Hobbies? Oh, yeah... I did have time for hobbies...
I used to have a pretty significant
amount of time to devote to the things that make life worth-while. Now, as
any parent knows, I get to do them a lot less, but these were my favorites, in
no particular order:
- Crafty stuff. For example, as a Harry
Potter fan, I was quite happy with the movie version, and absolutely loved
the way they visualized the magic wands. And I thought, those look pretty easy
to make... and they are! I made six wands for various family members. Want to
make your own? Here are some instructions. It's
very simple to do, even if you don't have a workshop (which we don't). All it
takes are a small saw, some sandpaper, a drill, and a bit of time. And of course,
chances are you came here for the baby-related crafts.
- Reading. I enjoy science fiction and fantasy, as well as an occasional
historical fiction. David and I are currently on an Asimov kick; past favorites
include Arthur C. Clarke, Gregory Benford, Robert Heinlein (mostly in high school),
Sheri Tepper, and their SF kin. I also devour books on evolution and own a zillion
of them, mostly thanks to my mother. I am an affiliate with Amazon.com,
since I have been so happy with their services, and you can click on "Read
and Play" for a list of recommended titles, but I also get far too
many books from Edward
R. Hamilton's Bargain Books -- they have a print catalogue, but the online
search is much more efficient. Their prices really can't be beat! More recently,
I've been downloading and listening to audio books -- this allows me to "read"
once the kids are asleep without waking them up, since both sleep in the same
room as me.
- Cooking. Admittedly, David is a better cook than I am, but I make
a pretty decent casserole (family recipe, handed
down for a generation...) and in the summer, we practically live on this version
of tabouli. For special occasions, I like to make
my mother's version of dolmades, which take forever
to make but are SOOOOOO GOOD! I am, if I do say so myself, very good at making
pasta sauce from scratch. It's easier than you might
think, and the only special equipment required is a food
mill. Try it sometime!
Sewing. I'm a big woman (I prefer "zaftig" but that's a matter of taste),
so I have a hard time finding clothes in the style and size that I like. To
make up for this shortfall, I sew most of my outfits, and other stuff as well.
Here, for instance, is a pattern for cloth menstrual pads
that I made up myself. That may sound silly to some of you, but just think
of all the disposable pads and such that women use each year -- by using cloth
ones, you can save a lot of money and a little piece of the environment. They
don't take too long to make, and can be reused practically forever, so I think
they've been a worthwhile investment for me; I offer the pattern here no strings
attached because I care about the planet and my fellow women. I also have
a pattern for a breastfeeder's diaper bag/purse,
which is smaller, more convenient, and a better "investment" than
most diaper bags, because you can use it long after baby's out of diapers!
I've sewn a few nursing things from Elizabeth
Lee Designs, which I recommend that expectant mothers do *before* the
baby comes -- it wasn't until he was 6 months old that I was able to sew clothes
for myself again! I have been into quilting lately, too, though my projects
are simple and fast so far.
- Music. If you've read the stories
I wrote, you're probably aware that I have a fondness for classical music.
And although I'm not a violin, I do play one on stage... I'm in the University
of New Hampshire Symphony
Orchestra,
and have been since 1991. We've played practically everyone from Bach to
Stravinski, and it's great fun! I didn't play during the 200-2001 school year
because of Stephen, but hope to return this next season, as I have really been
missing orchestra lately. David and I also have a decent collection of CDs:
about 120 classical, and probably 240 or so rock albums. I especially enjoy Jethro
Tull, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, but I've only been listening to rock
music since Dave and I got together; most of that collection is "his".
- Charting my fertility symptoms. Okay, that sounds really strange,
and it may be more than you wanted to know, but it's wonderful! I was on "the
pill" for almost five years and was getting sick of the side effects, so I
stopped taking it. Instead, I was taking my basal (waking) body temperature
each morning, and also noting my cervical fluid and position; these are all
excellent indicators of fertility. This meant that when I was fertile, we
used condoms; when I wasn't, we didn't have to worry about it. And it made
getting pregnant much easier -- I knew when I was going to ovulate based on
my cervical fluid, so we could time intercourse correctly to conceive, and
"caught" on the very first try with Stephen, though it took 6 months
with Sophie. If you're interested in non-hormonal methods of birth control, I
highly recommend the book Taking
Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler; this web
site is pretty good, too.
- Being with my husband. This covers a lot of time, actually. We miss
each other a lot when one of us is away, so whatever time we have together,
we try to spend being very close. I think that desire is reflected in our
wedding ceremony, which we wrote ourselves (well, David
wrote most of it); if you're planning a non-religious wedding or know someone
who is, this might help somewhat.
- Being an "attachment parent." Some of that is described,
in purely speculative terms at first, on the baby
future page, but now that I'm living it, I like it even better!
- Doing web design. Here is my resume for
all to behold and look upon with wonder! I'm still happily working in the
Space Science center, and have picked up a few freelance projects, too, all
of which are detailed here.
- Playing with Stephen and Sophia!
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