I live in northern Illinois with my husband. This is where our son and daughter were born and raised to adulthood. They sometimes even visit. I like where I live, as it is situated so that I can easily drive to the city or the country, depending on the diversions I seek. Though not a Midwesterner by birth, I have come to appreciate many things about it.
An auto-didact, I am always seeking to learn new things, sometimes just for the joy of learning it. Once, I mentioned learning to knit socks and my father (the source of my dry humor) asked if the factories stopped making them. I had to agree they are easily acquired, but that’s not the point. I didn’t know how, and I wanted to.
One of my favorite things is to experiment with is food, sweet or savory. I’ve stopped eating lactose and gluten for many reasons, all due to my health. Believe me, this is not a choice I wanted to make. I love cheese and good, crusty bread. I’m a fan of beer, although I have come to like hard cider as well. But, it doesn’t work for me anymore, so I’m always working to make over my old favorite recipes.
A natural extension of my love of food is to grow my own vegetables, which I do in a garden plot in my town. My yard does not get enough sun for most vegetables, but I do have a FarmBot installation for herbs, greens, and other shade-tolerant things. I also preserve as much of my harvest as I can by canning or freezing. Again, it is not like there is a scarcity of these things in my area, but I enjoy doing it. Sometimes, I just like to watch things grow.
Sewing, knitting, and other crafts are things I enjoy but am not necessarily all that good at. I like to expand my skills, and I like to spend time with others in these communities. In fact, the building of relationships is as much of the joy as the thing I am creating. And, there is always someone who knows something I don’t and is willing to share it.
Finally, there’s the tech stuff. I’m actually pretty nerdy, really getting into comic books and video games. My job is creating websites, another skill set I have built and continue to expand mostly on my own. The tribe that surrounds these pursuits is pretty great, too. We love to talk, share, teach, and learn from each other.
