Category Archives: marriage and relationships

Valuing the Right Things

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Planning is bringing the future into the present, so you can do something about it now. ~ Alan Lakein

Happy February 1st! You know what that means. Valentine’s Day is around the corner – just two weeks away and the pressure is on to find the perfect present.

Valentine’s Day is not just for adults. If you have children who are twelve or older, sometimes finding a token of love to give them for Valentine Day is even more of a challenge. Especially if you are looking for something that will fuel your offspring’s understanding of love rather than provide fuel for a sugar high or fuel the idea that love is all about some high priced item.

If you are a parent who is attempting to raise children who will have their values in the right place in life, the ten stories in Lessons of Heart and Soul are very appropriate for ages 12+. They give a jumping off point to handling those important conversations you have been meaning to have with your children. There is nothing that helps get a conversation started better than humor – that’s inside it!

The cost of the e-book is less than the cost of cards in retail stores. So you don’t need to make a big financial investment. Your children’s understanding of relationships might be substantially different after reading Lessons of Heart and Soul.

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P.S. Did you know 46% of all children have already read e-books? You can even download a Kindle on a computer. No need to go to great expense until you and your family decide if you like reading from a tech gadget.

Twin Telepathy

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My thoughts are free to go anywhere, but it’s surprising how often they head in your direction. ~Author Unknown

Sue & Jan Mt Werner

A few days before Christmas I filled the teapot with water, set it on the stove to heat, picked up the phone and dialed my sister’s phone number. I turned the burner up to HI just as my sister picked up the receiver on the other end and immediately said “Hello! Hold on a minute will ya, Sue, I want to put my tea kettle on.”

“Yep,” I thought as I waited, “we’ve still got it – that twin telepathy thing.”

When she returned to the phone I said, “What a coincidence. Just this minute I put water on to heat for a cuppa, too.”

Mind you, I am in Colorado and she is in Maryland. Although in two different time zones, we were both ready for a cup of tea at the same exact time.

It often turns out that we call each other simultaneously, both feeling  like we need to have a good long visit.

“I wanted to speak with you before real the holiday confusion sets in. I have been in touch with some blasts from the past.”

“Like who? Who have you been in touch with?” Jan asked, sounding very curious, and as if she had missed out on something.

“Oh some people we knew in high school. I’ve connected through social media.”

I began to name them off. We had a great time recalling the good old days and people neither of us have been in touch with for nearly four decades!

Do you have people you would like to be back in touch with? Did you know reconnecting with old friends is good for your health? Here’s an article that will be of interest. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/staying-connected-to-the-past

What better New Year’s gift could you give a long lost friend or relative than the gift of your voice? I’ve tried to do that through a different kind of medium  – in my memoir writing!

Reconnect to a long-lost friend or acquaintence before another year goes by and you delay it. Wishing you a fulfilling year ahead with good health and lots of renewed friendships! Happy 2015!

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul and the award-winning memoir Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. For more information, go to http://www.allthingsfulfilling.com/about-the-book/.

 

 

Advent Day #15 – Gentle Inspiration

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Advent Day #15: Gentle Inspiration

Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards. ~ Robert Orben

Are you a parent who is concerned with raising children who will have their values in the right place? In today’s world of bringing up children, the challenges are different than in previous generations. Let’s be honest! There is an overwhelming focus on material things and kids feeling “entitled.” It’s what many parents are up against.

Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected is written by a baby boomer who remembers when life was much simpler. There are many life lessons incorporated into the award-winning anthology of stories but you must read between the lines to get some of them. This publication is not an offensive hard core religious story and it is not full of in-your-face parenting tips. It is a “story of trust, faith, friendship and deep love for one another. Readers will be inspired by……a life most fulfilling.” ~ Barbara Gueldner, Ph.D.,MSE Licensed Psychologist

listening to booksListen to the award-winning audio book as a family. The stories, very appropriate for ages 12+,  give a jumping off point to handling those important conversations you have been meaning to have with your children. There is nothing that helps get a conversation started better than humor – that’s inside it!

To order the award-winning book Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please follow these links:

Audio Book  http://amzn.to/1trrTl9
Paperback  http://amzn.to/1qmcEHI
e-Book  http://amzn.to/1lx7oRh

 

Roped into Helping the Help

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Advent Day #5  A piece of rope hanging from a ceiling becomes a turning point in Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. It also changed a girl’s self-definition.

