Hobbies

Yesterday when my daughter, Lavinia and I were in the end of the car buying process at KIA in Cherry Hill, we were chatting as we waited hour after hour for my second key to the car and the two other mechanical things that needed addressing, gas and tire air. The young salesman was chatting with us and we opened the subject of hobbies. My daughter said she doesn't think people have hobbies anymore, and I can see why. Her generation is so caught up in work - at least the people she knows, and because she is in the entertainment industry, most people's work is their hobby - acting, music, filming. My generation still has hobbies and I would say the main one for women, anyhow, since that is who I mainly know, is reading. Lots of friends belong to book clubs. Next to reading in my friendship group is travel, and volunteering at local historic sites (which was a big hobby of mine for the 20 years of my retirment until the present.

But it made me think of what some hobbies have traditionally been and it is a good idea to think of those things now because Christmas is coming, and an interesting gift might be the tools of a hobby. So here is my list of hobbies that I could think of: 1. Gardening (you could start planning now in winter)

2. Stained Glass work (one of the raiming shop-studios can get you started with tools)

3. Ceramics - both making from clay or painting finished works

4. Woodworking, antique furniture refinishing

5. Knitting, crocheting, quilt making and sewing (good quilt store in Audubon on White Horse Pike)

6. Model trains

7. Art of all kinds from painting, to drawing, Art Journaling (I just received my last issue of Art Journaling Magzine from Somerset Studio Publishing Co.)

8. Music, it is apparently never too late to take up an instrument. I know a couple who are tlearning piano in their 70's and several people who work on learning the ukelele (because it is so small and easy to handle)

9. Fitness, walking, hiking - all these simple and free outdoor activities

`10. Animal companions - walking the dog, sitting with the cat

11. Photography - at all levels from cell phone up to your own developing dark room. I love taking pictures and I get mine printed by Walgreens off my laptop

12. Blogging - My most long lasting recent hobby has been my blog. I have been doing it for about 15 years and half a million entries (like this one!) For people who like to write but arent't up to a whole book, blogging is perfect

13. Writing - you might want to perfect your short story techique, write a memoir, or volunteer to do your group newsletter

14. Last but not least, there is volunteering which I did for 15 of my 20 years of retirement I volunteered at historic sites from Red Bank Battlefield to the Bayshore Discovery Project

Hope this gives you some ideas for hobies and also for Christmas gifts to help someone start a hobby! wrightj45@yahoo.com