What do you do for fun?

[Katie]

Hobbies? Any thing that takes your mind off the reason we're all here?

On good days, I paint...oil or watercolours. I used to teach art almost full time in my studio, but now pick up a brush and do a little for myself on good days. It's hard to teach when full of meds Staring into space trying to remember simple words is not good for credibility

I have horses too, and they make me get out of bed in the morning. Nothing like a deep nicker and a snort of horse porridge in your face to get the day started! While I can only do light feeding chores, I am still planning for the days when I can get the cross-country carriage out again and go driving through the woods and trails. My wonderful husband picks up the slack now...did I say how much I appreciate him?

[Terry Allen Blackburn]

I collect watches (Rolex and other mechanical timepieces), I am an avid cyclist with over 2,000 miles per season, I am a lawn snob and a Master gardener, I read voraciously, walk, snowshoe, downhill and cross country skiing, kayaking, and I am an avid volunteer who contributes to the following causes and clubs:

1. Avid Rotarian with activities in the following events:
Responsible for a three mile section of highway that we clean every Spring and Fall, in charge of a pancake breakfast fundraiser, sidewalk day sales concession stand, Camp Daggett clean-up, calendar sales (which is our largest fundraiser), and, have been elected to serve on the Rotary Board of Directors.
2. Member of the Human Services Collaborative Body with memberships in these work groups:
A. Suicide Prevention
B. Substance Abuse Free Environment (S.A.F.E.) coalition to prevent underage drinking, drug use, tobacco use
C. Transportation Committee to get public transportation in our rural area
3. Angel Food Ministries to distribute food to low income and needy people
4. Member of an Opiate Replacement task force to provide opiate replacement therapy
5. Member of ALSAO which is a trade association that we pay member dues to to support lobbying for our issues with State government
6. I work on the sidelines to report fake Rolex watches to E-Bay Trust and Safety to keep people from getting ripped off
7. Avid member of the spinal forums to help fellow spinal pain patients

Plus I am married, so that is my second full-time job.

I'm too busy to be sick. I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I am dead.

Terry Newton

[treefrog]

With my pain, my only hobbies right now are watching TV and movies (mostly at home, I'm not usually up for going to a theater), and the internet. My boyfriend bought me a laptop for my birthday, last fall, and that thing sits on my lap every night. I play an online game, which my boyfriend introduced me to, called PlayNileOnline. It is a city building game, set in ancient Egypt.

We live in a townhouse, and the past two summers I have grown tomatoes, and some herbs, on our deck. But this year, I don't know if I will be able to do it. If it is to happen, my boyfriend would have to help me get them started, and then if I have surgery, hopefully I will be ambulatory enough to take care of them. We'll see.

Oh yes, reading too, science fiction/fantasy are my favorite genres. But with the meds I am taking it is hard to concentrate. I hope I can get back to reading and enjoying it again.

[dshobbies]

I paint too, oils. Also pencil drawings.

I love writing, trashy love stories (hate editing, usually longer than writing itself). Looking for a publisher, agent?????

These are pure therapy and the main reason I gave up Lyrica.

Also building a dollhouse. Miniatures are not toys!

Spend as much time spoiling my grandchildren as possible. My mantra, "I don't care" if they eat sweets, get dirty, don't eat their vegis, etc, etc., but this isn't a hobby, it's better!

[New-disc]

Hello,

Just out of the hospital for Acute Bronchitis.

1. Playing/spending time with my wife, kids, and dog

2. Hiking/walking ( low impact outdoor sports )

3. Fishing

4. Reading

5. Cooking good food

6. Spending time @ family camp

7. Fast cars

8. Helping others

*No real sure yet how my hip problem, & Bronchitis will impact some of these hobbies.

Todd

[mmglobal]

I had a client who was into fly fishing. While he had a very tough time with being upright too long, the weightlessness of hanging out in a stream in waders was OK. It was great that he had something so cool to keep him sane!

All the best,

Mark

[New-disc]

Mark,

It's the little things in life that keep us going.

I love taking my kids fishing!!

Todd

[ans]

Change positions in my bed, eat chocolate, turn the TV channel, weight myself, eat more chocolate, etc.

Occasionally take trips to the mountains but no more backpacking or long day hikes. Visit the Apple Store and drool. Like the 3rd St. Promenade for people watching in Santa Monica. Am starting to take long walks again and w/hit the weights gingerly.

