OMG! This was so difficult to read. Every sentence invoked a memory, inspired a story to write, something that interrupted my concentration on YOUR STORY! Forgive me. I love your apothecary chest and its little clay teddy and wooden apples and watermelons. So creative. And you didn't have a pattern/schematic for be cabinet, did you? Or the bookcases. I saw those and thought this kind of problem-solving ability is what makes the mundane house design something unique and livable. Bravo, C.J.
Bless your huge heart, Sue. What lovely things you’ve said —I really appreciate it. We must have many of the same tastes if you like the apples, watermelons, teddy and the apothecary chest and bookcases. That pleases me, too.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m anxious to read what these things inspired for you! ❤️💕
I'm just impressed by good work. I tried woodwork once during a summer shop class at the high school. I was about 13 and the only girl in the class. At this late stage, the only thing I can do with any serviceable skill is knit ... oh, and type. Your projects in this article are really impressive.
These are so good. I cannot hammer a nail in straight. I was such girly girl growing up. Then, when I was left with two little girls, a single mom, I got to be tougher. It wasn’t fun playing mom and dad but it’s what I needed to find my independence. As far as hobbies, not really except cooking. I do love to cook and bake.
I love this. Thank you for sharing your hobby and starting a conversation. Our hands hearts and minds join forces when we’re makers. Your apothecary chest is beautiful. My hobby is yarn - knitting with looms and knitting machines and crocheting. My progression has been from learning, to trying new tools and ideas, to creating my own patterns. One of the most enjoyable parts of my life. I also like decorating rooms around an inspiration item.
Thank you for your kind words about my hobby. I do love it. —now it’s MY turn. ❤️ I’ve always had a special yearning to learn knitting, and with looms no less! That’s stupendous, Cori! That’s one of the best hobbies I could think of.
Couple bucks at Walmart and ya got manual looms. Then YouTube free videos slow the playback down to 75% in the settings so you can follow along. No counting involved. Here are picks of some of my manual loom stuff I’ve made.
I’ll find the link to the video that taught me the first baby blanket I did. Careful it’s addictive oh and it also lowers blood pressure. Maybe I can do a live video session and show people how to use them.
Left to right - scarf, baby blanket, baby hat started on round loom, finished baby hat, baby blanket made from squares I stitched together after making them on the loom.
The little fish and heart are crochet and I leave them open at the top for the tots to hide their little toys in.
Delightful, informative and a wonderful new look at you beyond the writing. I am in awe of anyone who can work with wood. In my junior high school they offered a course called "Shop." They had three shop offerings, Printing, Wood Working, and Home Economics. Home Ec. was villified by the boys as a 'girls' shop, so no boy I knew signed up for it (although we all begged the girls we knew for samples of the food they baked. I took "Printing" and loved and excelled at it. Then I took "Woodworking," and discovered that I was fundamentally unable to plane a block of wood so that it was straight. Believe it or not, I spent the entire course planning one piece of wood until the teacher, Mr. Zulkowitz, threw up his hands and said, "Okay, Shaller go on and make a wiggly wire nerve tester." I made it. Someday, before I drop dead, I'm going to get a piece of wood and plane it straight!!! Even if the result is a toothpick!!!
Oh Sandy, that’s so sad that it’s hysterical! The teacher, seeing your strife planing a board, should have offered you another project. I remember he boys in our school making bird houses in Shop. They were very nice! I blame your teacher for you not feeling like you fit in.
I’m sorry for laughing, but I envisioned you planing a board into the toothpick you mentioned! Oh dear, what a friend am I …
Thank you for your positive comments about my hobby!
Oh, I love all your creations, simply beautiful. I love to quilt. Just finished my first granddaughter's baby quilt, and will be giving it to my daughter on Sunday! Photos to come. Funny story to match yours, I wanted to sew from an early age. My mother was not an accomplished seamstress and feared I would catch my fingers under the needle. She had a short stint in the hospital when I was in grade school and I talked my dad into letting me buy some material from the five and dime store up the hill from our house. I made a pattern from her nightgown and sewed her a new nightgown. I think it was then that she knew she was fighting a losing battle and by sixth grade I had my own sewing machine. Isn't life funny? Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your kind words about my ‘creations’, Sue.
You are a quilter? I am so envious —If I only had the patience it would take to sit by the hour and stitch the pieces together. Over the years, I’ve spent a small fortune on Quilts for myself and others as gifts.
What a great hobby to have!
