Motorcycles - I love to ride, it is my therapy. I love living in Los Angeles but the bike is my way to escape the chaos of the city into the mountains--you feel a million miles away. I'm a little antsy right now because my favorite riding area, the Angles National Forest, has snow so I haven't ridden for fun in a few weeks. I don't get the same clarity from commuting but I'll take the time saved plus its a different kind of exhilaration.

Guitar - I'm sadly slacking on that though. I haven't taken lessons in months and I've been directionless on my own. I need to get back on track and seriously play before this year's rock camp. I also need to find people to play with but there don't seem to be a lot of outlets for middle aged beginners. which is one of the reasons I LOVE Ladies Rock Camp. At some point, I'll travel to some of the other locations.
http://www.rockcampforgirlsla......rock-camp/

My dog - Morgan the amazing Mini Aussie rescue dog has kept me sane, especially when I wasn't working for so long. We go everywhere possible together. We go to the dog park or hiking on a regular basis with a stop a dog friendly coffee shop. Luckily there are a ton of cafes, restaurants and coffee shops in Los Angles that we can all go to together.

Great thread Mary. My hobbies have a tendency to be passions and then cycle back at a more normal level.

I have always been a reader. I read Steinbeck in my teens for interest. I don't read as much now since my vision isn't what it used to be but I am trying to get back into it.

I enjoy gardening. Last summer I planned out our yard and then we executed the plan. It turned out close enough to the plan that the rendered video and the reality are almost the same.

My love of gardening led me to stained glass. I saw beautiful stained glass stones on a gardening show and wanted them desperately. Sadly, they cost over $200 each so I took a class and learned to make them (taught a few classes later). The class included vases, panels, lampshades,etc. Big passion.

Home decorating is another passion. I like to work with color, texture and pattern. I want my home to look cohesive but comfortable, lived in, and welcoming.

I binge watch TV too but don't consider it a hobby. More of a filler. I got a new remote control for Xmas that is small and programmable and replaces all the other remotes (TV, PVR, sound bar, roku, etc). One button sets everything for TV and another for streaming media with the roku. Excellent.

I love to travel. We go to Mexico every year (I am leaving in a few hours) so not too adventurous for now but when we retire, we plan to travel for at least two to three months a year. One long trip to escape a few months of winter and at least one to visit a new place. We have a very long list of places to see and I am looking forward to the freedom to live the dream.

I have been interested in weight lifting many times over the years and took up golf and running since turning 40. I am also planning to get back into the strength training when I get back from vacation in February.

ETA: Tony's family owned a restaurant and he is very much into cooking. He recently joined a men's cooking club. I bought him a sous vide supreme for his b-day a few years ago. I have caught the cooking bug and ordered my own sous vide before Xmas. It is a new product and will be here when I get home.

My hobbies, pastimes, passions are varied and fun...
1.Fashion....I have to include this one first as it is the one that occupies my time...I have been into clothes and shoes and purses since I was 4...I was one of those little girls who just lived for dress-up...Now I love to shop, read fashion magazines, fashion books, historical patterns of clothes, etc...Of course I love reading the comments of the ladies of YLF... They enrich my life and my style...
2.Reading...Books have been a major part of my entire life...I am a lifelong reader like Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird...I learned to read before i went to school and it has just always been my passion...I read eclectically across the genres...Books are my escape and my pleasure combined into one delightful pastime...
3.Power Walking...I just love to power walk...I can get away and be alone with my thoughts and my IPod..with my own playlists...My favorite times of the day are when I am out walking...and my most creative as well...
4.Cooking...Put me in the kitchen to cook a fun meal and I am a happy woman...Cooking is just pure joy for me...I love to shop and deal with the food, I love to prep and I love to prepare...Since I decided to go vegan almost 5 years ago, I have added healthy cooking, vegan cooking as well...
5.Toby...My precious little Maltese is a passion and the absolute love of my life...He is almost 8 and daily enriches whatever I am into...I say he is absolutely the smartest of my past little Malts..He can look at me and with a look communicate questions, opinions and feelings...These past 6 months have been an unexpected health struggle for him but PTL he is doing ok...Brave and tenacious and accepting should be his watch words...
Thank you for this post...I havn't spent so much time thinking about me in forever...smile...

