Category Archives: Inspiration

Elevating Thoughts

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I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” ~ Maya Angelou

Last week our country lost some treasures. Poet and writer Maya Angelou passed on. She magnificently showed us who she was by the words she wrote. heart_of_a_woman_the_maya_angelou   She has left us volumes of words to ponder. Her inspirational thoughts help us in working toward being better people.  And yes, as Angelou has told us then there will be a better tomorrow. Things are always improved when we sleep on elevating and enriching thoughts.

I am sad because I also lost one of my favorite aunts on the same day Maya Angelou passed away. My aunt lived with a great sense of humor. She had to, she was married to my Uncle King, the character I wrote about in my story. She, too, was a gift to me in my life.  Rest in Peace, Dot, your spirit will live and love on in the family you and King left behind.

Do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday. Next week we will feature the lives of some young artists, whose lives have just begun, and they are impressing people already with their talents.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.”Sue’s memoir

Sisters of the Heart

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“True friendship takes us by the hand and reminds us we are not alone in the journey.” ~ Unknown

sue mary and jan and neighbor kids enlargedI love this photo of my twin sister and me with our neighborhood buddies! It was sent to me as a surprise, compliments of http://www.unbridledimages.com. It was dug up out of the archives! I am truly grateful to have it!

I am the twin on the right.  The photo was taken during my “difficult days.” Before life really began to get better for me thanks to the cardiologists at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Due to God’s amazing providence, Mary Grace and I (my childhood friend who I mention in my memoir in Chapter 7  titled Taking it One Day at a Time  and who I blogged about yesterday) are alive today. She is the little girl pictured next to my sister  in a blue dress.

You see Mary Grace and I are sisters of the heart in more ways than one. She too had childhood illness that has affected her ticker. Leaps and bounds have been made since we were children, in medical research, that has helped heart patients have a wonderful quality of life.

Mary has gone on to do some amazing things. Like myself she has maintained a completely normal existence throughout her lifetime, never letting anything stop her. She, too, is deeply aware of the gift of life.

See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. Not sure where I will travel in my writing. I have come to learn the words will come if I am silent and listen to my heart.Sue’s memoir

 

Faith & Speculation in God’s Creatures

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Life is like a wild horse. You ride it or it rides you. ~ Unknown

Pimlico-Race-Course---Preakness-StakesThis coming weekend is the Belmont Stakes. A few weeks ago Baltimore celebrated the running of the Preakness. Since 1873 ,every third weekend in May, the Pimlico Race Track has played host to one of the horse races in the “Triple Crown Series.” That’s a long history.

In our household, every year before the Preakness, we’d wager our bets among us as to whether King Leatherbury, our relative and well-known horse trainer would enter one of his horses in the contest. http://bit.ly/1nRGAYz. Sometimes he put faith in one of his throughbreds and other years he refrained from entering. But the speculation was usually among our annual May Day family dinner conversations.

If you are from Baltimore, you can’t watch the Preakness Stakes without a mint julep in hand. So my Dad always mixed up a batch of “juleps” for any adults that came by the house the afternoon of the race so they’d be ready for the showdown, whether one of King Leatherbury’s horses was in contention or not.

What’s the purpose of this blog, you might ask? Your looking at lucky and another fulfilling memory that I have of my days of growing up in Baltimore that got left out of my memoir. That’s all.

preakness lookin at lucky

Photo Credit: 2010 Cindy Pierson Dulay

Lookin’ at Lucky – Winner of 2010 Preakness

This blog is brought to you by the author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Sue’s memoir

 

 

 

Friday’s Hush

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Our greatest gift is the thunder of Silence.  ~Joel Goldsmith

It’s the end of the week, and the wisdom of the wordsmith in me says “that’s enough!”

Happy Friday everyone

Do return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling. You’ll be Looking at Lucky and I will tell you how that relates to my life. Some details of my journey weren’t  included  in the memoir Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, so I’ll share more on this site. Sue’s memoir

Petty’s Pants

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We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created.  ~ Nicholas Sparks

petti pantsHow many of you baby boomers remember wearing “pettipants?” I remember them well. They were popular in the 1960s.

