Category Archives: literacy

Film Friday: The Book Thief

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How many a man has dated a new era in his life from reading a book?” ~Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

book thiefI find it hard to imagine not having a wealth of books at my dispose – what with bookstores, libraries, internet ordering and now instantaneous delivery of digital publications. But, in Germany during the World War II era (1930’s) this scenario was reality. In fact, the best of books were burned. And if you were a poor young girl, getting your hands on books to read was even more difficult.

This is the premise of the story in the film “The Book Thief.” Despite the fact that the film adaptation of Markus Zusak ‘s novel of the same name has been getting mixed reviews, it sounds like a fulfilling cinema production to me.  I am putting this movie on my “MOVIES TO SEE”  list. It is beginning to make its debut in select theatres this month.

If you wish to read a longer summary about the film “The Book Thief,” directed by Brian Percival and starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and Sophie Nelisse. Click for info & ordering on the Book Thieft
Happy Film Friday, everyone. Keep your eyes open for listings for this movie coming to your local theatre.

See you back here on All Things Fulfilling on Monday. We will be featuring a book that is a great Christmas present for teen readers. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Give to Extended Family

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“No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.” ~ Aesop

Christmas catalogues are beginning to arrive in the mail. Last week I received one that stood out among the others. You know, all the regulars,  such as Land’s End, L.L. Bean, The Territory Ahead and my favorite – Pottery Barn.

The catalog that interested me the most was Samaritan’s Purse. Not only because you can order gifts that fit every budget, but also because of the humanitarian benefit that comes with giving from it. It’s fulfilling to know that each present gives the receiver a sense of hope.

The images below are a just a few of the 43 choices that that particularly struck me on some level, I suppose it has something to do my life values  that were taught to me by my parents. But, there isn’t a gift on the list that doesn’t uplift  the lives of others – and that’s a good thing!. The catalog is available on-line through this link. http://bit.ly/1bfZ9hh .

Extend the love beyond your family this holiday season, by giving a much needed gift to people in other places around the world.

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This blog brought to you by www.AllThingsFulfilling.com, the space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

New Found Treasures

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“Treasure your relationships, not your possessions.” ~ Anthony J D’Angelo

Peeps writing to Meems in armyFamily photos are some of the greatest treasures we could ever own. Last summer, my parents gave an unexpected gift to our family by revealing some never before seen photos they had gotten out of storage. The image that really stole my heart more than any other is this image of my father writing a letter to my mother (as he did almost daily) when he was in the army. On the crude wooden desk, made with 2” X 4”s was a framed picture of the love of his life, my mother, looking right at him as he wrote the letter.

My parents were childhood friends beginning at 10 or 11 years of age. They grew up one street apart from one another. That childhood friendship developed into a love relationship that has lasted, in a marriage, for 65 years. But what transpired throughout the course of their lives and some of the things they coped with as very young adults and newly-married is part of the treasure in my own personal narrative that will be published in spring 2014.

As I look at this image of my parents, it fulfills me to know that from the union of my father (who was an only child) and my mother (who had one brother), our family has become very large. Each person added by birth or marriage is like newly found treasure – each contributing to the whole with individual interests and passions that make for beautiful gatherings. The conversations when we are all together range from custom home building and architecture, to fitness, food and fashion design, to homeopathics and neonatal nursing, to boats, marine logistics and shipping, to writing, publishing and filmmaking. (How is that for a run on sentence?) And lest I forget – we now have a student of equine medicine in training! Diverse and widespread interests all in one family. But what binds us all together, besides the caring, is the love of books and reading, first nurtured by my parents.

If you are wondering how to instill a love of reading in your children, here is an article with 11 great tips.http://bit.ly/19RMGTO

And all these years later, despite every life challenge and obstacle, my parents are still each other’s best friends. Isn’t that an ultimate love story?

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

Kids Join in NaNoWriMo

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Play is not only our creative drive; it’s a fundamental mode of learning.” ~ David Elkind

child writing. jpgAs a follow-up to last Thursday’s blog, I forgot to mention children are invited to participate in the National Novel Writing Month also. In November, many libraries will have special programs just for children which will promote writing fellowship and fun among the young participants.

Of course, children have a more limited attention span, so parents if you get your child involved in the contest, remember children are more easily distracted. However, there are children who have a natural affinity for writing, and will write with great abandon.

There are many homeschooled children who will participate in NaNoWriMo. Here is an excellent article about keeping children on task. http://bit.ly/1a0pZdS. 

The main thing is to relax, parents, and let your child be their own guide as to how much or how little they want to write. The month long contest is supposed to be fun and not grueling.