Theater- especially musicals. My youngest daughter has been drawn to theatrical performance since she was tiny. Our whole family has really grown to love nights at the theater. I love that my little one has always sat intently watching any show we've taken her to, even ones that should be too deep or dull for her age.
Travel-We're always a party of 4, so travel can be quite spendy. I try to scour the internet for deals to get us out of our corner of the world. I look forward to being able to travel w/ just dh in a few years. I also look forward to traveling with my kids and their families as they get older.
Camping-We started camping to fill our travel itch when we had a really tight budget. Now we book several trips each summer. We haven't been more than 6 hours away from home, and we always camp in one spot for the whole trip. I'd like to give a go at a camping road trip.
TV- Streaming TV shows is also a big one for us. We're in the middle of The Killing right now. I'm always so bummed when we race to the end of a show and then it's all over and I want more of those characters.

Hi Mary, what a great thread! i love reading about all the forum member's hobbies, it makes me see you all much clearer.

I have always liked to discover new things. I'm a little introvert and enjoy my own company.

Life long hobbies are reading and textiles. I read every day, wether it's fiction, non fiction, work related articles, on paper or digital. I read a lot online, too, but that's another matter and feels a lot more fragmented. I also like to watch series and films. The Imitation Game was a very good movie an the last one I saw at the movies, and I enjoyed seeing The Knick recently. True Detective was great, but almost too dark for my wellbeing.

I started knitting and crocheting as a child, and when I was about 15, I borrowed my mother's sewing machine and started sewing my own clothes. My interest in fashion is strongly connected with this. Sewing clothes lead onto quilting and patchwork a few years later, which I was very passionate about for a while. The last move to a new house ten years ago lead to a strong interest in home decor, and this has been renewed lately because of the new apartment, just like you, Mary. I find it difficult to maintain many time consuming interest at the same time, so I have to choose. When home decor takes front seat, my interest in clothes must step aside for a while. But my desire to have style is constant.

When I started a new job in 2007, blogging as a professional (about teaching, education and social media) became a strong interest for a couple of years, but it burned out.

Like many others I enjoy traveling very much, and I wish I could do it a lot more.

I love yoga and jogging, and I go to the gym as well. Like Suz I need variety to stay interested. My DH is an avid cyclist, and I'm thinking of getting into that with him when the weather gets better again. Who knows? I might like it!

Great thread! Learning about everyone's interests is such fun!

My hobbies include:

Reading - I have preferred reading over other activities as long as I can remember. I have an e-reader and find it useful for travel, but I love the feel of a book in my hands. I can spend hours in any bookstore, especially the used ones. When our kids were younger, we never let them watch TV on weekdays and now, as young adults, they still choose a book over the tube, which I think is awesome.

Motorcycle riding - I live in a wintery part of the world with a very short riding season, but I love riding my Harley. Riding gives me a sense of freedom and independence that is difficult to describe but priceless.

Travel - We love to travel. Yes, it's pricey, but we prioritize our spending through the year so we can fit in a trip or two where possible because we believe that life is too short not to.

Crossfit - I am an introvert and about the least competitive person around, but I love the feeling I get when I do something I never thought I would be able to do. I love to lift heavy things and set them back down. I love to leave the gym feeling spent but proud. It's fantastic therapy and so empowering.

Cooking - I love to cook, to read recipes, to try new techniques and ingredients. We take healthful eating very seriously and take pride in providing nourishing and delicious meals for my family.

Let's see...
Music - Classical, Latin American, and Celtic
Cooking and Baking - healthy recipes
Foreign language - Central American Spanish
Travel
Reading - particularly about fashion and style

This is a GREAT thread Mary!

Hobbies/how I spend my time:

1. Food --- The SO and I both enjoy cooking and eating, both the traditional things I grew up with (Italian) and he grew up with (mostly American style) things our co-workers have introduced us to (Spanish, Mexican, Pueblo, Navajo, Taiwanese) and experimenting with new flavors. I also grow a garden each year and the SO is interested in tomatoes, herbs, and chiles.

