Category Archives: Uncategorized

Film Friday: Miracle Dogs

2 Comments

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face–Ben Williams

Dubbed “man’s best friend,” dogs have been the subject of research on the health benefits of owning a pet. Overall, people who own dogs tend to be healthier according to this http://www.livescience.com article. http://bit.ly/1i9UYZw.

I’ve had the companionship of a dog for the majority of my life. We lost our 17 year old “Sasha” about 3 years ago, and life doesn’t quite seem the same without having a pooch around. I miss having a dog to greet us when we come home. And most of all, I miss having a walking companion. Walking with a dog adds extra purpose to every step. Owner and pet stay fit – mentally, physically and spiritually – that is if you believe dogs have a spiritual life. They do seem to have an exalted adoration for people who feed them!

I believe that loving a pet of any kind has the same kind of benefits that come with caring for others through volunteer work. Both allow a person to step outside of their own wants and needs and care about someone else, which breeds fulfilling feelings.

marc and pup pupI do have an adorable little pup-pup that I’m able to see every so often. I call her my dingo grand doggie –  her name is  Weston. She’s owned by my son. I don’t believe I will be without a dog forever, but right now, it’s for the best.

My Film Friday movie suggestion “Miracle Dogs Too: An Inspirational Tale” might be a little sappy. But for those who believe that the relationship between dog owners and their pets has a healing connection you might enjoy watching it. Click here for info and ordering

miracle-dogs-too-movie-poster-2006-1020497245

See you on Monday! Have a great weekend. Marc – hang in there, Weston’s puppy behaviors will pass. Be patient, be committed and be consistent. And you already know what will follow “All things are possible for those who believe!” ~ The word according to the Bible.

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

Health Perspectives with Karen Gilroy

Leave a comment

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease. ~ Buddha

karen gilroyThere is a new blog talk radio show called, Living a Richer Life that will be premiering on Thursday, February 6, 2014. The first show will be featuring one of our We Write Steamboat authors, Karen Gilroy, author of Nourishing the Healer Within.

Gilroy has her Master’s of Science degree in Holistic Health and she will be speaking with listeners on the power of the body to heal itself and the interconnectedness of the mind, body and spirit. In order to have good health, she says “all three must be in balance.”

When one of these aspects of our lives is out of sorts, symptoms of illness may occur. Gilroy contends that we need to listen to the messages our bodies are sending us because “the inner intelligence of the human body is constantly assessing and analyzing all the cells.” When we are not well, we need to rest which allows our bodies do the work it needs to do in order to self-heal. Positive results will follow.

Gilroy will also be focusing on how the mind plays an important role in the self healing process on the February 6th radio show. I encourage our readers to listen in to this 45 minute talk to learn more about how to be in charge of your own health, and understand the body’s natural healing abilities. Gilroy says “You can stop fearing illness and lead a more fulfilling life with mind, body and spirit in balance.”

Living a Richer Life with hosts, Dr. Charlotte Grant-Cobb and Ervin (Earl) Cobb will air every Thursday, featuring a diversity of guests who will have inspiring and motivational things to say to Americans who are looking for positive change in their lives. Listeners should tune in at 9pm from the East Coast, Central time zone at 8pm, 7pm Mountain Time and 8pm Pacific through this link.

Bookmark it! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/richerlife

Look forward to your return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow! This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Counting my Blessings

Leave a comment

Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery.  It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.” ~  Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

Did you know that being grateful has health benefits? Researchers have found positive scientific health results when people focus on pleasurable things rather than thinking about every day hassles, challenges and headaches that come with life. If you are interested in reading more about the science of positive thinking, here is a link to an article by Robert A Emmons. http://bit.ly/KSy1i4.

gratitudeWhen I  took down the last of the Christmas decorations  I decided the canister that was filled with red and gold decorative Christmas ornaments will serve as my Gratitude Jar. Each day a daily note about the small things I am thankful for has been put in it.  I use only “mini” pieces of paper so I will not be verbose in my writing. Short, simple words to describe a sweet and simple thing that I found to be fulfilling throughout each day is the goal. I’ve also decided to drop a penny into the pot for each good thought and for extra luck. It won’t amount to much over the course of a year but saving for another day is a good practice to get into.

I  began to fill the jar on January 1st, so it contains a month’s worth of daily entries into the jar and I have a lot more to be grateful for! Some of my last week’s entries stated this:

  • I am grateful my manuscript in in the hands of a capable and knowledgeable publisher
  • I am grateful I am almost finished recording the audio book
  • I am grateful the cover design is almost nailed down
  • I am grateful – looks like I may have found an audio editor!!!

