Hobby Month

January is National Hobby Month. Americans are pretty good at having hobbies. I would have a hard time naming all the ones I've ever had. Some of them are textile painting, cross-stitch, macrame, basket weaving, ceramics, crochet, quilting, jewelry making, embroidery, soap making, pets and animals, cooking, photography, oil painting, movies, travel, reading, rug hooking, hand-loom weaving, flower arranging, home canning, drama, gardening, decorating, scrapbooking, and the list could go on.

I didn't include writing or some other things, because I consider them more than just a hobby. Maybe one of the reasons I love writing so much is that it pulls together all the other things I'm interested in. With writing, the more knowledge you have the more interesting you can make your characters.

So when the January weather makes you want to stay inside, pull out one of your hobbies and enjoy the special time it brings. When I was teaching, I used to pull out the fabric scraps and piece some quilt tops every time we had a snow day. If you don't have a hobby you want to do inside, look around. There's plenty to choose from. Reading is always a wonderful choice. So, let's celebrate National Hobby Month!

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