New to Retirement? Oh Dear!: HOBBIES

 I have been retired for what seems like an eternity! I began in 2006 or 2007 after taking a trip to Shanghai, China to visit my son. My husband and I stayed for 3 weeks so I had time to absorb what the world of expat educators was all about...and they were a busy, talented and progressive group of people. 

That was when I began to blog...it was a hobby worth doing. I learned so much along the way.

That was that time when the boomers were coming down the track and all of those people were wondering what they were going to do with their time on a dime. Times were tough for new retirees. This conversation is an ongoing one...filling day with things that interest you and bring you satisfaction is no easy task. RETIRE IN STYLE BLOG II  has a lot of posts sharing my experience.

*Because of the age of this post, some of the links don't work. Sigh. 

Back in the Day....20 Hobbies for 2018  2023

This is so much fun...I made this list and then went out to see if I could find a "how-to" for each one. Here are the ideas AND a link to the information on what to do if you want to take up that hobby! WOW!

I could have included travel but that would have been too easy! (Dubai)

You know...back when the world was young...20 years ago. Blogging was just getting attention and we were not carrying iPhones or probably even an iPad. We did have a laptop and it traveled around the world with us.

Back then, retirement was very much in jeopardy. The economy was struggling. So, those people who retiring did not necessarily think of going to a desert island or to the South Pole. They were trying to figure out what they could do with what disposable cash they had.

The talk was all about "Hobbies" or turning a hobby into "A Second Job". That was when I came across a list of hobbies...100 of them. (100 Cheap Hobbies) That list made me laugh over and over because I kept going back to it for this blog about retirement.

I could make a hobby out of making a list of hobbies. Truly, there is no end to what might be of interest to people. I was thinking of some today.

1. Dumpster diving...you never know what you may find.
2. Finding stuff...I had a man tell me he "found" several hundred dollars worth of stuff every year. Here is a company that will take you one a scavenger hunt.
3. Geocaching...this a hobby created by hiding stuff, leaving a link to the geographical location on a website. I have never done it but if you are into treasure hunts, you will love this.
4. Collecting things...key, computers, watches, keys, buttons, etc. I am good with three of most things but I can see how a person could get obsessed. Top 10 Things to Collect
5. Reading all mysteries one year and nothing but biographies the next. A challenge but still fun I think. Top 10 books for 2017 (Publisher's Weekly)
6. Running...from or to somewhere I suppose. Or even just running in a circle. People love to run. How to Run Correctly
7. Walking...more my speed. 10 Ways to Get the Most out of Walking
8. Tracking your walking/running with charts and logs. Tracking Your Walks
9. Photography...mix it up with telephoto lens catching the world unaware. 10 Tips for Great Telephoto Pictures
10. Art...this could have 100 subtitles I think but just saying you are an artist makes you more interesting. Quick Beginners Guide for Drawing
11. Sewing...make a quilt or sew a dish rag. Get the machine out and sew like crazy. 40 Sewing Hacks You Should Know
12. Embroidery...the world is waiting for your next tablecloth or wall hanging. 19 Artists Creatively Pushing the Boundaries of Embroidery
13. Upcycle...If you buy an old something and redecorate it, the world is your apple. Ideas for Upcycling?
14. Learn to Play Golf...that will keep you busy for at least 20 years. Online Golf Video
15. Golf...if you have alway golfed, take lessons and find out how wrong you have doing it all these years. How to find a Golf Instructor
16. Write a blog...join Blogspot, set up a blog and learn about that wonderful world of people you did not even know existed. How to Start a blog...2023
17. Learn to write computer programs...it might be fun and not that hard. How to Start to Learn Computer Programing
18. Buy a new computer...if you are a PC user buy an Apple. You will have a whole new way to entertain yourself. Buy a book: Apple for Seniors
19. Volunteer to do something totally out of your comfort zone. Dicovery Corp and traveling to volunteer.
20. Clean your house...over and over. A hobby worth doing. :) from Popular Mechanics (seriously) Fifteen Secrets to Cleaning you House in Half the Time I would never had thought to look for this information in the PM magazine...how about you?
21. 
    

Do you have a unique hobby?

Have fun.

Here are some others:

20+ Hobbies: Slightly Dangerous and Weird

How important is your hobby?

You Don't Need to be Bored in Retirement: Hobbies

Whose Example Did You Follow?

Harret Elen Torris age 89.

 In this time children may find it hard to worship a hero...I really have no idea how that works for children anymore. Actually even in my days as a child I did not even think about such a thing. I wanted to be like the people that were popular. Did their "look" or attitude or even academic ability matter? I think so. Those people were the ones I wanted to be like. 

But an example remains important even at my age. So, I have been channeling my mother-in-law lately. In a strange kind of way, this woman that I really never knew guided me. She didn't do it by talking. She simply did things and I watched.

She died at the age of 90 in 1990. Up until she had to go to a nursing home a little while before she passed away, she smoked a pack of Camels a day. That I didn't and don't admire. But that little woman was strong as a horse. She was barely 5' tall but she had very large hands, long arms and big feet. 

She picked cotton as a young woman and was married 3 times. Her home as a child was in Oklahoma. I am assuming she married at a very young age but I don't really know that for sure. She bore 4 children, two by a previous married and two by my husbands father.

She had very little education but she read each and every day. Zane Grey was her favorite. She loved crossword puzzles. She wrote letters to family in Oklahoma and Texas. And she kept track of what was done for her and to her. 

There was never a telephone in their home. If you wanted to talk to her, you went to her house. 

She never gave me a name that I could call her. My sister-in-law called her Mrs. Torris but I just didn't call her by that name. I was Mrs. Torris too. Another sister-in-law called her mom. I didn't call her that because she was not my mother. It was a very strange relationship. We were both stubborn.

She didn't like me very much for many years because I took her baby son away. But, in the end, I was the one she looked to for help. I was glad for that.

She was methodical, patient and tenacious. She planted a giant garden and fed everyone that would have her produce...she wouldn't pick it for people but if they were able to come and get it, they were welcome to take what they needed. No weeds grew in her garden and a flock of bantam hens kept bugs at bay. Even today I can picture her leaning on a hoe.

When she baked, the batter bowl would be scraped so clean you would swear the dog had licked what was left in there. But no, she did that with a spoon methodically and slowly. 

The batter bowl has inspired me many times during my life...patience to complete a tedious tasks is my goal as I work.

So, it has been very obvious to me that she was one of the people whose example I followed. There are so many others....my parents and grandparents were truly awesome I think but their examples led to success in studies and business. But my mother-in-law...she was the daily bread on our table...she taught me the value of patience. That is very important. 

So, the question would be: "Whose example did you follow?"

b+