# 8 Be passionate about your passions

I am enthusiastic about my pasttimes. Passionate is a good word for it. Passionate about my passions. Something catches my eye and I just need to do it. I think having hobbies and/or interests keeps you young in spirit, engaged with life and people, mentally sharp - all the things we start out life doing without thinking.

But hobbies are not part of all lives. Some are so focused on their careers that there isn't time for anything else. I did that crazy behavior for 5 years before I realized that I didn't like the person I had become. I quit making the job the focus of my life and took up knitting. Knitting will never be far from my side because it made me sane when I needed help. For some, interests slip away as they age. That has happened to my mother. Other than reading, she shows little interest in filling her time with anything besides TV game shows and tracking the weather.

Until this year I can say that knitting and my beloved grand-dogs have filled my life. But this year I got restless. I needed something new. So, in keeping with my passionate response to things, in the last 6 months I added 5 new interests to my life (keeping the first two, of course). The pictures reflect activities that I haven't pictured in this blog yet.

• iPad and game addiction. There are adventure games with characters that you play and stats that you improve, dragons that you kill, treasures that you find, goals that you achieve. Come on ... you haven't lived until you have killed at level 30 Demon Seed with massive fangs dripping with blood and one burning eye that sees into your soul, and stands 20 feet tall with massive armour ... beat him single handedly in an awsome battle of wits and skill and lots of healing potions!! Of course, if that is not your style, some games are strange but satisfying - like We Rule and We Farm. In both you create your own little world, buy buildings and farm land, plant and harvest crops, collect rents, increase fortunes, and expand your dwelling, your lands, your businesses. There are no Demon Seeds there! Really, if anyone had told me a year ago that I would be playing this kind of game I would have asked you what you were smoking. IPad apps should come with a warning label as being hazardous to the rest of your life. Steve Jobs - shame on you!

Weave-Its: I was introduced to this little loom by my friend HappyOne and I blogged about it a few days ago. I have a fascination with weaving ever since I saw a full size loom in use on a visit to Maine several years ago. The loom filled a small bedroom-size space. I decided that I couldn't house such a large hobby, but when I saw this hand held loom and the beautiful fabric it produced, I was hooked. And I have this failing - if the item is rare or hard to get, the challenge to get one becomes part of the appeal. They stopped making these looms in the 1950s. I was not detered. I am happily making these little squares and look forward to having my own blanket made out of left over yarn - of which I have a ton (another failing).

• Walking: I have a long history of walking, but stopped 2 years ago because of my stupid feet. They are better now, but gettng back to walking seemed like a chore. Thanks to HappyOne, I was able to see my walks through different eyes and have returned to the enjoyment of this simple activity.

Spinning: My cousin introduced me to spinning. Seeing her beautiful yarn creations finally roped me into buying a spinning wheel. Although I haven't been active doing this now, the desire is still there. I have the wheel, I have the desire and I have the roving - now I need the time.

Blogging. OK, it's HappyOne again!! Yes, I discovered her blog and decided that I should try that too. I love writing and was paid to write in the past. Now I do it for the pure joy of writing. HappyOne, if you do any other activites that I don't know about yet, please keep them a secret until 2011. I am full up right now. :-)

And I am still knitting. I can't stop that because I have the equivalent of a small yarn store in my yarn stash. I may even need to add that stash into my will. And besides, knitting is my soul mate. When I can manage it, I read. That and my granddogs who when they are here demand my full attention!

It is a busy, busy life. I love it.

Now, when I can get God to take me seriously about extending the day from 24 to 36 hours, I would like to add 2 more things to my list. As a young person, I discovered that I have a talent for drawing. Certainly the artist in me is not anywhere near as strong or as developed as it is for my cousins. But it is gift that I never developed (which I am sure I will hear about when I reach the Pearly Gates). I just might be able to squeeze this activity into my next 20 years, but NOT in 2010.

And a friend suggested that I might like Genealogy. That idea does intrigue me, but I also know it is a "hobby" that can suck all the oxygen and hours out of your day and then some. But my son did start the process going several years ago on an on-line family tree site. We'll see.

So, those are my passions - and it is a major 20 year goal to keep them all juggled without dropping one!

You know, I didn't "work" this hard when I had a job!! ;-)