I thought it was maybe time I told you a little more about my life outside of reading. Sure, you may have picked up a few scraps along the way if you've been reading my blog for a while. But others of you may be wondering what else I do in my spare time.
Well, here's a little bit about me. If you want to know anything more then just ask in the comments and I'll answer (within reason).
If you scroll down my sidebars you'll notice that this is not my only blog! Soon after I started this one I decided that I didn't want to muddy my reviews and bookish stuff with too much of my other hobbies. Each of my blogs is dedicated to my main hobbies, and so going through them is a great way to tell you a little more about what its like to be me.
Music
Apart from writing my favourite thing is music. I play with one of the local brass bands on the tenor horn. I absolutely love meeting up with my friends every week and making music together. We have a great tenor horn team now who have lots of fun whilst playing. I also help out in our training band, where I'm learning to conduct at the moment. Band takes up a lot of my waking hours, what with small group practise and music theory ontop of what I've already mentioned (plus practise, which I sometimes manage to actually do). But I don't mind because its what I enjoy.
If I had some more time then I might actually manage to do some more singing as well. I've been popping off on Jo Sercombe courses now and again to mainly have a bit of fun. Usually I stick to ocassionally leading the congregation at church and singing with our music group a couple of times a year though. Having said that, I've just auditioned for our town passion play, so next year I may do just a bit more.
Writing
OK, so this one doesn't happen much nowadays but I sometimes wish it did. At the moment I'm envying all those doing NaNo, but I just didn't have time this year. Maybe next year, if I can get my blogging a bit more organised first. In the meantime, I've booked myself on a 3-day course next year in the hope that it might urge me back into putting pen to paper.
Craft
Something for those cold winter evenings mostly. I always have a half-cross-stitch tapestry sitting in my living room so that I can start again whenever I feel like it. I usually sew infront of the TV, hence having something with the pattern already marked on it.
I've also made cards and soaps in the past. But now I have a bit of an overstock so I'm working through what I have before making any more.
There are craft kits in my bedroom as well. The latest one is a paper-making kit. No doubt this will come out if I'm bored at Christmas. What I'll make with the paper (presuming it turns out alright) I'm not so sure.
But my favourite craft activity is making magnetic bookmarks. This was an idea that came about when I had to do a fundraising event at church. And, since then, its been really popular so I've keep making them and using them myself as well.
Faith
If you've been reading this in order then you'll already see that I've hinted that I'm a church-goer. This year, thanks to a new reading challenge, I've been making a bit attempt to read my bible every day (and its, mostly, lastest).
At church I have many roles. I'm a church steward. I play in the music group (tenor horn and singing). I run a bookcrossing shelf at Messy Church. And I'm also on the creche rota.
But I guess the most important thing is really what I believe. Going to church and doing loads of stuff is OK, but its not really being a Christian. Being a Christian means using what God and Jesus have told us (through the bible and prayer) in our everyday lives. Anyway, I won't go on about this here. Just check out my faith blog if you want to know more (or you can ask in the comments, I suppose).
History
At university I studied Ancient History & Archaeology, so it was only natural that I'd want to talk about history now and again. I enjoy visiting historical places, especially those little hidden gems that you sometimes find on country walks. I also enjoy (at least some of the) TV programmes about history.
My home town has a very rich history and its great to share that with others now and again. I think its so important for people to know about what came before them and that history can teach us an awful lot.
So, that's the gist of what my life outside reading is like.
Do you want to know anything else?