2. The outdoors --- The SO lives in a small subdivision in the foothills with a sweeping green space and its own pond. We spend a lot of time on his deck and taking long walks through his neighborhood. As the weather improves we go hiking and fishing and camping in the mountains surrounding our community. We also shoot firearms, usually at ranges in the forest. In the winter we get out less, but take walks, drives, and sometimes head south on mini-trips for a hiking fix. Neither of us are big skiers, mostly because it has gotten quite cost-prohibitive locally.

3. TV with the SO --- I never watched much TV before the SO. He has all of the streaming options and we occasionally catch a scripted TV series that we really want to watch. Usually we watch documentaries or that sort of thing. In general, the SO is ADD and having the TV on is one way to keep him on the couch for long enough for me to get my cuddle fix.

4. Photography and painting --- I enjoy photography-- I used to develop my own film, but that has become more complicated in recent years, so in 2013 I went digital. I participate in a local club for photographers that encourages hobbyists to try new techniques and get out to shoot more with trips and challenges and I entered a contest last year and placed. I used to be big into acrylic paint and oil pastels, but always being on the road really killed that. I still draw, but I'd like to start other media again this year.

5. Travel --- The SO and I travel a lot locally (lots of amazing wilderness and tourist destinations in the southwest!) and I also previously traveled a lot locally (in a 4-states region) for work. I love it and hope that as both our earning potentials increase over the next few years we will be able to take more trips in the states and travel abroad.

6. Fashion --- I enjoy spending time here and seeing what is out there, as well as examining my own preferences and evaluating my wardrobe and needs --- playing in my closet.

Oh, fun! My passions are:

Rock climbing: 18 years. Indoors and outdoors. This is my yoga - it is physically strenuous but also mentally calming to me. My climbing partner and I have an amazing rapport that can only be had by people who literally hold and trust each other's lives in their hands.

Camping/hiking: All summer long. Campfires, bears, etc. Also used to be an avid mountain biker but that has dropped off and I'd like to get back to it.

Crafts: I was once seriously into making and selling jewelry - I don't wear a lot of what I make, but I love gifting it. Also sewing, quilting and paper crafts to keep occupied during long dark winters.

Reading: Total bookoholic. There's nothing I love more than curling up at our cabin for hours with a good book.

Pets: Our pets totally qualify as a hobby to me - dog, cat, lizard. Taking pictures of them in ridiculous positions around the house is a full time job. If I could I would have a houseful of animals of every ilk.

Travel: Whenever I can!

Fun thread!

Sometimes I feel like I'm too busy to have hobbies. But really, those things that keep me busy are hobbies in themselves.

Style has become my main hobby-type hobby in the past couple of years. I guess I consider it more of a hobby than other things because it feels more optional than most of my other activities.

I also like crafts and sewing - especially crafts with kids or groups at the moment. I'm into math art (especially with kids).

I work out daily at home, but don't enjoy it - so I don't consider it a hobby, ha!

I'm very much into natural living (I consider it a lifestyle, not a hobby). Under this heading come gardening, preserving food, cooking and baking, and making lotions and potions.

I'm in to frugality too, and am tickled that Mary is also - I'll be asking you the name of that forum Mary!

I homeschool, and am very active in my church - both of which take considerable time, but are also things that I would consider more lifestyle than hobbies.

Oh, and I'm strange in that I don't watch TV at all (don't even have one) - and very rarely watch movies (on youtube). I also rarely read for enjoyment, but wish I did.

This is a great thread. After 3 years of extremely busy life (work, school, family), I am looking forward to start enjoying some of my hobbies again. I feel totally burnt out and want to restore my mental health in the new year. My hobbies include:
Reading - I just finished "The book of Negroes" and have several other books on my night stand to go.
TV/Movies - I like to wind down the day cuddled up with my family watching a sitcom or a series. Firday nights are movie nights in our house.
Cooking - I love to cook and am always on the lookout for new recipes and ideas.
Running - It gives me a boost both mentally and physically. I start getting serious winter blues if I spend too much time indoors.
Frugality - Mary, can you please share the name of the other forum? I want to spend frugally and wisely. I am not an impulsive buyer and always put a lot of thought into my purchases by still want to improve.

