Category Archives: Travel

Just Sayin’……

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“Patience and fortitude conquer all things.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

My clients are located in different parts of the country, and I am forever trying to figure out what time it is in different time zones. My husband even printed out a map that outlines the State boundaries for Eastern Time zone, Central Time zone, Mountain Time and Pacific to help me figure it out. The problem is I don’t always have the “cheat sheet” at hand. Sometimes I am calling clients from out of the office on a remote phone. 

A few weeks ago, an author friend of mine taught me a new way of telling time. My husband has decided my friend’s way of telling time makes good common sense.

I contend that Mary’s way of tracking time is good for her, but maybe not for me. Suppose I am in a city like New York?  After all, New Yorkers are on a New York minute, smack dab in the heart of miles and miles of pavement. It just will not work! 

My husband said he doesn’t care what I think.   (How’s that for compassion?) He says ” I should just use Mary’s test of time. He’s gotten tired of sorting out for me what hour it is across mountains and plains and in places like Hawaii, Iowa, Florida, Minnesota, Texas or California.” Now when I ask him what time it is, all he says is “It’s time to make HAY!” What is that supposed to mean? That’s just forecasting. That’s not fulfilling my need to know the accurate time! 

Help me out here folks, we have a royal battle going – all over time telling. My husband thinks he’s clever. I think NOT. He’s  really trying  to lose track of  real time to escape from what takes doing some work!  Next time he asks ME what time it is, I’ll say it is “half past a freckle.”  How’s that?

I’m going to contact Mary! Perhaps she has some other kind of  forecasting cheat sheet http://bit.ly/q15kEt.

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Little Things Mean Alot

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My husband has been glued to the news channel, following the ups and downs of the stock market, as well  being engaged in squabbles in politics. The other day, I said to him, “I refuse to get drawn into listening to too much of this. Yes, I have my opinions, but, at the end of the day, I really have zero control in what Washington and the Stock Market does. I am going to disconnect and pay attention to what  I have going in my own life that I am grateful for.” 

This week and next is what matters to me most, right now. They are full of little things that will mean a lot. On Tuesday, I ushered for a Youth and Family concert that tickled my funny bone and warmed my heart. Bill Harley, longtime commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered http://n.pr/qSraRp helped me to recollect my own days of going to school and as well as hilarious moments of parenting a child. Many of his “slice-of-life vignettes” made me realize that many things that I worried about as a child,  really didn’t quite matter at all.

Last night was a special treat, too. Volunteering my time once again brought me perks of getting to see a show that I would not have wanted to miss. Strings Music Festival http://bit.ly/qYxQ5R Director and Conductor Andres Cardenes led a night to remember of a picture perfect program, focused on famous movie musical scores which incorporated classical music. Tunes from Fantasia, Amadeus, Psycho, Platoon, a 2011: A Space Odyssey, Titanic and the God Father brought great pleasure to my evening. 

Next week on All Things Fulfilling will be my interview of an author and actress. The back story will appear on Wednesday, August 17. On Thursday, the interview will appear on this site as well as on the author and actress’ virtual book tour. 

Join us next week as Mara and I discuss how our lives came together and what we find to be mutually important in this big wide world called Life.

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Building Partnerships for Community

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“We are not lacking in the dynamic forces needed to create the future. We live immersed in a sea of energy beyond all comprehension.” ~ Thomas Berry, The Great Work 

For those who follow this blog site regularly, you know that I have been curious for some time as to “What Do Men Really like to Write About?”  Weekly, I try to get some insight into this nagging question when I sit in on the Steamboat Writers Group. www.steamboatwriters.com. 

At the beginning of the summer, a new community meet-up group for independent publishers called She Writes Steamboat was introduced. After two consecutive monthly meetings, we concluded that She Writes Steamboat does not fit the description of the group. There are men who want to be involved, too! We’ve changed the name to SHe Writes Steamboat so we will be fulfilling the needs of both genders for independent publishing support.  

