Category Archives: Travel

Portraits of America

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“Agriculture, manufactures, commerce and navigation, the four pillars of our prosperity, are the most thriving when left most free to individual enterprise.”  –Thomas Jefferson: 1st Annual Message, 1801.

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In the National Portrait Gallery images of prominent people of widespread importance are featured throughout the museum.The portraits are stunning but,I was particularly drawn to an exhibit called Experience America. The paintings typify the U.S.A.  in earlier times and feature common folk both hard at work and play, building our country into what it is today.

Also portrayed in these images are good old-fashioned American values of family, faith and community. The paintings are representative of our nation’s population of people throughout history who have toiled to make us a country of free enterprise and industry.

 

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In the Experience America collection, a few of Edward Hopper’s paintings are included. He was both an oil painter and watercolorist (circa 1882 – 1967) whose urban and rural scenes are ”spare and finely calculated renderings reflected his personal vision of modern American life.”

 IMG_20141005_133826_381Above: Edward Hopper painting

Below Edward Hopper’s “Cape Cod Morning”

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IMG_20141005_135508_101This plaque hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. To me it is a shining reminder to protect what we so dearly cherish about our country – freedom and independence!

That’s all today from All Things Fulfilling.  See you tomorrow!

This blog brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For more information on the independently published book Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link.

http://amzn.to/1vDFUMt

Windows into Our Heritage

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Don’t stumble upon your heritage. It’s there, just waiting to be discovered and explored. ~ Robbie Robertson

What a treasure the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC is. In my estimation, the building itself tells a story just as important as the paintings contained within. The Greek revival architecture is gorgeous. Walt Whitman once said “it is the noblest of Washington buildings.”  The gallery took thirty-two years to build and was one of the first public buildings in D.C. to be constructed. Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural ball was held in it in 1865.

Come along with me on a short tour. Picture taking is allowed in many parts of the building, so I captured some images with my camera for my blog readers who live too far from Washington, DC to visit this and other great American landmarks.

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Magnificent isn’t it? The three pictures above are the Kogod Courtyard -a light-filled enclosed public space within the National Portrait Gallery.

In the very near future, Experience America, an exhibit which is part of the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery, will be featured on All Things Fulfilling. A trip to our nation’s Capital is always exciting because there are so many discoveries to be made. Entering into all the museums and playing tourist in Washington, DC is like opening box after box filled with our country’s heritage. Every time I visit I discover more to explore next time.

Tomorrow, more pictures from my book signing in Towson, Maryland. This blog brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link http://bitly.com/1rA6fdV.

Memoirs: Annals of History

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“Memoirs are the backstairs of history.” ~ George Meredith

Last weekend I had lunch with my sister and her husband at the National Gallery of Art Pavilion Café. It was a gorgeous day – sunny and warm. We sat on the patio so we could take in the sculpture garden which surrounded the greenhouse-like structure that held the café.

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From where we sat, the National Archives Museum was also visible. http://www.archives.gov/museum/

Below is a photo of it in the distance.

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Below: One of the bigger-than-life sculptures on the grounds of the Café took me back to my childhood. How long has it been since you have seen one of these? Do you know what it is?

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All sorts of nostalgic thoughts of vintage school supplies were set off by seeing this unexpected sculpture. If you are a baby boomer, you will also remember having to buy these items at the start of the school year:

lepages glue

 

white school paste

pencil box

vintage fountain pen

 

vintage pencil sharpener

Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. We will be visiting the National Portrait Gallery tomorrow. That’s all for now from our nation’s  beautiful Capitol City -Washington, D.C.  Note the work they are doing on the Capitol dome to insure that it will be standing for many more generations!

IMG_20141005_120141_861My award-winning memoir is not in the National Archive Gallery but it is registered with the Library of Congress 2014933053.

This blog brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For information on her memoir Gift of  a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected please visit this link http://amzn.to/1vQ6Lob.

 

Fondness for Frederick

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“You have to know the past to understand the present.” Dr. Carl Sagan
I’ve taken the opportunity to blog about the town of Frederick, Maryland on quite a number of occasions. I have great affection for many Fredericks that have been in my life. You will understand why if you read my memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.
My affection for the town of Frederick comes for what has been salvaged out of what was once a run-down, ramshackle place during my childhood. Now, it is a place to be proud of! Art, architecture, history, tourism are all the things it has going for it!
To read other articles on All Things Fulfilling about the revitalization of Frederick, Maryland, visit these links.

Today on All Things Fulfilling, enjoy just a few more pictures from the Harvest Fair that I went to last weekend in Frederick.

Hope to see you tomorrow, Saturday October 11th at Ukazoo Books in Towson, Maryland where I will be doing a book signing from 1pm to 4pm. A short author talk will begin at 2pm.