Oh, this is fun.

Running: My older brother got me started when I was 16 (over 30 years ago) and I never got tired of the feeling of freedom and power that I get from it. I ran a 1/2 marathon this past October and finished in the top 23% of my division. I'm not fast, just determined. I do weight training as well and throw in other types of workouts on occasion.

Dogs: I had a Weimaraner who lived to be 15. We waited 5 years to get another dog, then ended up getting 2 in the same year. Henry and Savvy have my heart.

Reading: I have my nose in a book every chance I get. I've been that way since I was 4 years old. The same older brother who got me running taught me to read. I should thank him for both!

Crafts: I used to do a lot more - scrapbooking, making greeting cards, jewelry. Now I mostly use Shutterfly for scrapbooks and calendars, but still do greeting cards. Haven't done jewelry in a while.

Fashion and style: I think I get my creative fix more from this these days, which explains why I haven't done much with other crafts lately. I love finding new ways to combine pieces and experimenting with color and pattern mixing.

Oh, yes! This is fun! I realised, reading everybody's lists, I have quite a few interests I take for granted.

My list of interests that I actually engage in some way:

• Clothes
• Reading (genre fiction)
• Dog behaviour
• Baking (and cooking)
• Armchair philosophy / politics / religion / science (esp. neuropsychology)
• Culture, cultural anthropology, cultural geography
• Style (in all things)
• Plants (but I now live in a dark, first floor apartment and my opportunities are limited... but I still am growing stuff!)
• Painting

Main Interests: Reading, personal style/colour theory, organization/simplicity, writing.
Smaller Interests: Music/singing, budgeting/frugality, healthy living.

So much fun!

1. Looking for old things! This extends beyond my profession to rummaging through antique stores, estate sales, and architectural salvage shops.

2. Doggies! I have two miniature dachshunds and I also volunteer as a dog walker at our local shelter. My husband patiently endures the daily rundown of who was adopted. Later this month I'll complete training to be a foster and to work with high risk dogs to make them adoptable.

3. Running! I am lazy about this during the winter, though.

4. Travel! My husband and I enjoy doing this together. We have a long list of places on every continent we want to visit. The top dream destination list is always changing, but right now it looks something like Vietnam, Norway, Alaska, and Patagonia are on top of the wish list.

5. Museums! I love visiting them, I love working at them. I volunteer in the education departments at two local museums.

What a great thread! Makes me really think about what makes me tick.... my hobbies seem to be similar to others':

Reading - my family is always pestering me to put down my eBook whenever we're on vacation (usually by the beach or pool). I love historical fiction.

Dogs - my walks with Lincoln don't take long, but they do take whatever spare time I have in the evening/afternoon. And now with another one in the wings....even more time....

Exercise - I can't go without a daily run or mixed weights workout. Happy body = Happy Mom

Recipe Reading - Growing up my family teased me because I read cookbooks at every meal, and could page reference anything they asked me for (my mom still calls me to ask me where to find certain recipes). I've always been an avid baker but that's fallen off due to changes in our eating habits. Nonetheless, I still enjoy baking, and trying new recipes (for me). Unfortunately my boys are not all that adventurous at home - so I do more reading vs. challenging cooking

Skiing - doesn't happen as much as is used to, but the boys & I enjoy it, and DH is coming on board.

Home decor - I enjoy it - and having built our last house I got even more interested. This took 100% of our time for almost 2 years, so I'm on a bit of a reprieve....

Travel - I'm always happy to hop on a plane anywhere. As the kids get older we hope to travel further abroad. But alas...so expensive.

Such a fun thread!

Cooking. Who knew there were so many foodies/cooks? At home I'm surrounded by family and friends who would literally starve to death if they had to rely on their own cooking. I LOVE to cook. I don't bake, but I can and will cook just about anything. As someone mentioned above, I also enjoy shopping for food. We're in the process of making the switch to pasture-raised/organic/locally grown, so I'm having a wonderful time right now sourcing ingredients.

Reading. I love crime fiction. Lawyers, cops, military exploits, etc. Also love to read books related to finance, health, nutrition, organization, and cooking. A cookbook can entertain me for hours and spark many "off the cuff" dishes.

