Category Archives: steamboat springs

Ergo! Readers Reign Supreme!

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“Consider the postage stamp:  its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.”  ~Josh Billings

When I began this blog site, All Things Fulfilling, I had arbitrarily set a goal of reaching 10,000 readers. Guess what? Yesterday I hit the mark! What a fulfilling day this is!

 I knew before starting this blogsite  there were folks searching for  specialists in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. I was also well aware that writers, artists, filmmakers, musicians, educators, professionals and other “creative types” were becoming ever more interested in the industry called “independent publishing or non-traditional publishing.” But, I really was not sure how this blog site would be received. The result has been very gratifying!

I owe a huge Thank You to every reader of All Things Fulfilling. Each of one of you make blogging worthwhile. Whether you live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado or reside somewhere else around the globe, we are essentially one big community of people who believe in the power of independent thoughts, words and views. 

 I’ve enjoyed the journey of reaching 10,000 readers. I appreciate the comments and  discussions I have had with a community of people who share the same interests as I do. There will be more exciting news from All Things Fulfilling in the coming months so stay tuned!

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Making a Pledge

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 “In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility.” ~ Michael Korda 

I am making a pledge, right here, right now! I will no longer make generalized statements or assumptions about the media, specifically about newspaper publishing. 

A statement that I often hear is “the media is  just out to get a good story, caring not about the individuals in the story or the sensitivity of the subject they are exposing.” In some circumstances I might agree with this statement. However, last week I gained new insight into the collaborative decisions that are made, by the editor and supporting staff of our local newspaper. 

Once a month the editor and the general manager of our town’s newspaper, The Steamboat Pilot www.steamboatpilot.com, open their doors to their readers, so the community can become more informed about their business. Last week, I attended the “coffee hour” with other community members. I was heartened to learn: 

  • The newspaper staff wants feedback from the community about how they are doing, as a local newspaper.
  • The staff was “all ears.” They wanted to know what stories of community interest should be addressed.
  • The e-format and the print version of the Steamboat Pilot are both popular.
  • The Steamboat Pilot is owned by The World Company of Lawrence, Kansas
  • The reputation of others, in exposing stories of sensationalism or controversy, is of great concern.
  • A democratic process is in place for deciding what newspaper articles will run or not. Note: Sometimes the editor gets over-ruled in the process.
  • Decisions take into consideration what is best for each format- the print version and the e-version of the newspaper.  

Thank you to the staff of the Steamboat Pilot for the opportunity to learn more about your world of newspaper publishing.  I appreciate the fact that you want to hear, from readers, whether the goal of responsible newspaper reporting is being fulfilled by the Steamboat Pilot.  

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A Gift in Perpetuity from Japan

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“The government of the United States is a device for maintaining in perpetuity the rights of the people….”  ~ Calvin Coolidge 

It is April 4th, and as I sat inside yesterday, in the middle of yet another snowstorm, I wondered where springtime went. On Friday, it was a balmy 66 degrees in the mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. www.steamboat.com.  The warmth felt delicious and I was finally able to shed some of my winter wraps for lighter-weight garb. The reprieve from winter, albeit much appreciated, lasted only one day. I am sure Old Man Winter returned again yesterday, to make sure he was fulfilling his duty of giving us plenty of snow. 

Right now, in other parts of the country, springtime has really arrived, no fooling around. There are no more lapses of lingering snowstorms and cold temperatures to contend with in many places. 

In Washington, DC the Cherry Blossom Festival is underway. Thanks to the kindness of the Japanese people, the United States Capitol is at its most beautiful, every spring. Millions of people, from all over the globe, visit our National Museums http://bit.ly/hdiuth  and our governmental center, in April, and  witness the magnificent blooming of the “sakura.” http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/. 

The trees, planted in 1912, grow more beautiful with each passing year. The blossoms provide a wealth of natural beauty to our country, and are a gift from Japan in perpetuity. We anticipate, with optimism, that  friendship with Japan, will be everlasting, too. 