On September 9th, SHe Writes Steamboat http://on.fb.me/oOWKWm   will be hosting their first major event. The President of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association, Dr. C. Daniel Miller will be arriving in town. The purpose of this blog today, is to make it clear that SHe Writes Steamboat welcomes anyone who has ever even thought “I Could Write a Book about That!” to attend. In fact, artists, illustrators, independent filmmakers and musicians are also welcomed too. 

Join us one month from today, at the Bud Werner Library www.steamboatlibrary.org  on September 9th beginning at 9:30 am. Find out more about the wonderful support that the Colorado Independent Publishers Association has available through their organization and the e-book partnership they are building with libraries. Stay for the afternoon CIPA College offerings to learn about various options in publishing and the costs involved in independent publishing. Please pre-register by going to http://bit.ly/pdUNxz. 

Building a strong affiliation with the Colorado Independent Publishers Association would be a great asset to our entire community of creatives throughoutRouttCounty. Join in!

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Communities Rediscovering Reading

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 “Literacy is at the heart of sustainable development.” ~ Kofi Annan

Recession: less disposable income. Fewer people are frequenting restaurants, bars, sporting events, malls. People are finding other ways to entertain themselves and that means rediscovering reading. The Library Research Service completed a study that determined library lending and patronage is up anywhere from 5% to 28% percent  in many Colorado communities. To read the full article, please visit http://bit.ly/ornVOf.

Here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado a brand new library facility has proven that if you provide a beautiful and welcoming community space, people will come! www.steamboatlibrary.org. It appears this trend will be reflected in other States, too. 

Yesterday, I picked up the Battenkill Business Journal www.businessvermont.com and read that the town neighboring my previous place of residence is going through the permitting process to build a new $4 library facility. That is fulfilling news to me because the town fathers have toyed around for years with what to do with an aging facility. The town of Manchester,Vermont is a gem, as is Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I personally believe that a new library facility in that town will become a valuable asset and center of community life, too. 

Readers are finding their way into libraries through portals other than walking through the  building  doors. On-line entry is becoming popular, too, as independently published e-books are starting to appear in library catalogs. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association www.cipabooks.com a whole new generation of books are available  through digital reading platforms. Checking a book out of the library means not even having to drive anymore.

To learn more about the basics of the  independent publishing industry and how people are e-publishing books to entertain, inspire, educate and inform, a short webinar is now available. http://bit.ly/pukeKE.

From my perspective, although digital publishing (e-book publishing) is quickly becoming a strong presence on the book-buying scene, good bookstores and libraries will never disappear. They are commodities that strong communities will and should continue to support. High rates of  reading literacy is important for a prosperous world and any way you can reach large populations of people, young and old, through the written word it is to the benefit of those who will inherit this earth.

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Conspiring Through Smell A Vision

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“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” ~ Bernard Meltzer 

I have found myself caught up in the middle of a conspiracy, and it is me who is being conspired against. I know just who the little schemer is and how she is plotting to draw me in. The little manipulator is Darien Gee, and she is using word tactics of smell a vision to get me involved! 

You see, I never have been one who really likes to cook but, I did have many fulfilling moments of baking back in my days of raising a child. In fact, my son’s friends knew where to get the booty when their sweet tooth cried out for a fix. I was the rare Mom who made home baked goods. When I knew I’d have a houseful of kids, I’d jump into action and make something tasty. When the teen years rolled around, it was a good way to keep tabs on the adolescents, they’d frequently check in to see what was to eat. 

Ever since I became an empty nester and moved to a high altitude environment, where baking is more challenging, my cache of homemade creations has suffered. Author Darien Gee, the little conniver, is trying to lay a guilt trip on me through her book Friendship Bread. Have you read it? 

The magical powers of Amish Friendship Bread is the basis of the book. The wicked descriptions of warm yeast, cinnamon and sweet has made me want to try my hand at a batch. There are real consequences to jumping in because there is no way you can make just one loaf. The bread grows prolifically until before you know it, you are: 

  • Talking to your neighbors
  • Building community through food
  • Giving strangers more than just a passing glance
  • Strategically positioning yourself with groups
  • Building friendships based on commonalities and love 

I’ve peeked ahead in the book, and the recipe is there for the moment when Darien Gee is finished with brainwashing me into baking a pan. http://bit.ly/n50wn.  She is half-way done and I’m already beginning to execute my plan…. For starters there’s the Yampa Valley University Women, my fellow Kiwanians, the guys and gals at SHe Writes Steamboat, the Steamboat Writers Group and Lift Up Routt County (they can always use donations of food). 

