Category Archives: Travel

Catch-up Time

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“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” ~ Confucius

The most fulfilling thing as a parent is to know that the child you have raised is successfully moving along in his or her own life. This blogsite will remain quiet for a little bit as my husband and I witness our son graduate from college! I don’t know where the last 22 years have gone, but it has been an honor and a priviledge to raise our son, from newborn to an independent filmmaker! Wow!

If you are a first time visitor to this blogsite, don’t turn away so fast! There is a lot of independent publishing help and hints on this blogsite provided especially for you! Check out our previous blogs about –

  • Developing a great, absolutely free marketing technique for selling your book or film – Your Elevator Speech.
  • Check out the video on our Blog News Page about the gowing independent publishing industry.
  • Learn from our blogs, the latest trends in on-line marketing for independent publishers.
  • Find out how independent publishers can focus on the tasks of writing and publishing by outsourcing order fulfillment and e-marketing.
  • Consider the words of wisdom provided on this site about living a fulfilling life through the creative industry of independent publishing.
  • Check in on some independent books & films featured on this blogsite.
  • Last, but not least, there is some good tutorial information on the internet about independent filmmaking. To check it out, visit: 

            http://bit.ly/b0Rind            http://bit.ly/2mPX

When I return, there will be lots to share about order fulfillment for independent publishers and some exciting upcoming events! Stay tuned and until then, keep writing, reading, watching independent films and fulfilling your life through creative industry!

 

 Photos of our son Marc R Leonard filming his first documentary film in 2005 – Slidell, Louisiana  “Louisiana Lives: Life in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.”

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The Beat Goes On

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“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” ~ William Faulkner

Being a blogger, I am always on the beat looking for inspiration around which to write the next story. Saturday night, I did not have to stray far! Just a quick drive to the United Methodist Church in downtown Steamboat Springs, CO. A beautiful example of cultural harmony through the Arts, was waiting to be found.

The Macedonian Mission for Humanity brought together two artists, one from an ancient civilization and one from a much newer world order, to provide a night of amazing musical entertainment. Keri Rusthoi, and soprano soloist living in Steamboat Springs, CO and award winning, international concert pianist from Macedonia, Kalina Mrmevska, could not have better displayed a great example of two countries working toward the good for the other through the Arts. The proceeds for this concert will go toward getting medical supplies to Macedonian Children’s Hospitals, where they are so badly needed.

If you missed this concert, the two artists will be repeating  the performance at the Colorado Community Church on Saturday, May 21st at 7pm. The church is located in Englewood, Colorado at 3651 So. Colorado Blvd.

As I sat and enjoyed this outstanding concert, I couldn’t help but think what it would be like to hear these two diverse artists perform in an ancient church, in an ancient city, in a place like Ohrid, Macedonia. The Macedonian Mission for Humanity (A Colorado based 501(3)C, non-profit organization) is so very grateful to the United Methodist Church in Steamboat Springs, CO for making this concert possible, right in our own backyard. Don’t count me as ungrateful – the acoustics there were certainly more than good enough, for my untrained musical ear!

 

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Seeking the Unknown

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“My task which I am trying to achieve is by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel–it is, before all, to make you see.”     ~ Joseph Conrad 1897

Living life with clarity can be as difficult to achieve as writing with clarity. From time to time, we live with absolute clarity knowing where we want to go and what we want to achieve. At other times throughout our lives, we are in a state of disarray, not knowing exactly where we are headed or how we are going to get there. Writing with clarity sometimes alludes us. At other times, there is no fuzz, we are lucid and free of ambiguity. For those who think in abstract terms, clarity in writing is more difficult to achieve.

When you write without organization, your message is unfocused, the reader has to do too much work to grasp and interpret the message, and the reader often looses interest. In business writing, in essays and in non-fiction writing, abstract writing is infrequently used and clarity is needed most.

Sometimes, however, it is good to live our lives spontaneously! When every detail of our life is not planned, we become engaged in experiences that are exciting, unexpected and delightful. Such is the case with creative writing! Letting our thoughts swirl and soar can result in writing with novelty and artistry.

I have a plan in mind! I have made a promise to myself that I intend to keep. As soon as I can, I am going to take a creative writing course. It is a little bit scary, a lot exciting! It will be like letting the dog off the leash, not knowing where she is going to roam!

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

Shutterbug Surprise!

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“Our dreams are made of real things, like a shoebox full of photographs.” ~ Jack Johnson

Go ahead – have a crack at it! Jump on the Shutterfly sensation, and publish a print-on-demand, hardcover family photo album! The other day, I received one that my sister had compiled for a Mother’s Day gift. It chronicles, through family photographs, our family tree. The gift was originally meant for our Mom, but she decided to have extra copies printed, one for me and one for each of my brothers and our families. That is the beauty of print-on-demand. Print as few or as many as you wish!