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 Two photos below are from: Smokestack Studio  – great place.  Loved it. http://www.smokestackstudios.com/

 

 

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Do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday! More sites and scenes from Washington, DC  will be featured!

This blog brought to you by the EVVY award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard on an East Coast book tour! For information on her memoir Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, please visit this link.http://amzn.to/1y21igm.

Capitalizing on Historical Aspects

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History is the interpretation of the significance that the past has for us. ~Johan Huizinga

“More cities and towns ought to do this!” I stated to my sister as we walked the streets of Frederick, Maryland on Friday evening during their Harvest Fair.

“Do what?” she asked.
“Capitalize on the assets they already have – you know, put new energy into historic cities and towns rather building new. Our country’s heritage is something our citizens should to be proud of. I think this town has the right idea.” I said. “I’ve seen some interesting historical aspects that presented in a history book, I wouldn’t dream of reading about. But being immersed in it as a tourist I am drawn into it. Even that Museum of Civil War Medicine, is neat. Seeing the artifacts is better than trying to read about it.” http://www.civilwarmed.org/.

“I agree but what else do you like so much about the town?” my sister inquired.
“The architectural details of these historic buildings, the vintage clothing shops, the retro furniture in these antique shops…..the town seems to be emphasizing all that. And obviously people are interested. I mean, look at all the people. Years ago, you could have never have convinced me to stop here.”
Over the past three or so years, I have visited this town willingly and each visit only gets better. People from the greater Baltimore/Washington D.C. area seem to be flocking to this town. The streets, shops and restaurants were busy! Each time I’ve stopped, the town’s identity seems to be more clearly established as a historical landmark, thanks to grants for Main Street historic revitalization efforts. Frederick Maryland has been “deemed a masterpiece in Maryland” by the New York Times.

If you are a Civil War buff, traveling to Gettysburg or Antietam battlegrounds, make a point to stop here. And don’t miss the canal area of the city. There are special things to be found especially during the spring, summer and fall.

Enjoy these pictures from the streets of Frederick, Maryland. Tomorrow I will share a few more images!

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Do return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow. I look forward to sharing a few more things that I found of interest.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. The award winning book is available in audio, paperback and e-book through this link. http://amzn.to/1y21igm

 

Nature’s Spectrums

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I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

God sure swished one big paintbrush filled with a spectrum of colors when he waved it over the plant life put on this earth. Walking inside and outside the National Botanic Gardens I was awestruck by the range of botanical treasures which come from our land and places across the globe.

Enjoy this journey through visual images that I captured with my camera when I visited The National Botanic Garden’s last weekend. Some of these plants seem like “freaks of nature,” they are such exquisite masterpieces.

Nature has all kinds of gifts to share with people all over the Universe. Take every opportunity you can to be outdoors to enjoy it. It is good for the heart and soul.

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Goodbye for now from me and my gal pal, my twin sister, from the National Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC.

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IMG_20141007_093258_933This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For more information on her book

Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected available in audio, paperback and e-book,  please visit this link.http://amzn.to/1xTvPwQ

The Gift of Opportunity

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“The freedom to move forward to new opportunities and produce results comes from living in the present and not the past.” ~ Brian Koslow

Boxes tied up with pretty ribbons and bows immediately come to mind when someone mentions presents.  However, one of the most valuable favors one can be given in life is the gift of opportunity.

Ukazoo BooksThis Saturday, on October 11th, I will be given an appreciated gift of opportunity. A chance to share my award-winning memoir with book enthusiasts in my native place of residence – Towson, Maryland. A book signing and author presentation at Ukazoo Books in Dulaney Plaza from 1pm to 4pm is scheduled. Some people who will be coming to this public event I have not seen for decades.

At 2pm I’ll discuss my reasons for penning a memoir and how the independent publishing industry has paved the way for ordinary people to tell their extraordinary stories and publish them.

I look forward to the event. I hope you, the readers of All Things Fulfilling will help me broadcast the good news that the author talk is taking place. It will provide an opportunity for others to learn something about why storytelling is so important and why people should share stories through independent publishing.

Pass the word and hope to see you at Ukazoo Books on October 11th!

First try with award

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of the EVVY award-winning book “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.”

Weekend of Exploration

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“Where a man’s heart is, there is his treasure also.” ~ Saint Ambrose

It’s going to be a fun weekend! A chance to do some exploring of things that hold my interest in Washington, DC. I’ll be with my sister and her husband.

national botanicgarden-washingtondc9On our list for Sunday is the National Botanic Gardens and the National Portrait Museum. Two of the few museums in the District of Columbia I have never visited throughout my lifetime. The botanic gardens is a museum quite different than many others in our nation’s Capital. The treasures within the walls are living plants – many of which are not indigenous species to the United States. It gives our citizens an opportunity to see plant life from places all over the world that we may not ever get a chance to travel to. Specimens from the jungle, desert, mountains and plains, both rare and endangered have been assembled and are growing in eco-systems that mirror their natural environments.

