Hobbies, Talents, Collections, Obsessions

Genealogy, that would have to be the first thing to fit into this category. Family History research, Family History trips, teaching Family History, serving in the Family History Center and Beta testing the New FamilySearch have all been a part of life for years. I have seen the sun come up in the morning after a night of working on Family History more than once in my life. Michael calls this one of my talents. I do seem to be blessed in that area of understanding and being inspired where and how to search out what I am looking for.

Cooking, another thing that fits into one of the above categories. This one might just be in the genes. I remember all my life my mother cooking for large groups. Extended family, Church functions, Family Camp, school cafeterias, a hospital, for a fraternity, even at the county fair. Perhaps that is why it has come so easy for me. Working with food for large groups has been a fun thing for me many times. Particularly Girl’s Camp. My most enjoyable years of Girl’s Camp were spent in the kitchen. Lots of fun times, lots of good memories. Of course not all the things I enjoy preparing have to be for large groups we have had some great family meals and small very special, I would call gourmet meals, for Michael and I. Plus lots and lots of experiments, with Internet or magazine recipes. Michael cooks as good as I do, and bakes even better. I left over 200 cookbooks in California. Hobbie, collection or obsession? Maybe talent, who knows?

Girl's Camp Cook

Although I don’t do much anymore, I learned to both crochet and embroider at a fairly young age, while I was still in high school. My grandmother taught me both. I have very few pieces of my own work left, but I do still have the very first doily I crocheted. Also a wall hanging that I made for the grandmother that taught me. I also have over 100 pieces of hand embroidered items. No, I didn’t make them all, haven’t done much of that since I have begun to develop arthritis in my hands. I have purchased most of them, yard sales or eBay mostly. I also seem to just accumulate tablecloths.

All through Junior High School and High School I roller skated. I did both dance and free style. Although I did not go real far with it, I was quite good at it and had wonderful times. Having my appendix taken out in my early teens kind of stopped that for a while. It stopped the competition, but I continued to enjoy skating and still do (if I can stand up long enough on them). For a while in California we had a RS Sisters Exercise group that went skating at the rink once a week.

Skating Days

In college I bowled on a league. I will never forget the time I broke 200 for the first time. I still enjoy bowling , but will probably never see another 200 game. Off and on through the years I have bowled with different groups. My mother and I would bowl one day a week for a while. Sometimes some friends from High School would get together and bowl and then go to lunch. We have bowled with the kids and with the grandkids. Recently a group of us from Stone Hollow went bowling together. The last time I bowled I got a 163, that isn't bad! Michael came in second.

Bowling with the Williams

I do have a small collection of some of my favorite things. Might be unusual for an older woman to collect some of the things that I do. I have a collection of jacks, that is another thing I did quite well in grammar school. I have several sets that I still have and play once in a while. I have played with some of the grandkids who did not even know what they were at first. I also have a collection of marbles. The kids used to bring home ones they had found in the gutters or in the dirt. My cub den boys found out about how much I like marbles and they used to bring me a stray one now and then. I have hundreds and still like to add to them.

Some of my marbles

One of my most enjoyable things to do as a child was to play with paper dolls. I often designed my dolls wardrobes. I would put the doll up to a window or glass door cover them with paper and then design the clothes right on top of them. I could trace around the dolls and make anything my imagination could dream up. I colored them with crayons, colored pencils or painted them with water colors. I would even glue on a sequin, a bead or some other embellishment here and there. I wish I had some of my creations now, but alas those have been gone for years. I do still have a sizable collection of paper dolls and paper doll books that are uncut. I take them out now and then just to look through them and I remember the days of my childhood and what joy they brought. Sometimes I still have the urge to tape a doll to a window and give her a new outfit or two.

In my collection of things are a couple pillow case sized bags of wooden blocks. I love wooden blocks for some reason. I still buy them at yard sales, sometimes only one, sometimes many. I have found a few at places like the DI, I cherish each one. I spell out different words with them, have used them while teaching Relief Society, when I was the Young Women’s President, and as Stake Primary 1st Counselor. I use them here at home to spell out LOVE, PRAY, FAMILY, NOEL, JOY, etc. changing them now and then for the occasion. Some we have made ourselves. Michael has made many of them. I love my blocks.

Some of my blocks

I also collect Christmas cards with pictures of the Nativity, the Holy Family, shepherds, wise men, angels, the baby Jesus, etc. Anything to do with the birth of Christ. It all started because when I finally got rid of the old Christmas cards I just couldn't bring myself to throw these away. I now have hundreds of them and have put them in collage frames and display them during the holidays. They are not as easy to find as they used to be, and I don't get as many as I used to. This collection brings me much peace and joy.

Wow, I thought I would only have a couple things for this blog in this category, but I just can’t stop without mentioning the coupons. COUPONS! I will stop for a coupon anytime anywhere. I even buy coupons LOL. I can hardly stand to buy anything unless I have a coupon for it. This must run in the family. My sister Paula has started a coupon organization that collects coupons and then sends them to military bases all over the world where our military families can use them at the commissary. Any coupons that I get that I don’t use I send on to her organization. For that reason alone I have become even more vigilant about finding coupons.

Now for the obsession, well one of them at least, there are probably others. I would say my biggest obsession is glass. Yes, anything glass. Platters, glasses, bowls, cake stands, punch bowls, candy dishes,etc. I can barely pass a yard sale if I spot something glass. This includes a few Chrystal pieces as well. It really became an obsession while living in California. I mean really. I was pretty good about letting go of a lot of it when we moved, but I do miss every piece that was left behind. I have a pretty good amount of colored Pyrex mixing bowls (mostly, thanks to Christi) and use them all the time. For some reason glass makes me happy.

Some of my glass

I enjoy scrapbooking, journal writing, categorizing, and organizing all my digital pictures. I spend loads of time on the computer, blogging on this site, playing games, doing our family monthly newsletter, family history, emailing, IM, and just surfing around. I guess my computer would have to go in the obsession area too.

No wonder my days seem so busy and full. Full and fulfilling. Call them what you like hobby, talent, collection or obsession they are all a big part of my life. Maybe some of them are a way to just escape for a time. They all bring me joy.