Category Archives: Travel

Film Friday: Comeback of an Era

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“Any good comeback needs true believers.”  ~ Unknown

drive-in-movie-theaterDo you remember going to the drive-in movies? I love looking back at those nostalgic times of going to the movies with my parents in my pajamas, car packed with snacks, and watching the big screen outdoors, with excitement, till I finally fell asleep in the back seat of the station wagon.

Most drive-in theatres have been demolished. There are only 355 left nationwide according to Las Vegas-based Drive-ins.com, which tracks the industry. In the State of Michigan there has been a resurgence of drive-in theatres. Think about it – with jumbotron screens, like those you see in sports arenas, at concerts, and in Times Square, reviving outdoor movie viewing may make sense in more ways in one!

Reliving a bygone era makes for a fun bonding experience with family and friends. Using land that has been sitting vacant, for drive-in theatres, must be cheaper than building behemoth buildings to house cinemas. Downside is the short season for outdoor movie viewing in some climates.

Zhivago2Imagine watching Dr. Zhivago with snow falling all around you (the real thing) as you watch the ZhivagoDVDmovie!

Interested in rewatching an old classic, Dr. Zhivago? Click for info & ordering

That would be a unique experience. Perhaps there is an untapped niche of people, like the “polar bear club” who would find going to drive-in movies year round fulfilling. Social networking groups, enthusiasts who appreciate the art of the drive-in movie experience, in all conditions, might be the next big thing to spring up. You never know in this creative and interesting economy, perhaps we shouldn’t put drive-in movies in the museum of dying giants yet! http://bit.ly/12GKFTK .

When was the last time you went to a drive-in movie? In Michigan there are people who might answer that question, “very recently.” To read about the comeback of drive-in theatres in Michigan, visit this link. http://on.lsj.com/13QDldB.

Come back on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, the space for independent thoughts, words and views from CFS (www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com). For information on author Sue Batton Leonard, Click for info on her memoir

Rockwell Models Gather

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“I am the oldest antique in town.” ~ Norman Rockwell

RosieTheRiveterI love the images of Norman Rockwell. To me they are symbolic of the innate goodness of people and the average hardworking American. The paintings also remind me of a time when children were not rushed through childhood and were able to retain their innocence and naïveté for much longer. Things like patriotism, creativity, family and fellowship among people are depicted in so many of Rockwell’s paintings.

On July 6th, the NormanRockwellMuseum will be having a reunion of the models who posed for the artist who are still living. This event is being held in honor the 20th anniversary of the new museum building in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Panel discussions and the opportunity to hear Melinda Pelham (the daughter of the Arlington, Vermont Rockwell assistant), talk about her recent Rockwell discovery and her appearance on PBS-TV’s “Antiques Roadshow.” To read more about the Norman Rockwell Museum and this event, please follow this link to the website. http://bit.ly/16z8gcm .Click for info & ordering on Norman Rockwell Publications

Sounds like a fulfilling event! Put this on your “to do list” if you are in the area. While you are there, check out the many antique shops, farmers markets,historic architecture and the spectacular Berkshire countryside. The Sterling and Francine Clark Museum in Williamstown, Massachusetts http://www.clarkart.edu/museum/  is just a hop, skip and a jump away and worthwhile seeing!

Have a fulfilling 4th of July week, everybody. Cheers to independence and all things made in America!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Fulfilling Flashbacks

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“God has given us our memories that we might have roses.” ~ Unknown

Recollections bookThere is a book by Jim Chambers called,  Recollections: A Baby Boomers Memories of the Fabulous Fifties that is a fun read if you grew up in the 1950’s and 1960s and like to return temporarily to yesteryear. Although I believe in the importance of moving forward in my life, just thinking back to childhood days is fulfilling.

Click for info & ordering

The other day, I returned to my childhood, when I stopped by a snowball stand (also known as snow cones, in other parts of the country) for a treat down memory lane. Choosing a flavor has not become easier as an adult, I can assure you of that. Tutti-fruity, blood orange, thunderbird, lemon-lime, they all sounded good, but root beer eventually won out. The girl manning the stand rushed me to a quick decision when she looked at me with her beady eyes, as if to say “Hurry up lady, make up your mind, I’ve got along line of people waiting.”

