When I was growing up and complained to my mother that I was bored, so always quipped, “Only boring people get bored!”
I quickly learned to keep myself busy.
I ended up doing a lot of reading. My interest in literature eventually led me to a career in teaching English. I’ve taught all levels of secondary school English and have even taught a few informal classes to adults. Thankfully, reading all those terrible middle school essays has not burnt me out on reading in general, and I still love a good novel. One aspect of my website is, therefore, devoted to talking about the books I read.
Of course, a creative life cannot survive on books alone. Again in an effort to keep my young hands busy, my mother taught me how to sew almost before I knew how to read. In recent years, this has taken root as an intense interest in historical costume recreation. A good portion of this website is devoted to documenting the work that I do in creating these outfits.
Unfortunately, sewing is a particularly solitary activity, and when I got married, I found that it was difficult to retreat to my sewing room without feeling like I was abandoning my husband. My craft interests then expanded to include crochet and knitting, which are activities I can easily do while snuggled on the couch with my family.