Look forward to your return tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

 

How Sweet the Sound

Leave a comment

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” – Proverbs 16:23-25

Some of the most powerful words I heard as a child came from a person who had great significance in my life but she was someone other than my parents. I can hardly wait for you to meet her.  I will introduce you to her in my memoir when it is published this spring.

Her words to me went something like this:

Fanny speak

Oh…how sweeeet the sound! Enough to make anyone feel they are the bestest! I’ll always wonder if the person who I have included in my life story had any idea what impact her simple words  meant to me as a little child?

The words we speak to one another truly matter because they have the capability to influence and inspire us, help us to realize our potential and fill us up with love and all kinds of things that bring us fulfilling feelings. Words such as these can be better than a snug wrap around someone’s shoulders. http://awarmembrace.com.

January is National Mentoring Month, so on this last day of the month and because it is Film Friday, I would like to share a link that lists some of the best movies that have insight into how an ongoing relationship of learning, dialogue, and challenge between two people can change lives. http://growingleaders.com/blog/great-mentoring-movies/.

I look forward to having you join me again on Monday on this space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.  This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Shoes Bring Back Memories

Leave a comment

We can not change our memories, but we can change their meaning and the power they have over us. ~ David Seamons

Antique photos can be very stirring because some times they dredge up old and difficult memories we’d rather not think about. Yet some images have the power to help us recapture feelings that are as sweet and fulfilling as thoughts of vanilla pudding.

saddle shoesWhen I came across this photo of saddle shoes and white cotton socks, my recollections of standing at the bus stop on my first day of school came flooding back. My saddle shoes and white socks went everywhere together, like my twin sister and me. One was never without the other – kind of like the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that were in our school lunchboxes. I recall how the socks felt around my ankles – flimsy, insufficient and weak like my body. I can’t associate them with any warm feelings. My sister by my side was my strong, fuzzy security blanket.

When I look at the picture, I can even remember the precise smell of the white shoe polish our classmates used to keep their shoes looking new and unscuffed. Mine never really needed to be polished. My shoes didn’t get knocked about or hard use. In fact, just outgrowing a pair of shoes was a big accomplishment.

This image of saddle shoes has brought back an entire childhood worth of memories. Now six decades later I look forward to sharing my story. My hope is that parents who have kids dealing with childhood illness will find something comforting and hopeful in the memoir. Most of all I want the book to bring to a smile to some faces.

Did you own a pair of saddle shoes? If so, you must be a baby boomer. Did your shoes have band of black, brown or navy blue leather at the instep? What thoughts of childhood do saddle shoes stir up for you ? Are they happy memories or difficult?

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling.

Road to Providence

Leave a comment

“All that I know of tomorrow is that providence will rise before the sunrise.” ~ Jean Baptiste Lacordaire

If you know me, you know I feel very fortunate. Some of my pre-publication readers have remarked that my life must have been very difficult as a young child. Yes, I suppose it was but it’s all about how you look at it. I’ve learned all kinds of life lessons from my past experiences that I will share in my book.

providence roadMany people write memoirs for cathartic reasons. A cleansing of the emotions, if you will. Often stories attract interest because they are filled with regrets, grit and grime. Mine is vastly different – it’s about healthy attitudes, influences and outcomes. Not a “whine-fest.” Writing about our past is not always safe or pretty, however, some people write for a release and admission of gratitude. According to Jerry Waxler, M.S. memoirs have become a more popular form of non-fiction for readers in recent years. http://bit.ly/LnTUGP.

When writing about my life memories, everything fulfilling or not got stirred up. I began recalling songs, hairstyles,  our family’s automobile travels and school yard activities. Even conversations with significant others that influenced my life and things I learned about human relationships came out throughout the writing process. I remembered an awful lot, yet the things that brought me faith and joy  were more enduring than any of the bad stuff. Thank God for that!

johns hopkins

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Come on back tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling.

Big and Small Successes

Leave a comment

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. -Gail Devers quotes

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention on All Things Fulfilling the upcoming Olympics and the athletes who are fulfilling their dreams by representing their countries in Sochi next week. We are “hometown proud” here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. “Ski TownUSA”® holds the record of having sent more winter athletes over the course of Olympic history than any other city in the U.S. (I believe 76 athletes not including 5 in this year’s games).