Dogs (and stray cats). Love my little Izzy! She rarely leaves my side and helps me take care of the stray kitties that seem to hang around our house.

Walking. Either with the dog (and cat!) or longer exercise-focused walks, I love the "quiet" time and the fresh air.

Beach/Ocean. There's something about the water that's my yoga/meditation. We go every chance we get and plan to retire to the beach in a couple years.

Travel. What's left to say about it. I love it. I'm looking forward to significantly more travel in the not too distant future. There are so many places I still want to go, and so many I want to revisit.

Health/Nutrition. This has always been an interest, but I have to say it's become a significant passion over the past few years (old age will do that to you).

Organizing. You wouldn't know it by looking at my office, but I love to organize...especially things involved in cooking, clothes, reading, etc. If I could only get the men in my life to put things back where they found them!

Carter, I want your spice drawer and cookbook shelf!

This is one of the best threads on YLF! I love that it started now, for the new year, when one of my resolutions is to get real about what I really enjoy doing not just what I think I should enjoy.

Reading - almost anything, but most often, fiction. Right how I'm reading The Winter Palace and Happier at Home.

Researching - when I get a bug to know more about something, nothing can stop me. I used to think the research interests were the hobbies - finances, travel, food, fashion/style - but I really think it's the researching that floats my boat.

Outdoors - walking, hiking, camping and canoeing - the kind Shannon writes about - with everything on your back (or in your canoe) and food hung each night in a bear bag. I also like car camping (my daughter is 5 and we've been camping with her since she was 18 months).

Oprah - it's the easiest way to say it. I love her SuperSoul Sunday, adore anything written by Eckhart Tolle, Shefali Tsabary, Brene Brown etc. Spirituality, seeking, authenticity - not sure what to call it.

Talking - having real and meaningful conversations with people I really connect with - can that be a hobby? I don't know but I love it anyway!

Knitting - I used to knit a lot. I then decided I didn't like wearing the things I knit (it has to be practical for me to enjoy it). I recently knit a jumper for my daughter and it was a lot of fun. I like wearing knitted items more now so I'd like to pick up another knitting project.

Puzzles - a new hobby for me. Started enjoying doing my daughter's puzzles with her (more than she enjoyed it ) so I finally figured out I should get some big girl puzzles for myself!

I also love movies, TV, food and anything to do with being near, on or in the water.

Thanks for this thread Mary and Karie! I've really enjoyed reading about everyone's hobbies.

Oh what fun. Let's see. My hobbies are the following.

Photography. Disregard my iPhone outfit photos. They don't count. I'm starting back up after a long hiatus and enjoy outdoor and macro.

Shoes. I love shoes and that is one thing I can't give up. I feel that they are pieces of art at times.

Bargain shopping. Can't pass up a good deal, but I have to be in the right mood for it.

Running. My main activity next to eating.

Bicycling. My second go-to activity, although it's quite cold now. Love our local guided fun bike rides/tours.

Reading. I go through spurts and read 6 books a month then stop for a while. Last good book I read was The Husbands Secret. Awesome.

Dancing. I've started swing dancing lessons with one of my good friends and hubby doesny have time. It is so much fun and I love the music.

Rock concerts. No matter how old I get, if it's a good band, I'm going to see them.

Sci-fi / fantasy / dystopian tv shows. Hubby and I are science-fi geeks, so we tape a lot of shows.

Mary, you are a very busy lady!

Reading - I love reading about fashion but I read everything I can get my hands on.
Travel
Art - I love museums and architecture and meeting and talking to artists. A lot of my friends are artists and I help out with an online Art History site.
Movies & TV series - I love Indie films and streaming fun TV series.
Music - Our whole family loves to hear live music especially classical and alternative. We go to see a lot of new bands with the kids in dive bars.
Fitness and nature - Love to hike, walk, bike, ski & do yoga. Love to get out and see nature.
Food - Love to try new restaurants and new healthy recipes and find fresh food by driving out into the country. I dream of having a yard where everything is edible but I don't love gardening that much! I do have a garden because we love fresh fruits and veggies. I also belong to a Tea group and we go to different tea shops and try new teas.
Crafts - Knitting, sewing & card making - I attend a knitting group in the winter & I try to hand make all my greeting cards.
Animals - I love snuggling with my kitties, walking dogs and watching the animals in the yard or out and about.

