Life Below the Mason-Dixon Line

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I recognize the fact that there are many people across this big vast country called the United States of America who have had no exposure to southern living. In fact, for some individuals just the mention of the Mason-Dixon Line is a little bewildering. Wondering where the Mason-Dixon Line runs? Here’s a map. I grew up not terribly far from Annapolis in Baltimore.

Life below the Mason Dixon Line

One of the most interesting things of having been so far removed from my East Coast roots, over the past five years, is the opportunity I’ve had to learn something through experience (and by reading books from Western writers) about life in this part of the country. While I have been here in Colorado, it’s been especially interesting to travel to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico where life is distinctively different than anything I have ever been immersed in before.

So, what’s it like being a southern belle? This list will give you a bit of the southern flavors of living.

Quotes about the South

From a Baltimore gal’s perspective, there’s something that is missing from this list. If you are from Maryland, you are often called “hun.”  If you are  called “hun,” when you go visiting someone in the “Land of Pleasant Living,” don’t feel insulted and turn around and go back home where you came from. Feel accepted, honored and loved, it is the term of endearment for nearly everyone.

Putting a value judgment on what kind of lifestyle is more fulfilling than another doesn’t quite seem fair.  I think it’s all about what you get used to. But I do feel strongly there is value in experiencing different ways of life, even if it is even through reading.

Tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, do return for some valuable information about how to seek validation of your work as a quality writer.

On Monday I will be honestly opening my heart about some of the costs of  writing and publishing a book.

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

Holy Experiment Day

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So live that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip. ~ Will Smith

Today is Holy Experiment Day. You don’t believe me? Look it up! http://www.giftypedia.com/Holy_Experiment_Day

As a follow-up to yesterday’s blog about family secrets and in honor of this special day, send in your family secret by posting a comment to this blog on All Things Fulfilling.

Two%20ParrotsWe really like to laugh here at www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. – it’s good for the heart and soul. So if you have a family secret that you have kept hush-hush, now is the time to reveal it. Please do tell why revealing the secret is so personally fulfilling.  The funniest tale will win the contest.

The winner will be announced on Easter Sunday and if the author of the story agrees, it will be published on this site with full credit given to the guest blogger. The contest prize will be given out in May – a  free, personally autographed copy of my upcoming publication “Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.  Tell everyone you know to join in!

Family Secrets can be hurtful, so please read this article from Psychology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200909/the-power-secrets. It will help you to reveal in good taste what you’ve kept under wraps and not damage anyone’s ego! 

No monkey business, the tale must be true, clean fun and not hurtful to others in order to win the prize. Make my day! I want to hear from you!

See you tomorrow on the space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Telling Family Secrets

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I take pleasure in my transformations. I look quiet and consistent, but few know how many women there are in me.” ~ Anaïs Nin

It’s family secret day on All Things Fulfilling and I have a confession to make about one of my siblings~

I swear my little brother chose his friends according to who’d step in and clean his room for him. He is not generally known as a people user but, he always got his friends to help him out in  “clean the room department.” And he never had to do anything to correct his shortcomings because of it.

When my sister or I, or one of his friends, felt sorry for him because he was grounded once again due to his messy bedroom, we’d pitch in and help him clean up the mess. Then guess who got praised and lauded?  Yep – you guessed it, my little brother, for having fulfilled his chores list! Not the ones who helped him out of the dog house.

One day, I got caught standing in for my brother while I was cleaning up his mess. The stellar character that you will learn about in my memoir, who taught me some very useful and wonderful lessons about life, scolded me and said:

You and yo’ brother needs ta have a come to jesus meetin’ over you always having ta do his chores. He aint doin’ doodlie squat. That ain’t right. You ain’t doin’ him no favors by helpin’ him out neither. He’s gots ta learn all by his self.”  

 I had never heard that expression “have a come to Jesus meeting” until she used it. It delighted me, made me giggle. Every time I hear the expression now, as an adult, it tickles my funny bone all over again. 

girls telling secretsPerhaps if you have brothers or sisters, you can relate to having to do their chores. Was there someone in your family who always pulled the weight?

Have you ever been caught in a difficult position by sharing a family secret?

Listen Up! Tomorrow is Holy Experiment Day. You don’t believe me? Google it! Come back tomorrow because we will announcing a contest that will give you a chance of winning a free copy of my upcoming publication, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. My prayer is that just the right person wins it! Don’t miss out.