I could put Strings in the Mountains on my list. Perhaps they would welcome a starter of something other than Steamboat fare for their own cookbooks. Then, lest I forget, there are always the kind and welcoming women of the United Methodist Church, although they can already abundantly cook! Then there is that other new meet-up group in town. What is it called? Ignite Steamboat? 

We will see, Darien Gee….with the way the recipe works, just getting people started might be the key. Perhaps then I can get out of the kitchen and just spend time creating other fulfilling things. 

Come on back tomorrow…. I promise the blog will not be so long!

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Plein Air Painter in the Act

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“A good picture is equivalent to a good deed.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh 

Last Christmas, our Kiwanis Club had a banner year of fundraising through sales of our collectible, uniquely designed Christmas ornaments. We feel the increase in sales was attributable to doing something a little different last year. We offered two separate designs rather than one. One ornament had an iconic Steamboat Springs scene (which is typical) and the second ornament choice had an image of the four 2010 Olympians from Ski Town U.S.A.We wanted to honor the gold and glory that the athletes brought back to this town! Guess what happened? People couldn’t decide which they wanted to so they purchased both! 

Now the pressure is on to try to top last year’s sales! We have decided that for a second year in a row, we would veer from the norm. This year, we will feature the art work of a plein air painter who has given permission to let the Kiwanis Club of Steamboat use an image of her painting for the ornament design. 

This artist, has found inspiration for her plein air paintings all over the world and she recently independently published images of her art work in her book “Thirty Years Of Plein-Air Painting: The Art Of Jean Perry.” For more information on her book and to read what representational painter Richard Schmid has to say about the artist, please visit http://bit.ly/mXOEuV. 

I am quite excited to see how the ornament turns out. I like having local artists, no matter what medium they work in, involved in the process of creating art for the benefit of community. 

The fundraising dollars from ornament sales will help support a number of worthy causes focused on “improving the lives of children – one child and one community at time.” 

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Artists Supporting Communities

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“In art the hand can never execute anything  higher than the heart can inspire.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Adele in the Garden” by Richard Schmid ’09

In just a few more days August will be upon us! This year, Old Man Winter found it hard to leave and the sun-filled summer arrived much too late, for my taste, here in the mountainous areas of Colorado. The benefit of long lasting snow did provide extra days for plein air painters to capture those last winter landscapes on canvas, however. 

Attention Artists and Art Collectors: Save the Date of September 4th for the 16th Annual Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction. This auction has been held to benefit the Rist Canyon Fire Department since 1996. Since it’s beginnings, over 1,100 paintings have been auctioned off generating a total of 1.6 million dollars. The proceeds of $600,000 have benefited the volunteer Fire Department and the art auction has created the center attraction for the Rist Canyon Mountain Festival each summer. This is the  Fire Department’s big fundraising event of the year and a great chance for collectors to acquire a new pieces of Art.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with artist Richard Schmid, he has received the John Singer Sargent Award for Life Time Achievement and also has been honored in Washington, DC by the Portrait Society of America. In the opinion of many, Richard is the finest  representational painter of our time. This year he is offering for auction his painting “Adele in Our Garden.”
Other art for auction includes portrait paintings, landscapes, western-theme art, florals, animal-themes, still life, seascapes and even a few abstracts too. For more information on this ever popular art event, visit the following links: 

 Thanks to the generosity of Artist Richard Schmid and the other participating artists, the Rist Canyon is a much safer community in which to live.  This canyon area is dry, and susceptible to fire, particularly in the heat of the summer. The Richard Schmid Art Auction does a great job in fulfilling the financial needs of keeping the Rist Canyon Fire Department operating all year long.

