Tag Archives: All Things Fulfilling

Art Depicts Culture

Leave a comment

“Enjoyment is an incredible energizer to the human spirit.” ~ John C Maxwell

While I walked the streets of historic Park City I took in many art galleries and retail establishments filled with chic clothing, jewelry and handbags embellished with lots of bling. But what really struck me was the contrast when I walked into the Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery. It featured paintings of Russian Impressionism. The artists of this period celebrate in their paintings “the common people, depicting their lives, hopes and dreams and emotions in an intimate manner.”

Most of the pieces in this premier gallery of Russian Art, the  Thomas K McCarthey Gallery, are from the 1930’s to the 1980s. The pieces are carefully selected for their depiction of the human spirit while laboring at their trade. To read more about the McCarthey Gallery, please visit this link.www.mccartheygallery.net.

thomas-kearns-mccarthey-gallery-08_28_550x370

The town of Park City is rich with mining history. But the attention to the arts and the stunning natural beauty of the area is what will draw me back, yet again. Hopefully, soon!

See you tomorrow – brave hearts and dragons will be discussed on All Things Fulfilling.Sue’s memoir

 

Special Interest Bookstore

Leave a comment

“Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.” ~ Carol Lynn Pearson

The expanding heart1Some places you just have to return to. The Expanding Heart, a bookstore in historic downtown Park City, Utah is one of those kinds of places. I encountered this gem of a gift shop and bookstore on my visit to Park City two years ago and have never forgotten it.

It’s evident from what’s inside the store that great thought is put into their offerings. Those taking journeys into their hearts seeking self-realization can learn more about life’s natural energy forces through this bookstore’s publications and gift items. The focus of the store is all things that help fulfill one’s spiritual growth, emotional awareness and rejuvenation of the spirit. The sychronicity of the themes of the inventory is what makes browsing the store so interesting.

I came across a book that I couldn’t pass up because books in this genre are not a dime a dozen. At first glance I thought it was an unexpected find. But as I pondered the publication further, it indeed belonged among the other publications. It is all about self-expression and learning about oneself through art.

What was it you might ask? An historical art fiction book called With Violets: A Novel of the Dawn of Impressionism by Elizabeth Robards. It takes place in Paris in the 1860s when art had reached a new dawn, and creatives were freely exploring new styles of painting. Based on artist Edouard Manet and his relationship with one of his models, she comes to terms with the fact that she does not want to follow what Society expects for her but rather she will create her own future. I can’t wait to dig into it.

I enjoyed my second visit to The Expanding Heart and Svetlana, the store attendant, could not have been more enjoyable to talk with. Park City was a welcome get-away after having just completed a memoir. Sue’s memoir Come back on Monday I will let you in on a few of my favorite art galleries I visited in historic Park City, Utah.

downtown park city

Historic Main Street, Park City, Utah

Fool Notions and Fun

2 Comments

Anywhere is paradise; it’s up to you. ~Author Unknown

Can you hear me clapping? It’s Friday and I am happy! I came along for the ride with my husband to one of my favorite places to visit in the West – Park City, Utah. He’s here for some ski business meetings. It gives me a chance to explore and have a much needed change of scenery for a few days away from Steamboat Springs. This is another beautiful mountain resort town where Olympians reign supreme.

On Wednesday, I scoped out the area to see what I missed my first visit here two years ago. I visited Redstone – an up-and-coming upscale shopping area just down the road from the ski jumps in Olympic Park.

All things fulfilling is what I found at Paisley Pomegranate. http://paisleypomegranate.com.  The store was filled to the brim with whimsy, fun, creativity, art and design in this gift shop that has been voted #1 People’s Choice. It’s the kind of retail fantasy land I like to browse so I can think about fool notions and nothing at all, all at once. Pure escapism at it’s best. Here are some photos:

Paisley Pomegranite 1

Paisley Pomegranite #5

Paisley Pomegranite 2

Paisley Pomegranite 3

Next week I’ll post more of what I’ve mined from this training ground for Olympians and the home of the Sundance Film Festival. During the film festival the town is chock-a-block full of celebrity gatherings and independent filmmakers. They arrive on the scene to showcase their art and put their hopes in dreams of going home with an award-winning film destined for cinemas across the country.