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

Balance Meant the See Saw

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The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you’ve lost it. ~ Anonymous

It was a different world when I was a kid and so were the childhood stresses and routines.  When I was growing up childhood stress was about whether or not we remembered to bring our gym uniforms home to have them washed, starched and ironed to perfection before putting them back on again. Too many demerits for forgetting affected your grade. If you are a baby boomer, you’ll  relate to that.

Life wasn’t quite as frantic for children as it is today, running from activity to activity. When the school bell rang at 3:10 pm, it was time to go play outside with neighborhood children. Only if it rained, were  you allowed to be indoors to watch an hour of TV, perhaps “Father’s Knows Best.  You knew from routine that when dad came home from work you’d hear your mother shout out “Time for Dinner.”  It was time to gather around the family table. If there was an empty chair the family felt all broken up.

With certainty, Easter meant going to church, and getting all dressed up with white gloves, shiny white or black patent leather “mary jane’s” with a little pocketbook to match. There were rituals that went with every holiday. And  you knew without a doubt that mom’s card club or bowling team met every Thursday afternoon at 1 o’clock sharp.

Back then, life was more certain and families were more intact. see saw 2When raising children in the 1950s and 1960s, there was no need to read books about the mind, body and spirit connection because in my opinion, life was already lived in accordance with more wholesome core values. Balance was what you talked about in connection with the see-saw, not in counseling sessions trying to bring harmony back to an entire family.

Here is a link to an article by Jennifer Buckett that speaks to the issue of past and present values and morals. http://bit.ly/NP5FaN. I don’t necessarily agree with every charge in this article, but overall Buckett makes some good points.

I’d like to hear from our readers. Do you agree that life was lived more in balance in the 1950s and 1960s? What are your thoughts on our societal changes? Are they for the better or worse in raising families?

Come on back tomorrow to the space where independent words, thoughts and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Swinging Life Apart

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One must learn to love oneself with a wholesome and healthy love so that one can bear to be with oneself ...” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

girls standing up on swing set

Last night I had a wonderful dream that I was back on the elementary school playground with my twin sister. So today in my blogging we are going to travel down nostalgia lane.

Remember those days? Pumping on the swing trying to reach the clouds high in the sky? My sister and I often competed with one another to see who could push the limits. She usually won the race because her stamina was much greater than mine.

We were both pretty fearless when it came to heights, but I may have been the greater daredevil. As soon as we crested the top, we’d let go, become air bound and jump to the ground, nearly giving my mother a double heart attack.

An advantage of being a twin is that you have a “built-in” playmate.The challenge of being a twin is that people often treat twins as if they are one unit rather than two autonomous people with individual strengths, likes and needs.

Years ago, child psychologists theorized it was best to keep twins together in the same classroom, but they have since learned not so! http://bit.ly/1lWgEdY. When seventh grade rolled around my twin and I began to learn what life was like with separate groups of friends. We were put into different classes and weaned away from one another, having to adjust to not being together constantly.

Even to this day, we have lots of mutual friends. It wasn’t until I married that we really were completely separated and life has never been the same for us since. In fact for four decades we have lived in different cultural and geographical climates.  One lives in the heat and humidity surrounded by a huge population of people, the other in artic temperatures in remote and intimate surroundings.

What we share are similar values that were instilled in both of us when we were little. You’ll learn more about my twin double troubles in my memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for info & ordering

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

Film Friday: Miracle Dogs

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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.

Story of Attachment

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“Because everything of value that we will know in this life comes from our relationships with those around us. Because there is nothing material that measures against the intangibles of love and friendship.”R.A. Salvatore, Passage to Dawn

twin babies picture, one not expected to livejpg

Medical research institutions and psychologists have put a recent emphasis on studying what love, friendships and positive living have to do with good health and the outcome of surviving illness. I am deeply interested in this subject. It is just one of the reasons I have chosen to share my experiences through this blog and in an upcoming memoir.

Here is an insightful article from the Mayo Clinic about the value of love and friendships, check it out. http://www.mayoclinic.org/friendships/art-20044860.

February is a good time to share our heartfelt sentiments, so on this day I’d like to say to all of my family and friends.  “I am grateful for the wonderful support systems I have had in my life. I believe they make such a valuable difference.”

This video is especially for my twin sister because I know she will enjoy it. Warning: Be ready to clap your hands and tap your feet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh7YyoDD138. This video was produced by artists collaborating with one another from all over the world.

There are other important contributing factors besides love and friendship that I believe have led me to enjoy a fulfilling and vigorous life. I will relate them to my readers when my book is ready.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Health Perspectives with Karen Gilroy

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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.

How Sweet the Sound

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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

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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.