Tag Archives: All Things Fulfilling

By Creator’s Design

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“The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light.”
— Ram Dass

I’ve been doing a little experiment with one of my houseplants to give Chloe, my writers muse a more creative look. In my opinion, she is now looking rather jaunty with her tresses swept to the side! Her transformance has taken some months but now it is coming into full evidence. How timely! Her new look became apparent just as the horse racing season began when the southern-set women put on their fascinator hats, placement atilt on their heads. I didn’t rotate her position for many, many months, thus, her tresses have been leaning toward the greatest source of light – the nearest window.

Isn’t it wonderful that in our Universe, our Creator thought to give us both dark and light? The basic truth is most of us crave the light rather than darkness, it’s the reason why we are more joy-filled in the brighter seasons or when in life we are actively moving in a positive direction.

 

 

Painters on the Portico

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More than fifteen visual artists stopped by the weekly gathering yesterday on May Day, to say, “Hey, take a look at my new painting!” It was a great day to be outside. The sun was shining and there was a gentle, moderately warm breeze which swept across the lawns and portico at the historic Palladian Mansion, “The Liriodendron.”

The art talk was as interesting as always, with creatives sharing their methodology and their visions about what they brought to various surfaces. The exchange of questions led to insight about their individual style preferences, favored art supplies and so much more, such as when their paintings will make their debuts in future local, statewide and regional shows or beyond. Thus, I restrain from posting photos of individual works of art, most of which were very colorful.

It was so good to be among these artists once again. The only disappointment was although the wisteria overhead was still dripping with flowers, their purple shades of color have faded to mostly shades of gray to white. Then watch out! It is known to become wild, carefree and unruly. The new shoots of green will quickly wind and twine along along anything they can grab onto and hug.

It was a fabulous May Day with some of the many talented Harford County artists at the historic home and estate of Dr. Howard Atwood Kelly and his wife Letitia.

A Spring Sunday

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Yesterday, on the Sabbath, I rested my eyes on the glories of springtime at Maison Nord Garden. The private gardens were open to the public to benefit the Harford Community Action Agency.

Rhona Frank and her daughter Chrissy own the 7 acre property. Rhona’s creativity along with her her collaborator, Kelcey Degnan and their other botanical helpers is evident everywhere. Chrissy’s claim to fame is “chief duck-keeper” and event assistant. Several outbuildings were colorfully painted to perfectly accentuate certain areas. As I spoke with the elder of the two ladies, it became evident great thought is put into the design and the species of flowers she wishes to highlight at various times of the year. I was charmed by the succulent display which was planted and overtaking the roof of the children’s playhouse. The red flowering quince trees and the tulip display were beautiful as well as the woodland flowers which have poked up from under the earth – lenten rose, bleeding heart, primrose, ajuga, Virginia bluebells, just to name a few.

As I strolled the paths and the gardens, I reflected upon how God’s magnificent powers along with seed, water, soil and light, yields nourishment for both body in the way of food, and for soul, particularly after the barrenness of color all winter.

 

 

 

When the property was purchased, it was a farm. Now viola! Seventeen years later, many labors of love have been put into transforming it into floral gardens.  The owner explained other garden highlights which will appear throughout the gardening season. 

I’d like to thank this mother and daughter team, who were both delightful, for my experience there today. I jumped in on  a portion of the garden tour which provided me with the names of a few plants I was unfamiliar with. 

What a wonderful way to support a vital community organization, by sharing the beauty of the fruits of their labors. Look forward to returning!

The Spring Outing

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Today, I’d like to share a piece of my writing, which has never been published, titled The Spring Outing! May you feel refreshed, renewed and encouraged by every new dawn during the Eastertide Season.

The Spring Outing

©Sue Batton Leonard 2004

*************

Winter’s chill has passed

I shall no longer shiver

Today, I am off to the river.

I’ll scamper

along with my hamper.

Go to the weeping willow

where there will be a soft pillow.

A mound of moss,

for my clean linen cloth.

 

Before me I’ve strewn,

A canteen of steeped tea

a silver fork, knife and spoon.

A spring onion tart

with ‘shrooms and cheese,

and a tasty salad of caprese.

A square of dark chocolate

is in the pocket.

I’ll save one cup

for after I’ve supped,

while watching spring erupt.

 

With the yellow forsythia branches

I’ll weave in tender pussy willows

dotted with long stemmed violets.

A crown to place on my head

before I lay on my makeshift bed.

 

Amidst snowdrops, 

little bunny hops,

and silly daffodillies,

I’ll  nap and dream

of summer’s August.

When aside the garden

I’ll sit in the long grass

Among the wildflowers mass

drinking chilled sassafras.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ode to Irish Writers

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An authentic Gaelic writer, also known as a seanchaí, I am not, but what fun it is to play with words while thinking about the characters found in Irish pubs on this day celebrating Saint Patty. Many are doing what seems to come natural to them – oral storytelling.

Hundreds of years ago the Irish placed great value on things of the spirit, mind and imagination because material goods were hard to come by. They put faith in their gift of gab to deliver a good tale in the local public houses, bars and pubs.

On this day when everyone seems to find a little Irish in them, Happy Wearing of the Green!

*****

An Ode to Irish Writers

Tierney O’Leary 

Felt awfully dreary.

Lack-luster and paled

from too much ale.

The Irish fog had lasted too long

it was time to find a new song.

So, he went to the chapel

to kinda grapple.

A decision was made

which he obeyed.

Life became lived much safer

on grape juice and wafer.