Rope from ceiling

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For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it is a pity that we use it so little. – Rachel Carson

Rope hanging from the ceiling became one turning point in Sue Batton Leonard’s award-winning memoir. Outdoor clotheslines during the “baby boomer” era got heavy use! Our family  had a swimming pool, which meant lots of wet towels and clorine drenched bathing suits- I can remember the odors so clearly. In the Baltimore humidity, sometimes air drying took a lot of time. During the long stretches of heavy, moist summer air the towels took so long they didn’t always smell so fresh and needing laundering all over again to remove the smell of mildew. I remember how stiff the towels got – they could almost stand by themselves.

twin-girls-hanging-laundry-on-clotheslineOur beloved Fanny was usually mindful of watching the oncoming weather, knowing she had just hung the clothes out that morning. I can hear her now, “Jine, Sue, quick Miss Battoney, we needs to get dem clothes down off the da clothesline – here comes da afternoon downpour!” My mom, my sister, Fanny and I would race outside and pull the clothes off the line so as not to have them soaked all over again just when they were nearly dry.

But there was nothing like climbing into bed in spring with clean, air dried sheets. A deep, restful sleep was nearly insured. The breezy winds, with the clear blue skies not yet sated with the summer’s humidity left the best smell of all. Traces of the nearby lilacs seemed to float from the pillowcases, making for sweet dreams.

During these cold dark days of winter, memories of my childhood do much to warm my spirits. If you are interested in writing a memoir, this time of year is a great time to get started. It’s a wise use of many indoor hours.

Wishing you fulfilling days ahead and see you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

For more information on the award-winning memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link.http://amzn.to/141aW6S.

Table it for Later

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Life be not so short but that there is always time for courtesy. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Table Manners

Who remembers hearing this litany of table manners? If you are a baby boomer like me (1946- 1964), you will most likely relate. I won’t deny having said the same stuff about table manners to my son when he was growing up! And even as I said it I thought “Wow, I have become my mother?”

I have vivid memories of my mom teaching my twin sister and me how to set a “proper table” with her best china and sterling silver, linen napkins and special serving dishes. Did your mother do the same thing?

If you are from Generation X, Y, Z or the latest “Silent”  era, your parents may have decided to table teaching you this list of  table”to-do’s and don’ts”– completely forgetting later to bring it up.

Dennis the Menace manners_cartoon
Hank Ketchum, one of  America’s most beloved cartoonists was a master at capturing how funny life is. No matter what generation we  come from, the generation of the past thinks the newest generation has gotten things wrong. It’s not until we look back in history, do we realize  good things come out of the past.

This blog brought to you by the EVVY award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.  For information on her memoir, a story about life during the baby boomer decades, please visit this link. http://amzn.to/1te9k2F. If you listen to the audio book version of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected you will hear the voice of my 2nd mother – who was in some ways quite different than my birth mother.

Harvest Full of Blessings

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“All-cheering Plenty, with her flowing horn, Led yellow Autumn, wreath’d with nodding corn.” ~Robert Burns, poet

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“Dad… Mom… I’m home!” I yelled out, when I arrived at my parents place in Maryland along the trail of my East Coast book tour. “Let’s party!”

I hadn’t seen my parents since the publishing of my memoir back in March, and I was promised that once I got home, there’d be a celebration and reunion.

What a splendid time it was on the shores of the Chesapeake. Couldn’t have asked for more stellar weather  to celebrate being with my family, my hard work and the real star of the story, Fanny!

This day there is no need for too many words.The pictures will tell the tale of a few fun filled  days with remembering the best things about all being together under one roof. Unfortunately, not everyone was present due to work and college obligations. Some missed the party, and I would have loved to have spent the day with them also. But, I can’t help but reflect on the harvest of blessings I have in my life. Here are some of them:

Photo Below: Always the “bestest hostess” ever , my Mom! I swear the woman has hosted more family gatherings in her 85 yrs of life  than any person on the planet! IMG_20141025_103816_849

Two photos below: A beautiful fall day on the Chesapeake! Couldn’t have asked for much better!IMG_20141025_103556_906

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Above: My contribution to the party – I baked a pineapple-upside-down gingerbread cake and easy, flavorful pulled chicken sandwiches.(Thanks to http://www.mccormick.com/. A Maryland company!)  The cake was also yummy and definitely a do-over recipe. Will make again!

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Above: Me with my twin sister’s family – her two daughters and their partners. The guy and gal on each end of the picture are husband and wife architects – the Babcocks!

Below: Two great women in the kitchen – my mom and my niece Devon! She is usually at  http://www.milarepacenter.org/index.html, in their kitchen, cooking up nutritious food for one and all.