Likewise on sewing. You and I are alike in that respect. I used to love sewing little girl clothes and things like Christmas Tree skirts for stocking stuffers for my adult daughters’ trees.
You knew what you wanted and you went after it —that’s commendable, Sue.
It seems everyone had a hobby at some point of time. When I was a child I loved coloring in my coloring books, I loved to read and write, play with my friends and make potholders that I sold door to door! I wasn't much of a sewer or knitter! My mother was a good cook, baker, sewer and knitter! She made most of my dresses and she knitted blankets, scarves, etc. She had to finish one of my school sewing projects. I hated sewing! But I did make a small, triangular head scarf on my own!
You had a busy childhood, Connie I remember making potholders and selling them. Sad, I doubt whether children are allowed to do that these days. Too many weirdos these days.
C.J., you are very talented. Woodworking is one of the hobbies. I had hoped to take up, but I am somewhat of a klutz. I probably would've ended up cutting off a body part.
Your bookcases are beautiful as is the rest of your woodwork.
Years ago when we were traveling in our motorhome in one of our RV resorts, they had equipment to make jewelry. That was very enjoyable.
Prior to that, I was prolific in making quilts for everybody that wanted one which included everybody in my family and friends.
Now my new hobby is Stain glass. I'm still a novice , but I'm really enjoying it as long as I can keep my fingers away from the grinder I should be OK.😂
OMG, Kathleen! Thank you and I love your hobbies! Jewelry would be so much fun to design and don’t even get me started on quilt-making. I wish I had the patience to do them. YOU, my friend, are talented!! Thank you for sharing your hobbies with me. 💕❤️
here are a few more that I made. I usually make them for family and myself for each season. Currently, I'm working on one with a little boat in it for my husband for Father's Day hopefully for this year😂
I do reserve Thursday to go to a Stain Glass Class at the senior center. Plus, I have a room set up for my Quilting/Stain glass projects. Try to get a little in every week not so much Quilting anymore though.
Here are a few I made for Family. Along with a few recent Stain glass pieces most of them are window hangings for the season.
Hi C.J, I love this, the tangibility of touching wood, and the delicious smell. You're very talented. I joined a woodworking group a few years back but stopped when John got sick. I have a bandsaw box that I made. I really enjoyed it. I also have the wire fairies that I twirl. I hope to pick that up again when I fully retire next year — play with the fairies 🤣. Thanks for sharing 💜
My Hobby is reading about other people's hobbies--like yours! People who work only with their head and not their hands are really missing out! Lucky You!
Love this because my Dad was a hobbyist woodworker who made the same shelves, and he called them what nots. He had a small workshop in one side of our basement with jigsaw, table saw, clamps, etc. etc. etc. LOTS OF etc. Do not remember his having a lathe.
yes, morphed into remodeling houses as many as 6 different ones, building a barn sheds for chickens and donkeys always an avocation. I can no longer travel but may try a short trip with adequate support. Miss the RV life on the road. and have many good memories.
Also there was fishing, sailing hiking, camping, photography (amateur) and a long time ago upland hunting for birds 🦅 pheasants woodcocks, grouse and ducks too mostly for eating and of course that meant having dogs! So yes, lotsa hobbies
Kathleen, I want to thank you most sincerely for all the restacks today on my notes and posts. I appreciate your heartfelt support.
OMG! This was so difficult to read. Every sentence invoked a memory, inspired a story to write, something that interrupted my concentration on YOUR STORY! Forgive me. I love your apothecary chest and its little clay teddy and wooden apples and watermelons. So creative. And you didn't have a pattern/schematic for be cabinet, did you? Or the bookcases. I saw those and thought this kind of problem-solving ability is what makes the mundane house design something unique and livable. Bravo, C.J.
Bless your huge heart, Sue. What lovely things you’ve said —I really appreciate it. We must have many of the same tastes if you like the apples, watermelons, teddy and the apothecary chest and bookcases. That pleases me, too.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m anxious to read what these things inspired for you! ❤️💕
I'm just impressed by good work. I tried woodwork once during a summer shop class at the high school. I was about 13 and the only girl in the class. At this late stage, the only thing I can do with any serviceable skill is knit ... oh, and type. Your projects in this article are really impressive.
Thank you, Sue. There’s a lot to be said for knitting, Sue. I wish I could knit!
We all have our own special gifts, don't we. Makes life more interesting that way. 💖
Sure does make life interesting. It wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if we all quilted, or sewed, or built things the same. it would be boring!