Although the work in putting together a Shutterfly photo album can not be compared with a full scale independent publishing production of text writing, it is still a worthy project for those who are not inclined to write, but love to be creative with photography and scrapbooking. Shutterfly provides the perfect opportunity to combine both! You incorporate your favorite digital images and design with creativity, the empty spaces around the photos, much like you would a scrapbook, as extensively or basically as your skills allow. What a nice surprise gift for family or friends and to commemorate a significant event. For more information, please go to www.shutterfly.com/photo-books

While we are on the subject of surprises – Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC will have a number of surprise events coming up this summer! We will reveal the details to all of you when the final plans are put into place. Stay tuned, and thanks as always, for  your interest in this blogsite and in our company. The industry that we serve is ever changing, improving and evolving – keeping us on our toes and knee deep, in serving the needs of independent publishers!

 

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Volunteer & Vacation All at Once

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“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion as the things which renew humanity.” ~ Buddha

Schools will soon be letting out, and millions of Americans will be taking to the highways and byways for their annual summer vacation. One of the hottest trends in vacationing, voluntourism, is becoming a subject that many want to read about! Independent publishing is a great way to share, with others, unique experiences you have had through travel.

Voluntourism is becoming increasingly popular for those who are looking for a vacation experience unlike any they have had before. Volunteer vacations can be fulfilling, fun and sometimes, a less expensive way to travel. Retirees and senior citizens represent a large segment of people who have jumped on the bandwagon and are participating in this new travel trend.

Service vacations are often good values for seniors on a tight budget. They provide unique and active vacations rather than spending time on golf courses, on beaches or on a cruise ship. The travel living conditions may include shared accommodations or family style food arrangements, but, for those that ordinarily would not be able to travel, it is a great alternative to staying home and growing old. For more information on this growing trend of service vacations, please visit http://bit.ly/bQ4X9j.

Retirees, is becoming a published writer on your “bucket list” of things to do? Perhaps you have been part of this new trend in travel aimed at renewing humanity,  having fun and seeing the sights, all at once! Share with others, through independent publishing,  how a service vacation enriched your life. Anyone can become a published writer, thanks to the independent publishing industry! What are you waiting for?

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Being Tortured!

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“The world does not have to change…the only thing that has to change is our attitude.” ~ Gerald Jampolsky

I am being tortured and I am in a snit! Old Man Winter will not leave me alone! Does he not realize what month it is? Does he not own a calendar? It is Friday, the last day of the month of April and I am calling “May Day, May Day.” I need help! Old Man Winter has messed about with me all too long! Snow has come back to haunt me far too many times in the past few weeks.

I have made a decision. It is for the best. Here is my plan of action:

  • I am not going to hang around with that Old Man Winter any longer.
  • I am going to hang around with others that have a positive influence on my life, instead of the negative.
  • I’ve decided there is no one that can bring about change, other than myself.
  • I am replacing the negative with the positive!
  • I am going to associate myself with those that give me energy and motivation, not someone that drags me down.
  • I am going to change my mental picture!

It is time to lighten up!  I will show you who I will be hanging with, so you will know I’ll be in good hands. Join me! We can share! Take a look!

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Art & Media Building Bridges

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“Education is all a matter of building bridges.” ~ Ralph Ellison

My, my how our world has changed in unimaginable ways. When I  stumbled upon a Reuters news article, I realized just how far our  world really has come, in all industries, with regard to international agreements and trade. Even the arts and entertainment industry has joined forces with other countries to collaborate on projects. Reuters has reported that Time Warner Inc.’s Cartoon Network is  partnering with the United Arab Emirates to open Carton development in that country and also a training academy in September. New production studios will open in early 2011, in the capital city of Abu Dabi.

The initiative  is part of efforts by Abu Dabi to diversity their economy and create a 27 billion dollar cultural hub for television, radio, film, publishing and animation. The cultural district will also house branches of France’s Louvre Museum and New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

Many of the media broadcast stations such as Fox News International, the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) and CNN have also joined forces in this collaboration. To read the article in it’s entirety http://bit.ly/djCEIp.

Never would I have I have thought a cultural exchange of the Arts and media of this proportion would be possible many years ago.  How far we have progressed in the world of international business and in the exchange of bright, open minds full of all kinds of possibility.