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IMG_20141025_134147_528Above: What’s a family get together without a few games? My brother-in-law, the REAL chef of the family setting up for a good wholesome Corn Hole Competition! My brother Scott and I were a champion team. We beat the pants off my twin sister and her team mate, Jay. (She’ll say I am exaggerating).

Below: The day was spiced with more family, food and discussion.

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Photo below: The patriarch and matriarch at the far end of the table – surrounded by  family (grandchildren, in-laws & significant others)

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Below photo: What’s a BBQ without ribs? My two brothers are digging into food instead of digging foundations. Thanks Scott, the ribs were melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and messy too!IMG_20141025_143533_873

Below: Jan looks like she is practicin’ to sing in the choir. Glad to see you are holding your hands like the Trapp Family singers always did in the “Sound of Music.”

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The end of a fabulous day on the Chesapeake Bay.
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I’m never at a loss for subject matters to continue a story with this family of mine that keeps on building and getting larger!

For some of us who can’t always get home for the holidays – we decided this was an early Thanksgiving! Tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, I will show just a few more fruits of God’s creation that my sister and I discovered when we went biking and exploring in the woods together. It was just like old times.

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard and her book Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. http://amzn.to/1vDFUMt.  More information will be coming later on in the week about a nationally broadcast book reading that I will be participating in soon. Thanks to blog radio! https://richerlifellc.com/Harvest_Book_Reading_2.html.

Between Spaces and Relationships

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“Irish blessing – May the memories that you hold be your precious true pot of gold.” ~ Tom Baker

My dad was a custom home builder, as was my grandfather, my great grandfather and now my two brothers and my nephew.

When I came across these vintage home pictures from the 1950s and 1960s, they stirred nostalgic feelings of an era past. The images reminded me of all the times my Dad came home with a new set of blueprints, and unrolled them on the kitchen and dining room table and explained the layout of the different styles of houses to us kids. I was always interested in seeing them and tried to envision the houses when completely constructed.

I came to know what markings were used to show where the doors and windows would be placed and whether they’d swing in or out. Other sets of plans showed where the beams and the roof trusses ran, and kitchen layouts. It makes me happy that my Dad took time to explain all that, because now I have a basic understanding of what I am seeing when I  look at a set of building renderings.

Back when I was a child then there were no CAD (computer assisted designs) or drawings. Each set of blueprints were painstakingly hand sketched using drafting tools such as protractors, rulers, t-squares, tracing paper and more. Trying to make changes to features in rooms and design was so tedious.

The reason I am sharing this information today is because many baby boomers might find fulfillment in seeing these home designs of the 1950s and 1960s.You or a neighbor may have lived in a house just like them!

Enjoy, and do return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow. We often dig into the archives and find things to talk about that stir fulfilling memories for other people. Whether your childhood was spent in a big home or a little home – what unites happy families are the relationships that exist between the spaces.

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vintage house2vintage house1vintage house 7This blog brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For more information on her memoir Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link. http://amzn.to/1vFJw1u

Holding On to Memories

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 “Memory believes before knowing remembers.” ~ William Faulkner, Light in August

“I just knew you two would always be in my life,” stated Mary Grace as my sister and I walked down Lincoln Avenue in Steamboat after having stuffed ourselves with nachos and drinks at The Cantina last Saturday evening. Mary was in the middle and linked arms with both of us. We strolled toward Wild Horse Gallery.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I just had a feeling,” said Mary.

“Thank God we are both still alive and kicking!”  I thought to myself. (For the back story on that thought, follow this link https://allthingsfulfilling.com/2014/06/04/sisters-of-the-heart/ )

I admitted to Mary that I sort of felt the same way. When I moved to Colorado, I was determined to find her. Last time I had heard she was in Fort Collins and I knew her married name. But, we had only been in touch at Christmas time (by snail mail) maybe twice or three times  since  our college years in 1973 or 1974.

“Mary, you are just the same,” Jan, my twin, stated. “Don’t you just love it when you have friends you can pick up with just like that even if it’s been decades since you’ve seen them?”

That is exactly what happened when we three got together. What a fulfilling weekend I had! Between spending it with my sister and my husband celebrating our three birthdays, reconnecting with Mary – a childhood friend who was included in my memoir and I have written about her on this site, too. Then there was the icing on the cake. I learned that Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected had won two EVVY book awards. It doesn’t get much better than that!

I can’t help but bask in my memories of last weekend for just one more day. Tomorrow,  it’s time to get on with things. I have work to do to plan my East Coast book tour which begins mid-September.

For more information on the EVVY award-winning book Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link. http://amzn.to/1rArrRG.

