Category Archives: Healthy living and healthy relationships

Film Friday: The Way, Way Back

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“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” –Henri Bergson

Coming of Age Stories:
• Protagonist undergoes growth and transformation
• Transitions into adulthood – emotionally, physically, morally
• Presents key ideas and themes that follow throughout the book or film
• Story told through a voice or point of view that affects the story or makes the viewer or reader sympathetic toward characters.
• Opening scene usually sets the stage for the story. Turning points have significance to the conclusions.
• Are honest and moving.

way_way_back_xlg-691x1024There is a recently released film that has been said to contain all of the needed characteristics of good coming of age movies. The Way, Way Back is a top pick for summer movies. This is a story about human relationships in a day and age when  there are few standard definitions of “family.” A brother and sister uprooted by divorce, and displaced to a New England seaside town of the mother’s boyfriend is the basic story. How the siblings handle loss and change, are all part of this coming of age story.Click for info and ordering The Way, Way Back

To read Leonard Maltin’s review of this movie on Indie Wire, please follow this link. http://bit.ly/12HnPeQ . According to Maltin, this is a not to be missed movie. LA Times film critic, Betsy Sharkey, has also given rave reviews to The Way, Way Back.

To see where this movie is making its debut in theatres near you, please follow this link. http://bit.ly/11GxiYU. Brought to you by the same studio that produced Little Miss Sunshine and Juno!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Happy Film Friday, everyone. Do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday.

Rock Art a Healing Medium

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Making art is like giving a gift: evidence of your spirit and that you are here.” ~Patty Mitchell

Ok, so it’s not a National news story, but, it is significant to me. The short and long of the narrative goes like this….one man, stricken with grief over the death of his dog decided to make rock art to relieve his pain and sorrow. His creations brought community together, and they joined in the action so many were touched by his story. The artist’s work was then destroyed by someone who didn’t like it.

Bondville VermontDoesn’t quite seem fair, does it? The rock art sculptures, all one hundred or so of them, took delicate balance, patience and vision to build in the middle of a tributary of the WestRiver, in the small town of Bondville at the base of StrattonMountain, where I resided for almost thirty years.  The “stone forest” was not bothering nary a soul, just healing someone who needed it, yet the art was raked over like coals.

Once again, the community is gathering to support the rock artist and to do something about helping him rebuild his life through his art.

Want to learn more about this story of personal fulfillment, spirituality, community and what some see as a grave injustice? Watch this video and tell me whether you think the rock sculptures were offensive. I welcome your comments.

To view the video: http://bit.ly/1axocOu.

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Artist Spotlight: Driftwood Art

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If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” ~Daisaku Ikeda

One evening at the Second Saturday Artwalk in Cambridge, Maryland I had the priviledge of meeting Lynn Cegelski, an artist who makes driftwood art. Living so close to the shore of the Chesapeake, the material she needs to create her green art is readily available. She recycles a natural resource, wood that has been cast into the ocean, tumbled by the waters then discarded onto beaches. The wood is her canvas, and the shape provides inspiration for what she is going to create.

At her exhibit last week at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts http://www.dorchesterarts.org/ , paintings on driftwood of a bald eagle, an angelfish, and owls in a tree could not have been better suited for their subjects. No carving of wood was needed. Sometimes, Lynn says “her vision for the piece of wood is immediately evident” and other times, she brings the wood home not knowing what she is going to do with it, but with time, a vision for the piece shines through after studying the nuances in the wood. “Half the fun of her art,” Lynn says “is walking the beaches and along shorelines in search of her treasures.” It is a way of winding down from the stresses of life.

IMAG0770I enjoyed meeting this artist, from Denton, Maryland. She was warm, friendly and her passion for her art was evident. I wish her well in her endeavors as an artist. Her exhibit at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts was her first.

For more information on Lynn’s business, Fiddlesticks Driftwood Art, please visit www.facebook.com/fiddlesticksdriftwoodart or contact Lynn by email at FiddlesticksArt@gmail.com. A company website is forthcoming.

Pleasure to meet you, Lynn!

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling for another artist spotlight from the Chesapeake region. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Skipping Around with Images

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“Each one sees what one carries in the heart” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The assimilation process of language is interesting. It reminds me how important it is that parents watch their words to their children. One never knows what will come back to us from our offspring.  Words of beauty, compassion and understanding, are better echoed by our children than words of hatred and intolerance. To learn more about language assimilation of children, please read this article http://bit.ly/133mukU.

I come by my interest in flowers and gardening, naturally, through my parents. I never realized how much knowledge  I had assimilated about flowers in my formative years until I married a man whose father was a landscaper. Garden talk automatically became common lingo in our household when our lives converged. I am both surprised and delighted when our son whips out names of familiar flowers that have grown in our gardens. He has naturally ingested the names of many species.

