The Book of Me, Written By You
Prompt 21: Hobbies
"The Book of Me, Written By You" is a
GeneaBloggers project created by
Julie Goucher of the Anglers Rest blog. The concept: a series of blogging and writing prompts that help family historians capture their own memories and write about themselves.
Prompt 21: Hobbies
This week’s prompt is Hobbies
Home means different things to different people, so this week we are going to explore what it means to us:
• Childhood hobbies & collections
• Did you share a “passion” with a family member or friend?
• Tell us about it – How, why, where
• Do you still have any old hobbies – the ones that have been with you since childhood?
• Do you still have those childhood collections?
1. Family photography
- my parents got me a Kodak Signet 35 mm camera (VERY nice one) the
summer before high school. I have photographed family activities ever
since - Summer of 1953 to the present, that would be.
I
have
thousands of slides and many thousands more of photographs since
the slides days ended - poloroids, various cartridge cameras, and now
digital cameras. I took few movies, as my kids were little, but little
else. I like photos, not movies.
In now blog, and always include family and travel photos as I do.
Probably this led me to my other passion:
2. Genealogy and Famiiy History
- began to dabble in the mid-70's when my wife and I each got some
materials from parents and aunts - Serious research began in the summer
of 1995, after my first year as a professor, and I had the summer off.
We travelled all over eastern part of the country in search of records
and to "walk in the footsteps." The search still continues… for both of
us… though I tend to write now, more than research. We both continue to
add to our knowledge, review our records, work at more fully
understanding how remarkable our ancestors were and how we can add to
that heritage.
3. Christmas 1952 I got a Lionel Train Set -
Double Santa Fe Diesel set - added to it over a few years. It is still
well packed in storage, and gotten out every five years or so, to show
grand children, now. I've written about it
here,
here, and elsewhere.
4. In the 1990s, I began a
"Raccoon" collection. Very active, for a few years. Still have most of it in boxes. Some still on display in my office.
5. Books - it would probably not be appropriate to exclude books from this list, though they are much more than "hobby" - they are a critical part of life. The hobby parts were possibly some early collections, mostly gone now. Some are in our oldest daughters library in Utah. Many given away. A few hundred sold on EBay, back in the day, when that was just new, and money was actually received. I still have my extensive collection of George Washington and founding fathers/colonial era books. I use them from research for my historical fiction/non-fiction writing.
6. Travel - we've travelled all over the USA. Lived in 12 or so states (depending on how you count). Still visit Utah, Texas, Iowa, and everything in between regularly, with occasional trips to Florida, Louisianna, Illinois, etc.
Families are Forever!
