In my Spare Time, I Like to ... or What are your Hobbies?

First of all, for many years, there was no spare time. Up, eat, kids (& hubby), drive, work with more kids, drive, kids (& hubby), eat, sleep, repeat. Over and over. I was exhausted, and I don't remember summer.

So I always responded what I would do if I had any. Spare time.

The first hobby I remember is reading. What an escape!!! I ran the prairies with Laura and Caddie. I snooped with Nancy. There were various historic novels. I liked the west, history and mystery. I didn't just read; I was there..."Edonna, it's time to..." "Just a minute, Mother, I'm almost to the end of a page/chapter." And I could never stop when I was supposed to. In junior high, I discovered "Gone with the Wind" and "The Great Brain" series. High school, I "endured" the assigned books. College, I was more distracted, but I know I read some Shakespeare, but not enough, I earned a 'D' in that course. Like I said, distracted. Then I was a mother. With small children. But I still remember going back to Tara for three days as I read cover to cover. The kids survived. I don't do well breaking up my reading. Louis LaMour was introduced and was an icebreaker in talking to Ben. I finally gave Ben the time of day when we discovered the common interest.

I learned to sew, crochet and knit as a child. I took a semester course in floral design. As a young mother, I made clothes for us and decorations for the house. I liked the homemaking meetings when crafts were demonstrated. I decorated with country blue and poultry. Not that I especially liked them but those colors and patterns fell into my lap. I like crafts.
Crafts has expanded to playing with beads, scrap booking, and creating greeting cards. I love to put colors together. I crochet again.
And I don't have time for all of this. So I am putting off knitting and tatting, drawing and painting for some day. Retirement?
I like to garden. And yoga. And cooking and baking. And preserving the produce from the garden or good deals in season.

Peaches put to jam and jars. Joint project with Leticia.

25 # of corn, frozen

Sun-drying tomatoes mostly from the garden

Prom florals

more prom flowers

usually have homemade bread on hand

Birthday greetings with embossing

I'd wanted to make a log cabin quilt since I was 20. This one was completed more than 20 years later.

And I like to go places with Ben.

I find that if I want balance in my life, I do have to spend time creating occasionally.

And there are so many other interesting things to consider. When I have more time.