5 Reasons I Love My Hobby . . . this title should really be 5 Hobbies and Reasons Why I Love Them

A hobby is “an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.”

Some hobby categories are . . . collection (bugs, stamps, David Winters cottages), sports (fencing, volksmarch, kayaking), intellectual (speed chess, learning a new language, amateur astronomy), artistic (ice carving, pattern drafting, dance), and food related (gluten free, Bar B Q, wine tasting).

Hobbies defy one definition. Hobbies can be quite expensive (car racing) or free (picking up shells on the beach). They can be best done in a crowd (square dancing) or be a solitary pursuit (cross stitching). Some hobbies are done inside (playing  on the Wii) or outside (horseback riding).

There are many reasons to have and love a hobby. Hobbies can bring comfort, emotional or physical release, intellectual stimulus, and a sense of connection.

I have a hard time settling down with one hobby. I am a fickle “wife” who prefers the company of many. Therefore I am not proficient in any one hobby. Over the years I have poured time, money, and affection into hobbies like . . .

• bowling,
• camping,
• card making,
• cb radio,
• ceramics,
• collecting cookbooks and baking/cooking from them,
• cross stitching,
• gardening,
• knitting,
• learning Spanish,
• letter writing,
• photo albums,
• playing guitar,
• raising aquarium fish,
• running,
• sewing,
• stained glass,
• stamp collecting,
• studying and writing curriculum for my homeschooled kiddos,
• tole painting,
• and volunteering.

Blogging is a hobby I have devoted time to in the last 9 years. You can read about that tomorrow.

Sadly besides blogging, I have not given much time to hobbies in the last years. But I am turning over a new leaf and will once again devote time to hobbies.

I cannot pick just one hobby. So despite the blog title, I will share 5 hobbies that have stood the test of time as oldies but goodies. These are hobbies I have dabbled in for many years.

1. Baking/cooking. I no longer collect cookbooks. In fact I have gotten rid of most of the books. Now I get my recipes via Google or Swagbucks or from a handful of food blogs I visit. (Note: I’ve earned $30 Amazon.com dollars so far from Swagbucks).

Once a month I try to get together with Michele and make something new. We’ve baked foods like a mocha cake, lemon strudel braided bread, sausage rolls and peppermint bark.

I love this hobby for several reasons. (1) There is a lovely product to take home and enjoy. (2) It is a creative challenge. (3) I get to spend time with a fun, tender, encouraging friend.

2. Collecting white pitchers. I started this hobby when I lived in England where I spied Deborah’s vast collection of white pitchers. I bought most of them at boot sales on Sunday mornings before church (started at 11 am). Most were in the 10-50 pence range. I have xxx pitchers. I’ve used some as serving dishes, but most are decorative.

I love this hobby for 4  reasons. (1) It was inexpensive. (2) I was collecting a bit of history. (3) The thrill of the hunt was addictive. (4) I liked the look of the collection.

3. Photography. The advent of the digital camera has improved my liking for photography. I can quickly see and at no cost which shots are decent. I have a camera that allows me to take many good shots. There are many sites on the Internet that give good advice too.

I love photography because (1) it allows me to document my personal history and (2) the history of those around me. I love photography because (3) it is a creative outlet. Sometimes I get a certain “picture” in my mind and it is soooooo cool when I can capture that image on film. (4) Since I don’t buy equipment or print out many photos, it is an inexpensive hobby for me.

4. Reading. (1)Armchair travel, (2) stress release, (3) break from life, (4) imagination stretcher, and (5) learning are the reasons I love reading. In the past I have mainly read for educational purposes. Now I am sneaking in books to read just for fun. In the past I also read physical books. Now I am reading more online.

5. Walking. I use this solitary time for three things. (1) I love talking/praying to God about all that’s on my mind. And (2)  when I am done with that brain dump, I like to think about nothing in particular. I fall into a meditative state that is calming and energizing. (3) Sometimes I can’t get into this calm/energized state because my thoughts are still jumbled. At this time, walking helps me to sort out my thoughts.

Finally, I think a walking holiday would be a great social activity whilst getting to really see the countryside. Someday I hope to take a walking holiday in Spain.

Resources

1. Wisebread lists 4 ways to make money from your hobby.
2. Go here for 10 hobbies that relieve stress. From this list I’d say that gardening, crafting and music are ways I’ve dealt with stress.
3. This article mentions what hobbies can tell a prospective employer.
4. “Storm The Castle.com has a whole lot of articles, tutorials, videos and information about many of these hobbies.” And it has a massive list of hobbies.
5. Don’t have a hobby? Go here for info on how to find a hobby.

Your Turn . . . What hobbies do you have? Why do you love them?

This is the 8th post in the “5 Reasons I Love . . .” series.  Go here for the original post which explains how this idea came about.  Tomorrow’s post is 5 Reasons I Love Blogging.