When I was young, I was busy working, churning through marriages, and raising my son. Who had time for hobbies? But now I’m older, and I yearn to have more fun.
Not that I’m bored. I’m busy all day long, most of the time clacking away on my computer: writing, reading, and interacting. Sometimes I get tired of all the words: the thinking, the typing, the electronic glow of the various screens.
My brain starts to feel worn out.
Much of what I do is enjoyable, but it’s brainwork. The other night, I found myself humming that Peggy Lee song. You know the one.
Especially in the fall and winter when Bill watches wall-to-wall football, I wish I had a hobby. Just something fun and simple that I can do in the house, after dinner, even if the TV is on. Something that doesn’t involve a computer screen.
Do you ever feel as if your leisure time is spent checking things off your to-do list?
I thought about organizing my photos or returning to Ancestry.com, but there again, you’re on the computer, using the keyboard and staring at a screen.
I could garden, but that’s a daytime/outdoor activity. Ditto, my sister’s hobby. She buys things at yard sales and repurposes them. Her latest idea is to find an old broken-down dresser she can paint and turn into a planter full of succulents for the patio.
I’m looking for ideas for myself and to share with my readers. What hobbies do you enjoy?
As I checked around, I found that for some of us, it’s not just the hobby–it’s the enjoyment of doing that hobby with others. Mom, 90, makes all kinds of craft items. She and a group of ladies meet on Mondays, creating objects to sell at their church’s fundraising bazaars.
My cousin, Kathleen, is a master quilter. She gets together with a group of girlfriends every summer. They rent a cabin by the beach up north and spend about a week quilting together and catching up.
Did you know that working with your hands can have the same effect as meditation?
For example, coloring is said to be good for your brain, in that it is calming and engaging at the same time. My friend, LaDonna, swears by coloring books. Although this is a relatively new fad, she’s been doing it for six years. Part of her thing is the enjoyment of finding exactly the right gel pens.
Whenever I color with my grandbabies, it’s fun, and I have to stifle myself so as to not take over their pages. So that seemed promising. I tried coloring, and enjoyed it. I’m actually kind of proud of this.
One of my former coworkers, an attorney, builds and furnishes elaborate dollhouses. She makes everything, and is very much into the details. One of her two-story houses boasts a library suitable for a judge. There’s a bookcase full of miniature books, and even a tiny gavel on the tiny desk. Her houses are works of art!
Here are some other ideas from the people in my writing group: jewelry-making, beading, painting, knitting, sewing, crocheting, origami, Solitaire, crossword puzzles, listening to audible books or music, meditating, drawing and/or painting, light housework, making-ahead of meals, catching up on phone calls, journaling, and planning the redecoration or redesign of your house or garden.
I’m curious about card or board games. Bill and I play Backgammon sometimes, but I have to admit, it isn’t very compelling to me. Surely in the last thirty years or so, some new ones have been invented.
Do you have a favorite card or board game?
I bought a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle and dedicated a card table to its assembly. Wow, that sucker is going to take a while! But it’s a beautiful lakefront scene, which I’ll enjoy looking at as I work.
Last night, I had such a good time on it that when I looked at the clock, it was almost eleven.
Two hours had passed in an instant! I went to bed and slept like a baby. Do you think there’s a connection?
I’m also going to try to learn how to make things out of papier mache. This is going to be my first try:
Design by David Stark. Photo by Susie Montagna.
While researching this topic, I found The World’s Largest List of Hobbies. Although I don’t think I’m going to be herping anytime soon. Also, you can go on Pinterest and search for hobbies. Like I did, here.
You know what’s wonderful about this pursuit? I’m excited. Like right now, I’m thinking about how much I’d like to color, or work on the jigsaw puzzle, but I want to save these activities for evening, when my mind is tired. I’m pacing myself.
I haven’t felt this way in years – the thrill of thinking I might create something with my hands, without much cost, ideally out of something lying around the house waiting to be repurposed (as in the papier mache made from newspapers.) More than that, I feel as if I’m getting back in touch with my inner five-year-old, that nice little kid who hadn’t yet been slapped around or had her heart broken or learned to sublimate her spirit for the realities of adulthood.
