Thursday, March 29, 2018

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

This is so funny...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!

Dubai at Sunset. Travel could be on this list but that would be way to easy

You know...back when the world was young...10 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. What is 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 write a blog...2018
  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. New to Apple...support
  19. Volunteer to do something totally out of your comfort zone. Volunteer in 4 Easy Steps (overseas)
  20. Clean your house...over and over. A hobby worth doing. :) Easy Steps to Cleaning Your House in 1 Hour
Do you have a unique hobby?

Have fun.

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Monday, March 26, 2018

The Neighbors Are Listening (darn)

Who knows who is listening in the next booth.
Today Facebook reminded me of a story I wrote 1 year ago today. In the Next Booth was a story about a little boy we met at Sunday brunch at the Congress Hotel here in Tucson...and about eavesdropping. 

Eavesdropping may not be good manners but sometimes getting to know those people in the next booth can be so much fun.

This year we live in a townhouse with a large back deck enclosed by a high fence which is situated next to the street. The street is a buffer against neighbors that may be eavesdroppers (like me). It was one of the things that drew us to this property in a community that is small. But it turns out that more people are listening than we could even imagine!
Here in our townhouse, the street is just on
the other side of the fence.
In Oregon, the neighbors are just over the fence!

The thing is, my husband and I "disagree" sometimes...and we disagree outside, inside and sideways. It is not a pretty thing to hear I am sure.

We also work things out about people we know both far and near. But we do NOT talk about the neighbors...not here or in Oregon. We are smarter than that. Still, my husband and I talk to each other continually. Good, bad or indifferent, that is the way it is.

Sooooo...it turns out that the neighbors listen as they walk by or they may even just go outside to check on us! Thankfully our friend, Share, tipped us off. Oh dear! We are "disagreeing" indoors a lot more.

The upshot of the whole thing is, like email, people can misinterpret what we say because 1) they don't know our sense of  humor or our background and 2) they don't know WHO we are discussing and 3) they take meaning from their own phobias.

I always have known that the neighbors are listening! Darn! In the next booth, there are two old people (us) that are both just a little deaf so they don't speak in soft voices.

Now, we are mending fences because I really do like these people, I have not talked about them at all...and I think their dogs are wonderful. It is so good to have life, real life, going on around me.

Wanna come over for cocktails? We are having a small party soon.

How close are your neighbors?

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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

George, the Wash Dog

So here we are in a new location...moved from a park model in a winter RV resort for 55+...summer camp in the winter if you will...now living in a townhome with real everyday people, going to work, taking care of aging parents and families of children. Some are just generally retired and living out life. Real life, no planned activities save a beautiful swimming pool that is closed in the winter.
The Office

I like it a lot. I happen to love change.

But each bit of "new" has its challenges. The real issue here is getting to know people, neighbors with children or grandchildren and dogs or cats. How does one go about that? It can be hard.

The Living/Dining room
I have been know to trip people and then lean over them as they lay on the ground with my hand out introducing myself, "Hi, my name is Barbara." I will say. "What's yours?" Something like that!

My most successful introductions are made because I love animals and children. That is how George the Dog came into my life. His owner was walking him soon after we moved in and I crossed the street to introduce myself. George was aloof and wouldn't come near my offered hand.



He is a big black dog of dubious breeding and mysterious age. What we do know is that George is a Wash Dog. In case you didn't know, a Wash Dog is a dog that lives in the dry riverbed we call a wash here in Arizona. His owner walks in the wash almost daily. When she saw George, her heart went out to him. He followed her on her walks but would not come close. Tired, hungry and dirty it was evident that he needed some love and a home. So she spent many walks enticing him to come with her.

George was a reluctant animal and didn't see the need for a civilized life even though he wasn't doing so good on his own. He still doesn't understand what a backyard is and will not go out any door that leads to one. 

When he is out for a walk and he knows he is getting near going into the house, he simply sits down stubbornly. The thing is I fell in love with George at very first sight. There is something about the old fool that I just cannot resist.

His owner, Donna, really should have a special place in heaven for making a place in her home for him. Her elderly mother is being cared for there too and he shares the limelight with a aging beagle (or is it a basset hound?) 

That home is just bursting with life and light. I am just a little bit envious. 

How do you feel about Wash Dogs? Want one? Me too. (I cannot have a dog right now but I can dream.)

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Sunday, March 18, 2018

On Giving the Weatherman Advice

I know it all and if you don't believe it just ask me! I alway have a piece of important advice to give. It can be a big problem but that is the way I am...God had a plan but I am still not sure what it was.

From my kitchen window.
The best piece of advice I ever gave was to the weatherman on a particularly beautiful day. The windows were open and the sun was shining and the TV news was on the screen. The weatherman (yes it was a man) stood there talking about rain and cold and miserable. That was when I heard myself say, "Oh for goodness sakes, don't you ever look out the wind?"

In this day and age, where life is passing before our eyes on the TV screen, I think that a lot of us have totally forgot to simply go outside or open the blinds and look out the window.

I am taking my own advice for the first time ever. I spend very little time on my computer. I have put my iphone away when I drive/ride in the car. The warning I get that tells me that I will not be receiving notifications while driving started it all. Why was I looking for stuff on my phone the minute I got in the car to the point that I phone told me to stop? Wow, I did not realize what a habit had become.
Out my bedroom window.

For so many years I used that time in car to catch up on internet stuff. Even back when we were traveling in the RV I figured out how to run my camera or cell phone or even wrote off line. Obsessed would be the word I would use to describe how I functioned in my life.

So I have one more piece of advice. Try putting it all away for a while. You will be surprised that buildings and roads were built. A whole world of things have happened that you did not know about.

I have read books...I actually have gone to the library and gotten books to hold in my hand. I even ordered Hello Fresh food to try out something different to eat. I slice and dice and read a real hold in my hands recipe.

I quit wearing glasses that were basically for computer use and bought ones that are single vision-look at the whole world glasses. Wow, it is amazing.

Yup, it turned out that it wasn't just the weatherman that needed to look out the window. I needed to do that too.

What are you up to these day?

Have a wonderful day.

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