As I sipped and crunched on the giant-sized cup of crushed ice with artificial flavoring, I thought back to all kinds of fulfilling thoughts of summer from the 1950s and 60s. Do you remember?

  • “Sea and Ski” suntan lotion? Back then, the thought of adding a sun block to the lotion would have been a travesty!
  • The drive-in movies? The audio box that hung from the window emitted sounds that crackled and broke up.
  • Lazy  days by the pool or laying on the bed reading The Bobbsey twin novels? One book after another?
  • Doing the twist or the “Freddie” with your friends? Loved the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Pappas, the Temptations, the Righteous Brothers and the Supremes.
  • Walking between bolts of fabric at the sewing store? Dreaming about patterns, colors and materials you’d need to make a back to school dress for      September?
  • Waiting for the weekly airing of Candid Camera? That show always tickled me pink.
  • Screaming like a raving maniac when the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan? How I adored Ringo and also Topo Gigio!

608-worldsfair-postcardI was keenly aware that our family shared a special privilege, the summer of 1964. We went to the World’s Fair in NY. Oh, how I wish my youngest brother was old enough to remember it. He was just a baby. I marveled at seeing the huge globe on display, and colorful flags from all the nations represented, surrounding it. Our family sang “It’s a Small World After All” the entire way back to Baltimore.

Ahhhh…childhood. Beautiful childhood. I had all the time in the world just to be a kid and play. Unfortunate that today, kids get rushed through it, isn’t it?

This  blog brought to you by Sue B Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected Click for info & ordering Sue’s memoir and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Book Club Buzz

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“Reason, observation and experience; the holy trinity of science.” ~ Robert Green Ingersoll

book group insiderAs I conclude my blog series about book clubs, here is what I have ascertained from being a casual observer.

Conclusion:  “Bookies” have their own opinions of what they like in a story. They are spirited and fight respectfully to uphold their side of the debate of whether they think a book was a good read or not.

Conclusion: Journeys of the heart, that incorporate lessons or themes involving moral judgments make for good book discussions.

Conclusion: Avid readers usually make  decent writers. They know what makes for a fulfilling story, and have a vault full of their own wealth of experiences to write about.

Conclusion: Most members are as interested in the author, as the storyline. This leads to curiosity about learning more about the writing process and publishing.

Thus, the group asked me to explain what I do. I said “everything I do in my professional life involves writing and reading. I consult with independent publishers on how to market and sell their products over the internet.”

A discussion ensued about how the publishing industry has changed. No surprise to this group. Many have had the experience of reading e-books. We talked about how digital technology has changed the way books, films and music is being produced. I left them with the thought that people just like themselves who have stories to tell, can now do it and not fear having a warehouse full of books sitting waiting to be sold. Print on demand and e-books have eliminated that.

I’d like to say thank you to the women in the Dorchester County Maryland book club who allowed me to observe their group discussion of “The Postmistress,” and for the opportunity to share with them information about the independent publishing industry. I enjoyed it very much.

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

Bay to Ocean Writers Conference

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To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. —Joseph Chilton Pearce

Winter is a good time to hold a Writers Conference. It’s the time of year when people spend more time indoors reading and writing! Mark your calendar! 

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What: The 17th annual Bay to Ocean Writers Conference

When: February 22, 2014

Where:KentHumanitiesBuilding, ChesapeakeCollege, Wye Mills, Maryland 

How do I know if this conference is for me?

The mission of the non-profit organization that sponsors this one day conference is “to inform, encourage and inspire writers of all levels from beginners to published authors.”

More details, please. To see the list of 2013 presenters and their offerings please visit the website for the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference.

Please visit this link. http://bit.ly/1ackcUn.

The line-up is jam-packed with fulfilling subjects for writers in every genre. Workshops range from the Craft of Writing, to Poetry, to Marketing and Using Social Media. You will have an opportunity for one on one manuscript review, there will be agents available. 

