Day 23: Hobby

As a children we weren’t allowed to be ‘bored’, our mum was quick to quip that ‘bored’ was for people with no imagination and if we couldn’t exercise our own she could imagine all sorts of household jobs for us to do. We learned quickly to forego that childhood aphorism. Instead, we did stuff.

I knew how to knit although it took me until my teenage years to ever finish anything (a scarf with a cable pattern up the middle in a flecked cream and brown wool that I gave to my mum.)

I could crochet (pronounced in our house as “crow-sher”), again, I hardly finished anything.

I had a “Knitting Nancy” and a latch hook kit. We painted t-shirts with hobbytex and puff paint and made earrings out of fimo.

I did calisthenics from age 3. I played netball in high school and did long distance running. I was a high-jumper (although I really only trained for this when athletics carnivals were coming up at school, I never joined an aths team.) When we moved to a new area, my friend & I joined Guides. I collected stamps.

I liked cooking, even when I was young and I’ve always loved to read.

So, there you go. Lots of hobbies, I guess, although I was probably only really dedicated to calisthenics and reading.

What are your hobbies?

Day 22: What do I do when I'm home alone?

Write; read; play with the dogs; bake brownie; study; trawl Facebook; put pictures on Instagram; call my sisters; write a wedding ceremony; make lazy meals—ones that come out of packets or consist of pasta, pesto and a chopped tomato; write a blog post; dig in the vegie garden; watch something on DVD because we don’t have telly; make my coffee too strong because I’m not sharing the pot between 2 cups; walk.

I’m home alone a lot. Nic works during the day & I study off campus as well as work predominantly from home so most of my days are ‘home alone’ days, it loses its novelty really quickly.

Do you like being home alone? What do you get up to?

Day 21: Biggest Fear

Right, my biggest fear. It depends really. If there’s a spider in the house, then it’s definitely spiders. But on darker days, it’s being alone; failing (at everything); or the loss of someone I love.

Then sometimes when I’m feeling particularly fragile, it’s really stupid things like talking on the phone; making any kind of decision; or getting my tax receipts together so the accountant can sort out my return. But these last things sound particularly pathetic when I read back over them… Better stick with spiders.

What's your biggest fear?

Day 20: What do I collect?

When my sisters and I were young, my parents requested that we each elect an animal that we would like to have as the basis for any gifts we might be given. My younger sisters must have been much more exotically minded than me—they chose elephants and monkeys… I chose dogs. These collections began as stuffed toys but as I grew older, I was given dog motif paperweights; calendars; and charms for my most prized piece of jewellery, my charm bracelet.

In the dining room (I think because it was the only place it would fit) was our bookcase and one whole shelf was graced by our Childcraft Encyclopaedias, which I believe represented our mother’s one foray into swooning to the smooth talk of a door-to-door salesman. We had the complete set and even continued to purchase the Childcraft Annuals, one of which was About Dogs. I spent hours poring over the information about dog care and training as well as trying to memorise all of the different dog breeds. I would ponder over the breeds I had never seen before and try to decide which dog I would have when I was old enough to have one of my own. Our family had a Corgi at the time and I imagined having a dog big enough to hug me the way the Dalmatian on the cover seemed to be hugging the boy.

It seems I really did grow up to collect dogs. I recently mentioned to a friend that, aside from a few months when I lived in a share house & the resident dog (and its owner) moved out, I had always lived with dogs. We now have three. And I didn’t end up choosing a breed, our dogs are all RSPCA mutts.

 

Of course, the other thing I collect and potentially have too many of, is books. Unlike the family home where I grew up, we have three bookcases in the study; two in the lounge room; and I have plans for some extensive shelving in the bedroom and the spare room. I also wouldn’t mind some shelves in the kitchen specifically for cookbooks but with every wall either containing a door, a window or being curved, I’m not sure where I might put that one.

Day 19: Five blogs I follow

Hyperbole and a half by Allie Brosch

If you haven’t yet been exposed to Allie’s wit, start at the start and by the time you get to her most recent post from October last year, I dare you not to be pained that there are currently no more to read. Allie has taken a hiatus from blogging to deal with the depression that she writes about in her October post and I hope she’s back and feeling better soon.

Dogear Diary

Just a ‘mom’ writing about the books she reads but interesting to follow.

Scratchings in the Dust

This is the blog of a friend and ex-teacher of mine. He is insightful and genuine. I love his writing.

Girl in a Hat

Leisl Egan of ‘Girl in a Hat’ is funny. There hasn’t been much action here lately either but when she does write, I like to read it. Even her bio is awesome. I wish I had a witty one like that!

Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered

This is the blog of an ex-student of mine. She’s an author and is off having adventures untold and excitements unnumbered!

Whole Larder Love

I know it was only meant to be five but this is a blog I’ve just started reading because my dad suggested it to me. He’s become quite obsessed with it himself. I’ve only read a bit so far but it’s interesting stuff and (Dad was right, who’d have thought) very up-my-alley.

What blogs do you follow? Why? Should I follow them too?