Hobbies that Begin with "K" - Blogging from A to Z Challenge

During the 2018 Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I will be focusing on hobbies that I have introduced to my daughters to through their childhood and teen years. Some were done as part of homeschooling, while others were areas that we explored because we were interested in the subject or activity. These are hobbies that anyone of any age could try as well.

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Looking back on Sophia's and Olivia's childhood and teen years, we have explored several hobbies that begin with the letter "K": kayaking; kids arts and crafts; kits; and knitting.

Kayaking

On June 5, 2013, we tried kayaking for the first time on Gunflint Lake.

There was a strong wind, so there were some waves on the lake which we thought would be challenging since the kayaks are so low to the water.

On the contrary, they were stable and we enjoyed the experience. What made it even better for us was that these were sea kayaks so they had rudders. We could steer the kayak if we needed to do so!

The scenery was beautiful and it was relaxing going around the shoreline.

We had a different perspective than what we normally had when we went hiking.

About a year later, on July 12, 2014, we went sea kayaking on Lake Superior near Split Rock Lighthouse. This time we had to wear wetsuits and water shoes since Lake Superior is significantly colder than in the inland lakes.

We were able to see the rocky cliffs along the shore.

There was a shipwreck (The Madeira) that we were able to see since the water was so calm and parts of it are anywhere from 20-110 feet under the surface. The Madeira was a 436 foot steel-hull ship that ran into Gold Rock just north of Split Rock Lighthouse during the storm on November 4, 1905.

The lighthouse wasn't there at the time. During the storm, 29 ships were lost. The lighthouse was built in response to these losses.

One of the neat things that you also can't see from the lighthouse are the caves along the shoreline. They are big enough for kayaks to go into and explore was a lot of fun.

We are wanting to do more kayaking, but have not been able to locate a place that rents the sea kayaks (with rudders). It may come to us learning how to use a kayak without a rudder, and strengthening our paddling skills instead.

Kids Arts and Crafts

When the girls were younger, we did a lot of arts and crafts. One of the things they enjoyed was marble painting.

February 7, 2008

Sophia and Olivia also enjoyed fabric painting. Below, Olivia is painting a purse with fabric paint.

November 5, 2008

We did projects around the holidays.

December 1, 2008

The girls used a variety of materials - including Mod Podge - with their arts and crafts.

December 1, 2008

We did projects that helped wildlife - like embellishing birdhouses with colorful gems, stones, shells, and moss.

May 4, 2009

One of the projects that Sophia learned how to do was make beeswax ornaments. She melted the beeswax and then put them in vintage cookie molds. 

December 17, 2010

They turned out beautifully and the brighter the sunlight, the more they seemed to glow.

On June 12, 2011, the girls began decorating for 4th of July. They made origami cranes which they hung on branches in a vase with some red and white marbles.

They also decorated paper bags.

The bags were used to collect candy at the 4th of July parade.

Kits

When Sophia and Olivia were younger, there seemed to be quite a few kits for various craft projects for kids. One of Olivia's favorite kits was one in which she could make daisies and then string them together to create a headband and necklace.

January 30, 2007

She enjoyed gluing the daisies together and then dressing up with her flower jewelry. We were staying at a cabin at a lodge on the Gunflint Trail when she made the daisy jewelry.

January 30, 2007

The time at the cabin was filled with crafts, dress-up times, and trying new recipes. It was a fun "girls getaway" when they were 4 and 6 years old.

Another kit we used was one with supplies to make fairies. The girls made fairies and then posed them outdoors.

October 9, 2007

I took photos of them and they created stories with their fairy-characters.

Knitting

For a brief period in 2010, the girls learned how to knit at Darn Knit in Stillwater. Below, Sophia is knitting while Eenie sits on her lap.

March 17, 2010

My mom (the girls' grandma) was an excellent knitter. She had many patterns as well as projects she started and didn't finish before she died. Hopefully, one day, the girls will take a look at the projects that their grandma started and want to finish them.

My Favorite Pictures of the Month - March

As I looked back on the pictures I took during March, many of the ones that stood out for me were ones that represented thoughtfulness and/or service.

We had multiple snowfalls during March and many times Olivia shoveled the deck, patio, and a pathway to the car. This helped the dogs so they didn't get stuck in the snow and us so that we didn't get snow in our shoes.

Sophia shared her baking skills and made several desserts for Easter. These are muffins that are frosted to look like Easter bunnies. The inside is filled with a chocolate piece of candy and sprinkles.

The girls and I packed food at Feed My Starving Children. We did this with the Lions and Leos from our district.

We also had a fun time when we made an Asian-theme meal with my sister (the girls' aunt).