Suggestion: Why not make it a parent and child activity? Parents can set a good example by entering in the challenge also. Write till your child’s heart is content, then switch gears, do something fun and reward your child for their efforts.

This blog brought to you by www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com. Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling.

Important First Steps to Publishing

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“It is not in the pursuit of happiness that we find fulfillment, it is in happiness of pursuit.” ~ Denis Waitley

The e-Book Extravaganza on Saturday sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) was well-worth attending. During one of the breaks, the President of CIPA, Dr. Patricia Ross came over to me and said “Sue, I’d like you to meet one of our new members.” Of course, the usual niceties followed.

I asked the new member if she was enjoying the morning, and she said “Yes, but I feel so uninformed! There is so little I know about independent publishing.” Dr. Ross told her not to be discouraged, and off the President went doing her job of hob-knobbing about the room.

CIPA 9 13 #1As the new member and I stood talking, I said to her, “You know, each and every person in this room started where you began today, knowing nothing. That is the reason you have joined this group -to get help, to learn, to network and become informed about your options.” There is a lot to learn and you have taken a very important first step. You have joined this group!”

“Yes,” the new member replied. “There seems to be plenty of knowledge to learn from in this group.”

Before the break was over and we went to sit in our respective seats, across the room from one another, I had one more thing I had to say. “In your free time, read anything you can get your hands on about the industry, and keep coming to this group. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.”

To learn more about the Colorado Independent Publishers Association, please visit this link. http://www.cipacatalog.com/join-cipa/. Please note the organization also offers downloadable webinars if you are too far to travel to their meetings.

http://www.cipacatalog.com/categories/CIPA-College-Downloads/

As I drove home, I began to ponder how many first steps I have taken since 1998, when the independent industry was in its infancy. They’ve all been in a quest to learn all I could about the industry and it led to becoming a business.  And the wonders and development of the independent publishing universe never cease to amaze me. I find it fascinating.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

e-Book Extravaganza

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Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. ~ Kofi Annan

cipa logoOn Saturday I made the very worthwhile three hour trek into Denver from Steamboat Springs, Colorado to attend Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) monthly meeting. The September agenda was an e-Book Extravaganza. Here are just a few things that were discussed throughout the day:

  • The e-book industry now represents 33% of book sales. How about that?
  • People like having a choice of formats, so offering books in print, as well as an e-book version is wise marketing.
  • There is still a viable market for books-in-print but there is a certain part of the reading population who are clamoring for e-books due to their convenience.
  • Surprisingly, people who are 55 years of age and over ARE BUYING e-books, contrary to what was expected. It is not just the young generation that are interested in the digital format.
  • We discussed pricing of e-books and how you can leverage your intellectual property.
  • E-books make it easy to offer samples, providing potential book buyers the  opportunity to see if they like an author they’ve never read before.
  • A big advantage to e-books – there is no printing involved, thus it removes the need for physical space of inventory.

If you are a writer who wants to get on The Fast Track to Independent Publishing, here is a short webinar that will introduce you to the basics. http://bit.ly/10cCp1Y. 

Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, we will be discussing the next best step if you are a person who is considering independent publishing and you are in need of knowledge. I will tell you a quick but valuable story from this weekend.

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

 

Timely Messages

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Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine 

On September 6th, National Read a Book Day I mentioned that reading one spark of an idea from a book can change us for a lifetime. I recently saw a sentence that motivated me big time! I took seriously the words: “the person whose life is full of faith is on the offense; he or she is taking charge of life, making decisions and making things happen.”

morning-roosterHow’s that for a call to action? For weeks I had been indecisive about whether or not to sign up for a public speaking class. I knew it was something that I needed to do for myself if I am to pursue my dreams for my publication. As soon as I read the inspirational thought, I acted immediately and enrolled in the course, before I could “chicken out.”

The course is in the early weeks but it is going well. When it’s time, I will be better prepared to “strut my stuff,” and I will be one more step closer to what I dream of doing.

As I have said before on All Things Fulfilling, I try at all costs to hold myself accountable to any ideas that I broadcast on this website. Otherwise, I am full of phony-baloney. That is not one of my lifetime aspirations I can assure you of that!

The inspiring thought came from THE book I’ve hinted about previously that I will be revealing in due course. Before it appears on this site, I will give you the heads up!

This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Please return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow.