I know what you are thinking. “Sue sure has gone out on a tangent this morning – Odd! Where is this subject matter coming from?”I am using stream of consciousness writing, today. http://bit.ly/117U99S.  A beautiful flower that I photographed at my parents house  started me down this path of thought.

This flower, digitalis (better known as foxglove) has always been present in my garden. But the blossom pictured, is the most beautiful of its kind I have ever seen. It could serve as a specimen plant because it is particularly noteworthy and deserves “center stage.” The stem is as wide as three stems fused together, and unusually flat shaped – a real treasure. Without the abnormally shaped stem, the heavy and enormous flower would topple over! When I saw it, it made my heart skip a beat.

Those are my fulfilling independent thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com today. Come back tomorrow, perhaps my writing will be more cohesive.

digitalis 3 digitalis 1

digitalis 2

Photo 1: Check out the triple width stem of the unusually formed digitalis.

Photo in Middle:  Three ordinary foxglove (digitalis) and one hefty, atypical plant

Photo 3: Close up of atypical specimen of digitalis.

To read more about this species of flower, digitalis, please go to .http://bit.ly/11aZikG.

Good Foundations of Health Literacy

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It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~ Frederick Douglass 

nutrition-habitsEncouraging young students to learn more about healthy food choices is important to the Arthur W Perdue Foundation. A forty-thousand dollar grant towards health literacy has been awarded to the AtlanticGeneralHospital in Worcester County, Maryland. The AGH is creating after school programs to educate children about making better choices in their lives. http://bit.ly/18LrPSQ.

AGH will partner with the HerschelSHorowitzCenter for Health Literacy http://www.healthliteracy.umd.edu/   at the University of Maryland College Park to draft a set of health literacy standards for the K-8 public school curriculum. Health literacy is a relatively new term, and it is being integrated into core curriculum in schools in many states, such as Colorado.

Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC of Steamboat Springs, Colorado http://eatplaylearnbooks.wordpress.com/  is pioneering the way in publishing e-books which incorporates the use of videos of “kids activities that use food as a learning tool.” Great resources for parents and educators.

Kudos to the Perdue Foundation and to Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC for their commitment to educating children about the cornerstones of good health and the long term benefits of eating right!

Return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

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Fulfillment for the Royals

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“Of all the roles I’ve played, none has been as fulfilling as being a mother.” ~

Annette Funicello

It’s a high time for the Royal Family. Will Catherine, the Dutchess of Cambridge give birth to a Royal Princess or Prince?  I’ll bet the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, can hardly wait to see whether his offspring, male or female, will be next in line to the throne to fulfill his duties, if he ever reaches the post. That still remains to be seen.

As a mom, I am not sure I’d wish a royal role on a son or a daughter. It would be a blessing and a burden. But then, ordinary folk have both blessings and burdens in their lives, too! A big perk would be living in a castle with every whim or whimsy tended to. Bounty and agony can come with that  -imagine the upkeep. I think I’ll stick to an ordinary life, and surround myself with beautiful things when I want to. Sounds like a balanced solution.

I am on Royal baby countdown, like every fan of the British monarchy. You can be sure the Brits and the Americans are gearing up for selling commemorative plates, mugs, banners and all kinds of products to demarcate the big event of the  baby’s arrival into the royal family!

Bells will toll and news of the royal birth will ring out loud and clear on media sites, in print and on-line everywhere.   Castles and Coffeehouses wants you to “Be the first on your block” to own a souvenir of the special birth day of the newest royal family member. Read it for yourself.  http://bit.ly/16ADMET.

Happy Royal Baby Watching everyone!

keep calm and be yourself

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The American Story in DVDs

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“You need to take pride in what God has given you.” ― Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential

“God Bless America.” Those words get to me every time! Over 4th of July I was with my family at a small marina on the Chesapeake enjoying a band that was playing popular songs from the 1970s and 1980s. I was in my glory listening to “oldies but goodies,” including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in America.” The band ended the evening with singing “God Bless America.” Many of us stood, and placed our hands over our hearts, as we were taught to do during patriotic anthems.

learn our historyIn today’s world many students are not aware of the role God has played in our nation’s history. In my opinion, it is sad, and frankly, un-American not to teach it in schools. Love of country and our creator, go hand in hand. If you ask me, without a personal belief system that includes faith our country, and in our fellow citizens, and  belief in a force much greater than humankind there is less hope in the world for growth, prosperity, ingenuity, and other things that we Americans have always held near and dear to our hearts. These attributes are what has made our country great.

There is a new series of animated films called “Learn our History.”  Writers, animators, historians and educators collaborated on this project to make certain highlights from America’s story of independence available to students and teachers. You can see a sneak preview, free of charge, through this website. http://www.learnourhistory.com/Columbus.html.  The lessons are uniquely told, in a fashion that is interesting and compelling. The American Revolution, Lewis and Clark Expeditions, The Mayflower and the First Thanksgiving, Christopher Columbus’ Great Discovery are just a few topics on this DVD series.