Our prayers remain with the Japanese people during this difficult time. We harbor hope that our country’s financial assistance and our shipments of gifts in kind will provide a glimmer of brightness and light to the Japanese people in their time of need.

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Feeding Minds through Film

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“In health there is freedom. Health is the first of all liberties.” ~ Henri Frederic Amiel

As predicted, the LunaFest,® on Friday night at the Bud Werner Library, www.steamboatlibrary.org had a fulfilling line-up of short films that were screened. Once I arrived at the film festival, I became aware that the LunaFest® is sponsored by LunaBars® –snack bars that are power-packed with vitamins and minerals that meet the needs of all women, and especially women on the go. “What woman is not on the go,” may I ask? 

Out of the 10 “shorts” that were shown, it is difficult to say which was my favorite. Each film had it’s own merits and an important issue that was brought to the fore. The producers and directors of the films were women from a diversity of countries and cultures. Americans, Brits, Israelis and Canadians were among the mix. The following is a list of films that were screened, and my interpretation of the issue that was highlighted in each film: 

  • The Translator – Communication between men & women.
  • Getting A Grip – Women competing in what is thought to be a man’s world.
  • Touch –  Guardian angels that appear in women’s lives.
  • Tightly Knit – Building community around common interests.
  • Top Spin – Women finding balance in their lives.
  • Thembi’s Diary – Global health issues (this film was artistically creative in how it incorporated textures and patterns with animation).
  • Mother of Many – Women’s health and parenting.
  • Irene – Adult children caring for aging parents.
  • Miracle Lady – Hope, life’s journey, enduring love
  • Love on the Line – Relationships and attraction. 

Each screenwriter, producer and director deserves to be recognized for having created a high-quality film that was chosen to be included in this festival. LunaBars®, a division of Clif Bar and Company http://bit.ly/fCXGKW is to be congratulated for their healthy alternative snack products and for the company’s vision of  raising money for breast cancer, through the power of film. This union between the corporate world and artistic expression, through filmmaking,  is an excellent example of bringing creative, effective marketing to the public and adding value to lives.

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It is a LunaFest Film Friday!

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It is Film Friday! And it is going to be a fulfilling evening for film-lovers in Steamboat Springs, CO. Tonight the Luna Fest® will be at the Bud Werner Library. This film festival will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and the Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project/Bust of Steamboat. 

LunaFest® films are short films which highlight women’s issues such as aging, motherhood, women’s health and cultural diversity. The ten short films being shown will range from documentary to animation to fictional drama. Celebrating women, their stories and their talents through the power of film is the mission of the Luna Fest®. 

All of the films are produced by women filmmakers, some of whom are independent filmmakers, and have won industry awards for their ability to start dialogues and bring understanding to the women’s issues that they involve. 

For more information on the event, please visit: www.steamboatlibrary.org 

For more information on how to host a LunaFest® in your community: http://bit.ly/8u4QrA 

To learn more about the fund-raising cause that the LunaFest® will support: http://thebustofsteamboat.org/ 

This film festival, The LunaFest® is a great representation of how the power of film brings education, awareness and important story-telling to communities of people.

We look forward to sharing with you on All Things Fulfilling, more information on our favorite films of the LunaFest® evening, at a later date!

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See you tonight!

International Film Trivia

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“I really love it all: theatre, film, television.” ~ Charlotte Rae  

It’s been a busy, busy week! All kinds of fulfilling activities were on my business calendar for this past week. Since it is Film Friday, today we will play a little international film trivia, to mix things up.

If you can answer these two film trivia questions, without cheating, you can consider yourself really “in the know” and on top of the scene! The answers will be located at the very bottom of this page. Good luck! 