What do you think? Are you with me? I’d love to hear about your hobbies. Let’s share in the comments below, and I’ll update you from time to time with new ideas. Let’s have some fun!
LATE ADD: be sure to check the comments. So many good ideas for hobbies. And here’s something just added by my friend Linda Hoye: The Best Hobbies for Stress on HuffPo.
Related articles across the web
I’ve also Googled hobbies, both individual and shared (to do with Bill or girlfriends) My favorite relaxation is music. You could take up the guitar, piano or whatever you don’t already know. Playing the piano has always been my go-to. I also do lots of crosswords and other word games. I like the NY Times and LA Times Sunday puzzles best. I love the feel of the folded newspaper in my hand! Supposed to keep dementia at bay – added bonus! Photography is my next challenge, and yoga/meditation. I’m thinking of taking up painting again too. And I love planning trips, even though I never actually go Our local college has a great seniors program, with all sorts of classes and activities. A lot of these can be done any time of day!
Wow, Leslie, how inspiring! You’ve got your own list of 25 going. Thanks for motivating me. I’m definitely going to try crosswords next. I WISH I could take the time to learn the piano, but I’m on keyboard so much of the day I’m afraid that if I added piano, my tendonitis and shoulder aches would become unbearable!
Lynne,
YOU were a gorgeous child and now you are a gorgeous woman!!
Awww, thanks, Heather.
Crossword puzzles are my GO TO relaxation activity these days. Love them because they completely absorb me, CAN involve my husband, travel easily with me on trips or just out to the porch, can be picked up and put down without trauma (to me), and tap into an over-developed part of my brain I generally don’t need in my current life-style (searching for JUST THE RIGHT WORD). Much easier than writing and (for me) actually as compelling, often, as a good book without the problem I face with a good book: feeling ferocious at anything that requires that I put it down. 😉
Another vote for crosswords! I may have to try that, Jan. In fact, they’re available on the web; free downloads to be had. Thanks! PS I’m a third of the way through The Professor’s House by Willa Cather. So far, interesting, but she’s just building her case, and I’m expecting big changes soon.
You bet I’m with you!
Many years ago when we first retired, I wrote a post about hobbies. There was a website that listed 100 things to do. The one I will never forget was “dumpster diving”. I suppose everyone has their own passion! 🙂
b+
Here it is…#85 http://freeintenyears.com/frugal-tips/100-cheap-hobbies/
Barbara, thanks for the link. I don’t think I’ll dumpster dive anytime soon, but I did when I was an adolescent. When I’d go visit my friend across town, we’d sneak out in the early morning and do that. Her parents never knew, and mine would have killed me! We were so innocent, and there was so much treasure to be had. Luckily we lived to tell about it.
My husband quoted a research study that stated that art classes even beat out exercise and other pastimes as enriching your brain. My sister in law recently took some sketching classes. When we get together we take out our watercolor journals and do little representations of what is around us. We were recently in Montana and have several rainbow trout pics. Fun, relaxing and quick. I also like doing Zentangles.You can do both these things in front of the TV, but I prefer to concentrate and listen to the silence.
Nanci, your anecdote about watercolors of Montana is entrancing. What a good life you live! And Sue Shoemaker posted three of her Zentangles (100% news to me! – I love this blog) on my Facebook thread.
I’ll be picking up my German shepherd puppy in 3 weeks and I’m as excited as a kid on Christmas morning! Looking into a hobbie we can do together – maybe scent training. If nothing else, long walks to get me outdoors and out of my head.
I had a GS years ago. He was a stray, but I think he was a purebred. We adopted him as a puppy, and had him for 15 years. We went jogging, and I could take him off the leash, and he would stay RIGHT BY my left knee. Sucked up training like he was bred for it. Enjoy your little one!
