Holly Hobbiest

I think it's really important not to put all your mental eggs in one basket. (How's that for an image?) What I mean is that while focusing on one thing is great, it can cause burnout. I went through that with writing a few months ago. I was so focused on writing and all things writing related, my love for the craft had disappeared.

I'd begun to think of it as a chore. Not good. Especially when I want to write for a living. That got me to do some thinking about all the other things I used to do, but put aside for one reason or another. Why couldn't I still do some of those things? They were still creative outlets, like writing, but most importantly, they weren't writing.

That's when I decided to start making jewelry again. I'd done it in high school and sold pieces in my mom's clothing store. Why not do it now? So I dusted off my bead box, reacquainted myself with the supplies in there, then went off to the craft store to restock.

It's a great outlet and I've never been happier! Unlike writing, making jewelry lets you see the end result pretty quick. I might even start selling some pieces on Ebay. It's given me the "other" outlet I so desperately needed. Not to mention I love making pieces for friends.

What are your hobbies? Are there any you've put aside? Restarted? Talk to me!

i'm here!

Sorry for the delay folks. I've spent the weekend working in the yard, cleaning up my back porch and making it ready for spring. There's nothing I like more than getting up just before sunrise and sitting outside with just my coffee and my thoughts.

This morning, after I ran the mom-taxi to school, I went to the gym. During my torture elliptical session, I plotted out my daily activities. I was going to write, but I realized, I still had garden fever. I'm not finished with my outdoor projects. So I came right home, ate my egg and blueberries, then plodded outside to continue my work.

Now I'm all stuffed up thanks to the pollen and my hands are shaky thanks to the leaf blower, but damn my yard looks great.

I didn't discover a love for flowers until about 5 years ago. We had bought a house in Oxford and it had a dismal flower bed that had been completely neglected. After much planning, I decided it needed to be dug up and expanded. 1 truckload of dirt and many blisters and sore muscles later, I had my new garden.

And a new hobby. Here are some pics from my old house:




It was a lot of work and I've learned much since then. Like how to create a low maintenance flower bed. (wish I would've learned that 5 years ago...) I don't want "no maintenance" though. Gardening is so therapeutic. It's hard work, but it's rewarding in ways that I never understood until I pulled my first weed. There is joy in watching your seeds grow. I love clipping flowers from my garden and placing them throughout the house. Sipping my coffee while the humming birds and butterflies enjoy the fruits of my labor.

But 20 years ago, if you'd have asked me about gardening, I would've laughed and said, "Um yeah. Right." I hated it. Mom always made me mow and weed as part of my chores. They sucked.

Of course, they weren't my yard or my garden--and I think that makes all the difference. Which makes me wonder, 20 years from now, will I be doing something like rebuilding cars or cleaning my house? *shudder* I hope not.

What about you? Do you do anything now that was never on your radar in the past? Do you wonder about what you'll be doing in 10 or 20 years from now?