With so many saying they are bored or lonely have you joined an online group or started a new hobby? How is it going? Will you do so in the future?
One of the problems with hobbies if you are stuck at home all of the time is that they need to be things you can do indoors and alone or with whoever is there with you!
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I’ve had a lovely time over the lockdown. I’ve not been bored at all. I’ve started watercolour painting, learnt to use my sewing machine although I’m yet to make anything and I’ve also just started felting. I’m grateful for the opportunity to discover these crafts. I think it must be difficult if you live alone though. Which luckily I don’t.
How have you kept yourself occupied?
Ali 🙂
Hi, what a lovely reply. I run some businesses so have been spending time on that, some of which is talking to staff and clients during the day. I also run a large charity. I could easily have taken on even more work but chose not to. IF I dont want to do something I say no. I dont let life or other people decide for me. Think its important that we always have time to relax and have fun or do things which are interesting. With me its cooking, baking, films, used to go to theatre a lot but that is impossible now, we have started to go out to eat again, we zoom with family twice a week, do some gardening, but at the moment my guy is redecorating the outside of the house and then he will do the inside, its a huge house, so it takes time and it involves buying furniture and bits and pieces to go with the new colours etc, so that is interesting and takes up time.
Have just had to buy eight fans ready for the hot summer next year, duvet covers and the like.
My guy is very much into classic cars and motorbikes, he has quite a collection and runs a club for enthusiasts, but because of the lock down its impossible to hold meets so it all has to be done online and through printed magazines that are delivered to them instead.
Of course him tinkering around with his cars and bikes plus doing all the work he does doesnt leave him with much time.
Gosh you are busy. Sounds like you have lots going on in your household. What charity is it, if you don’t mind me asking?
If you are organised you can cope with all that easily. I used to run more businesses and have more staff and work far longer hours. But still fitted it all in.
Not a good idea to say which charity. But will say it is one which helps people with problems with mental health, depression, anxiety etc.
I had a fab time too! Garden and house were all spick and span (now need a good going over again!!), spare room decorated after my grubby lodger left ( 
!) and time to do bits of crafting. I really don't have time to go back to work. Although it's been nice to see my customers again (and it's nice to have been missed), I am quite happy on my own. It's also nice to have you all to chat to xx
In a funny sort of way I have on the whole made lockdown into a busy and productive time after I got over the initial shock and anger and resentment over things getting cancelled which are being rearranged in due course which I am looking forward to!
I have taken up cooking at home a lot more now than I used to do and last night on zoom I was making an omelette of leftovers and it was like watching Delia Smith on a cooking program!
Once I got told many years ago that I supposedly was crap at cooking and my friends said to me about how much better I had got since that was said to me and said how people say these nasty things to others because they are unhappy in themselves so direct it onto others.
Last night everyone else said how my leftovers omelette looked divine and it was as we both enjoyed eating it!
Today I have met my friend in the park and had a walk and an ice cream and a chat when she had said how last nights dinner party on zoom was like watching Delia Smith's cooking programs!
I've done really well with lockdown as I've rediscovered the joy of exercise even more. I'm also making my hubby homemade bread, I've been making my own for ages as I can only eat spelt sourdough and I make all my own snack bars, reasonably healthy ones.
I discovered the joy of bread making, all different types, shapes and sizes and flavours including plaited loaves. Latest is using spelt flour with some oats mixed in. My mother made 3 wholemeal loaves every week for 25 years and I never thought anything of her talent. Wished now I'd been more appreciative! Freezer is full of it sliced as it's too moreish to have around 😂
That's brilliant to hear and I love the sound of your spelt and oat bread.
Bless your mum, she did well. You don't appreciate things when you're younger, it's only when you do it yourself that you realise the effort our mums put in. I love the sound of all your bread.
I'm shielding alone (apart from pets) and have started learning Italian and Latin from an app plus refreshing my French. Started painting by numbers after seeing so much lovely artwork here. I can't draw at all so a kit is the only way I can produce anything recognisable! I've also been gardening when I can, reading, knitting and sewing which I've enjoyed for many years.
Very good for the brain learning a new language. I've been doing watercolours and had one made into notelets!
Learning anything new is good for the brain, it sends out feelers from the brain in different directions to that it is used to. I thought of doing it but then decided as I am so busy its better to learn something more useful - so started to learn all about growing vegetables, which is practical, I would never have the opportunity to use a new language so that to me is a waste of my time. I used to play the piano, keyboard, flute and accordion, and have thought of going back to that but time is limited.
I was a messy crafter before the pandemic wiserlady and with limited space to craft, I have to do equal amounts of craft and clean up, or I would live in a permanent state of pandemonium. If I met a good fairy I'd ask her to grant my wish for a craft room, so that if I was mid-project and called away, I could just close the door on it and tidy up later.
I've found I did less crafting during lockdown, but now that it's over, I feel more like continuing.
Do you think that when you have a whole day ahead of you its easy to be relaxed about how to spend that time and put things off till tomorrow or next week and then never get around to some of them?
I definitely do when it comes to crafting! I'm pretty disciplined about most things, but especially during the pandemic and lock-down it just seemed that days stretched endlessly ahead with plenty of time to do crafting... and it just never happened! 😀
I spring cleaned my house from top to bottom (not all at once). Also been helping friends with their family history (Ancestry) as Genealogy is very much a hobby and enjoy helping family and friends trees, I have been doing it for about 18 years so I am quite experienced . Also had a lot of time in the garden when it was cooler, as I have been a shielder still am to be quite honest, I live on my own, so I have no worries other than myself to think of
That’s so good to hear. I like to take pleasure in the simple things in life and the lockdown has made us look inwardly and I think that’s a good thing.
lol. I was doing all of the same things and looking inwardly and taking things slowly before , the only difference to me is that we cannot meet up with family so often and cannot go out so much in the evening because the places we like are closed now.
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What hobbies has everyone taken up this year? 
Covid has struck my family