My preferred hobby for meditation is jigsaw puzzles

I enjoy doing this with other people but not so much by myself. There was one puzzle, however, that my step-sisters got from their father one Christmas that was 1000 pieces. It was black & white and had many staves of music. That would have been a bitch to do, and I tried but it didn't end up happening. I asked at Christmas this past year if I could have it so I could try to do it again, but one of my step-sisters said no. It's not like she's going to ever do it, though.

I always do cross-stitch with blunt needles. Tapestry needles, to be precise.

I like using embroidery needles.

So not cross-stitch, but my kids were cracking my shit UP today. We're reading Tom Sawyer, and I was reading aloud from the book, and the kids had been silently acting out some of the scenes I was reading, which was pretty funny, but I'd shifted to just exposition. I just read about a schoolteacher's "rod and ferule" and was explaining what a ferule was when one of the kids burst out "FERULSHIZZLE mo nizzle!" His nickname is Snoop, and I popped out, "VERY funny, Snoop Talky Talk" and the class just went into hysterics. I couldn't stop laughing myself.

A couple of the boys were like "Gotta give you props, Ms. G!" and I swear, it was so sweet.

I got props.

I just ate icing out of the can, with my finger. I'm thinking that was lunch.

Gives AmyLiz the hairy eyeball.

Coloring is great therapy, as is playing with Play-Doh.

I have the same jigsaw puzzle problems - no horizontal surfaces. I do love them when I get the chance to work on one.

This may sound weird, but I actually bought myself a coloring book once and used the kids' colored pencils. Sitting on the couch watching TV and coloring it in was perfectly relaxing for me. I can't draw for shit, so it was the next best thing.

Have you tried Japanese Puzzles (or Tsunamis)? I've become addicted to the ones on-line and want to get myself a book of multi-colored puzzles to work on. This site has an explanation of how they work.

Calli has a new tag, and I am off to read my comics!

Learn to knit yourself, DH.

Hee! I once mentioned to Tom that I was thinking about trying knitting - a lot of my friends were into it - and he looked horrified. His mom is a crazy knitter (she said, looking at the giant box of handknit sweaters we will never wear) and he would be not so likely to encourage me in pursuits that we'd share. Like an anti-Oedipal thing. I think he's somewhat freaked I've started playing Scrabble, in that vein...

And also - HMOG, FLESH EATING BACTERIA!!! Freak out! Ptui! We will speak of this no more!

Went to work for 5 hours, felt like crap, came home, feel like crap again.

Poor Nora. Feel better. Do not contract Strep A.

I like cross-stitching, but tend to lose patience with it pretty quickly -- you put in two hours and it's, like, one inch of cloth. I've tried knitting a few times, but never felt drawn enough to it to learn properly. It doesn't seem like the sort of thing my fingers want to do.

I have the opposite husband from Susan, though. When I suggest I should get a crafty hobby, he gives me a "What, that again?" look and gently reminds me of the many crafty things I have expressed interest in and started but not finished.

I like cross-stitching, but tend to lose patience with it pretty quickly -- you put in two hours and it's, like, one inch of cloth.

I have this problem sometimes too. Fortunately I have other projects I've completed hanging on the wall to motivate me to finish - that the end result is worth the time.

Coloring is great therapy, as is playing with Play-Doh.

Play-Doh rocks. We used to Play-Doh nights with the boys and sit around making stuff for hours.

Have you tried Japanese Puzzles (or Tsunamis)?

No! Thanks for the link. I used to love these Altaire books as a kid, too -- they were just geometric designs you could color in. I don't know if you can find them anymore.

Gives AmyLiz the hairy eyeball.

What? Innocent whistling...