To see a model of the futuristic buidings designed by architects from France and California architect Frank Gehry, please visit 

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Special Olympics Fulfills Dreams

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“You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best you have to give.”  ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Last week we had a special guest at our weekly Kiwanis International  meeting! We were graced with the presence of a Special Olympian, who shared with us a few of the medals that she has earned and that decorate her room. She expressed the personal fulfillment and enjoyment she and all her friends find in participating as athletes in the Special Olympics.

Our Kiwanis Club also learned some of the history of the Special Olympics organization which was established in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver. There are now athletes, with disabilities, in 150 countries around the world, that participate  in the Special Olympics. In 1977, the very first International Special Olympics Winter Games were held in the town of Steamboat Springs – of all places!

One of our Kiwaniians, of Macedonian heritage, went on to explain that thanks to the help of Kiwanis International, a chapter of the Special Olympics was formed in her native country in 2000 and it still exists very strongly to this day. The next International Special Olympics games will be held in the region of her roots, the Balkans. Athens, Greece will be hosting the Special Olympics from June 25 to July 4, 2011.

Without the help of scores of volunteers, the Special Olympics could not exist. Not only do the Special Olympians find satisfaction in being involved with this organization, it also brings great rewards to the volunteers who witness the smiles, the camaraderie and the motto, put into action,  of every special athlete  “Let me win. But, if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt.” 

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Artist’s Predictions

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“In all things, it is better to hope than despair.”  ~ Joann Wolfgang von Goethe

Someone sent me through the internet, an article about Vatican researcher, Richard Owen who has stated that daVinci predicted that the world will end on November 1, 4006 by a “universal flood.” (“The Times”, March 15, 2010). In daVinci’s “Last Supper” mural, the half-moon window above his painting of Christ with his disciples, contains a “mathematical and astrological” puzzle which has been deciphered to mean the flood will begin on March 21, 4006 and end the world, as we all know it now, on November 1, 4006. At which time, there will be a new start for humanity.

4006? Wow – we have a lot of generations to go before that time comes! I am happy to hear the world will not be ending before my time of natural death, whenever that may be. I have a lot of dreams to fulfill in my lifetime and humanity has a lot to accomplish in working towards a better world!

What gives me great hope is this generation of college graduates. Many of them have their eyes wide open to living and working in a more global world than past generations. There are brilliant students who have spent their college years studying foreign relations, international trade, e-commerce, other cultures and global environments as part of their curriculums.

Even some architectural students are thinking globally! My niece is a mid-year graduate of The Roger Williams University School of Architecture. For her masters thesis, she decided to plan and design a global project. She designed The Ocular Orientation Center, for those suffering from blindness and visual impairment, young and old. The Center was designed for a site in Chittagong, Bangladesh. She took into consideration every variable, such as climate, soil, topographical layout, local natural materials of the region and more, so that the school can be viably built. Her dream is to see this project come to fruition.

If daVinci’s predictions are correct, that is music to my ears! I want to see what is in store for this generation of college graduates. Despite the less than ideal economic situation at this moment, I think the up and coming generation of college graduates have a lot up their sleeves!

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Find Meaning in the Journey

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“Experience is the best teacher of all.  And for that, there are no guarantees that one will become an artist. Only the journey matters.” ~ Harry Callahan

Whew! What a whirlwind of a weekend! It was satisfying, fun and intense. Just as I had anticipated! I arrived dehydrated and wanted to drink from the fountain, all the knowledge that I possibly could! The Colorado Independent Publishers “College” took care of my needs! I came parched and left sated with all the information one could possibly take in over a 48 hour period. Thank you, CIPA!

There is much to share, but I don’t quite know how or where to start. I have not even had a chance to absorb all that I ingested. You can be sure however, once I have had a chance to assimilate all the information, process it and pinpoint what I need to share, I will! I will be sharing the names and titles of the EVVY book award winners. On my list are words of wisdom from keynote speakers who took us through their travels into the publishing world. And there is useful, general publishing industry information that needs to be dispersed.

As a speaker/presenter at the CIPA College, I came away with a wonderful gift. It is a gift that will take me on many beautiful, inspiring travels into an area of Colorado referred to as South Park. It is a high country paradise near Fairplay, Colorado where author Bernie Nagy lives. For three years, Mr. Nagy captured exquisite color photographic images of the landscape, in all seasons. His book won two 2010 EVVY awards the other night, for cover design and illustration. For more information and to order this book, please visit www.ColoradoSouthParkBook.com.

I came away a winner, too! Not only did I receive an award winning, beautiful photographic book for speaking at the Conference, I had a chance to speak with independent publishers who are saying “out, out, out!” to all of the boxes and books sitting in their basements, attics and garages. I say “put them on their journey into the hands of readers.” And I know just who independent publishers can call to help them fulfill their wishes.

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