Here’s a suggestion from my friend Christy McDonald: I’m not sure what city you live in, but if it’s Riverside, Google “paint night Riverside” and all the paint nights come up, the range from easy to hard. They are like 45.00 but Groupon has codes and I think you can google codes for them as well, to get them for around 25.00. They last a couple of hours, they supply the picture to paint, the canvas, paints and brushes and guide you as you are painting as they paint their own picture. They have one done and then they paint another. They are very nice people and the classes are so fun.
Is that all there is? Isn’t that the Peggy Lee song. She was a North Dakota gal, too. Great post. I remember back home where people of all ages got together for ‘whist’ tournaments. Still love to play that but have to relearn whenever I do. Cribbage is a great game for 2 or more. Another one that has kinda fallen to the wayside. I did the knitting, crocheting when I was young and the sewing etc. Can’t anymore. carpal tunnel!! I think dancing would really be fun except I have two left feet so that’s out. I would love to volunteer at the animal rescue places and I think I will when I have more free time. Love dogs and cats and think that would give me a great inner peace, except I would want to adopt all of them. Also read one time about people that go to the maternity wards in hospitals and volunteer to hold and rock the preemies. That would be so wonderful but with the world the way it is right now I bet they have discontinued that. Hope all is well with you my blood sis.
I had no idea Peggy Lee was from ND. THanks for your comment, Sis. The life fairly thrums in your words. Such enthusiasm! I’ve tapped into something, haven’t I?
Hi Lynne,
When I retired 14 years ago we bought a small hobby farm along with 27 ewe lambs! I had no previous experience in sheep husbandry but figured it couldn’t be too difficult, afterall, I had raised 3 kids and held an executive position with a large Canadian Bank! Figured how hard could 27 seep be? Well, it was hard but lots of fun and a great learning experience . It taught me a whole new respect for gynecology. I can’t remember how many lambs I delivered with the Vet walking me through the process over the phone not to mention loading 2000. Bales of hay in the barn each Fall!
I gave up my sheep a few years ago but I had learned I how to spin, dye, felt, knit and rug hook with wool. Can’t say I’m a great knitter today but I can turn out a decent pair of socks which my kids and husband love.
I also started researching family history in retirement and became quite addicted. After seven trips to Scotland where I have had tea in the houses of my ancestors, stood in the churches where they married and tramped through every cemetery in the Angus Glens I wrote a family history for my children and grandchildren. I can’t say it’s a great literary work but it was wonderful researching and meeting cousins I never known dead and alive! Genealogy was also the catalyst that sent us traveling not only to the UK but throughout Europe . Hobbies can open up a whole new world of experiences and places you never dreamed you do or see.
I still spin yarn for a local pioneer village and get together with by fibre buddies once a month. I’m now thinking of taking up Rug twining ! I’m 70 and I’m not stopping there’s so much yet to experience. Good luck with your search for an interesting hobby I’ll be interested to hear about it.
Lynda
Sorry about Spelling mistakes this iPad has a mind of it’s own!
Lynda, we’re moving past perfect speeling in this day and age. Most of us are using voice recog to type and it’s not really worth it ti fix things. Sort of freeing, actually!
Lynda, wow! “How hard could raising a herd of sheep be?” OMG, I would think overwhelming. The periodic doctoring and shearing alone, but when you add in the breeding operations…again, wow. And once done with that, you kept going. Your home probably glows with the energy emanating from you living within. Thanks for this.
Great post, Lynne! I’m enjoying photography as a hobby these days along with gardening and canning (yes, I enjoy it so much that I consider it a hobby!). In the fall I’ll get back to knitting–a quiet and meditative pursuit–and perhaps get back to one of the quilting projects I have on the go. So many options!
Linda, isn’t it fun? I hadn’t thought about photography, thanks for that. And I looked skeptical when my friend Vicki said she enjoys cooking, and I said, “I’m looking for after-dinner hobbies,” and she said she cooks ahead for the weekends. So I can see it as a hobby.
Adult coloring books…Secret Garden…
http://www.johannabasford.com/book/4
SoulCollage…
http://www.soulcollage.com
Ooh, bookmarking this!
Zentangle…
https://www.zentangle.com
This is like making your own coloring books. REally neat, thanks, Sue.