It’s a gorgeous spring day here day here in Park City, Utah. The trees are just beginning to leaf out and turn green. There’s still white-capped peaks on the upper elevations of the Wasatch Mountains. Happy Friday, everyone! Do return to All Things Fulfilling on Monday.Sue’s memoir

 

Upcoming: An Artful Gathering

Leave a comment

“Your supposed to be using your gifts and fulfilling your dreams at every age.” ~Victoria Moran

image for blog about Kneading Hands event On May 23rd from 5-7 pm I will be one of three people who will be featured at an art reception at Kneading Hands Therapy. Kneading Hands has the distinction of being “Best of the Boat” as a leader in massage therapy. They also have a growing apothecary and retail gift shop.  http://www.kneadinghandstherapy.com/ Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected can now be purchased at Kneading Hands Therapy, so stop in anytime during their business hours or come the evening of May 23rd. I will be there and will personalize a copy of my newly released memoir just for you, if buy it. Kali Waldman, a multi-media artist whose love of art began at a young age will be present. Some of her art is abstract with unintentional messages that appear in many of her pieces which helps her to name them. Kali also enjoys photography and handbuilding with clay. For more information on her art, here is a link https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaliart/263624433681489?ref=hl. Lori Aigner will be present to talk about the Tower Garden, an aeroponic growing system. Her information will be timely, as planting gardens here in mountain country is just around the corner. Kneading Hands Therapy will have sale items, giveaways and refreshments. Stop in! I’m excited to be included in this event because the reception involves gals who are growing their passions through business and life – so an evening of  all things fulfilling! Thank you, Ali Boehm.  I’m looking forward to the event. This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Sue’s memoir

Fellowship of Artists

Leave a comment

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” ―J.R.R. Tolkien, Fellowship of the Ring

Yes, indeed, Christmas does come in May! Last week I had a beautiful holiday in May when I unpacked my 2nd most treasured possessions (unfortunately it was not my family that I unpacked and moved here).  But, my art that had been in storage for five years. When we moved from Vermont to Colorado we were in living in a place that really was not conducive to hanging artwork. So, except for a few choice pieces, the work remained in their boxes, that I had carefully constructed to store each piece. I learned how to build the custom boxes through observation. I had watched what the master artists from West Wind Fine Art, LLC did when they transported and sold paintings.

On May 1st we moved into a new place that showcases the art magnificently. As I carefully unpacked each and every piece it was as if I was seeing the artwork for the very first time. I had forgotten how beautiful my collection. Over the following days, my husband measured and hung the beautifully framed limited edition prints (and a few originals) to perfection. I have a good eye for placement of design, but the mathematics of getting the artwork hung just right proportional to the spaces without putting a million wrong holes in walls is tricky. Terry, thank you – it’s spot on! You have a much better perspective on that than I and it is a task that overwhelms me.

When I look at my collection, much of it came from West Wind Fine Art, LLC. It brings back wonderful memories of the time I spent working with some of the finest master painters in the world – Timothy R. Thies, Nancy Guzik and Richard Schmid. Their curator and representative, Kristen Thies, creates and orchestrates some of the most outstanding art exhibits in this country. timothy thies painting

Pastel Garden © Timothy R Thies

In 2011 Kristen traveled to the U.K. as an emissary for master artist Richard Schmid when his painting of the Manor home of Sir Walter Scott was unveiled for the Abbotsford House. She had the honor of meeting and hearing the praise about Schmid’s painting ‘from HRH Queen Elizabeth during the grand re-opening of the house and Visitors Center.

To read more about the artists of West Wind Fine Art, LLC please visit www.westwindfineart.com. Don’t miss out on their latest video about their painting expedition to the gardens of  historic Middleton Place in Charleston, S.C. The images in the video will beautify your day, and so will the music. http://bit.ly/1jEyyCm .

Seeing my treasures hanging on the walls of my place of residence once again has been a gift that will bring me great pleasure, years beyond my Christmas in May.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

Sue’s memoir
 

A Mothers Day Secret

2 Comments

Grown don’t mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What’s that suppose to mean? In my heart it don’t mean a thing. ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

Now that  Mother’s Day is over I can tell you what I got Mom since my  present that I was planning came much earlier than expected, thanks to the efficiency of my publishers, The Bookcrafters.

You see, I had been planned on giving my Mom the first copy of my new publication Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected as a Mothers’ Day surprise.Sue’s memoir But, someone in the family found out through the internet that my book was  available before I was ready to reveal it and spread the news to my mother. She bought a copy for herself immediately! So much for my good intentions and my secret.

Heart pillow for MomSo began my quandry. What to give Mom for Mother’s Day, instead of the book. It was solved when I stepped into Kneading Hands Therapy’s apothecary and gift shop to bring them copies of my memoir to sell. There it was, a little heart pillow, artfully decorated with a small banner that said “Write it on your heart that everyday is the best day of the year.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Perfect,” I thought, ” mom will love it.”

My mom really needs no reminder of this adage because she already has a zest for living and a unfaltering positive attitude toward life. Thankfully she has tried hard to pass on her joie de vivre to me, my siblings and her grandchildren. But, I thought, “she might like to hang the heart pillow from her bookshelves in her library or from the bedpost as a reminder to have faith, hope and find love in being alive every day on this earth even if things get more difficult with aging. She and my Dad are in their mid-eighties.”

