There are some who start their retirement long before they stop working. -Robert Half

Friday, January 23, 2009

Free Time.

Though Papa doesn't think he has enough free time, I feel like I'm drowning in it. Because of this, I have picked up a few new hobbies.

Bell Choir: I joined the bell choir at church (mainly because I can't say no when people ask me to do things, but also because I needed more things to do...). I play the F's and G's, which happen to be the easiest notes to play and good thing because I'm not very good. I have to really concentrate on the music and for some reason I always stick my tongue out while I'm playing. I guess that means I'm concentrating hard? I've tried to keep it in, but when I do, I mess up. Grammy comes to bells (or "belles" as it is hand-written on all of our music), too, except she doesn't ring, she babysits the two kids of one of the ringers. Grammy calls them her babies and looks forward to Wednesday evenings all week. Whenever we get to the church, Grammy stops at the front door and says "I'm going to wait for my babies, you go ahead." She needs some great-grandchildren...I'll have to pass that message along to my older brother.

Guitar: I learned how to play the guitar. My dad got me a guitar for my birthday so I've been practicing and I'm pretty good now. However, I can't play lots of the chords because my fingers are just too dang small. Sometimes I look down at my hands and think: "Those hands don't fit my body or age. I think those hands should be on a child. I have child hands." Anyway, my child hands can't play any sort of B or F# or any chord that spans more than 3 frets. I also have a lot of trouble with the F. My little brother said I just need to practice stretching my fingers more, but I'm telling you, they won't stretch. I've also written some songs, but they all kind of sound alike because of the fact that I can only reach certain chords. Oh well, I'm not planning on becoming a super star and even if I do, I definitely won't be commended on my guitar-playing skills. That's ok. I'm still learning.

The Classics: After reading the Twilight series, I decided I should start reading books that were of a higher quality and highly regarded by literary experts (not that Twilight wasn't good, but I wouldn't call it a literary masterpiece...). Thus, I began my voyage through the Classics. I started with Wuthering Heights because I remember liking it from high school, and it turns out, I still like it. It is a great book that analyzes the characteristics of very different (but at the same time, very similar) characters. After that, I went to the local library and checked out The Stranger which documents the thoughts and strange actions of a man who commits murder. From there, I read All's Quiet on the Western Front which was an excellent book that increased my dislike for war and what it does to all the people involved. Right now, I've started The Beautiful and Damned which I knew nothing about and simply bought because Barnes and Noble was having a "Buy 2, Get one free" sale and my friend I was with told me to get it. He told me "It has to be good because it is about the 20's and everything was better and fancier and richer in the 20's." Turns out, it is really good. Next, I'm going to read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave because it is my little brother's favorite book.

Quilting: Grammy had an old quilt top in the basement that she said I could have, so now I'm learning how to quilt. I didn't realize how much you had to do to make a quilt:
1) Fix the quilt top if there are any seams ripped.
2) Watch Grammy go back and double check to make sure you got all the rips.
3) Stretch out the top and trace your quilting pattern onto it. Make sure all the tracings are spaced evenly, especially if you are Grammy because Grammy makes all things perfect.
4) Watch Grammy go back and fix the lines that aren't perfect.
5) Measure the quilt so that you know how big to cut the batting and backing.
6) Watch Grammy re-measure to make sure it is perfect.
7) Cut the backing and batting. Grammy is watching to make sure it is perfect.
8) Set up the quilt rack. Make sure everything is perfect.
9) Watch Grammy come and adjust the quilt rack.
10) Pin the backing onto the quilt rack, then the batting, then the top.
11) Watch Grammy check the quilt and re-adjust some pins.
12) Start sewing along the traced lines. My stitches are big and I'm pretty fast, but Grammy's are perfect.
This is the step we are currently on. Grammy and I will sit in the basement and quilt while listening to classic rock.

Exercising: Grammy and I go to rehab every night to exercise. I run for 30 minutes and then lift and Grammy does her 1 lb. weights and some resistance exercises and then bikes or walks on the treadmill. We're so healthy. Papa won't come...he doesn't need to, he's going to live 10 more years anyway.

2 comments:

  1. I want to learn to quilt someday. Kudos to you for doing it. Maybe I could pay you to make my baby a quilt so I dont feel like such a anti-crafty mom.

    PS: Twilight was good someone with excellent taste must of told you to read them

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  2. I want to learn how to quilt, I'm really jealous! You'll have to teach me! Or more likely...your Grammy will have to teach me.

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