Hobbies and Interests

[irish]

Oh Scottie, this is a breath of fresh air. I enjoy seeing what the other are doing. I am a reader, always have been always will be. I read every time I sit down it seems. I read the newspaper and get one everyday and one once a week which is a local paper that is silly to have but you can't do without.

Also, I hit every thrift shop I can and buy used paperbacks and even some hard cover books if the price is right. I am into the books like Vince Flynn writes. There are so many good writers out there and it is amazing that they can come up with so many new story lines. WRiting is sort of like playing the piano---there are only so many keys and look at all of the wonderful music that is made.

I also crochet-- when I feel like it---afghans that are a made up pattern and just for warmth. I would like to get my house arranged so that I could make a quilt for all the grandkids. Easy ones made out of large pieces of material. I have all the quilt batting and many new sheets that I bought for backs and was going to make fronts up as I went. Here's hoping that will get done.

I am a political nut and watch a lot of political shows and listen to the talk shows on the radio. When the elections come I am kept busy. You will never know what party I am cause I don't have one. About 10 years ago when we got cable I got into this and I find it keeps my mind active knowing what is going on in this crazy world.

I am a hopeless fan of House Hunters, Propery Virgin, House Hunters International ( I love Italy) plus I like Divas, Diners and Dives. Other than that I don't think there is much on TV to watch.

This is so great. We all have our ailments, but there is a life out there and doggone it we are going to take part as best we can. Irish

[Bopeep]

INGA

hehehe seems like all labs are brain dead, bless their little stupid hearts lol.

I do have to admit I couldnt do the garden without my trusty sprayer. Had I known I was this ill 12 years ago I am sure Id never of started my garden. But in saying that as Im sitting here looking out at the beautiful vista Iv created, weeds and all lol I know it was a good thing to do, and it seems the birds do as well.
This year we have a pair of phesants looking like they are going to nest in the magnolia garden. Great, but it means the garden is off limits now til the birds have left the nest.

We also think its heaven Inga. We love it. problem is anyone that comes to stay never wants to go home. 

I think goats are cute but on someone elses property hehe

I also agree with  everyone else this is a great thread scottie

[Scottietottie]

I'm enjoying reading about everyone too. I just remembered that someone else started a thread like this a few years ago and thought bit was time for a re-run! 

[genko_b]

It takes me forever to find posts and respond, so I'm a bit behind here.

I like gardening and all that goes with it. My sister and I go to garden sales together and trade plants out - that's half the fun. And I like arranging flowers. My goal is to be able to have flowers and/or foliage all over the house, all year around, and not have to buy any at the florists or the grocery store. So I'm constantly tinkering to fill in gaps in the flower calendar. And my sister and I are both seriously thinking about chickens, now that our city allows up to 8 on a single residence property.

The other thing I like to do is Japanese tea ceremony. It's more than a hobby now since I've started teaching in the tearoom at my home.

And my husband and I like to travel together - our next trip is to Vietnam and Cambodia. In recent years we've been to Japan, India, and Greece.

Reading is great fun, but nowadays I mostly read books relating to my various interests, and cookbooks, rather than fiction. When I do read fiction, I like mysteries with interesting settings and historical fiction best, which is kind of like traveling.

Genko

[quilt4fun]

     With a name like "quilt4fun", I guess it's pretty obvious what my main hobby is!!  I also sew everything from baby coveralls to curtains. 
     I like to knit and crochet,  my job allows me to do this when there are no customers in the store.
     Reading Christian novels by just about any author takes up spare minutes too.
    I used to do a lot of flower gardening- but they got sadly neglected this summer.
    My husband and I like to go camping, but don't go out as much as we would like. Have a 25' travel trailer. Lancaster, PA is one of our favorite areas.
    Also have done some geneology, traced one  family line back to King Edward( I didn't do all the work! just found that someone else had!) Also found that my husbands and my line met about 14 generations back!  Got started on this when my mom gave me old pictures and I started scrapbooking them.
    Baking is another favorite pastime, I'm told I make the best sticky buns and dinner rolls.  But I don't each much of them--too many calories. Making cookies from scratch with the grandchildren is also lots of fun, They love to run the mixer!!!! And they take most of them home .