Being an art enthusiast , it is surprising that the National Portrait Gallery is also one of the few federal buildings of importance I have never been to in Washington, DC.  After reading the blog www.castlesandcoffeehouses.com called Edith Warton “The Age of Innocence” http://bit.ly/1vzQ927 about a painting in the collection at the National Portrait Museum, I vowed that on my next trip to the East Coast I would visit it. It is a Washington, DC museum I didn’t get to as a child and haven’t yet in my adult years. Well, here I am, ready to enjoy it tomorrow.

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I’m sure I will be taking photos throughout the day to share on a future blog for those  don’t get a chance to travel to the East Coast.

See you on All Things Fulfilling on Monday. Have a great weekend!

This blog brought to you by www.allthingsfulfilling.com and award-winning author of  the anthology Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.  http://amzn.to/1vCTf7k. Don’t miss out on the audio version, it holds the treasure and also won 2nd prize in the EVVY book awards!

Glam Outdoor Wear of Yesteryear

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“A smile happens in a flash but it’s memory lasts a lifetime” ~ Unknown
vintage ski wear1Oh, how outdoor clothing for the north country has evolved. A lot of time and research is now put into fabrics and construction of outdoor wear that is designed to be the most rugged, weather-proof, comfortable and warm. There is a whole science behind it – even right down to the manufacturing of socks! http://www.smartwool.com .

Back when I was learning to ski in the 1950s and 1960s, clothing manufacturers didn’t have the variation of fabrics that are available today. There was wool and wool. That’s about it. But the new generation of wool is nothing like it used to be.  Remember how  heavy it was when it got wet, and the smell? Peewww…. (Can’t figure out how to describe it – but the smell was icky!) Fashions have changed tremendously over the decades of my lifetime. Here is an article from the Vintage Traveler about the evolution of ski wear.http://bit.ly/1wPn5Zd

fur hat and muffWhat little girl in the 1950s and 1960s didn’t just adore her fur hat and muff when it was frigid out.  We felt as highstylin’ and glam as our mothers when they went out  in their “Persians” with fur collars.

And remember the long “stocking caps?”  The cashier at the local A & P knew  everybody, including my little brother, Scott, by his vintage stocking capsignature long, red tasseled stocking cap. Whenever my mom came into the grocery store without my youngest brother, the lady at the checkout always asked “Where’s the little boy with the red stocking cap?”

It tickles me to look back on old styles. With the long lives that most people live today – sometimes people are around long enough to see things make comebacks!

This blog brought to you by the award winning author Sue Batton Leonard, author of  Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. For more information on the award-winning memoir, please follow this link. http://amzn.to/1ti4XVi

 

 

 

We’ve Got Ya Covered

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“Travel is more than the seeing of sights, it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of the living.”   –Miriam Beard

I’ve always had a penchant for covered bridges. I suppose it began during my childhood years when our family spent time on Lake Champlain in Vermont for many summers. Every time we passed by the Shelburne Museum, I saw their covered bridge and loved it.

When I was in college and moved off campus, I had to cross a covered bridge every morning and evening on my way to campus. Sometimes it was by way of foot and sometimes in my old hand-me-down station wagon. The girth of the car took up the entire bridge it was so wide. Only one car at a time could travel through it.

If you are a fan of covered bridges, you’d love Vermont, and you ought to visit the State. Leaf peeping (aka fall foliage) time is the best. Colors of golden yellow,  vibrant orange and firey red from the maple trees are a sight to behold along with the contrast of verdant green in the fields and meadows. From the northern border which touches Canada to the southern part of the State, bordering Massachusetts, vibrant color is everywhere.

Crossing over that covered bridge in Johnson, Vermont every morning and evening gave me warm, fulfilling feelings. As it turned out, this girl who originated from the south of the Mason-Dixon Line had found a place in the North Country that she would call home for three decades.

Covered bridge near Chaffee House

Above: Covered Bridge at Rt 100C, Johnson, Vermont

This image and more wonderful Vermont images can be purchased through www,hansonstudio.com

Johnson State College  http://www.jsc.edu

Below Photos: Shelburne Museum   www.shelburnemuseum.org

shelburne museum1Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.Shelburne_lighthouse1shelburne museum3Shelburne Museum 5

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. For information on the memoir, please visit this website

http://amzn.to/1oj1hjW