[Kathy]

ANS- laughing out loud! Sounds like my day yesterday. I was tired from doing too much the day before. I woke up, helped get the kids dressed and did their hair, hubby took them to school and went to work. I then watched tv in the lazy boy, moved to bedroom and fell asleep for 2 hours, woke up, watched 10-15 minutes of the news and fell back asleep for another hour or so. I then moved to lazy boy and watched tv, ate a granola bar (trying to avoid choclate, after realizing I've put on weight since surgery) and some of that activia yogurt (working on the constipation issue). Kids came home, held them and played with their hair, ate pizza (1 slice) and salad (huge bowl), watched tv, was so exhausted that I went to bed at 9:30!

Terry-My hubby is also a lawn snob. He has won all the yard of the month awards (from the neighborhood and the city, which is pretty cool considering there are 115,000 residents). I enjoy looking at all the pretty stuff he plants. He has my 5 year old trained to name all the plants. She is like a mini garden encyclopedia, she will tell you the name, what the plant 'likes' and doesn't 'like'. Someone asks me the name and I'm like hmmm... It's a pretty bush, huh? I do enjoy my cherry tomato plant that we have every year.

Ok, for my hobbies...
I love to shop. I'm addicted to Target, the cashiers know me. I was in there today and was talking to my friend. This worker comes up to me and was like, I knew it was you when I heard your voice! I bought a bunch of adorable clothes for my kids at Children's Place today (shh, don't tell hubby)
I love to eat, which is nice because my husband loves to cook (me, not so much). I love all kinds of food, Mexican (my favorite), Italian, Chinese, American, Steak (bone in rib eye, 1-1/4"- 1-1/2" thick, medium rare). Making myself hungry
I enjoy reading, books (non-fiction and Christian), magazines, newspapers. I like learning new things, my head is full of random information
I like to watch tv and play solitare and sudoku on the computer.
I had to quit most of my activities 6 months ago, when my pain was too much to bear and I couldn't sit for more than 15 minutes. Those activities were: Tuesday night Bible study (usually on marriage, money or kids), MOM's group at church, watching babies in the church nursery on Sunday (I love babies) and going to church
I love spending time with my husband (we have a standing Thursday night date-night) and time with my kids
Can't think of anything else right now.

[Katie]

Wow, what a varied world we live in. Terry, you bowl me over with all you have on your plate! How much of that were you able to keep up before surgery?

I'm somewhere in between After you listed all your activities, I remembered that I used to have a life too XC skiing, hiking, bicycling, building gardens on our four acres, and trying to bring the fish pond back to life on this heritage property we bought almost four years ago. Oh, and occasionally blow drying a chicken or two that falls in the water

For all you gardeners, I wish I could share some of our 'black gold', the very well composed 'recirculated hay' that our horses produce in great volume! That's one of my chores this spring...putting ads up in the local paper to try and get rid of it.

Ah, chocolate! No matter how bad life gets, or good, it will always be my best friend

[Cindylou]

What a neat idea Katie. I just now happened upon this thread. I am an avid downhill skier (my favorite sport), snowshoer (can you tell I live up here in the tundra?!), also a voracious reader like Terry, decorator, love to spend time at the cabin...which includes a love of birding, gardening, fishing, boating, and hiking. I am a Minnesota Master Naturalist volunteer. I love spending time with family and friends. I am hugely social. And lastly, I am trying my hand at writing. I love the written word, so we'll see if I can pull this last one off. I am working on a memoir. I wish I was an artist and could paint, but alas, I do not have that skill. My Dad was an artist who owned an art studio in downtown Chicago. Don't know why that didn't rub off on me.

Cindylou

[Maria]

Try to read.. my concentration skills are off thanks to meds tho I love libraries and books.. yes real books! Love to read in the quiet company of my cats as well.

Love to shop too tho am short the cash so try to shop within my $ range which means bargain hunting!

Dance.. oh yeah. Confined to mostly in my apt. now and/or with friends at their place where I can poop out on the sofa (drop dead on one) ..

Walk the dog and hang out with other dog walkers/dog people! Beach with the dog ..

Watch movies that are one to two years out as I cannot sit in a movie theater for 2 hours comfortably

Watch all kinds of programs that are educational from finance to language to just about anything.. might as well relax and learn somewhere as I can lay about at home learning as well as just laying about at home (usually night as I don't lay about much anymore).

Learning to eat well for my health.. it's like learning a new language or skill for me!

Playing at sewing and I say playing as I'm learning and I love it so it's fun!

