Hobbies/Collecting. What's yours?

[darkiceis]

Everyone has something they love to do or collect.  What's yours?

-I am a huge Sailor Moon fan and have a rather large collection, and still growing. I suppose I consider it both, a hobby and collecting

❤️ Moonie for life ❤️

-Limited Edition Disney dolls from The Disney Store, these dolls are just gorgeous

[WinglessOne]

@Operadiva1  Pickleball looks fun! Much easier on the joints (and nerves) than racquetball, but requires as much skill and activity as ping pong and badminton (and even tennis). Now I'm tempted to learn to play myself. How frequently do you play? 

[Operadiva1]

I play anywhere from 4-5 days a week, both indoors and outside. I live in Florida so we generally gave great pickleball weather. You should give it a try.

[itsfi]

@Operadiva1, I just went to look up pickleball. It sounds fun! That’s great that you’ve found a sport you love! 💗 

[Operadiva1]

Thanks. I really enjoy it and it burns a lot of calories! I was never athletic but I have always worked out in the gym or taken exercise classes. I also belong to Club Pilates and like that a lot as well.

[itsfi]

What a fun thread @darkiceis; great idea to revive this, hearts - I don't think I knew it was here! I've been wanting to pick back up on some hobbies so your tag was really good timing @heartsmyface and thanks for the tag!

It's been a while but I enjoy visiting museums and going to the symphony or to see musicals, plays, operas. That was put on pause the last few years, but thanks to a post by @txcatx during the pandemic, I took an online art history class and really enjoyed it. Will have to see about maybe doing that again. I combined the online classes with some cooking and wine adventures - I would try to make something or have a glass of wine, or both, from the part of the world where the artist(s) of the week hailed while watching the seminars / classes.

I want to pick back up on reading as well and this may be the year that I finally take up photography - that's been something I've wanted to do for years, maybe even a decade, but just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe this will be the year?!! 🤞

What I collect? Hmmm.... 🤔 most of the things I enjoy collecting are things I use or consume - wine, teas, coffee; I try to pick up a local coffee or tea (or sometimes a cooking oil or spices) from the places I visit. 

[WinglessOne]

@itsfi  I miss symphony orchestra concerts so much. I've tried getting my fix over the last 2 years by watching recorded performances, but even with the best sound system or headphones, it's not the same as being there in person, feeling the music channel through you. 

And hooray for maybe taking up photography! I keep saying I'll buy myself a new 35mm someday (I really miss using one). If you don't already have one and you start shopping around: so many cameras nowadays have the same features, it's best to just buy for your budget instead of "a great camera." I'm sure some photographers would disagree, but there's no need to get too deep into the nitty gritty of camera comparisons. If it has an interchangeable lens and doesn't glitch the bleep up during operation, it's a good camera. 😄 

[itsfi]

Yes @WinglessOne, there’s definitely a feel to the music at a live concert that cannot be fully replicated in a recording. It’s great that recordings are available but there’s just something about being present at a live performance. 🥰 We will get to a place when that is possible again. 

I really appreciate your thoughts on a camera; thank you! 😊  Completely agree with you about buying one within a budget. I’ve set a budget and have been doing a little bit of homework on cameras - good grief, all the options!! As I see it, this is a hobby, another vehicle for self care / a creative outlet, and I’m just starting out. If it grows into something bigger over time, I may upgrade, or I may not. From what I’ve seen, there are some great cameras out there that don’t break the bank.  It’s like sheet masks or wine - there are good ones at every price point! 😉 

[quspork]

I hear you on the symphony, opera, and theater, @itsfi. That's something I've really missed over the last couple of years as well. Hopefully this year, we can start getting back to those! 

[itsfi]

@quspork, it was a treat to go pre-pandemic and not having access to it over the last few years will make it even more of a treat when we can get back to it. 

[Kim888]

@itsfi @Ohh cooking and wine sounds so fun. I did a macaron making class with my mom once which was really neat - it’s always fun To do experience stuff 

[itsfi]

@Kim888, how fun that you and your mom took a class together - and a macaron making one at that. Yum!! 😋 If you were to take another cooking class, what would you want to learn to make?

[Kim888]

@itsfi @One if my friend’s did a pasta one and had a really good time so I think that would be super fun!!  A kitchen aid mixer is on my list to eventually get when I have a bigger kitchen and the fresh pasta attachment would be super cool I think! 

[Anonymous]

@itsfi yes!! tea collection 💗🧡 I like to have my variety too haha

[itsfi]

@Anonymous, love teas! 🍵 There’s a lot to choose from out there too! Do you have any favorite teas? 

[Anonymous]

@itsfi hi, yes 💗 I love black teas, with vanilla or fruit flavours (like berries, peach, pomegranate). And you?

[itsfi]

@Anonymous, green teas or black teas are the ones I gravitate to most often. ♥️  I’ve tried a few white teas, rooibos and pu-erh teas over the years as well. 

Ooooh, black tea with fruit flavors are lovely! I don’t think I’ve ever tried a black tea with pomegranate notes; am adding that to my list of teas to try. I find there’s a comfort to a black tea with vanilla - it smells really good too!

It will depend on the tea but do you usually take your tea with cream? Sugar? Both? Neither? With something else, like honey? Or lemon?

[Ispend2much6]

@itsfi  @Skunk12puzzola  I saw the picture of the tea strainer while scrolling and I had to see this thread.:)  Have either of you tried Mariage Frere's Vanille des Iles tea?  It's so good; my favorite vanilla black tea.  They used to put actual vanilla pod chunks in it, but they stopped when vanilla became really expensive, but it's still tasty.

They have a vanilla green tea (The Vert Vanille,) and a vanilla rooibos (Rouge Bourbon.)  All exquisite.

I agree that tea tastes best brewed loose. Sometimes when I don't want to be bothered I use these- it's results are close to those of brewing loose leaves:

[Anonymous]

@Ispend2much6 no, we don't have that brand here, sorry

[itsfi]

@Ispend2much6 @Anonymous, I had a canister of the Marco Polo varietal from that brand but I've never tried the vanilla flavor. Vanilla black tea sounds delicious; having pieces of the vanilla pod in the tea definitely would have made for such a decadent and delicious tea. It was a diffferent brand, but I was gift some similar tea filters; they do come in handy. 🍵

[Anonymous]

@itsfi we have twinings vanilla tea here, it's very nice. Also from twinings I just bought apricot and honey one, delicious 😍

[Anonymous]

@itsfi we have a brand here that does black tea with pomegranate, it's name is monk's blend tea. Yes sometimes I add lemon and sugar in fruity teas 💗