He wrote with great fervor

it became a life preserver.

He was no longer sad 

instead, an upstanding lad.

Oh, the power of art

when set on one’s heart.~~

©Sue Batton Leonard

Happy St. Patty’s Day to all

May you never stumble and fall!

“Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam. A country without a language is a country without a soul.” ― Pádraig Pearse, Architect of the Easter Rising in Ireland

 

Nostalgic Images

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Above: Havre de Grace Amtrack train track by artist Pamela Wilde

Ahhh…the golden age of train travel. It was an era when travel etiquette was expected. Some of the first few paintings I encountered yesterday when I walked into Monkton Mill Station/Gallery exhibit depicted the romantic side of train travel, rather than the trade and commerce aspect of what railroad transportation brought to our country.

If nostalgic feelings come to you, like me, with seeing the rust and gears of an old steam engine, a view looking out a train window hung with a curtain of lace, the graphics on train cars or the sight of a train crossing sign, then there were romantic images presented by all the participants. You can take in all of this and more from the works of the participating artists – Don James,  Heather Shreve, Henry Coe, Don James, Douglas Lake, Dora Patin, Raymond Burns and Janet Little Jeffers.

The exhibit included oil paintings, photographs and other archival artifacts such as the formal uniform of a conductor and old tickets sold by the cashier in the booth. The entire exhibit relates to the train industry. There was even a beautifully constructed model of a train car which enhanced the overall experience of the show. Indeed, it was a journey through a time which was central to western expansion, when family names like the Vanderbilts, Edward Harriman, Andrew Carnegie and other industrial pioneers and railroad tycoons were tossed around like baggage being moved from train to train.

Stop in and see the show, which will be at Manor Mill Station/Gallery until April 21, 2024. And there will be a train day at Manor Mill Gallery on March 30, 2024. Get your kids or grandkids aboard by registering!

Community Engagement

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Lately I’ve had the opportunity to speak with some of my peers who have asked me about my writing life. Then inevitably, the discussion turns to finding purpose in life after retirement.

If you are a baby boomer like me, following what was expected of us was the norm. You know how it goes – get the degree(s), find a job/career, buy a house, have the children. Then BOOM before you know it the empty nest hits and retirement nears leaving us to wonder, now what? We are too active to sit home and age, as previous generations did after retirement. But, many of us haven’t a clue as to what to do next. We’ve never really taken time out for ourselves to explore who we are at heart and creatively.

Personal fulfillment means something different to each one of us. It’s quite profound when you find your passion, as I did with writing, without struggling to find it and it comes in the natural order of life’s events.

Another case in point. I have a friend who is retired, and in her travels to Hawaii she became interested in learning to play the ukulele. So she and a few friends took lessons. They formed a musical group and just had their first concert at a community church in Vermont. Some of the proceeds from the concert will go to support the church’s breakfast outreach program. Way to go ladies!

Peak your interest? Here in our area, Manor Mill Gallery in Monkton is holding ukulele beginner’s classes in May!

If a curiosity about something comes to you, my advice is to stay open to it. It may be a latent interest you’ve always had but were never aware of it. Set out on a creative quest, see where your interest leads rather than trying to orchestrate life to go the way you think it should. Self-discovery is fascinating.

Next time on All Things Fulfilling, I will tell you about a gentlemen who in his retirement has taken an interest he had in his childhood and has now found even a greater level of personal fulfillment in it. Come on back. We are always posting new content.

Into the Creative Lens

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I see you! I may know something about you. You are just like I once was, hesitant to share my literary art. It felt risky because then I’d be an open book! Guess what? My writing has been the most fulfilling thing I’ve done in my lifetime, other than tackling the hardest job on the planet – doing my best at being a good mother.

Springtime is a great time to take an exciting leap. Whether you’re someone who has been turning wooden wares on a lathe, doing some art journaling, enjoying creating choreography for a dance, writing lyrics to a song or putting paint on paper or canvas hoping your art will become gallery-worthy, don’t hide your light under a bushel. Step into it! Unleash your creative freedom.

 

Art of Casual Crafting

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Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is coming up, thus the reason for this post.

Have you ever known anyone who seems to make an art out of everything they do? I have. I greatly admire them for it. I try to put a little touch of creativity into my every day tasks and bring beauty into my home any which way I can.

I enjoy casual crafting and find personal fulfillment in that. I had fun handcrafting a few simple Christmas gifts. Decoupage satisfied my desire to dabble with something I hadn’t done in a decades. The colors held pretty well on the pansies I had been pressing between parchment paper inside a book since last spring.

I attached a little watercolor tag to each of the decoupaged bottles which said, “Bottle your hopes and dreams, but remember to uncork and act!”

Photo Above: Three decoupaged art journals. Most of the pages were left blank, so the recipient can use the booklet however they wish. My sister called me immediately after receiving hers. “I know exactly what I am going to do with mine!” I look forward to seeing it. She received the journal on the right.

In my writing as with my crafting, I don’t wait for inspiration to strike. I’ve learned to start and see where my Creator leads me. Living without overthinking too much gives us freedom to live by what comes naturally. That’s wholesome living in and of itself.

Cheers for a creative New Year! Hard to believe the first month is nearly over.

Wintering in the Studio

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Today, I am reposting a story called “Angels Across the Fence,” about an encounter I had with a plein air painter a few years ago. It was a delightful day in every way.

Hang in there artists! Spring has never failed us – it will here be sooner or later. As we all know, “there is a time and a reason for every season.”

Angels Across the Fence