  1. Two short documentary films by Macedonian filmmaker Marija Makeska will be presented tonight in remembrance of the Macedonian WWII Holocaust. The names of the films are “Soul Mates” and “Getting to Know Us.” In what city in the United States will these films be screened and what is the non-profit organization that will be presenting these films?
  2. On February 13th, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts http://www.bafta.org/  honored this individual for his outstanding and exceptional contribution to film. Who was the actor? Hint – He played Saruman in Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Count Docku in Star Wars and Dracula in at least 10 films. Who is the actor that was honored with the BAcademy Fellowship at London’s Royal Opera House ? 

Curious? Go ahead and peek. I will not hold it against you! Or you can use your favorite search engine to find out the answers.

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Answers: 1. Steamboat Springs, Co and Macedonian Mission for Humanity. More information: http://www.steamboattoday.com/events/2011/mar/11/9874/

                   2. Sir Christopher Lee

Taking up Residence in a Library

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“The library is a temple of learning, and learning has liberated more people than all the wars in history.” ~ Carl T. Rowan 

I am going to camp out at the Bud Werner Memorial Library this week. It will be a jammed-packed week and all the events on my schedule will be held….you guessed it, at the library! The Bud Werner Library www.steamboatlibrary.org, an almost brand-new facility, has become the epicenter of activity in town, fulfilling a need for a beautiful and light-filled community meeting place. It is a facility that both parents and kids love to visit. Steamboat Springs, Colorado is known as a town that places great emphasis on providing great resources and knowledge to the community through the local library. It is a hub of activity for locals and tourists after they leave the ski slopes, ice rink, ski jumping facilities and hot springs pool. Visiting the library is a fun place to spend some quiet time.

So, what’s up at the Bud Werner Library this week?

  • As a member of a service organization, www.kiwanisinternational.org, I received an invitation to meet a top public official for the State of Colorado, as he makes a brief swing through town. Myself and many of my fellow Kiwanis International members www.kiwanisinternational.org  will be in attendance along with members of other service organizations that have a presence in this town.
  • On Thursday, March 10 between 6:30pm to 7:30 pm, a presentation on Independent Publishing and E-Marketing will be offered. This event is sponsored by Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. The event is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about finding personal fulfillment, career advancement and increased visibility as an author and business-person through independent publishing. I look forward to sharing information about the power of  internet marketing and the fascinating and growing industry of non-traditional publishing.
  • On Friday, March 11 at 6:30 pm two award-winning short-documentary films, Getting to Know Us and Soul Mates will be shown at the Bud Werner Library. This event will be sponsored by the Macedonian Mission in remembrance of the Macedonian WWII Holocaust. http://bit.ly/fw1tCJ. It is a fundraising event ($10 suggested donation) for the purpose of sending school supplies to Macedonia. I am looking forward to this event, as a member of the non-profit’s Board. 

The Bud Werner Library is not faced with the dilemma of trying to get people in the doors. There is always something worthwhile happening at the library. It is difficult to find a good reason to stay away!

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Film Friday

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The other day, an article appeared in the Steamboat Pilot newspaper http://bit.ly/i2xphp that I wanted to explore and share with our readers.  

According to Van Stevenson, senior Vice President of the Motion Picture Association of America www.mpaa.org, the State of Colorado is lagging behind in the incentives that it offers to attract filmmakers to the State to produce motion pictures.  There are two Colorado State legislators that want to change all that. 

 There is a new State bill that if approved, will add a 10 cent fee to all tickets sold at movie theatres. This 10-cent fee would be first of it’s kind in any State. Rooms, meals, and other services for movie stars and their production crews bring money to States and boosts local economies. A ten-cent fee added to each movie ticket sold seems inconsequential when you consider the financial benefits of having more movies made in the State. When you consider the amount of money people spend on buying a coffee “for the road,” ten-cents added to the cost of a theatre ticket is merely pocket change. 