On Saturday, our local athletes were given a send off celebration by fellow residents who will be avidly watching all the Olympians from participating countries. Brother and sister Taylor and Arielle Gold (snowboarders), brothers Taylor and Brian Fletcher (nordic combined) and Todd Lodwick (ski jumping) will be participating from this city. This will be Lodwick’s sixth Olympic games. The evening of the gala there were fireworks, photos and even a flash mob dance to “Treasure” by Bruno Mars. Here is a video clip of the community practicing the flash dance at last year’s Winter Carnival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhdRmI3u278. The town of Steamboat Springs has Olympic spirit in everything they do!

marching band on skis in steamboatAn athlete who finally reaches the goal of obtaining a coveted spot on an Olympic team represents the same elevation of spirit that comes to every individual who has ever worked hard to reach their objectives – whether it is reaching the top of a corporate ladder, the inventor who receives a patent, the “creative” who after years of practice and learning makes his work public, the struggling child who finally realizes that when they have given all they’ve got there is great personal reward in their efforts or the spiritual counselor who has led an individual to see “what faith has to do with it.”  Dreams are fulfilled.

God speed to all the athletes, their coaches and parents who will be traveling to Sochi! May you have a safe and joy-filled experience. We wrap our arms around you in pride, for you represent us Americans, one and all.

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

Mentoring Women in Business

Leave a comment

To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone. ~Reba McEntire

Have you ever wondered why people chose the professions they do? Sometimes there is little choice as to how people support themselves and others make very deliberate career choices, according to what fits their passions and personality.

cookie lockhartCookie Lockhart, a member of our We Write Steamboat networking group for independent publishers, couldn’t have chosen a career path more suitable to her temperament. Her “pioneering spirit” led her to become the only female student  among 126 men in the Class of 1963 to pursue a career in an industry that was dominated by males. As a woman auctioneer she was featured on the TV show To Tell the Truth back in 1966. To see a video clip of the show, please follow this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bRI-H9g5zw.

Lockhart followed in the footsteps of her father and grandfather, and has been a real driving force in the auction business. She has served as an outstanding mentor for many women in business because of her leadership qualities including her love of people and her fortitude. If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting Cookie, you’d never forget her. Her personality is larger than life and she has a winning spirit.

It’s been a fulfilling career for Lockhart. She is the only woman who has ever been inducted into the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame, and she’s also a member of the Colorado Auctioneers Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7 pm Mountain Time,  Cookie and her business, Lockhart Auction and Realty will be featured on American Pickers, a popular TV show on History Channel. To read more about the casting of the show when it came to Steamboat, here is a link to an article that appeared in the Steamboat Pilot newspaper. http://bit.ly/1hLjMtW.  

Tune in on January 29th. It is bound to be a lively show because Cookie is like a character you read about in a book. She portrays the epitome of “Western spirit.”  Here is a quick preview of the show. http://on.fb.me/1fikAUd.

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

 

 

 

Film Friday: Tim’s Vermeer

2 Comments

Attention artists of all ages!  On January 31st, Tim’s Vermeer will be hitting theatres. Rated PG-13, this movie is even suitable for young students who have an interest in the arts, history and science.

Tim's Vermeer_The documentary is based on questions brought forth by Tim Jenison, a Texas video engineer and non-painter, regarding the famous painting The Girl with a Pearl Earring. Jenison goes on an adventure to Delft, Holland, the location of where the masterpiece was painted, in search of answers to his question. How did Dutch master painter Johannes Vermeer paint with such meticulous detail 150 years before photography was discovered? Jenison’s research project spans a decade. David Hockney, a Britishman, provides speculation and insight into the tools that Vermeer may have used. Were optical devices used to help Vermeer accomplish such an astonishing result?

There have been numerous articles published about this fascinating film. Here are a few links if you are interested in reading more about the documentary Tim’s Vermeer, and Jenison’s need to find out more about the technique used to paint The Girl with the Pearl Earring.

http://bit.ly/1dtMQ1f

http://bit.ly/1jm4UCE

http://nyti.ms/1cSySWB

Click here for info & ordering Tim’s Vermeer

I look forward to seeing this movie. Sounds like a documentary with fulfilling content for art history classes. Perhaps after it’s initial run in theatres, Sony Classic Pictures will make it  available for showing in public venues  such as in classrooms or by art councils and museums.

This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. See you on Monday. I will be featuring a woman who is a member of our We Write Steamboat group who has been making a name for herself since 1966 when she was featured on the TV show To Tell the Truth.