[Patze]

All right folks, stand back now while I crack my fingers!  Okay then, let's see now...

Pictures please Bopeep!  You have a magnolia garden?  Oh.my.goodness, I adore the darn trees and would love to see what you've done with your garden.

Pisces, you are an amazing lady, and to help the old, the ill, and the low income folks keep their pets is beyond words!  Bravo, bravo!

I read by the tons (often donating books to the local library), and also love to crochet and needlepoint when I have time too.

Like Journey, you'll often find me out among nature as often as I can (not nearly enough in my opinion). 

My love of chocolate is not to be believed (it's the undiscovered food group, right?


Patze

[Rayven]

Of course I prepend this list with the usual "If I have the energy...." Heh.

I love the outdoors.  I finally got up enough energy to go to a state park with my husband and daughter a few weeks ago and do some hiking in ravines here in Indiana.  My husband has taken my daughter there often and I could never go because I worked 3rd shift on weekends.  Finally, I made it! And it was fantastic.

Serious computer geekyness in my house.  My husband is a software engineer and we have a gazillion different types of computers all over the house.  We do all kinds of graphic design, web site development, computer gaming and so forth.

The Wii! Oh my goodness, why didn't this thing come out ages ago?  I'm pretty good at the bowling We got Rock Band 2 now and Band Hero so we have all the instruments and the whole family plays together.  Of course my daughter is the drummer.  Fantastic outlet for all that 8 year old energy.  After a couple beers, my husband can even goad me into singing.

Fantasy Football.  Oh yes. The NFL American football variety for our overseas friends.  I'm in two pro leagues, one small one and one big one with individual defense players.  And a college football one.  I'm still working hard to get the big team going.  It's a lot of work and since my brain goes on vacation every 5 seconds, I have to work about 50 times harder than everyone else to keep my players organized.  I won the Super Bowl in my small league last year!  And the college league, well, it's a bunch of us from the other two leagues and we have no idea what we're doing so it's just pure fun.

I have pets.  If a pet has a sad story, it seems to find its way to my house. I even got a cat given to me at the grocery store once! Heavens... Love 'em all though.

My husband, bless him, loves to cook. He's also from Wisconsin.  Wisconsin is the beer, cheese, sausage capital of America. Webuy the cheese, but he actually makes home-made beer and sausage.  I, of course, am the primary taste-tester.

I do dabble in art, some sewing and so forth. Halloween is coming up and it is also my daughter's birthday. Every year she gets to ask me for a costume and it's my birthday gift for her.  Some years she goes easy on me... A cat... A soldier... And then there's the not-so-easy years. Galadriel from Lord fo the Rings... and this year's masterpiece, a -dragon-. Oh boy.

It's been a pleasure getting to know everyone a bit better from reading this thread.

[Pegasus47]

Scottie:

This is a happy topic, in oppose to the issues we normally see.

Yap, I am a Argentine Tango Dancer- pretty good at it too.  It is not as aerobic as Salsa or Swing- but really tones the muscles, and I do get tired afterwards.  Helps me sleep.  I do this 3-4 times/week- each time 3-4 hours until I collapse.

I use to sing in a very good choir - but lately, my voice is getting horse and having a tough time hitting the high notes (soprano)- so I quit 6 months ago.  I also play the piano.

Anyone want to go dancing with me?

Pegasus

[lynnmarie219]

Wow Pegasus!

Tango Dancing 3-4 times a week for 3-4 hours?? I would absolutely die!! 

More power to you...you go girl!

