Extracurricular Activities -- okay flist, what do YOU do for fun and games?

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So, was talking to sanginmychains about knitting today. And yesterday. And over the last month. Slowly but surely, she is somehow tickling my curiosity enough to give it a try. I think. She's even found me a good knitting store... oy oy oy! (And, I agreed to check it out during lunchtime this week!! oy oy oy!)

This is the darn thing that started it all, when I got it in the mail:

Isn't it gorgeous? You know you think it is. I do. I have it sitting in a clear baggie next to my monitor so I can pet and admire it.  But really, this isn't what it was meant to do with its life.  

This has got me to thinking.  I have not indulged in a hobby in a long, long time. I used to do all sorts of things creative--from painting to drawing to gardening and even cross-stitch.  I loved it all, but...I don't do any of it anymore.  Sure it is a lack of time but also, there is always so much to do I don't take time for pure creativity  (see previous post's whine).  Oh and I am not talking about writing, which I am making time for (not enough, but working on it, and today I was really good about writing, and also getting some crit work done woo) and reading.  I am, actually, about to finish reading a book I started only Monday. Whoa.  

But, I'd like to open my mind to the possibility of something else.  And yes there is knitting, but that is a rather solo endeavor, which may just work out.  I'm curious though what my flisters like to do with their free time.

So! Flisters!  Do tell me!  What do YOU guys do for fun? Outside of lj, outside of work, outside of school, outside of writing.  What creative world do you dive in? I'd love to know.  Who knows, you may inspire me like Sang has.  You never know....

C
 

Comments

[la-localfreak.livejournal.com]

Well I sometimes knit and cross stitch although both have tailed off since coming back home, because at Uni there were less distractions and I would sit watching iplayer and sewing/knitting at the same time.

I sing. Constantly. Loudly.

I bake a lot and do most of the cooking, which is something I've grown to enjoy quite a bit. It's great to just take over the kitchen for a few hours, sling on a pinny and get stuck into something- and the best thing is that at the end of those hours you have something to show for it, and get to eat it and feed it to friends/family members.

I'm currently in-rehearsals for The Glass Menagerie, so I expect in the coming weeks my chief activity will be learning lines.

Mum and I have also started digging up the garden ready to completely re-do it and change the layout and the way it works. It has been a kind of low-maintenance patch for years because it's not really big enough that you'd spend a lot of time out there but we've got some free seeds coming from the BBC's Gardener's World and are going to give it a bash.

My other current project is converting my (large) video collection to DVD, which I suppose isn't exactly creative but it certainly takes up chunks of time fixing.

Seeing your post has made me think how I really need to get into doing more things than just sitting on the computer reading fic. My knitting has been woefully neglected, along with most other things, particularly with the rush of plays, birthdays and Holy Week/Easter prep. After next weekend hopefully there will be more time. lol. (I always say this, and there never seems to be!)

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Grin. I think a few people have been sparked with ideas. Lots of singing going on around here, too! And cooking.

I used to LOVE gardening. Really did. But, any fantasies of gardens in the backyard are immediately ended because of the pupsters. Oh they'd have fun with flowers, oh yeah!!!

[la-localfreak.livejournal.com]

my Auntie has a big garden because of her doggies and her and my Auntie Irene are currently building a dog agility course so they don't have to wait for the fortnight agility class for the dogs to go on. They've made jumps and weaving poles and circular jumps and a tunnel and such. Don't know how much space you've got but that might be an alternative to normal gardening? lol.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Oh see I screwed up there too! I so would've loved to do agility, or hey even learn Search and Rescue work (which I do still love the idea of) but what did I do? I got huskies.

*palms face*

They don't do well in agility either--freedom in a ring means freedom to RUN!!!! Some huskies do agility, but few compete because they just aren't that kind of dog.

what kind of dogs does she have?

[la-localfreak.livejournal.com]

oh none of them do it competitively but some do it in display. Auntie Irene has a beagle called Fern, she loves agility (or really anything that involves running around). Auntie Maura has Amber the Weimeraner (she's getting very old now but still likes to have a go on some of the easier ones these days) Daisy Mae who's a Burmese but in truth is more like a rug most days! She likes weaving though, she does this thing where she wants a fuss and goes through your legs like a cat only if you're short (or male) this can be particularly awkward. And then there's Baby Jack, the Irish Wolfhound (full grown now) obviously he can't do much with the jumps but he can do the weaving poles and things. And then Auntie Maura's boyfriend, Steve has Ben and Sandy who are both heinz-variety dogs (mongrels in other words) with bits of labrador, collie and Misc in them.