We were happy to see wildlife return now that it is Spring (though it doesn't feel like it is Spring with all the snow on the ground and the cold temperatures). The Sandhill Cranes have captured our attention as they return and look for food on the snow-covered ground.

On St. Patrick's Day, we entered a competition as a family at the library. There were about 10 teams total competing to finish a 550-piece puzzle in the quickest time. We finished the puzzle in less than 1 hour.

Early in March, I had foot surgery (the second one in four months). This one was an easy and quick one - a tendon release of the second toe. I was awake during the surgery which was interesting.

The podiatrist drew a happy face on my second toe when he was done with surgery.

We kicked off the month with coordinating a One Stop Donation Drop and Blood Drive. Sophia coordinated the blood drive and recruited 15 donors - which will save 45 lives.

Olivia spent a good percentage of the afternoon knitting hats for newborns on a round loom.

I started out the month by making a new pattern for a window star. It actually combines two different window stars to create a new pattern. 

So, creative arts, volunteering, being of service, a successful surgery, winning a puzzle contest, wildlife, enjoying a meal with a family member, and the culinary arts - all were highlights during March. These photos are some of my favorite pictures which reminds me of these highlights.

Things that Made Me Happy This Month - February

There were some things that stood out during the past month that made me happy. First, the girls joined a local Leo Club (for 12-18 year olds). I'm the co-leader of it; and the teens have really enjoyed getting to know one another and do projects together.

During February, they knitted hats for newborns on round looms. They also enjoyed a heart-healthy meal together. The girls went with two of the members to see "Black Panther" and had fun. I'm hoping that they continue to enjoy doing service projects and social activities together.

In the middle of the month, Sophia and I went to visit St. Kate's - where I went to college. It was nice being back on campus; and visiting with a friend I graduated with 30 years ago. Touring the campus, listening to the women (students and administrators) speak reminded me of the power of all-women campus and the opportunities that are available to the students - particularly in terms of leadership and personal growth.

I've been making window stars this month which has been fun. Some have been for my Etsy shop. However, many were for the One Stop Donation Drop + Blood Drive that is on Saturday, March 3rd.

The window star below is a pattern that I created using the patterns from two different window stars. I like how they look together.

I am enjoying the warmer weather. Days that are in the 30s are infinitely easier to handle than those double-digit-below-zero days. Even Danny is enjoying the warmer weather and likes to spend more time outside - especially on days when the sun is out.  He only has to wear one sweater now to keep warm...rather than a sweater and his parka...when he goes outside.

We've been seeing beautiful moonrises and sunsets. Below is an "ordinary" sunrise through the pine trees. What doesn't show up in the photo is that the rays of light were streaming through the pine trees and into the yard. It was magnificent.

Other things that have made me happy during February: seeing many bald eagles returning to the area and often soaring above where I am. One morning, as I was filling the bird feeder on the mudroom room, I whistled to let the birds know the feeder was filled again. All of a sudden - out of nowhere - a bald eagle flew directly overhead with its wings outstretched. It was breath-taking!

I've seen quite a few cardinals (male and female) at the feeder. A pileated woodpecker even showed up one morning. That's unusual.

I also found out what is living in the den in the snowbank in the ditch: a raccoon...maybe even raccoons! There was a rather rotund raccoon that we saw a week or so ago. Saw one again peeking out behind a tree by the driveway one afternoon. It walked along the fence line and then went up the tree. It climbed almost to the top and stayed there for a while.

About a half hour later, Cooper started barking. The raccoon had shimmied its way down and was back on the ground - walking again along the fence line.

It has been nice seeing the wildlife and hearing the birds sing again. Spring is right around the corner!!

Simple Woman's Daybook - February 10, 2018

For Today...

Looking out my window...it's still relatively dark since it's before the sunrise.

I am thinking...about the One Stop Donation Drop and Blood Drive that my daughter and I are coordinating that will be next month. The Leo Club (a teen club of the Lions) will be helping with it. There will be 26 non-profits that will benefit from this event which is exciting!

I am thankful...that the girls have compassionate hearts and a love for service. Last week, they knitted on round looms little hats for newborns. They will be donated to a local hospital.

The hats took a little over an hour to make and were easy to do.

Sophia and Olivia worked with the Leo Club that they are members of to create some hats so babies can stay warm after they are born.

We also did a soup-making session with some seniors at the nursing home. It was a good way for the seniors to cut vegetables and use their hand-eye coordination skills. Plus, they were able to have a bowl (or two) of soup when they were done.

While the soup was cooking, Olivia helped one of the seniors with a puzzle he was working on.

