If you share some of these interests with me, please write.
I would love to hear about your experiences! :o) dhiggins@execpc.com
Teddy Bears
I love 'em. I collect 'em. I created a web page about them.... Click here. (it's not much, but it's very cute!!)
Counted Cross Stitch
I love to cross stitch... if I could only find the time these days, with a new
baby. I have a favorite cross stitch magazine that I buy whenever I get the chance called
Cross Country Stitching. In the last few years, it has been the exclusive source
of my cross stitch projects and accessories. In each issue, I find so many beautiful, fun,
and colorful projects, sometimes I start more than one at a time since I can't decide where to
begin! Currently, I have six or seven projects waiting to be matted and framed (sometimes I am such a
procrastinator!), and I have
four projects still in the works! :o)
My favorite saying: "Cross stitch forever, housework whenever!!"
Rubber Stamping
My younger sister got me interested in the fun, creative world of rubber stamping! A few months ago, my 10-year-old daughter and I went to a rubber stamping class with my best friend and had a great time! For Christmas, I went out and spent quite a bit of money on stamps and accessories for my daughter, and (of, course!) she wants to share with me. We have a great time together...creating custom greeting cards, stationery, etc... it is the perfect hobby to share with a young person. Here is a nice rubber stamping web site I found: Hand-Stamped.Com
Food
I love to eat. Here are some of my favorite foods and drinks:
Hungry yet?? Okay!! No more food. :o)
Books!
A great passion of mine is reading. I have been a bookworm since I was a child....
I read every Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, and Laura Ingalls Wilder book I could get my
hands on when I was a pre-teen. As a teenager, it was romances.
Now, as an adult, I am suddenly eager to find books of a deeper content... I love sagas (the longer the better!) and period books: especially books about life during the early 1900's (World War I and II)... stories of love and families during those times.
Since I am a fan of Oprah Winfrey, it was only natural that I became interested in her new book club...I became very passionate over the books she chose! I loved the idea of sharing a book with millions of women across the country, and then waiting for Oprah's discussion of the book at the end of the month... I get so much more out of these books when I listen to others' views. These are great books, and exactly what I like to read... intelligent, sometimes challenging. Here is a link to a list of her selections so far: Oprah's Book Club Selections She picks a new one every month. (If you've been living under a rock for the past ten years, and you don't know who Oprah is, here is a web site about her show: The Oprah Show) *wink*
Playing Outdoors
That's a very wide spectrum, but that's exactly what I mean... I just love getting out there and enjoying the weather. I like where we live... in the state of Wisconsin, U.S.A.... with it's seasonal weather-changes. Snowy and cold in winter, hot and steamy in the summer. My family and I love to visit water parks in the summer... hitting all the wild water slides and dunking ourselves in the deepest pools. In the winter, I love the snow. I don't even mind driving in it... I've already braved a few snow storms this year. I like to run outside and shovel the driveway, just for an excuse to be out in it! :o) I love sledding, but somehow I feel silly at my age... unless the kids are with me! I am still in touch with the child inside of me.
School
Okay, call me crazy. But I have always loved school. I love to study and learn new things. Right now, I am studying every book and video tape I can find on how to play Bridge. It is such a fascinating card game, and challenging.
Also, last year, while I was on maternity leave, I was surfing the Internet, and became interested in creating Web pages! I found many, many online tutorials, a couple text books, and a few online college courses for learning this. I studied everything, and I'm still learning new things all the time.
I have a little college behind me, and plan to return as soon as my baby daughter is a little older, to work toward my Administrative Assistant degree, with a diploma in Desktop Publishing. But since I plan to be home full-time for the next five years, there is no hurry to finish yet!
Trains
I love going places... especially by train! Six years ago, I traveled from Chicago, Illinois to Montreal, Quebec (in Canada) on an Amtrak train, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life! My greatest vacation dream is to tour Europe by train... but it will be a long time before that will happen!
My parents are taking a scenic train trip in Canada this February, called the "Snow Train"... and they have me VERY interested in going! (Does anyone from Canada have information about this train? I'd be very interested in learning more about it.)
Near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there used to be an elegant-dining train that traveled out of the city while you dined... it was about a three hour round-trip, and I am looking to see if it is still operating. You can view the country-side as you dine, and it sounds so romantic to me.
Currently, my husband and I are interested in building an "N" scale model train scene in our basement. We'll start when we're ready to sink some money into a project like that!