Pictures from my fulfilling & rewarding Birthday Weekend

Sue & Jan Mt Werner

Twins Sue & Jan atop Mt Werner, Steamboat Springs, CO   Sunset picnic and hike

sue terry jan fishcreek fallsLeft to right – Terry, Jan & Sue  Fish Creek Falls, Steamboat

sue and mary wildhorse gallery

Sue & Mary  – Read the back story using this link  –

https://allthingsfulfilling.com/?s=horse+sense

Seems fitting  the veterinarian and I are sitting outside Wildhorse Gallery

sue jan mary 3Outside Wildhorse Gallery – Sue with Mark Twain & “Huck,” Mary  & Jan

sue & jan wildhorse gallerySue & Jan – First Birthday together for more than 30 years.

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A reunion of 3 childhood friends – Jan, Sue & Mary Grace – a  real life character in my memoir

 Above- We found Eureka: Mediterranean Street Food, to be indeed golden!

We had great salads & meatballs for our next course, and a great place to catch up.

sue & terry at Fish creek falls 2

Bye, Jan. Bye, Mary – come back soon!

Beautiful setting and beautiful birthday weekend in Steamboat

This blog brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fufilling Things in the Unexpected, an EVVY Book Award book, please visit this link. http://amzn.to/1tKKiXF

Book Award Results!

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“Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.” ~Alexander Pope

“Sue,” my sister said, peaking out of our guest room door yesterday morning, “what are you doing up at this hour?”

I was sitting on the sofa with the computer on my lap. “It’s 4:30 in the morning. I thought we had agreed that you’d wake me at 5:30 to leave by 6:00 am to go to the Denver airport. Go back to bed!” my sister said, not too pleased that she had been awoken when she heard the teapot whistling.

“I couldn’t wait any longer to check my email,” I said to my sister. “I want to see the results of the EVVY Book awards.” My twin sister was visiting from Maryland and we were spending our first birthday in more than 30 years together. Since family rates first in my book, I decided to give my twin sister the gift of not shortchanging her vacation by trekking into Denver for the EVVY book awards over the weekend. My publisher Joe McDaniel of http://www.bookcrafters.net had promised to email me after the book awards were over with the results.

“Did you win anything?” my sister asked, peaking over my shoulder, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she looked at my computer.

“Yep!” I said, as I read directly from Joe McDaniel’s email. ” Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected was awarded 2nd prize in the Audio book category and Merit Award in the Anthology category.”  Of course, hugs followed.

“That’s so, so great, Sue, two prizes!” My sister said.

“I can’t believe it!” I replied, “I am so glad I decided to publish the story.” What started as recording  just a few childhood memories to send to my family somehow became a full-fledged anthology of published stories contending among 274 other entries in the 20th annual Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY book award contest!

Although I wrote the story, I’d like to say “Congratulations to my twin sister Jan, and the rest of my family too” because in part, it’s their life story too! My life and the tale would not be nearly as fulfilling without all of them in it.

And then, there’s the real star – Fanny. What a character. She left an indelible mark on my life and is leaving the same kind of impression on the readers’ hearts. The voice in this award-winning memoir holds the real treasure. But I am more confident than ever that if you prefer to read the paperback or e-book format, you’ll still enjoy the story!

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. Please return tomorrow. I will be posting some information about people who were very instrumental in helping me to publish a high quality publication, worthy of merit and two awards.  I wish to say thank you.

Eggs in the grass

Finally!  A birthday together after more than 30 years! (Jan on left, Sue on right).

quotes about life storiesThis blog brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For more information on the memoir “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected,” please visit this link http://amzn.to/1tIG0PI

Laboring At the Same Time

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Leo the LionBefore we close out this month of  celebrations for babies born under Leo the Lion zodiac sign, today it’s my husband’s turn. He was born on this day, August 21st many moons ago.

My twin sister, my husband and I will continue our yesterday’s birthday celebration for one more day. Tonight we look forward to a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, a picnic dinner and an evening hike.Hopefully, it will be a stellar evening with clear skies so we can see the twinkling stars and an impressive sunset.

The fact that my husband’s mother and my mother gave birth to us just one day apart is pretty neat. Statistically speaking, I can’t find any information about the odds of spouses with birthdays just one day apart (and in the same year).

Today, I’ll enjoy another August day with the two who have been at the top of my world for what seems like forever! They both make my life so much more fulfilling!

Dear Terry ~~~~

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This blog brought to you by author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on Sue’s memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please follow this link http://amzn.to/1nb9tO0.