Hanging out in my teeny tiny porch garden that's smaller than a bathroom tho light bright and has plants all over it.. yep, getting my Vit D and wrinkles to boot!

Walking on the beach!!! Walking.

Light weight working out~ just started and so far am doing well. Hope to be able to tone up a bit.

Going to museums and local art exhibits. If I could travel I'd go anywhere and everywhere I could to art exhibits and museums as I love this as much as libraries and the beach..

Hanging out with some best buddies of many years.. how goofy we can get w/o even drinking.. it's so good to laugh!

So many more things tho as simple and small as it may be if I'm happy then it's fun

[dshobbies]

CL,

Everyone has art ability, some more than others. I don't consider myself an artist but a painter. Oil painting 'is' 75% technique which can be learned. A good teacher 'is' all you need, I've taught several (not that I'm a good teacher).

"Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain" can teach anyone how to draw. A class 'is' better than the book because self-discipline 'doesn't' apply but it teaches you how to see, then transfer it to paper.

If you decide to learn to paint and draw, your life will change. Creating 'is' a life altering experience.

Writing - just do it. Remembering to limit the use of the verb -to be- in all forms will 'be' challenging but will make you a better writer. Write from your heart and you can't go wrong. 'Be' passionate on paper. Use your thesaurus.

My passion 'is' obvious.

Count the 'to be's. It 'is' harder than you think.

My best, Dale

[Nairek]

Before my surgery I use to take pictures at shows my husband use to play with his band. Well, that was before the drummer broke his arm. But I use to have such a blast doing that. Especially when they played at The Chance Theater. It was such an awesome feeling when the guys would use the pics I took as their avatars or on the bands website.

Also before my surgery I was very active with a citizens advocacy group in trying to achieve fair & equitable fire taxes. I am the media chairwoman for the group so I am responsible for a lot of the interviews with local news media.

I try to teach my bird to talk. Somehow he learned to wave when I say hello to him. Interesting since he's only a Cockatiel. It's even funnier when he does that & says "hello baby". Yes, I've corrupted my bird!

I spend a lot of time on the internet surfing absolutely nothing! I have become addicted to Facebook. Sad, I know. That was the only way to stay in touch with people after surgery since the pain meds slurred my speech so much.

I play with my Coonhound & get her to bay until I have to tell her to stop. She's such a silly girl!

I'm hoping that once we move & get settled into our new home that I'll get off my duff & start scrapbooking. I have more than enough supplies to keep me busy for a long time.

Other than that, I'm pretty boring.....LOL!

[Kathy]

Originally Posted by Nairek

Before my surgery I use to take pictures at shows my husband use to play with his band. Well, that was before the drummer broke his arm. But I use to have such a blast doing that. Especially when they played at The Chance Theater. It was such an awesome feeling when the guys would use the pics I took as their avatars or on the bands website.

Also before my surgery I was very active with a citizens advocacy group in trying to achieve fair & equitable fire taxes. I am the media chairwoman for the group so I am responsible for a lot of the interviews with local news media.

I try to teach my bird to talk. Somehow he learned to wave when I say hello to him. Interesting since he's only a Cockatiel. It's even funnier when he does that & says "hello baby". Yes, I've corrupted my bird!

I spend a lot of time on the internet surfing absolutely nothing! I have become addicted to Facebook. Sad, I know. That was the only way to stay in touch with people after surgery since the pain meds slurred my speech so much.

I play with my Coonhound & get her to bay until I have to tell her to stop. She's such a silly girl!

I'm hoping that once we move & get settled into our new home that I'll get off my duff & start scrapbooking. I have more than enough supplies to keep me busy for a long time.

Other than that, I'm pretty boring.....LOL!

Maybe I should get a bird to corrupt! Must be entertaining, mine would probably blurt profanities or my kids names repeatedly (like I am always doing and they are always ignoring me... got their dad selective hearing)

I also love scrapbooking, I am seriously 2 years behind on both of my kids books, need to get moving on that. I am addicted to buying all the cute stacks and stickers.

I am also on facebook, still haven't gotten to the addicted level yet; probably because I don't know how to use so many of the applications! I am more of a myspace girl. I don't spend too much time on the internet, mainly check email and read on here (my hubby harasses me about being on ispine- that's all he knows about it, the name. He just doesn't 'get it' and I pray he never has to)

[runner]

Run.
Read about running, do stats on running, watch running, read books about running...
You get it.
Write and Read novels. And trivia. Love Jeopardy.