In our house, the mention of “pettipants” got a little confusing. Because the stellar character in my memoir, Fanny, called Scott,  my little brother, “Petty.” So the mention of “pettipants” could have  meant my little brothers breeches! Fanny had a different kind of way of communicating but as she became enfolded deeper and deeper into our family, our lives were enriched many times over as we learned about each others cultures.

I liked wearing “pettipants” to school better than a slip underneath my pleated skirts. They were perfect when cuolottes came in vogue. We used to shop for our “pettipants” in the lingerie department at Hutzler’s, Hochschild Kohns, Stewarts or Hecht Company – Baltimore’s iconic 20th century department stores – many of which are now defunct.

These historic retail establishments were the places people went to shophutzlers towson before the suburban malls began to blossom and spread in the 1970’s. Many of the historic department stores met their demise when that happened.

Michael J Lisicky, author of “Hutzler’s: Where Baltimore Shops” chronicles the rise and fall of some of Marylander’s favorite shopping meccas. For more information on this book, please follow this link. http://www.amazon.com/Hutzlers-MD-Where-Baltimore-Landmarks/dp/1596298286.

baltimores bygone dept stores

Baltimore’s historic department stores hold many memories from my days of growing up and going shopping with my sister and our girl friends.  If you are a baby boomer, no doubt  you have fond memories of the places you frequented when you went clothes shopping, and the fashions that were popular during different eras of your lifetime.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, a story of multi-cultural love, faith, healing and life lessons.Sue’s memoir

 

 

 

Writers Face Fears Head On

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“Have you realized that today is the tomorrow you talked about yesterday?  ― Jaachynma N.E. Agu, The Prince and the Pauper

Indeed, I have come to understand that! For many a year I had visions of writing and publishing our family’s story, and it has become a reality. Memoirs are important because they are not just about our immediate family. They often reflect and record a time in history, a culture or religion,  a way of being raised, and the values we pass on to the next generation.

Oh, there were times when I doubted, got discouraged or couldn’t find the right words, but I never let it stop me. Action led to fulfillment of those dreams. I made it happen!

Each time the task seemed daunting or I couldn’t find the right words or hit a road block I’d press on remembering the words of Bill Cosby “Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.”

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We published authors overcame our fears and live to tell the story of it!

Welcome-To-Ours-

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

Sue’s memoir
 

Art Depicts Culture

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“Enjoyment is an incredible energizer to the human spirit.” ~ John C Maxwell

While I walked the streets of historic Park City I took in many art galleries and retail establishments filled with chic clothing, jewelry and handbags embellished with lots of bling. But what really struck me was the contrast when I walked into the Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery. It featured paintings of Russian Impressionism. The artists of this period celebrate in their paintings “the common people, depicting their lives, hopes and dreams and emotions in an intimate manner.”

Most of the pieces in this premier gallery of Russian Art, the  Thomas K McCarthey Gallery, are from the 1930’s to the 1980s. The pieces are carefully selected for their depiction of the human spirit while laboring at their trade. To read more about the McCarthey Gallery, please visit this link.www.mccartheygallery.net.

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The town of Park City is rich with mining history. But the attention to the arts and the stunning natural beauty of the area is what will draw me back, yet again. Hopefully, soon!

See you tomorrow – brave hearts and dragons will be discussed on All Things Fulfilling.Sue’s memoir

 

Dreams Expressed in Art

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“Think left and think right, think high and think low. Oh the thinks you can think up if only you try.” ~ Dr. Seuss

kimball art what dreams are made ofWhile I was in Park City, Utah last week, I stopped by the Kimball Art Center and took in the exhibit “What Dreams are Made Of.” This gathering of work came from students in the Park City region from kindergarten to high school age.

The Kimball Art Center www.kimballartcenter.org serves more than 11,000 students annually with free visual art lessons and also serves the community with more than 300 art classes each year geared toward all ages including adults.

