What leisure time? It feels like there isn’t any time to relax – there is always “work” to be done. Does leisure mean doing “nothing”? Not for me, and that goes back to my childhood. There was a saying: Idle hands are the devil’s playground. We were taught always to keep our hands and minds busy. We couldn’t just do nothing – we had to keep doing something. The modern idea of “leisure time” was relatively unknown.

I love going for coffee and visiting with family and friends. The exchange of ideas and listening is important to understanding our world. It promotes respect of others and shows us various points of view.

Even though we may call it “leisure,” we continue to “work” to improve our skills at many things in our lives – just for the love of it. I love to sing, and used to sing professionally. I’ve played violin since I was five, so now I sing in a community chorus and play in a community orchestra for fun and to keep my voice and violin technique in shape. It’s exciting to make beautiful music with others – what a joy! My chorus has been asked to sing at Carnegie Hall next Spring. How exciting! That is a life-long dream to be fulfilled!

I create things because I challenge myself, so I create in clay, paint, mosaics, fabric, or fences – all for fun, or to improve things. It releases the creative juices that bubble up inside of me. I even recycle broken stuff for use in various artworks.

I write to share experiences or to help others find a good path. I always wanted to write kids’ stories, so that’s next. I have dogs and cats for company, to stay safe, and to keep mice away. I walk the dogs twice a day so we all stay healthy. Sometimes the cats follow. I’ve been renovating my 105 year-old house for the last nine years, and there’s still more to do.

I learn in the garden as I plant new things and care for mature trees and shrubs. There is so much to know and so many new things to learn. We garden in the summer, but we can dream, plan, and research new ideas year round.

I watch the news every evening to keep up with what is going on in the world. I often watch programs that make me laugh or that teach me something new. I watch CBC, CTV, and HGTV mostly. Sometimes I do hand-sewing or drawing while I watch TV. My mother used to say to me, “God gave you many talents. You have to use them to make the world a better place.” There is always something more to do, like sorting old papers or clothes. It never ends.

When I finish doing some of these “leisure” activities, I am often drained but also invigorated. Most of them are creative and I love that. It makes me feel alive!