Hobbies, for me, are one of the most delightful things in the world. They add to our lives, they make our time here much more rich. They allow us to explore venues that we would not, otherwise, be able to take part in because time wouldn’t allow beyond work, family, and other responsibilities.

In my life, I’ve been blessed with meeting many different people with a lot of varying skills. My father, since I was young, has been artistic. When we lived in Montana, he was a political cartoonist for the daily newspaper. He also did amazing metal work. He would make covered wagons, log cabins, Model-T’s and various other things out of tin cans, scrap metals, and bolts. He always carried a camera around, taking pictures of everything that was pleasing to him. His photographs have won awards at local fairs. People have offered him money for some of his images.

My brother, Todd, is an artist with his hands. He doesn’t throw pottery, fashion metal art, or work with wood. He works with automobiles, Jeeps, to be exact. He finds some old damaged, junked, wrecked Jeep and builds it back up to a beautiful showpiece that he can sell. He loves doing it. I can call his house nearly every night and find him answering the phone in the garage as he works on his newest acquisition.

The people I associate with most at work tend to be the most creative people around. I am drawn to them. They are gifted in many things ranging from writing to quilting to pottery. They share their gifts, their skills. They ask my opinion on their works. They ask for my input with new projects. They share their loves with me and it expands my life tenfold.

I think that I am like a mimic. I learn from everyone, picking up skills here and there. I write often, hoping that I am becoming better and knowing that this is what my heart seeks. I bead jewelry, a skill I learned 5 years ago when I had an empty summer afternoon in San Jose and a friend was ready to share. I’ve even sold some of my jewelry. To me, it’s a hobby. To others, though, it seems that these pieces are worth something. I have always loved photography. I take pictures of everything. I am rarely without a camera or two…or three. I have recently learned how to quilt and am loving it. I cross-stitch when I’m not busy with other things. I can’t remember a holiday when I didn’t give homemade gifts instead of store-bought gifts. I love music and own 6 different kinds of flutes. I make homemade cards to send to my niece with stories on them.

While I may be only mediocre at some of these skills, I’ve found that they all feed off of one another. One will be the impetus to get me to think in different ways for another. Can I incorporate beadwork into my quilting or cross-stitch? How can I get that green from a photo into the beadwork that I’m pulling together? What am I doing that can add to my stories for my niece? What will be the next adventure that I will embark upon to add more richness to my life? Maybe I will take up baking and canning. Hmm.