If independent publishing and e-book publishing (digital/electronic publishing) strikes your fancy, sign up now. There will be  independent publishing industry experts on hand to educate you on this growing trend of publishing, which now represents more than 50% of all publishing revenue.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to publish. We all have our own preferences and ways of doing things. In this day and age, publishing can be whatever your heart desires!

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

The Viewpoint of a Famed Writer

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“The past actually happened. History is what someone took the time to write down.” ~ A. Whitney Brown

“The town that fooled the British” is a tagline that St Michaels Maryland http://bit.ly/140ExHA earned during the War of 1812. As I entered through the gates of the Inn at Perry Cabin and came upon the rose gardens with a fabulous garden conservatory, my exact thoughts were “I do, indeed, feel as if I am in England.”

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 Above: Garden Conservatory on Grounds of Inn at Perry Cabin http://bit.ly/17JGjCc

Below: Entrance to Inn at Perry Cabin

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St. Michaels, named after the patron saint of mariners, is filled with seafaring history. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a popular attraction for tourists, and locals alike, who want to learn about the legacy of the town and share its place in history with children.

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Above: Building at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum http://bit.ly/11bNJu2

Below: More sites on the grounds of the Museum

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A trading post for trappers and tobacco farmers back in the mid-sixteenth century, today St. Michaels offers great recreational opportunity on the waters of the Miles River and Broad Creek, just some of the fabled places on the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay that author James Michener wrote about.http://bit.ly/140G54n.

A well-preserved vintage port, my exploration of “St. Mike’s” was fun, educational and inspirational as I took in the museum, shops, art galleries and other sites in heart of Chesapeake Bay country. Join me as I share my journey from St. Michaels to nearby Tilghman’s Island through photographs.

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Above: Entrance to Marina at St Michaels

Below: How to Read the Weather from A Stone

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Below: The very charming “Parsonage Inn” (circa 1883) http://www.parsonage-inn.com/

Love the turret uniquely placed in the center, at the heart of the structure, rather than on the corner as so  many typically  are.

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Gallery Window

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Photo above: Loved the name of this boat “Once Upon a Time.”

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Bridge Restaurant at the Bridge onto Tilghman’s Island

To read more about the history of this region of Maryland, things to see and do, and to see more pictures, follow the links I have provided throughout this article. Thanks for visiting this site. Come back tomorrow!

This blog brought to you by www.allthingsfulfilling.com and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

A Colorful Stroll

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The craving for color is as necessity as water and fire.~ Frenand Leger, “On Monumentality and Color”, 1943.

Walking through the streets of historic St Michaels, Maryland is like tip-toeing around dabs of color on an artist’s palette. The shops, restaurants and some of the houses are painted beautiful vivid colors with eye-catching contrasting trim such as lemon yellow, cerise, aqua, bubblegum pink, lime, amethyst, baby blue, coral, fuchsia, bittersweet and azure. Bright and bold, no watered down pigments and few earthy colors that reign in Western landscapes. There is no doubt I am in the Eastern part of the United States.

One can’t help entering through the doors of the retail spaces out of curiosity to see whether the goods inside are as decorative and enticing as the structures themselves. Come along on this photographic tour of the beautiful harbor town of St Michaels, Maryland. Return tomorrow , I’ll show you what else I found in St. Mike’s that was as tasteful as the gourmet cupcakes they sell at Sweetie Bakery . It was a fulfilling day of doing business in the “Land of Pleasant Living” and on the Chesapeake.

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Thanks for visiting www.AllThingsFulfilling.com, the blog of www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Launching from an International Shipping Port

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You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Charming Oxford, Maryland, http://www.oxfordmd.net/ a small waterside town of about 1,000 people is one of the oldest towns in America.  Oxford has a very southern feel with huge, old magnolia trees lining many of its streets. Until the American Revolution, Oxford enjoyed prominence as an international shipping center surrounded by wealthy tobacco plantations.

On my way to St Michaels, Maryland, I boarded the Oxford ferry for a scenic fifteen minute ride across the TredAvonRiver to the town of Bellevue, Maryland. The ferry is the longest running privately owned ferry in the country.  Service began in 1683.