Order these independently produced films to share with your children and keep the American story alive. Teaching history does not have to be rote learning of facts, creative storytelling is incorporated into each of these movies. They are also formatted for on-line streaming on I-Pads and i-phones  and other internet connected devices.

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by http://www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Reading into Thoughts

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We buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them. ~ Warren Zevon

Good story line, great characters, mystery, romance, captivating dialogue or cover, identification with place or setting – all good reasons why people buy books.

I never much thought that hope may be a reason for buying a book. But, yes, as I ponder the idea, it is true. We do buy books anticipating we will find time to read them. And we trust there will be something that speaks to us from within the pages.

man with child readingI recently read The Light between Oceans by author M.L. Stedman. What a moral dilemma the characters in this novel face. It is a very compelling, thought provoking story. The book made me stop and consider all the reasons parents take the plunge and bear children. On the list is the same element of hope we have in buying novels.

We hope we will have enough time to love our children they way we ought to and we will have a fulfilling relationship with them. As with books, what’s the point of having children in the home if we can’t appreciate them, and if they do not remain in our hearts and minds forever?

There is a blog I’ve been following for about a year by Tom Dawson, author of Cottonwood. http://tdawson-cottonwood.com/pieces.html . Dawson’s commentary on being a father  and grandfather in his “Pieces” column is worthy of reading. Follow the link, and scroll down until you see the article titled “The Promise.”

Just another independent thought this morning about books and children. Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling.

America through Images

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I think at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

 Happy Birthday, America!

Today’s blog is all about independence, patriotism, and all things fulfilling and nostalgic through American art posters.

Each of these works of art have been created by independent artists and can be purchased, and shipped world-wide through e-commerce (through the web or on-line). Please go to www.AllPosters.com .

As you take a tour, remember those who have fought to defend our country’s liberties, this day and every day. Enjoy the American story, told through images.

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

adolph-treidler-soldiers-without-gunsfood is ammunition dont waste

girl pulling for soldier

wwii-can-all-you-can

edward-penfield-every-girl-pulling-for-victory-save-waste-papersilence means security

stevan-dohanos-two-generations-of-vets-july-5-1947

scott-westmoreland-surfin-usa

wwii-us-poster-1942

charles-coiner-give-it-your-bestThis blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Do return tomorrow to www.allthingsfulfilling.com .

Fulfilling Flashbacks

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“God has given us our memories that we might have roses.” ~ Unknown

Recollections bookThere is a book by Jim Chambers called,  Recollections: A Baby Boomers Memories of the Fabulous Fifties that is a fun read if you grew up in the 1950’s and 1960s and like to return temporarily to yesteryear. Although I believe in the importance of moving forward in my life, just thinking back to childhood days is fulfilling.

Click for info & ordering

The other day, I returned to my childhood, when I stopped by a snowball stand (also known as snow cones, in other parts of the country) for a treat down memory lane. Choosing a flavor has not become easier as an adult, I can assure you of that. Tutti-fruity, blood orange, thunderbird, lemon-lime, they all sounded good, but root beer eventually won out. The girl manning the stand rushed me to a quick decision when she looked at me with her beady eyes, as if to say “Hurry up lady, make up your mind, I’ve got along line of people waiting.”

As I sipped and crunched on the giant-sized cup of crushed ice with artificial flavoring, I thought back to all kinds of fulfilling thoughts of summer from the 1950s and 60s. Do you remember?

  • “Sea and Ski” suntan lotion? Back then, the thought of adding a sun block to the lotion would have been a travesty!
  • The drive-in movies? The audio box that hung from the window emitted sounds that crackled and broke up.
  • Lazy  days by the pool or laying on the bed reading The Bobbsey twin novels? One book after another?
  • Doing the twist or the “Freddie” with your friends? Loved the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Pappas, the Temptations, the Righteous Brothers and the Supremes.
  • Walking between bolts of fabric at the sewing store? Dreaming about patterns, colors and materials you’d need to make a back to school dress for      September?
  • Waiting for the weekly airing of Candid Camera? That show always tickled me pink.
  • Screaming like a raving maniac when the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan? How I adored Ringo and also Topo Gigio!

608-worldsfair-postcardI was keenly aware that our family shared a special privilege, the summer of 1964. We went to the World’s Fair in NY. Oh, how I wish my youngest brother was old enough to remember it. He was just a baby. I marveled at seeing the huge globe on display, and colorful flags from all the nations represented, surrounding it. Our family sang “It’s a Small World After All” the entire way back to Baltimore.

Ahhhh…childhood. Beautiful childhood. I had all the time in the world just to be a kid and play. Unfortunate that today, kids get rushed through it, isn’t it?

This  blog brought to you by Sue B Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected Click for info & ordering Sue’s memoir and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.