In many of the two and three dimensional pieces on display it was very clear what interests the children want to explore further in their childhood and into adult life. There were works of art that included themes such as dance, ski racing, equestrian, fashion, writing and publishing, architecture and much more. Different art forms were used to create this display of mixed media – collage, photography, pottery, paper mache, sketches to name a few.

New exhibits are on-going throughout the year at “The Kimball”  but I am happy that I was able to see the diverse interpretations through different children’s eyes and imaginations of “What Dreams are Made Of.” Through persistence, determination and hard work, hopefully many of these dreams will be fulfilled and realized.

Perhaps our society would benefit if more individuals could pursue what drives their spirit rather than just be focused on making a living. Fulfilling a dream feels wonderful. I recently published my memoir! Sue’s memoir

abc-dreams

 

 

Special Interest Bookstore

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“Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.” ~ Carol Lynn Pearson

The expanding heart1Some places you just have to return to. The Expanding Heart, a bookstore in historic downtown Park City, Utah is one of those kinds of places. I encountered this gem of a gift shop and bookstore on my visit to Park City two years ago and have never forgotten it.

It’s evident from what’s inside the store that great thought is put into their offerings. Those taking journeys into their hearts seeking self-realization can learn more about life’s natural energy forces through this bookstore’s publications and gift items. The focus of the store is all things that help fulfill one’s spiritual growth, emotional awareness and rejuvenation of the spirit. The sychronicity of the themes of the inventory is what makes browsing the store so interesting.

I came across a book that I couldn’t pass up because books in this genre are not a dime a dozen. At first glance I thought it was an unexpected find. But as I pondered the publication further, it indeed belonged among the other publications. It is all about self-expression and learning about oneself through art.

What was it you might ask? An historical art fiction book called With Violets: A Novel of the Dawn of Impressionism by Elizabeth Robards. It takes place in Paris in the 1860s when art had reached a new dawn, and creatives were freely exploring new styles of painting. Based on artist Edouard Manet and his relationship with one of his models, she comes to terms with the fact that she does not want to follow what Society expects for her but rather she will create her own future. I can’t wait to dig into it.

I enjoyed my second visit to The Expanding Heart and Svetlana, the store attendant, could not have been more enjoyable to talk with. Park City was a welcome get-away after having just completed a memoir. Sue’s memoir Come back on Monday I will let you in on a few of my favorite art galleries I visited in historic Park City, Utah.

downtown park city

Historic Main Street, Park City, Utah

Fool Notions and Fun

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Anywhere is paradise; it’s up to you. ~Author Unknown

Can you hear me clapping? It’s Friday and I am happy! I came along for the ride with my husband to one of my favorite places to visit in the West – Park City, Utah. He’s here for some ski business meetings. It gives me a chance to explore and have a much needed change of scenery for a few days away from Steamboat Springs. This is another beautiful mountain resort town where Olympians reign supreme.

On Wednesday, I scoped out the area to see what I missed my first visit here two years ago. I visited Redstone – an up-and-coming upscale shopping area just down the road from the ski jumps in Olympic Park.

All things fulfilling is what I found at Paisley Pomegranate. http://paisleypomegranate.com.  The store was filled to the brim with whimsy, fun, creativity, art and design in this gift shop that has been voted #1 People’s Choice. It’s the kind of retail fantasy land I like to browse so I can think about fool notions and nothing at all, all at once. Pure escapism at it’s best. Here are some photos:

Paisley Pomegranite 1

Paisley Pomegranite #5

Paisley Pomegranite 2

Paisley Pomegranite 3

Next week I’ll post more of what I’ve mined from this training ground for Olympians and the home of the Sundance Film Festival. During the film festival the town is chock-a-block full of celebrity gatherings and independent filmmakers. They arrive on the scene to showcase their art and put their hopes in dreams of going home with an award-winning film destined for cinemas across the country.

It’s a gorgeous spring day here day here in Park City, Utah. The trees are just beginning to leaf out and turn green. There’s still white-capped peaks on the upper elevations of the Wasatch Mountains. Happy Friday, everyone! Do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday.Sue’s memoir