I've been told that I have a lot of free time and should find a hobby. I think it seemed like I had a lot of time to spare because of the hiatus between the end of summer session 1 and the start of summer session 2. Now that my second class of the summer has started up, I'll probably have less of this free time. Regardless, the suggestion did have me brainstorming activities I like (and don't like) and future projects to accomplish.
1.) Gardening. As with every other spur-of-the-moment ambition, I envisioned something too difficult. Towards the end of my spring semester, as the weather grew warmer, I decided I wanted to garden this summer. My vision was of a happy me with gloves, a straw hat, some overalls (not sure where I'd had found those) and a large garden in my backyard filled with giant fruits, veggies and possibly a few sunflowers and daisies. If you know me well, then you already know that I don't have the greenest thumb, and I realized that there are many pests (groundhogs, rabbits, deer, birds) in my backyard and I didn't feel like dealing with them. So my backyard is still empty, but gardening is still an option. I'll just have to start small, like growing a small pot of herbs or something. Then again, there is Terhune Orchards, only a 15 minute drive away where I can pretend to be a farmer via blueberry picking, yet also get the farm fresh quality vegetables without the work and worry.
2.) Painting, sketching, drawing, art. I used to be so talented back in my grade school - HS days, but like most things, you lose it if you don't use it. I started sketching again; both a combination of pencils and pastels and creating scenes for inspiration, as well as my own imagination. The process of drawing, painting or sketching still relaxes me and I was happy to realize that I still enjoy it so much. I'll have to invest in some new canvases in order to make more large-scale masterpieces, but for now drawing in a small sketchpad will have to do.
3.) Jewelry-making. At some point in my sophomore or junior year of college, I managed to get sucked into this jewelry-making fad. Basically, going into bead stores and buying unique, fun, and/or colorful beads and metal accompaniments to complete several sets of earrings. I also ventured into creating some bracelets and necklaces. School work increased, so my time for creating decreased. I'm still very much interested in trying this out again though, so I'll keep it on my list of hobby options.
4.) Sewing. I've made bags, boxes, accessories (pom poms for my little cousin's cheerleader costume) wallets, my own halloween costume (lady bug dress junior year) in the past - all without a sewing machine. I scoped out some machines on Amazon and found a mini one for ~$20. I'm thinking I could attempt making some pillows and quilts, maybe some baby blankets or dresses? I haven't used a sewing machine since 7th grade though, so I'm sure I wouldn't be making anything worthy of the runway on my first try.
5.) Baking. Creating cupcakes, cakes, brownies, cookies, anything sweet and decorated, gives me the same sense of comfort and relaxation as I bake and make them, that drawing and painting does. I love starting a recipe with every ingredient separate - eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder, chocolate chips, extracts, etc, and seeing how they all come together to form something delicious (most of the time). And decorating seems to be my favorite part. Trying to think of new ways to turn the cupcake or cake into what I was envisioning - poker table, butterflies, flowers, fireworks, Elmo, etc. It is just a great feeling of satisfaction when I can take a picture of the final product and know that what I've created is exactly what I intended it to look like. Only problem with this is that too many baked goods is not good news for the body. Especially when I'm trying to get in better shape. That being said, if there's anyone that would like me to send them some baked goods, please send me your mailing address and I will try to ship some your way. :)
It seems like all of my hobby ideas have the same theme of creating something. My top priority right now is to continue to do well in my graduate program though, so I'm devoting most of my time when I'm not in class or babysitting, to studying, but will hopefully still find some time to start one or more of these hobbies. I'll also try to be better at updating this blog more often.
Lastly, to those of you who read my cooking blog: I don't know how I managed to do it, but I stupidly deleted my entire blog! I had deactivated it for a bit since I had less time to write interesting, picture-filled, and delicious entries, but hadn't deleted it completely. Unfortunately I was in the process of deleting an older blog when I somehow completely deleted both! :( I'll try to incorporate some of my future posts on here with my blogging style of the food blog. Please let me know if you had bookmarked any of the entries and would still like some of the recipes I had shared and I will try my best to get those links and recipes to you.
Revision: Just thought of another hobby I wish I had money towards - traveling! I love venturing to new places, trying out local cuisines, visiting historic and scenic landmarks, and taking new photos! Unfortunately, even driving to places is costly nowadays with gas prices on the rise. Someday...
