Mentioned this a while ago on another thread, and it was generally agreed it would make a good thread on its own. Besides the obvious prior planning to prevent piss poor performance we all indulge in, what hobbies do you use to while away your free time?
Beyond keeping your brain occupied, hobbies can be sources of interesting and useful skills in various situations. Not that keep your brain occupied is something to sneeze at. Emergencies aren't all rollicking gallops of nothing but adrenaline inducing desperation. A lot of them also involve many hours of intense boredom.
So, whittling to flower arranging, scrapbooking to sewing, carpentry to sketching. What do you do for fun?
My hobby of choice at the moment is leathercrafting. Bags, hats, mukluks, bookboxes, belts, quivers... I find leather's a wonderful substance to use, and can easily lose myself for an afternoon cutting, shaping, carving and stitching whatever my current project happens to be. As a 'useful' hobby it ranks pretty high as well. Many of the tools that I use to create new projects are the same needed to repair damaged leather items.
Aphrael
Oh sweetheart, I don't have to run faster than the bear...
I am an artist ( paintergirl 😉 ) but have been desiring to work in clay more recently, wishing to make functional beautiful objects... materials are expensive and I am still in post-move/employment transition so this is confined to being read about and researched for the moment as a hobby-to-be.
I am a ferocious reader so have been doing a lot of reading on prepping, pantry/ storage/ nutrition and more recently ( thanks to vanislemom!) "three sisters gardening" - symbiotic gardening techniques that I am eager to explore. (GREAT stuff!!)
Other reading ranges from classic literature, canadian history, a little sci-fi to s.h.t.f. titles.
Hobbies,
Carving spirit faces and chip carving.
Making Rocket Stoves right now
making some bicycle trailers and small hitches
Learning more on Permaculture and yes 3 sisters gardening
Paintergirl look up Sepp Holza as well, permaculture expert in Austria, awesome....
If only I had time for hobbies. I would be painting or doing pottery.
I love to sew, quilt and crochet. I also love reading anything I can get my hands on especially sci fi and anything to with with survival, prepping, gardening and living off the grid. Hubby and I have started doing some basic construction and plumbing and would like to try some simple wood working projects too.
Paintergirl look up Sepp Holza as well, permaculture expert in Austria, awesome....
What a great resource!! There are videos on Sepp Holzer on Youtube and books on Amazon! Thank you WildernessReturn! 🙂
Paintergirl really glad you liked that info, me too!
now look up the following as well, you will be impressed in a different area...
Jean Pain - Jean Pain methods of bio fuel and bio heating
Jean Pain - Compost Based Bio-Energy System - Pt. 1 - YouTube
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Da4jrskze_UU&ei=bwmGTovkDMrq0gG9vankDw&usg=AFQjCNElEQDtxmfDXODZm04cvTjaaPj60A
Jean Pain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=7&sqi=2&ved=0CEoQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJean_Pain&ei=bwmGTovkDMrq0gG9vankDw&usg=AFQjCNGB847IDuWQ1auybsLW9cX4VSPdxg
There are other pdf's videos and information available, so enjoy that all!... due to government issues, political wrangling and payoffs, this is only hitting the net now in the last couple of years, big nuclear and other fuel companies would rather this not get out at all!!!!!
When I have nothing else to do I like scrapbooking, sewing and knitting. I read a LOT. Mostly books on raising animals, gardening, small farms, sustainability, self sufficiency..
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*´¨`•.¸¸Anita <>< *.•´¸¸¨`*
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Quack, Cluck, Moo, Hee-Haw, Meow and Baaaaaaa from Shalom Engedi Farm
http://adventures-in-country-living.blogspot.com/
I share your reading interests, but get most of my material online. I download free e-books, take them to work on a usb drive and print them out for later reading. Working at a printing company makes this easier, but any copy center can do this for you for about $0.03 per page in black. This is a great way to build your prepper library too...just 3 hole punch and put into dollar store 3 ring binders.
Jean Pain - Jean Pain methods of bio fuel and bio heating
Jean Pain - Compost Based Bio-Energy System - Pt. 1 - YouTube
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Da4jrskze_UU&ei=bwmGTovkDMrq0gG9vankDw&usg=AFQjCNElEQDtxmfDXODZm04cvTjaaPj60AJean Pain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=7&sqi=2&ved=0CEoQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJean_Pain&ei=bwmGTovkDMrq0gG9vankDw&usg=AFQjCNGB847IDuWQ1auybsLW9cX4VSPdxgThere are other pdf's videos and information available, so enjoy that all!... due to government issues, political wrangling and payoffs, this is only hitting the net now in the last couple of years, big nuclear and other fuel companies would rather this not get out at all!!!!!
This is amazing stuff! I will be doing a lot of reading/watching on Jean Pain when I leave the forum today! Bio fuel has been a topic of interest for me in the recent years as well. One of the reasons I enjoyed the Discovery Channel show "The Colony" as they were always trying to find unique ways to deal with situationds and one of their bigger issues was how to create bio fuel...I had not heard of these methods and will enjoy learning about this, thank you!
Glad you liked the info PainterGirl,
make sure you look at his info on Bio-heating, awesome stuff there
Hobbies eh!
It's a good idea to get involved with something, just to help keep moral up (if you read a lot about disaster preparations, shtf stuff, you-tube survival videos etc.) it can start and get you feeling down.
I like to play the guitar, banjo and ukulele also play the piano a little. Music is a great way to unwind
Hobbies eh!
It's a good idea to get involved with something, just to help keep moral up (if you read a lot about disaster preparations, shtf stuff, you-tube survival videos etc.) it can start and get you feeling down.
I like to play the guitar, banjo and ukulele also play the piano a little. Music is a great way to unwind
Too bad we are several provinces apart, we could have a jam session! I play classical/ contemporary piano. I have been playing a couple of Duke Ellington pieces as of late.
Awesome ... I'm working on some Scott Joplin ... "Maple Leaf Rag" - - lots of fun to play
was out in B.C. about 10 year ago skiing Whistler/Blackcomb, Grouse and Lake Louise. While I was out there I had bought Enyas "Watermark" and "Shepards Moon" and now whenever I hear anything by Enya I dream of the Rockie Mountains. You live in the most beautiful part of Ontario. 😀
oops .. Paintergirl lives in the most beautiful part of CANADA ... ( Muskoka is the most beautiful part of Ontario ) .. oh silly me