Hope you had a great Mother’s Day, Mom. I was thinking of you and how grateful I am that you have had a long,healthy life to enjoy your four children and the grandchildren, too.

See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.

 

 

Getting the News Out

Leave a comment

“Educate a boy, and you educate an individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community.” ~ ― Adelaide Hoodless

communications todayFriday’s blog News over the Fence made me think further of how communications have changed over the ages. Through the decades we have gone from “meet me at the fence” to meet me on I.M. For those who are not tech savvy, that means meet me on the computer and we will talk digitally through instant messaging!

In the early years of telephone communications the women who ran the switchboards had their own web of communications through party lines. Reportedly the operators listened into everybody’s conversations, and when something of hot interest happened in small towns, the switchboard lit up, then the good word spread like wildfire throughout the community.

Women also gossiped when hanging laundry on the clotheslines in their yards, if their neighbors were close enough to dispatch the latest low-down.

Way back in history,  town criers broadcast news from the town square and men on horseback rode from town to town spreading the latest hearsay. The telegraph was also useful in tapping out messages of urgency.

When the printing press came into being, spreading the news became much easier. In fact, when I was growing up many newspapers, like the Baltimore Sun, had morning and evening editions of their daily publications.

These days, news travels in an instant through computers. And once it is broadcast digitally, there is no way to retract what we say. It’s delivered in the blink of an eye through cyberspace, so be careful. There can be great benefits to that however. It means we can learn of happenings and events globally, very quickly.

Return tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, I’ll tell you a story of how news over the internet sidetracked my plans for Mother’s Day this year.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard. Author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Sue’s memoir

 

 

Life Transitions

2 Comments

Since I left high school in Towson, Maryland in 1971, I rarely have looked back to those teen years. In fact I have never driven by the site of the school, not even to get a glimpse to see if anything has changed and I’ve never returned for a high school reunion.

A couple of summers ago when I was in the area of where I grew up, visiting family, I did drive by my three childhood homes, all within the same neighborhood. How I was feeling was hard to grasp. I suppose it could be described as a mixture of beautiful feelings and a very quick dash of sadness that life marched forward. The melancholy feelings lasted only a few brief minutes.

Funny, isn’t it, how some people live their entire lives in one place feeling completely fulfilled and others move on. For me,  I can’t imagine having stayed for all these years in the same environment where I spent my childhood.

My husband feels the same way. He left his childhood surroundings on the northern shores of Massachusetts (north of Boston) and never looked back. I suppose we were meant for each other – Baltimore girl, Boston boy, parents to a son raised in Vermont – now living in Albuquerque, New Mexico – a transient three, aren’t we?

Its taken me a life time to learn there is truth in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quotation, “the only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”   I’ve come to many more conclusions about how life takes unexpected turns as I have written my memoir.My reckonings will give me plenty more to write about.

towson high school

Photo Above: My high school in Towson, Maryland.

Interesting fact: Swimmer Michael Phelps, holder of 22 Olympic medals, also graduated from this school about twenty-five years after me.

Photo below: Overhead view of where I grew up – moved to three different homes in the same neighborhood. My dad built all three. The first house was a small cape style house, then onto what might be described as a southern colonial farmhouse and then to a 1970’s modern-style home which is smack in the middle of this picture.

Glenellen ct arial view-1

Tomorrow’s blog is about a hard learned lesson that happened in the 2nd of my childhood homes.Sue’s memoir

Do return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow. This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

Moving and Birth

2 Comments

untitled“Having a baby is painful in order to show how serious a thing life is.” ~ author Lisa See

At the end of last week my husband and I changed residences. As we went through the process, I began to think of the analogy between moving and giving birth:

Through both you have to do the work and you are faced with labor. Yet if you want to make way for newness in your life, you must bear down, face it and go through it, whether you want to or not.

Once you’ve gotten through each event, you can look back and laugh. You forget all the pain and agony that was packed with the experience.

I’ve moved many times throughout my life. My most transient years were after I graduated college until the time I married. Come on back tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. We will be visiting the neighborhood where I lived for the first 18 years of my life. It is where many of the stories in my memoir took place – in Towson, Maryland.

Sue’s memoir

May 5th: Steamboat Springs, CO

2 Comments

IMAG0998

Love grows from stable relationships, shared experience, loyalty, devotion, trust. ~ Unknown

You are cordially invited to Sue Batton Leonard’s book signing for Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected  in Steamboat Springs, Colorado: Here are the details:

  • Date: Monday, May 5th, 2014
  • Time: 6pm
  • Place: United Methodist Church, 736 Oak Street, Steamboat Springs, CO 8048

This event is open to the public and refreshments will be served.

The author will talk about her newly published memoir and about her experience of independent publishing.Sue’s memoir

See you on Monday, either in Steamboat or right here on the site of All Things Fulfilling!