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Character Analysis

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“Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It’s not hard. Character is doing whats right, when nobody is looking” ~Unknown

Yesterday’s blog Gardens Heaven Scent made me think back to a time some years ago when I would hold annual perennial plant swaps in my gardens in Vermont. I’d get out my best china and linen, make fancy finger foods and entertain with a beautiful garden party. I’d invite the gals over to nosh. Some would come dressed in their durable gardening clothes, and others would arrive in their floppy garden hats and finery, appropriate for a high-noon English tea.

What fun we used to have!  Ironically, many of the attendees were book enthusiasts, too. Sharing opinions and thoughts of “characters in the garden” came easily and it was all part of the fulfilling day. We’d discuss:

  • What the reaction of others was to the overall scene.
  • Which personalities had conflicts with their neighbors
  • How figures underwent change through seasons.
  • Which characters ran around spreading their seeds
  • Star performers vs. minor role players.
  • Which cast of characters maintained their uprightness no matter what
  • Weaknesses and strengths in bit players.
  • What elements contributed to the fate of individual players
  • Villains vs. heroes

Gardeners never run out of things to talk about. Swapping talk of the trade is as fulfilling as the act of gardening itself.

As I write this blog, I am about to head off to discuss another of my passions –  growing the garden of independent publishing. Our meet-up group She Writes Steamboat is helping others who want to grow books . We are having a garden party of sorts. Before I go, I’ll leave you with some food for thought. http://bit.ly/oIkV2g

Gardens Heaven Scent

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“ Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero 

Doesn’t it feel good when our heart sings? That is the result of being involved with things we are passionate about.  

On Saturday, I played guide for the Strings in the Mountains Kitchen & Garden Tour. The home I was assigned to was a little slice of Vermont right within the city limits of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The lush green gardens were filled with most of the same species of plants that my extensive gardens inVermont contain. 

When I first arrived at the gardens where I was to volunteer, it was as if the names of the perennial flowers had been filed away in the archives of my brain. I had to dust off the files and dig back into the records of my mind, to remember the names of a few. Once the names of all my favorite flowers were brought to the fore, there was no stopping me. The names all came spewing forth. I had identified each type of bloom before it was time to leave. 

There were Master Gardeners at the site, and I was in heaven for just a few hours, talking the language that plant aficionados find so fulfilling to speak. We talked botanical names vs. common names, climactic zones, acidic soil, shade plants, sun lovin’ plants, invasive species, succulents, ground covers and so much more. 

It has been two and one half years since I have returned to my home in Vermont. This weekend was heaven sent. I  visited Vermont without having to travel and I nursed my dire need for some garden talk, all at once. 

How grateful I am that I have lived in two beautiful nature-inspiring, mountain communities. One is as magnificent as the other, in very different ways. Thanks to the folks that organized the Kitchen and Garden Tours www.stringsmusicfestival.com  for assigning me to this most appreciated locale. I was able hear my heart strings sing, very loud and clear.

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When Art Strikes

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“All emotions are pure which gather you and lift you up.” ~ Ranier Maria Rilke 

Three years ago, at Arts in the Park  in Steamboat Springs, Colorado I came across an artist whose photography really struck me. Ever since I laid eyes on his work, it has been on my mind. The visceral response that I have to his images is very intense. Finally, after visiting his exhibit booth for three summers in a row, I decided I could not be without an image from this artist. 

What in this image has such an impact on me? 

  • Reflective qualities of the water
  • Illumination of the face
  • Dramatic peaks in background
  • “Twin” cormorants communicating their special language to each other
  • The disparity between darkness and light 

I’d be interested in knowing what title the artist would attach to his image. Most painters give their paintings a name. It seems that photographers ought to do the same. The title of the work often gives the viewer reason for further contemplation and insight into the emotions of the creator. Sometimes the title of a piece of artwork becomes synonymous with an artist’s name. 

Perhaps I’ll contact the photographer to inquire if he were to name this image, what title would he give it?  But, in the meantime, I am going to name the image myself.

  “Twin  Avians Basking in All Things Fulfilling” 

Kenny Tong, www.KennyTong.com  I will enjoy your photography for many years to come. I know you can think of a better title for your stunning photographic image. Let me know if you name it, so I can write it down and substitute it for the one I’ve got.  And do return again toSteamboat Springs,Colorado!

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