We've known him for many years now. Very smart and engaging man who always has something to share with us.

One of my favorite things...when we went to an open house at the White Bear Center for the Arts recently, there were snow forms on a pine tree.

It is fun to see snow being molded into intriguing shapes. There are a lot of ice and snow sculptures this year at different winter carnivals. It's cold enough for them to last this year compared to past year.

I am creating...spreads for my bullet journal. This is the first year that I have done bullet journaling and I'm enjoying it.

I am still using my calendar that I get from the bank each year since I haven't quite figured out a good layout for the bullet journal. Eventually I want to transition to using just one calendar each year.

The bullet journal gives me more flexibility to record goals and track progress on them which I like. I can keep notes in it about things I am doing - like listening to TED Talks each week, reflecting on what I am grateful for, and things that I want to remember about nature and the outdoors.

I am wearing...comfortable clothes since I'll be staying home today.

I am listening to...the fan blades and motor, Lucy (the cat) purring, and Cooper periodically whining as he wants to go outside to see the rabbit that's hopping around the yard.

I am hoping...that I don't come down with a cold or flu. I've been feeling a bit under the weather for the past few days. Dayquil and cough drops have been used daily to hopefully keep things under control.

I am learning...that my tolerance or ability to handle the cold is greatly diminishing as I get older. It seems like this year, in particular, the sub-zero temperatures feel more bitter and are significantly more difficult to deal with when I go outside.

Looked up to see possible reasons why this may be happening. There's a host of ideas: hypothyroidism, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and so forth. Then I found another reason that I found interesting on Turning it Around:

Skin, particularly the epidermis, the extreme outer layer, gets thinner as people get older. Why?

The extreme outer layer of skin is comprised mostly of dead skin cells. These tend to hang onto what is below better when people are younger because their skin is moister with oil (and water). Younger people have more oil in their skin than older people.

As skin dries out, the outer layer of dead cells tends to flake off, exposing the layers that are underneath. That means the nerves are closer to the surface. The nerves are what make people feel cold (gives the sensation of being cold).

That makes sense to me. I know my skin is different than it was 10, 20, or 30 years ago.

In my kitchen...I have been making food that fits the Whole30 guidelines. Although I technically completed Round 2 of the Whole30 on February 8th, I'm still going to cook meals that don't contain sugar, dairy, grains, corn, or beans for a while.

Everyone in the household has to eat at least one Whole30 meal a day (typically dinner) since I am only preparing one dinner for the entire family.

Chili that is Whole30 compliant.

No one is complaining about the dinners since they are flavorful and filling. The Whole30 as well as other recipes I've been adapting have plenty of good options without the ingredients that are troublesome - especially sugar.

In the school room...the girls are enjoying their second semester at the homeschool co-op where they take a variety of classes and music lessons (piano for both plus voice for Sophia).

We are going on college visits to give the girls some ideas about potential colleges that may be options for them in the future. Some of them Sophia just goes to since she is a junior; and others both Sophia and Olivia visit. It's good for them to see the next step in their education.

In my garden...everything is frozen. There's still a long time until the ground thaws and seeds are planted.

Board room...I created a board on Pinterest for dealing with the winter doldrums. One of the pins I found was for a 14-day hygge challenge.

Source

Thought that it might be good to try each of those activities over the next couple of weeks. Actually, #11 - riding a bike - might be difficult at this time of the year with ice and snow still on the roads. Perhaps simply getting out for a hike and enjoying nature might be a good substitute.

Post Script...I am grateful to be a part of the Lions Club; and serve as their membership chair and a board member for the foundation. Having just joined in July, it's been a year of learning about the organization, the valuable work it does locally and globally, and of using my skills and background to help the club.

A recent Lions meeting. There are two each month - a breakfast

on the 2nd Thursday and a dinner on the 4th Thursday.

Shared Quote...

Source

A moment from my day...a leaf frozen in ice.

That's how I'm feeling this year: cold and frozen each day that the temperature goes below zero.

Closing Notes...Yesterday I booked a two-night stay in camper cabins at Forestville State Park in May. We will be staying in two different ones (one each night) since the cabins are already filling up.

When we are there, we will see both Mystery Cave with the Blue Lake and Niagara Cave. The former one we have not seen before and the latter one we have. Also in that area are lots of Amish farms and businesses which we will visit. I like going to them and seeing what is available; and talking with the women there.

Olivia is very interested in the caves and Sophia wants to go to the Amish farms and businesses.

I'm looking forward to that trip. It will be a nice way to explore that area of the state at a time of the year we haven't seen it. Hopefully, we will be able to see some other state parks along the way.