Hobbies...

an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation

I have a lot of hobbies. I can't wrap my head around it when someone tells me that they don't have a hobby. What do you do when you watch TV? Or wait in line someplace? I read, sew, knit, crochet, and  do many other forms of handiwork. I have an entire room downstairs to hold the raw materials for my hobbies, and several nooks and crannies in other places in the house as well. I am not saying that people should be as extreme as (some might say) I am, but I think everyone should have at least one. 

I have watched over the past few years as Brian has had to give up one after another of the hobbies that he used to love doing. He loved being outdoors, biking, golfing, fishing, camping. And one by one, they became too difficult or dangerous for him to do by himself. He has gone golfing, well, gone and driven in a cart with someone and watched them golf. (I can't imagine anything more boring...) A few times he's gone fishing and camping, but it requires someone else's help and I know that it is hard for him to be dependent on other people's schedules and resources instead of being able to every just load up his family on a whim and head off into the mountains.

As we are gearing up for the transition into a wheelchair I have been so happy to see him getting excited about it and the independence it will offer him. He has mentioned on several occasions that he can't wait to get back on some wheels, and he has already been looking into the possibility of getting a hand cycle after a little while. He is also been getting excited about fly fishing again. In fact the other night he pulled out all of his fly tying materials and started to make some flies.

He keeps thinking that I am making fun of him for his renewed interest in this hobby, but that couldn't be further from the truth! I am thrilled to see him happy and excited about something other than which TV shows we'll be watching that night.  And there is just something so cozy and domestic about sitting together, each working on creating something.

I even think he looks cute in his head lamp.

I do have to laugh a little that after years of being forced to do my crafts in semi-darkness or a small lamp by me, we now have to have all the lights on so he can see to do his projects.  Um-hum, I see how it is.

A finished fly. 

It's called a "Hairy Catnip" I think...

Whatever, it's not like he could tell you the names of knitting stitches.