[Jules48cats]

It has been fun getting to read all the post and realize that even though we all have different interests and hobbies, we all have Sjogrens in common.
My husband and I go to the mountains on some weekends, He has a hunting camp, its a dump, but we have running water and indoor plumbing.  We have 4 and a half cats.  We take Rufus and the kitten, Reuben with us most weekends.  We are teaching Rufus to walk on a leash.  It is slow going but he trusts us so he is patient most of the time.
I love reading, almost anything from history, to autobiographies, to mystrey and horror.  I also like to watch movies, My husband can't go to the theater but we get movies from Netflix.  We play card and board games. I also love to put together jigsaw puzzles, but I only do them in the mountains.  I need a room that the cats can't go in and eat the pieces.   I love getting together with family and friends.
I also love to go to wine and food tastings.  I worked at a winery for almost 30 years and I love a glass of wine with dinner sometimes.  I like Cabernets and Shiraz.   
I am starting to volunteer at out local hospital.   
Oh and I also watch Days of our lives, and House and a lot of comedies.  We love to watch Sons of Anarchy on FX.
Jules

[Meld256]

Thanks, Scottie, this IS interesting...

1st: So glad I found this forum. It helps deter my feelings of isolation, which was getting pretty bad a few months ago. So much better now!

2nd: I actually enjoy cleaning/organizing my home. I know, I'm a freak. But after working so many hrs. for so many years just giving the house a little love, now I enjoy simple ways of making it look better and be cozier. Hey, I'm here most of the time so might as well be my sanctuary.

3rd: Trying my hand at quilting again, since I have the time. Gives me a sense of being creative and productive.

4th: Yep, love some reality TV. Amazing Race, especially. I love seeing all the countries. Also gotten hooked on Home Hunters and Hoarders...that one gives me motivation to clean and organize! I also watch football with the hubby.

5th: Love music and books.  I am new at this extra time thing, since just stopped working in Feb. So many things I didn't take the time to really enjoy before I try to look at with a new appreciation. I'm still adjusting to the "new me" and still get frustrated sometimes when I can't accomplish what I want to, but I guess it's a process I can work on each day.

[Bucky]

This is an older topic from last year, but we've had so many newbies that I thought it would be fun to bump this back up to the top of the list to see if we can add any more posts to this thread.

From what I've read in others posts on the forum - we have a talented group of people here!   

Several of our members have run marathons, are crafty, dancers, teachers, etc. - what do you like to do in your spare time?  (Or, maybe it's a paying job for you . . all the better.   )

There are a lot of different things I would "like" to try - but, most every hobby or interest costs money and is too expensive for me. 

Looking forward to reading what is added to this thread.

Bucky

[Pisces24]

I keep telling myself I want to get some lessone and start playing my violin again - that I have not played for years!  But I've just never got around to it

[hikerknees]

Can you tell I love hiking?  The Rocky Mountains is my backyard, my goal is to do a "14er" ie a mountain peak that is 14,000 ft or more, before my Sjogrens gets any worse, so hopefully this summer...

Have always been a reader; when I was a kid I had my favorite tree to read in, combining reading with my love of the outdoors.  I was doing a garden with the kids at one of my schools but haven't had the energy lately, am cutting back my schedule so hope to restart.  My animals are guinea fowl (a never ending source of amusement and they eat grasshoppers like crazy) and barn cats.

I love to meditate, it is so calming.  I don't watch much tv, my interest right now is in paring down my possessions so I can focus on relationships.  It is harder to do than I thought, especially since I love a good garage sale like the rest of ya, fortunately there aren't many around here to tempt me!

hikerknees

[Meld256]

Glad you brought this one back around, Bucky!  So many new people to find out more about. 

Pisces, playing the violin sounds wonderful! Maybe you can make some time for it soon?

hikerknees,
I enjoy your posts. I hope you get to that mountain peak sometime this summer. We visited Pike's Peak with an older aunt when I was a child, and she hustled up the last steep part to the lookout much faster than me or my parents. She was in her early 70's then!
You have guinea fowl; those must be interesting. I think my mother's family raised them, too.

Hope to hear from lots more people. Tell what your interests are!