Got Hobby?

During a brief period in middle school I remember being obsessed with macramé. I was a virtual knot-tying wizard, if you will, whipping up everything from belts to intricate plant hangers that I would then hang from the ceiling right next to my beaded curtain and Partridge Family poster. I wish I had saved one of my most prized creations, a necktie made from orange macramé cord and embedded with wooden beads that I remember wearing with my rainbow suspenders. Why I wasn't a hit with the boys back then is still a mystery to me.

Fast forward (more than ten years, less than ninety) to present day, and I am sadly, a woman without a hobby. Sure, I crochet the occasional cell phone case, or whip up the requisite emergency memorial for a deceased fish, but not with the fervor and dedication that I remember of my macramé days. And while a seatcover made out of knotted twine wouldn't necessarily fit in with our present decor, I still sometimes wish I had a diversion that I could sink my teeth into.

When the Parent Bloggers Network sent me a book to review called Get A Hobby, I was a little wary at first. Shouldn't the love for a particular activity be an organic one, and not simply plucked out of the pages of a book? But I was relieved to find that though it does have some serious advice (a foreword written by a neurologist proclaiming the health benefits of engaging in pleasurable activities ) and some bonafide hobbies (Furniture Restoration, Quilting) author Tina Barseghian's approach is pretty tongue-in-cheek. How else to explain the quiz to find your "Hobby Personality" where one of the questions is "Name one of the leaders of the peasant's revolt of 1381"?

If anything, I found this book highly entertaining and well written. From hobbies such as Dumpster Diving ("dive for tchotchkes, not classified information") to Gourd Crafting ("the versatile gourd can be used as food and as a functional readymade container!") I got a kick out of reading these out loud to my husband, whose ears perked up at the mention of Urban Animal Husbandry until I pointed out that it involved raising farm animals and wasn't slang for sleeping around.

Nevertheless, I decided to make a concerted effort to utilize the book and it's hobby-assigning powers. And then, I saw it. There, on page 74, was the one hobby that seemed like the answer to my prayers.

Deep Frying. Yes, Deep Frying.

From the magical words "...flaky coating around a soft warm interior" to the recipe for Scottish deep fried Mars bar, I felt like the author was speaking just to me. And then there's the profile titled, 'Deeply Satisfying' where cookbook author Rick Brown is quoted as saying, "Fat tastes good" and goes on to recommend deep-frying everything from fruit to Oreos.

Rick, you had me at fat.
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Wanna buy some hobby supplies? Go here and leave a comment for your chance to win a $100 gift card to Michael's Arts and Crafts.

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tags: hobbies | get a hobby | tina barseghian

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