Ok, let's see...

Fashion (of course)

Sewing (also my job)

Sci fi TV

Going to concerts of mainly 80's music.

Not that many really. I do have interest in other things, but not enough to call them hobbies, like photography, clothes design, organising, walking.

It's a pity I can get into fitness enough to call it a hobby, but I've never found an activity I like enough. I think I'm allergic to anything fitness related!

My list of interests are :

• Reading: I can read books or net . I love reading period
• Fashion
• Cleaning closet
• Reading organizing tips and frugality blogs: Not that I follow them much
• Traveling: DH and I have a pact every year we visit 2 new countries and a trip back home. This year with a new arrival this may not be possible

Such a fun thread! I've really enjoyed seeing how you all keep busy.

Some of my hobbies intertwine so much with my work that it's almost impossible to extricate them, or define something as a "hobby." I never think of them in terms of hobbies -- so, let's say "interests."

Art: Well, this is my work, too, but I spend some time looking at and reading about art, going to gallery shows, attending events, meeting with other artists, etc.

Photography: Yes, this is my work, but I also spend time on a lot of aspects of it that are not related to making the work or making a living -- reading about, looking at, attending local camera club gatherings, etc.

Interior design/architecture: Again, work-related, but I was interested in it before I ever incorporated working with designers into my work.

Music: Yup, again, work-related, since I keep a hand in radio work. But I go to a lot of rock shows and still enjoy keeping up on new music.

Pets: Our dogs require some time and attention and I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't imagine not having animals in my life.

Reading: Again, I can't imagine not having reading in my life. Books, magazines, etc. Paper or electronic, I love it all. We have a big library in our home that I'm constantly trying to keep control of, so it doesn't overflow the house!

Travel/Road Trips: This is, again, often interwoven with my work, but my husband and I love to travel too. Even if I weren't a photographer, I have a huge wanderlust and start wanting to plan a new trip as soon as I return home from one!

TV/Movies: I don't exactly plant myself in front of the TV, but we have adopted the binge-watching mode of ingesting quality programming. I'm currently starting Orphan Black, and I just caught up to the current week on The Good Wife.

Exercise/Athletic: I started running almost four years ago, after a lifetime of only occasional intense exercise. I have always enjoyed hiking and walking, and had gotten into yoga a bit some years back, but I'd never, ever been an athlete. The idea of me running was downright comical, but I tackled it, one mile at a time. I started out running a minute and walking a minute, and actually worked up my running frequency fairly quickly, considering I was an out-of-shape middle-aged woman. I'll never forget how great I felt the first time I ran a full mile without walking! These days I'm more into cycling, but the most important thing is that I now feel so much better and happier when I'm active that I will always want to keep up this level of activity. So far I've run three half marathons, a handfull of shorter races, and last year cycled my first century. In 2015, I hope to ride across Iowa with RAGBRAI!

Urban Exploration: This is connected with photography, since my big interest is in photographing these places, but I participate in a group that explores old and abandoned locations. It's a little adventurous at times, but with a group, I feel a bit more comfortable.

Fashion/Style: Self-explanatory, considering where we are.

You're all such a well-rounded and interesting group.

I'm not that original...

Food/cooking/reading about food

Fashion/YLF

Swimming

Medicine... I'm fascinated by everything about it.

Plus reading, writing, traveling, yoga, but haven't had time in the last few years.

So interesting to read through the responses! Here are some of mine...

1. Reading. I've loved it since the lightbulb moment in 1st grade when I
figured out that i and n made the word in.
2. My garden. I am so drawn to plants. Just being in a greenhouse
in winter lifts my spirits and energizes me. And I'm crazy about my
garden in spring, summer, and fall. I love creating a space which is
aesthetically pleasing while providing food and/or shelter to birds
and pollinators. In the last few years, I've shifted toward using
primarily native plants in my desire to restore the little bit of the
earth which I can impact.
3. Travel. Although, as others have mentioned, it's very expensive. If
money were no object, I would travel a lot, both in my country and
abroad.
4. Nature. It's related to my garden passion. I've always enjoyed spending
time outdoors. I am quite tuned in to my natural surroundings and am
deeply effected by natural beauty, be it on a small or large scale.