Runner

[Gil Denis]

Hi All

Life is fun weather it is in pain or not it is still FUN.

I love to ski and watch my son ski race, climb the Tetons, Mountain bike,(use to ride) road bike, hiking,camping,just being outside, building houses and spending time with our family.

Gil

[Terry Allen Blackburn]

These are a sample of our gardens. We brought in 1,000 yards of fill which was 100 dump trucks and built a mountain in our back yard. We then put in trees that were high enough to block our neighbors view. We put in a waterfall and 3,000 gallon pond complete with Japanese Koi. This yard occupies a great deal of my time but I am certifiable anyway. The men in the white coats are coming to get me as we speak.

My wife looks at the yard and she stays away.

Terry Newton

[Terry Allen Blackburn]

This is when the project was brand new eight years ago. I just laid down 27 yards of mulch so our weeds will stay down. I also have to divide perennials this year as some need to be spread elsewhere. Loads of work.

This is what it looks like last Summer.



I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Terry Newton

[Cindylou]

Oh Terry, I love them. I am a huge gardener too. Nothing's more therapeutic than playing in the dirt. Now, my husband's version would be, nothing's more therapeutic than cooking in the kitchen. And now that spring is here, his version is, nothing's better than fishing all day.

Thanks for sharing,

Cindy

[Nairek]

Holy cow Terry!

If I had that for my backyard, I would NEVER leave the house! I wish I had the talent & green thumb to do that with my yard.

Can we borrow you if we ever close on our house in Florida?!? LOL

Karin

[Gil Denis]

Hi Terry

That is the most beautiful landscaping I have ever seen no wonder your back hurts

No really that is awesome thanks for sharing your world

Gil

[New-disc]

Terry,

What a great job on your gardens!!

I did landscaping/golf-course work for many yrs
before my injury.

When I see great work like this .... a part of me
jumps back to life again!!

Thanks for sharing....

Todd

[dshobbies]

Terry,

What a place to relax and enjoy. Beautiful.

[Nairek]

I have decided that when I need to have a "sanity break", I will pull up this link & stare at Terry's backyard & try to relax

[Maria]

What serene/beautiful gardens! I don't think you could ever get me inside the house or away from the grounds if I lived there!

thank you very much for sharing the photos w/us

[runner]

Terry,

What a nice "little" yard you have there.
Really nice.
I saw the pond before I read the caption and all I could think was, "are those koi in that pond?"
Wondering where do the fish go in the wintertime?
My little garden is doing somewhat bad because I quit gardening (picking weeds) a while back. In the backyard, I have plants in pots and take care of these. I have five plumeria plants that I am proud of now.
My husband and I went to a nursery early this year and the plants like my plumerias were sold for $1,500 a piece. WOW.
I also have bogunvilia (sp) and a camillia and hibiscus and rose bushes and cannulas (sp) and a rosemary bush that I grew off a cutting and geraniums, etc...Iris, still blooming, and others I don't recall the name of or I have a memory fog on.
I too like to garden, but it is very limited now.

Kimmers

[dridobits]

Well that's changed an aufull lot since my accident but I'll give this my best shot!

1. Walking/mini hiking with my dog. I'm in love with my animals
2. i love to be up in the mountains...I'm not far from Yosemite. I used to be an avid hiker. I can't do this anymore but realized I can sit in nature and still enjoy the beauty of it and hey at least I'm there!
3. I love to write
4. I love to make others laugh
5. I volunteer at the American Cancer Society
6. I still do some Graphic Design, some paid and some for friends and I love that. I really enjoy doing logos. Need a business card? let me know.
7. I love to sing although I'm off key a lot
8. I love to travel. This is pretty hard since my accident but I managed to go around the world. Did a lot on ships. Easier to travel that way for me.
9. I love to help people. It gets me outside of myself
10. On light pain days I'll be outside somewhere in the redwoods.
11. I love hunting on ebay but have to be careful

Lately I love to dream about having a surgery outcome where I have more quality of life and can have less days in bed and less meds. Sometimes holding on to my dreams and hopes are the best I can do. Sometimes holding on to my sanity is the best I can do too.

I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts about what you like to do.

Terry Allen Blackburn...i'm a watch collector too....Old Tags, Roger Dubois and more. It's addicting and can be pricey. I look on Ebay....and use the "all over the world" option. I love finding outdated watches that are impossible to find.