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “True Grit” and the television series “Perry Mason” were all filmed in Colorado. But in recent years, few filmmakers have chosen to use Colorado as a location from which to shoot their films. There are many other states that make their state more attractive for making movies by offering good incentives. 

We will follow this story to see just how committed others in the State of Colorado are to bringing  movie production, whether it is independent or not,  to the State and will let you know how it turns out.

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Breaking down Assumptions

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“All I want is for people to listen to it with unbiased ears, and decide for themselves.”  ~ Melanie Chisholm 

Isn’t it true that we form assumptions about places we have never been before by what we hear, see and read in the media and by our preconceived notions? Sometimes the things we think of other cultures, and of people we have never met before, are way off base. 

The other day my husband arrived back from his travels to Turkey and handed me two gifts. I didn’t immediately rip into them, because I was busy studying the packaging!  Finally he said “what is your big interest in the outside of the package?”  I said” I think of Turkey as a country much less modernized and therefore, not up to American standards in their merchandising.” I was surprised to see gifts that were beautifully boxed, wrapped and bedecked with ribbon that could rival even the fanciest gift wrap here in the United States. I had made an assumption of a country based on my own notions. 

There is a Colorado non-profit organization 50l(3)C  here in the United States, whose mission is to break down the assumptions that we Americans place on cultures and countries that are in far off reaches of the world. Their goal is to bring a diversity of art and culture to this side of the world. The Macedonian Mission will be presenting two films, Getting to Know Us and Soul Mates on March 11th in Steamboat Springs, CO at the Bud Werner Library. www.steamboatlibrary.org. This is a fundraising event. The non-profit organization has hopes of once again fulfilling the dreams of an American artist or two with the opportunity to travel to Macedonia to exhibit or perform in a city known for its ancient civilization. It will be a chance of a lifetime. 

For more information on the Macedonian Mission and the artists that have already had the opportunity to exchange art and culture, made possible through their fundraising efforts, please visit http://bit.ly/dRRQMk.

Hope to see you at the event on March 11th. I have no doubt we will come away from the films knowing more about the country of Macedonia and it’s people.

 

 Ohrid Summer Festival, Ohrid, Macedonia.

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Artists – All in the Family

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“I don’t paint things.  I only paint the difference between things.”   ~Henri Matisse 

I often think about the things that people find to be fulfilling and why people pursue the career paths that they do. Don’t you?  I suppose I find this subject of interest, because my husband and I are still scratching our heads trying to figure out how we became parents to a filmmaker/visual effects artist son. The influences are not very apparent, that is for sure. 

In attempting to gain some insight into the dynamics of my own family, I recently had an insightful and interesting on-line conversation about this very subject with Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, a very exceptional painter. Gladys and her husband are parents to Rafael http://bit.ly/ec4Bvn , a 23 year old emerging tenor, and semi-finalist with 2010 Metropolitan Opera. He soon will be making his debut performance with the Houston Symphony. Artist (painter) Gladys http://roldandemoras.com/ explained to me that her husband, an engineering professor has always also been a musician, poet, choir director in a church and writes musicals. All three of their children were exposed to mostly classical music, at a very young age, in fact, while still in the womb. As young adults, all are involved in some way in the Arts – as tenor, music educator and sculpture artist. Perhaps this family could be a prime example of the  Mozart effect, which has been said to enhance children’s intellectual development. What do you think? http://bit.ly/f93RAn. 

To see Rafael in the HBO production of Master class with Placido Domingo, please visit http://bit.ly/bkgWiv and to read Rafael’s essay “My Masterclass with Maestro Placido Domingo”, please visit www.youngarts.com. 

As I continue to further explore in my own mind, on this snowy day in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, how our son came to his fulfilling life of creating films, I am going to stare at some magnificent art! I will let you know when I have my answers, which could be strictly sharing my intuition rather than facts.

This painting is by Gladys Roldan-de-Moras. “Song from a Secret Garden” . For more information on the painting go to the artist’s website  http://roldandemoras.com/

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