Name five species in your backyard! Our January calendar asks if you can name five bird species in your neighborhood, can you? I can identify the chickadee, blue jay, dove, seagull, and yellow finch. And though I can identify the birds by sight, identifying them by birdsong is quite another thing. What about you? The National Bird Day website has a birdsong quiz, see how well you do! A few years ago I experimented with drawing birds and came up with a sketch that is one continuous line (plumage added). The image above is from earlier attempts, too many lines. The image below is drawn with one line. The drawings are fun to color and embellish (different eyes and added plumage create entirely different personalities). If you're interested, you can download a coloring page here and if you'd like more pages to color, sign-up on our home page for access to two more coloring pages. Birding can be a casual hobby or consuming passion. Serious birders enter local and world-wide competitions, can identify birds by sight and sound, and travel great distances to see rare species. For the complete newbie, The Big Year, starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson, offers some (Hollywood) insight into what it takes to win what is a real competition.
If you're interested in learning more, head over to the American Bird Association. Chirp, chirp!
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If you're interesting in more trivia, test your skills at Mental Floss where you'll find lists, quizzes, and facts in more categories than you might imagine!
When I ask people if they have a hobby, some jump right in and tell me all about it. But lots of time, I hear, “I don’t, but I probably should.” And they're right.
One of the most rewarding aspects of having a hobby is that no matter what you choose—you get to do it in your own time, in your own way, for as long as you want. Here are five reasons having a hobby is a good idea: 1) a proven way to reduce stress 2) boost your creativity 3) make new friends 4) learn a new skills 5) improve your mood January is National Hobby Month and a good time to start something new. Not sure where to begin? Top hobbies include: • collecting • reading • cooking • knitting • gardening • fishing Looking for inspiration? The Art of Manliness presents “45 Manly Hobbies." They call them "manly hobbies," but there's something there for everyone, manly men—and interested women! Today is World Dream Day . . . take a look at the site that celebrates our dreams and you'll find more ways to take action.
Finding a way to make it happen. Dreams of course come in all sizes. Most start with just a whisper or a passing thought. Some come and go. But when there's something that won't let go, don't ignore it! It might seem impossible, but it doesn't have to be. I like to read, and I read a lot of how-to books, and the message that runs through almost every one of them is the same: start. Whatever it is that you're dreaming of, get started. Because taking action is where your dream will begin to take shape. Research, reading, and thinking are helpful, but taking some sort of action is the best way to get things going. It's all in the doing. One of my dreams has been to create a format where I can share my enthusiasm for hobbies, passions, and pastimes, because I believe they have the power to lift us from boredom, sadness, and loneliness; introduce us to new people and places; to discover new talents; and inspire a more creative and interesting life. My dream became Assembly of Grand Pursuits . . . it's a dream that continues to change, grow, and evolve. I started to make progress with this website after reading Show Your Work by Austin Kleon. One illustration is where things changed for me. He talks about writing a blog. It was an overwhelming and daunting concept for me, and his illustration simplified the process: you get results by doing—one step at a time. And then over time, you have creating something. It's the same whether you want to make something, go somewhere, or learn something. Plot your course, break it into smaller tasks, and tackle them one by one, day by day. It's deceptively simple, and it works. Much like savings, or taking a course: with each class or deposit, little by little, step by step, you create and build something. It also generates new ideas and new thoughts. But it only happens when you get going, get your hands dirty, and get out. So let's get going. It may not be easy, but from my experience, I can say, it's worth it. Last week I walked into a hobby shop to talk with the staff about kits and model making. I'd been thinking about it for a week or two, but kept finding ways to put it off. It's still hard for me to pick-up the phone, to walk into a shop, to start a conversation. But once I do it, it's exhilarating. I learned about kits and models for airplanes, trains, sailboats, motorboats, dollhouses, helicopters, and drones! I learned dollhouse kits are popular with men who want to build them for their kids (girls and boys) and that they are available as two-story Victorians and log cabins. I learned you can get a boat building kit for the Titanic, the USS Constitution, or a Maine lobster boat. I learned you can build a radio-controlled model plane that can tow a glider plane into the air where it can be released to follow thermal wind currents for lifts and spirals. It was all so interesting, I wished I had done it sooner. And blog posts? Same thing. I start and stop, worrying if I can make it interesting. Is it too short? Too long? Will I find a good image to go with it? But once I begin, the ideas bubble up. Ideas that I would never have considered if I hadn't . . . started. We'd love to hear how you get started and what you're working on. Leave a comment! Today is Make Your Bed Day. If you're wondering whether or not it's worth it, listen to Admiral McRaven's reasons why it's a good idea. It's a short and amusing video. And yes, I do make my bed. It started when my grandparents moved from Chicago to live downstairs from us in a new two-family home on the east coast. One day my sister and I came home from school to find our beds with new sheets, pillows, and blankets. It was particularly noticeable because at that point we NEVER made our beds. What a wonderful surprise. I was so smitten with the new look of my bed (and my Grandmother's sweet gift) I was proud to make it every day. Even today, when I change the sheets, I think of my Grandmother . . . thanks Grandma! Do you make your bed? Tell us why in the comments below. Here's your calendar for the week ahead. What will you do this week? Follow our calendar day by day, or jump ahead.
Here are links to a few of our favorite pursuits this week: ROALD DAHL DAY - Visit your local library and revisit or discover these Dahlicious stories! DOT DAY - Discover ways to make your mark! |
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