involved with arts organizations such as We Write Steamboat(a meet-up group for independent publishers), the Steamboat Writers Group , the Colorado Independent Publishers Association and  Strings Music Festival has brought me pleasure. Community involvement, with the Yampa Valley University Women has also been part of my life here in Routt County, Colorado.

It’s interesting, in a time when the news is reporting  church membership is declining, there seems to be very active participation in churches, in this town. Perhaps the remote location and natural beauty of the region make spiritual exploration important to folks. Yesterday, Reverend Tim at the UnitedMethodistChurch in Steamboat, elevated our spirits through his lenten season storytelling. Our new Director of Youth Ministry and independent musician, Taylor Anderson charmed us with  his musical skills playing the modern remix of  “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on his ukulele. Very uplifting for a day of Irish celebration. A song appropriate for so many who are grateful they can be here to retire, run location-neutral businesses or for recreational reasons.

After the service, our appetites were fulfilled with  tasty goodies baked by women with whom I volunteer at the thrift store donation center. Thank you, Jeanette, Shirley and Louise and to all the other generous people who bring in provisions for fellowship moments after the service each week. The special St. Patty’s Day confections were decorated artistically. The women poured heart and soul into their efforts, it was evident.  It is a pleasure to volunteer with these women at the donation center for the thrift store.

St Pattys Day UMCSt Pattys Day UMC3

Jeanette, Louise, Shirley and Sue (top image). We are only a few the 100+ volunteers that make Lift-Up so successful in this community.

Seasonal Sprouting, Roots of Fulfillment

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“Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.” ~ Dalai Lama

Our blogs this week have been devoted to the power of the mind. Today we are focusing on seasonal attitudes.

I believe God gave us four seasons so we can appreciate each of them for their own reasons and pleasures! What a treat to have Day Light Savings time arrive on Sunday to give us more hours of light. Warmer temps are around the corner, even here in northwestern Colorado. Easter, the holiday named after the Germanic Goddess of the Dawn “Ostern” arrives early this year. I’m grateful for that.

Spring brings beautiful images to my mind, and by just envisioning some the things that I associate with the season brings a smile to my face, and an uplifting of the spirit. It is a good time of year to do some housecleaning because our physical environments, our homes, have been closed up all winter.  

garden sproutsJust as importantly, however, is that we remember that the season of the dawn is for the renewal of the spirit, too. By sweeping away old beliefs, from our minds, that have held us back ,we prepare for new growth of self and allow seeds of fulfilling, new ways of living to take root and sprout.  It has been found that there is a correlation between wellness and spirituality. For more information, see this article. http://bit.ly/15MmRkt.

In this season of Lent, what old attitudes will you lift up and do away with in order to make way for improvements in your life?

Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Mind Power Returning

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 “To think is to practice brain chemistry.” ~ Deepak Chopra 

On March 4th, I posted a blog called Stirring the Mind. If you missed it, please scroll back or follow this link.   http://bit.ly/12onO4D . The blog was essentially about some fascinating thoughts that were presented at a Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference in Long Beach, California by “The Young, The Wise and the Undiscovered” minds of innovative, creative and brilliant people. 

brain chemistryTomorrow on this site, Brains at the Center of the Story will be featured. Ideas about the power of technology, the brain and research on the sixth sense (our emotive powers) will be entertained through a review of a fictional book by a Canadian author who has “dedicated his life to uncovering the deeper truths within us all.”

Note: This book was briefly mentioned in a blog I wrote several weeks ago, called Transported to Another Realm http://bit.ly/ZxQMJd  where I told of removing myself from external stimuli so I could become fully engaged in this author’s story. He is a leader and life-long student in the field of self-discovery and mastery. and writes about some very fascinating and thought-provoking stuff!

Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, a space where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.