A couple of weeks ago I attended a two-hour workshop at London Drugs on how to make photo books and albums.  It was quite interesting, and I can see how time consuming something like that could become.  I said to the women in Palm Springs I’d make them each an album, and so will have to get busy getting all the photos together.

I always have these great dreams whereby I’ll attend a workshop or course in the hopes of adding a new hobby.  I still think back fondly on the stained glass making course Denis and I took years ago.  I never made another stained glass item.

Next weekend I’m taking a three-hour macaron-making workshop at Sandrine Pastry, so that should be interesting.  Watch this actually turn into a hobby and then by next year I’ll be double my size.

But you know, lifelong learning’s what we’re supposed to be doing.  I tried to keep that foremost in my mind as I walked into Home Depot yesterday with a broken screen, only to be directed to some kind of screen repair kit.

There was a nice clerk there and he said to me it’s very easy to do, then added, “Are you handy?” and I replied, “Dear God, no!” I said I don’t even have a cell phone because I don’t understand how any of that stuff works.

He explained he doesn’t have a cell phone either, and that being technologically astute and handy are two different things.  He patiently took part of my old screen off, explained how the kit works, and sent me on my way with words of encouragement like, “You can do it!”

Sometimes sewing can have rejuvenating effects.  I have a dress whose fabric I’ve always adored but which is a bit too short.  I finally got out my glasses and Exacto knife and carefully removed the stitching from the hem and now it’s perfect.

I’m currently reading a book on binge eating for the second time, and it’s based on cognitive behaviour therapy.  One of the things I want to do is find something to keep my hands busy so they can’t stuff Oh Henry’s and Mars bars into my maw nightly.

So the search for hobbies one can quite easily do at home with ones’ wee hands will hopefully net something of interest.  Certainly dog petting and cat ear scratching are right up there as constants.

You may recall we used to have an awful lot of vehicles parked around the property.  On the weekend Nicky listed one of his cars, and it sold, so now he has one car, and I have one car, and those are the only vehicles on the property!  If you’ve never been here, you’re reading that and yawning, but I’ve lived here with up to 10 vehicles.

And I think you’ll remember just last fall I had 32 tires stacked outside the garage.  So it’s weird and wonderful to think one day I’ll have this lovely yard to myself.  One day.

But in the meantime I have to continue looking for that activity that will distract me from my heart’s true desire: carbs.