1. Like many of you - Reading ( books, ebooks, magazines, local paper, blogs...)and book collecting.
2. Fashion ( also my job , as I work in plus size fashion retail)
3. Pets . Three cats and a chocolate Lab and a cage full of finches. We also feed the wild birds( and inadvertently the squirrels) and hummingbirds. My cats are my furbabies. Two of them are snuggled up on the bed with me as I type this.
4. Sewwing . I have a lot of planned projects and supplies . Must focus on hobby and DO it!
5. Cooking /baking. Used to be my job about a decade ago ( WHERE DOES THE TIME GO????) recently resurrected my skills in cake decorating for my brother's wedding cakes . Yes . I typed that correctly . CAKES. As in Five.
(Btw third cat hopped up to purr/snuggle.) Mom's eyes were glazing over when I was geeking out over icing tips.
6. Perfume collecting / blog reading / reviewing etc. Art appreciation for the nose. After all why should visual arts be the ONLY venue? I know. Some people like just one signature scent . And that's fine for them , like having a signature accessory ( watch, pearls , hoop earrings or a scarf). Maybe it's the foodie in me , but I consider fragrance to be like a flavor , I wouldn't want to limit myself to only one ( and I most certainly don't )anymore than I'd limit myself to one food or beverage for any great length of time. Bonus? It's cheaper than travel and there's usually some inexpensive scent I want that is easy for my family to get for birthdays and Christmases.
7. Analyzing things -personality, colour, colour meanings ,body language ,impressions, etc.
8. Nail polish and makeup . This is more of an outlier in hobbies as I don't do either with great consistency , but I am interested and watch YouTube videos and read blogs and magazines about it.
Btw two of the three cats are snoring now.
9.handcrafts( beading, crochet,knitting,etc)
10.photography - haven't pursued this much but I may develop this more in future.
11. Should be higher on the list . Shopping! ( sorta my job too but...) yeah . Bargain shopping? I once found a deal on pet food ( Nutro) for 4-7months worth for our 2 dogs( at the time) and 3-4 cats for the price of ONE or TWO months price!( Mom said I got my Masters degree in shopping that day) the car was NOT happy going home that day.

Those cakes are intricately beautiful, Jennifer - you are very talented.

Yes. Amazing cake decoration Jennifer!

This is a great thread! I am not sure what the difference is between a hobby and a vocation. Since I retired (except for a tiny bit of teaching) I wonder if everything I do would be a hobby! Strange feeling.

Reading I started reading when I was very young. I read fiction and non fiction. I grew up without TV and sometimes I lived in very remote areas. Reading was my saviour. I had finished all of Jane Austen's books by the time I was 13. I spent a summer (I think I was 14) reading Shakespeare. I read for work and for pleasure.

Animals (especially dogs) I have always loved animals and especially dogs. I had a dog when I was very young and she was a wonderful part of my life. I can not imagine life without a dog. Both of my DHs have loved dogs. It is a requirement.

Music I love music. I love going to music events, listening to music and reading about musicians. We have a monthly get together of a band that DH was in when he was in his twenties. Lots of fun. I love all kinds of music.

Design I love fashion, home décor and design in general. I have always loved designing things. I made clothes for my dolls when I was young. Then I made my own clothes. I love the process of picking out colours and seeing how the light plays with the colour in the house.

Movies I love to watch good movies. We get on a roll and try to watch all the movies on a list we found (Top 100 movies of all time for eg.).

Yoga I practice Yoga daily ( or try to). We travel to places to try different studios. We plan our trips around Yoga studios. One day I hope to do Yoga Teacher Training. I am recovering from a neck injury (MVA) so it will be awhile but it is my long term goal.

Walking/Hiking I love going on long walks. I love going to new places and hiking.

Travel I love experiencing new places. It is limiting with a dog. We always take her with us. We have gone to Europe but I don't like leaving the dog in a kennel. Between dogs we plan to go for a long trip to someplace that is in Europe.