These are so good. I cannot hammer a nail in straight. I was such girly girl growing up. Then, when I was left with two little girls, a single mom, I got to be tougher. It wasn’t fun playing mom and dad but it’s what I needed to find my independence. As far as hobbies, not really except cooking. I do love to cook and bake.
Don’t e hard on yourself, Jo-Ann. Cooking is an excellent hobby! You may cook at my house any time you would like to!
I love this. Thank you for sharing your hobby and starting a conversation. Our hands hearts and minds join forces when we’re makers. Your apothecary chest is beautiful. My hobby is yarn - knitting with looms and knitting machines and crocheting. My progression has been from learning, to trying new tools and ideas, to creating my own patterns. One of the most enjoyable parts of my life. I also like decorating rooms around an inspiration item.
Thank you for your kind words about my hobby. I do love it. —now it’s MY turn. ❤️ I’ve always had a special yearning to learn knitting, and with looms no less! That’s stupendous, Cori! That’s one of the best hobbies I could think of.
Couple bucks at Walmart and ya got manual looms. Then YouTube free videos slow the playback down to 75% in the settings so you can follow along. No counting involved. Here are picks of some of my manual loom stuff I’ve made.
I’ll find the link to the video that taught me the first baby blanket I did. Careful it’s addictive oh and it also lowers blood pressure. Maybe I can do a live video session and show people how to use them.
Left to right - scarf, baby blanket, baby hat started on round loom, finished baby hat, baby blanket made from squares I stitched together after making them on the loom.
The little fish and heart are crochet and I leave them open at the top for the tots to hide their little toys in.
OMG, Cori, you did a phenomenal job with all of those. It’s very impressive! That’s a hobby to be proud of ❤️❤️😁😁
Delightful, informative and a wonderful new look at you beyond the writing. I am in awe of anyone who can work with wood. In my junior high school they offered a course called "Shop." They had three shop offerings, Printing, Wood Working, and Home Economics. Home Ec. was villified by the boys as a 'girls' shop, so no boy I knew signed up for it (although we all begged the girls we knew for samples of the food they baked. I took "Printing" and loved and excelled at it. Then I took "Woodworking," and discovered that I was fundamentally unable to plane a block of wood so that it was straight. Believe it or not, I spent the entire course planning one piece of wood until the teacher, Mr. Zulkowitz, threw up his hands and said, "Okay, Shaller go on and make a wiggly wire nerve tester." I made it. Someday, before I drop dead, I'm going to get a piece of wood and plane it straight!!! Even if the result is a toothpick!!!
Oh Sandy, that’s so sad that it’s hysterical! The teacher, seeing your strife planing a board, should have offered you another project. I remember he boys in our school making bird houses in Shop. They were very nice! I blame your teacher for you not feeling like you fit in.
I’m sorry for laughing, but I envisioned you planing a board into the toothpick you mentioned! Oh dear, what a friend am I …
Thank you for your positive comments about my hobby!
I did better in "Electric Shop" after I escaped the wood plainer. LOL
You had a green thumb for electrical work! That’s a plus for you!
You clearly have the patience if you are a woodworker. You simply use that energy supply toward a different medium. :)
I agree, Sue!
Oh, I love all your creations, simply beautiful. I love to quilt. Just finished my first granddaughter's baby quilt, and will be giving it to my daughter on Sunday! Photos to come. Funny story to match yours, I wanted to sew from an early age. My mother was not an accomplished seamstress and feared I would catch my fingers under the needle. She had a short stint in the hospital when I was in grade school and I talked my dad into letting me buy some material from the five and dime store up the hill from our house. I made a pattern from her nightgown and sewed her a new nightgown. I think it was then that she knew she was fighting a losing battle and by sixth grade I had my own sewing machine. Isn't life funny? Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your kind words about my ‘creations’, Sue.
You are a quilter? I am so envious —If I only had the patience it would take to sit by the hour and stitch the pieces together. Over the years, I’ve spent a small fortune on Quilts for myself and others as gifts.
What a great hobby to have!
Likewise on sewing. You and I are alike in that respect. I used to love sewing little girl clothes and things like Christmas Tree skirts for stocking stuffers for my adult daughters’ trees.
You knew what you wanted and you went after it —that’s commendable, Sue.
CJ, Nice job on those bookcases. D
Thank you, Dave. That’s nice to hear!
Fantastic C.J. 🙌🏻
Thanks, Deborah.