Gatsby Groupies

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 “Show me a hero, and I’ll write you a tragedy.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

gatsbyI feel as if I am becoming a Gatsby groupie! Today I walked into the Bud Werner Library, and saw a display case announcing the next One Book Steamboat (a community read). It is The Great Gatsby. “I’m in,” I thought, as I proceeded to the DVDs and took out the 2000 production of The Great Gatsby movie by A & E Television Networks. Then I wandered over the computer and put in a reserve for a copy of the book by the same title.

I guess I haven’t had enough of the Fitzgeralds, the Jazz Age and the Long Island social elite even though last summer on my vacation, I took in the movie The Great Gatsby with my sister and I also hawked my mother’s copy of  Zelda and read it.

Truthfully, I was disappointed in the latest rendition of the movie, with Leonardo DiCaprio. The visual effects, I felt, were so over the top and frantic that it distracted me from being able to absorb the tragic tale of wealth and entitlement. The telling essence of Jay Gatsby’s character weaknesses were lost in the visual chaos of the movie, rather being told by the dialogue of the story.

The book Zelda, for me, provided much better insight into the psyche of an artist who “never wanted to give in or give up” despite failure and rejection. The narrative told an up-close and personal story of the relationship between wife and husband, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and it gave historical perspective into their friendships with other contemporaries (filmmakers, writers and artists) from the era.

As a lead-up to the community discussion of the novel, on October 10th, the latest Leo Dicaprio version of “Gatsby” will be aired at the Bud Werner Library. I’ll probably skip it. But then again, perhaps with a second look I might have a different opinion. But I hope not to miss what will probably be a very fulfilling discussion on Monday, October 21st.  It will be led by the English teachers of SteamboatHigh School. I hope students are required to join in and read this classic novel.  For more information, please follow this link. http://www.steamboatlibrary.org/events/one-book-steamboat

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

Author Spotlight: Lindsay Eland

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“You must write for children in the same way
as you do for adults, only better.”    Maxim Gorky

A year ago I participated in an authors workshop at the Bookworm in Edwards, Colorado with the delightful author Lindsay Eland. She writes books for middle grade students.

Eland’s first book “Scones and Sensibility” has done very well.  Even reading the book as an adult, I enjoyed it and the storyline kept me completely engaged.  I was charmed by the voice used for the main character Polly Madassa. Click for info & order on Lindsay Elands publications

On September 24th, The Bookworm in Edwards, Colorado (an Indie Bound Bookstore) http://www.bookwormofedwards.com/ will be having a book signing for Eland’s second and newly released publication “A Summer of Sundays.”

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The premise of the story is about a little girl, Sunday Fowler, who feels she is always looked over since she’s a member of a large family of six children. When she discovers a treasure in the basement of a library that her parents are renovating, the limelight suddenly turns in her direction. That is when things become a little different. With the discovery comes some decisions about whether fame is more important than other values.

Lindsay’s book has gotten an excellent review from the Teen Librarian’s Toolbox, to read more about it, please follow this link.  http://bit.ly/1aoGEJp 

Congratulations, Lindsay! I so enjoyed meeting you a year ago. Best Wishes for your second publication.

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Left to right: Sue Leonard, founder of Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC, author Lindsay Eland, The Bookworm of Edwards store co-owner, Nicole Magistro

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

Creativity Back Into the Classroom

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“Sometimes you have to create what you want to be part of.” ~ Geri Weitzman

How many of our readers have listened to TED talks? If you get television broadcasts through Roku streaming channels, you can tune in and listen to a large variety of TED talks on all different subjects. Fascinating “ideas worth spreading” are introduced through these presentations.

The other day I listened to an interesting TEDx talk through my computer about the way students learn. Many parents and some educators feel the basic skills-oriented educational subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic (the traditional 3Rs) is failing students, and should be done away with or at least, modified. A good argument for changing traditional educational curriculum in schools is offered on the TEDx presentation called That Immovable Mountain.

Integrating art in classThe presenter of That Immovable Mountain, Charles W. Scranton poses a thought-worthy question. What if we retooled the way children are learning and the three R’s became “rigor, relevance and relationships?” Learning then becomes an interwoven concept between disciplines “bringing creativity and imaginations back into schools.” Would education become more fulfilling for students? This is the premise of the TEDx talk I listened to.

The Big Picture Movement is an alternative style of learning which is designed to reach the needs of disconnected students. According to www.bigpicture.org, “every 12 seconds a student drops out of school in the United States.” A sad but realistic image of how traditional learning is failing students.

To learn more about how art and creativity is being incorporated into select classrooms, you can listen to a sixteen minute presentation called That Immovable Mountain through this link. http://bit.ly/1a0BySQ. It is not too time consuming, it is approximately 15-16 minutes long.

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