People in Oxford live a fulfilling “waterman’s way of life.” Here are a few pictures from my travels to Oxford.

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Above: A Day at Work for Oysterman & Crabbers

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Oxford is enjoying a new resurgence based on tourism and leisure activities. Its quiet environment, fresh air and cooler breezes provide a haven from the hustle and bustle of  the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.  Boaters, weekend visitors, and summer residents find Oxford a welcoming change of pace.

Filmmakers came to Oxford in 2006 when they captured some of their scenes for the movie Failure to Launch, a romantic comedy staring Matthew McConnaughey, Terry Bradshaw and Sarah Jessica Parker. This film can be ordered through the Internet Movie Database http://imdb.to/14ZGByG .

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Photo: The stars of the film Failure to Launch in Oxford, Maryland

Do return tomorrow and I will show you more photos of fulfilling things I found to see and do, when I traveled from Oxford to St Michaels, Maryland.

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

Film Friday: Red Doors

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 Never lose a holy curiosity ~ Albert Einstein

I am trying to put two and two together, and it has me inquiring. As I have driven around the Mid-Atlantic States, I have noticed a trend that never occurred to me before.

What is it about churches and red doors? There must have been a run on them at some time in history because they seem to be prevalent. Or perhaps, I think, “maybe I am reading  into something that isn’t there.”

As I have come to find out, red doors on churches, apparently, do have historical and meaningful significance. They indicate a place of harbor for those who are facing life’s storms. Physical and spiritual protection is found for many who open and enter into crimson-colored doors.

Did you know there is an award-winning film called Red Doors?

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http://www.reddoorsthemovie.com/story.html. It is not a new release but it still has relevance in the world today and it is worthy of attention. The film is about a family that is trying to communicate its feelings and each member is doing their own soul searching about relationships. Diversity of culture is also a theme that runs throughout the movie.

If you are looking for something to do that is thought provoking this weekend, Red Doors may be the solution. Click for Info & Ordering Red Doors

Before you leave this website, there are photos below of some of the places that  have given me inspiration for this writing.

Come back on Monday, we will share some other independent thoughts, words and views from author Sue Batton Leonard and www.allthingsfulfilling.com , the blog of www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com .

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 Photo Above: Old Trinity Church, Church Creek, Maryland – built between 1686- 1692 http://oldtrinity.net/aboutus.html

Photos Below: Other ” Safe Harbors ” on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

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

Honoring Nature and Roots in Photography

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Good art is art that allows you to enter it from a variety of angles and to emerge with a variety of views. ~ Mary Schmich

dorchester center for the arts_3 The exhibit, Creatures in Motion, is like looking out at the world through the eyes of a true nature lover. The photography of Linda Roy Walls is featured at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts during the month of June 2013. Images of living things (bovine, beast and avian) in their natural environment, is  the focus of the exhibit.

It is evident by the images Walls captures, the artist believes in “living in the moment.”  Scenes of  her environment, wildlife, and all other things that catches her eye, through the lens of the camera,  provides an even more extensive photographic collection on her website.

Walls has honored what is important to her in her life through the three photo books she has published. One book, “Ode to Ed” is dedicated to her father, a war veteran, who succumbed to leukemia due to Agent Orange poisoning after three tours of duty in Vietnam. Her other photo books “Riding Waves and Herding Cats” and “The Content Canines” call attention to more of what she has found fulfilling in living on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Her travels to Ireland will be the focus of an upcoming publication.

Linda Roy Walls is also a writer for the column “Ponderings” in the Dorchester Banner and a contributing writer for other regional newspapers and magazines. Ever the artist, she is also involved in a portrait study of humble Eastern shore waterman and other locals who add flavor to the region in which her roots have been planted.

IMAG0645Stop by the DorchesterCenter for the Arts to see the photography of Linda Roy Walls, it is a limited but delightful sampling of her photographs. To see more of her images,  read her artist bio and to learn more about her art, photography and writing, please visit her website http://www.lindaroywalls.com/.

We look forward to sharing more independent thoughts, words and views with you tomorrow on www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. This blog brought to you by www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.