It seems everyone had a hobby at some point of time. When I was a child I loved coloring in my coloring books, I loved to read and write, play with my friends and make potholders that I sold door to door! I wasn't much of a sewer or knitter! My mother was a good cook, baker, sewer and knitter! She made most of my dresses and she knitted blankets, scarves, etc. She had to finish one of my school sewing projects. I hated sewing! But I did make a small, triangular head scarf on my own!
You had a busy childhood, Connie I remember making potholders and selling them. Sad, I doubt whether children are allowed to do that these days. Too many weirdos these days.
Thank you, Connie!
C.J., you are very talented. Woodworking is one of the hobbies. I had hoped to take up, but I am somewhat of a klutz. I probably would've ended up cutting off a body part.
Your bookcases are beautiful as is the rest of your woodwork.
Years ago when we were traveling in our motorhome in one of our RV resorts, they had equipment to make jewelry. That was very enjoyable.
Prior to that, I was prolific in making quilts for everybody that wanted one which included everybody in my family and friends.
Now my new hobby is Stain glass. I'm still a novice , but I'm really enjoying it as long as I can keep my fingers away from the grinder I should be OK.😂
OMG, Kathleen! Thank you and I love your hobbies! Jewelry would be so much fun to design and don’t even get me started on quilt-making. I wish I had the patience to do them. YOU, my friend, are talented!! Thank you for sharing your hobbies with me. 💕❤️
You're welcome C.J. Not enough hours in the day to do all the things I love to do
I know if I had that many things, I would do one on Monday, one on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, etc., etc.,
here are a few more that I made. I usually make them for family and myself for each season. Currently, I'm working on one with a little boat in it for my husband for Father's Day hopefully for this year😂
Beautiful, absolutely beautiful! Kathleen, You have a gift, hun.
Thank you for sharing my Restak C.J.
You’re welcome, Kathleen!
I do reserve Thursday to go to a Stain Glass Class at the senior center. Plus, I have a room set up for my Quilting/Stain glass projects. Try to get a little in every week not so much Quilting anymore though.
Here are a few I made for Family. Along with a few recent Stain glass pieces most of them are window hangings for the season.
Hi C.J, I love this, the tangibility of touching wood, and the delicious smell. You're very talented. I joined a woodworking group a few years back but stopped when John got sick. I have a bandsaw box that I made. I really enjoyed it. I also have the wire fairies that I twirl. I hope to pick that up again when I fully retire next year — play with the fairies 🤣. Thanks for sharing 💜
Thank you, Simone. Ahhh, because of your woodworking group, you are familiar with the feel and smell of wood!
I love your wire fairies. I do hope you can pick it up again next year once you’re fully retired.
Thank you for sharing, Simone.
Thanks C.J, my grandfather was a talented woodsman 🙏🏼💜
No kidding? He probably would have passed it all down to you gladly had you been interested back then.
No kidding, he even built a clavichord. Yes he would - wood have 🤣💜
Talent certainly thrives in your family, Simone. ❤️❤️😁
That’s sweet C.J, thank you ☺️
You’re welcome
My Hobby is reading about other people's hobbies--like yours! People who work only with their head and not their hands are really missing out! Lucky You!
Thank you, Carol, but I have my dad to thank for showing me how to do it.
Love this because my Dad was a hobbyist woodworker who made the same shelves, and he called them what nots. He had a small workshop in one side of our basement with jigsaw, table saw, clamps, etc. etc. etc. LOTS OF etc. Do not remember his having a lathe.
My hobby up until this year was travel.
Did you ever share his interest in woodworking as a hobby, Gary? Travel is good … if you have the money to … I don’t but I envy those who can.
Thank you, Gary!
yes, morphed into remodeling houses as many as 6 different ones, building a barn sheds for chickens and donkeys always an avocation. I can no longer travel but may try a short trip with adequate support. Miss the RV life on the road. and have many good memories.
Wow, Gary! So many wonderful hobbies/side jobs! That’s quite a resume for your avocations. Good for you, my friend.
Also there was fishing, sailing hiking, camping, photography (amateur) and a long time ago upland hunting for birds 🦅 pheasants woodcocks, grouse and ducks too mostly for eating and of course that meant having dogs! So yes, lotsa hobbies
All I can say is WOW, Gary! You had a lot of hobbies!
I like to strip and refinish old furniture.
I used to go to a lot of Amish barn auctions and bring home reasonable buys that needed refinishing —I hated doing that part.
Hey, Paul, it’s too bad we can’t team up and I buy the furniture, you refinish it, and we sell it and split the proceeds!
Like making crabapple jelly in season. And family scoffs the lot!
But CJ makes furniture! Am in awe!