Unusual Hobbies...& Nancy Wins!

I usually get that response when I tell folks I write romance.  And then of course they want to know where they can buy my book.  Well... er... I haven't sold a book yet, and that just elicits more questions.

You have a beautiful horse.  And I knew what dressage was.  I was fortunate enough to see the Lippizan stallions perform at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.  What an amazing show!

I too know what dressage is and I think it is/can be a very beautiful thing.  While I have never see the Lippizan Stallions perform in person I have seen them on film and am fascinated by them.

I guess the only strange thing I do is collect frog figurines, a habit that started while I was in college and I am trying to slow down on the collecting because I am running out of room to display them.

I vaguely knew what dressage was, but your explanation made me go ah ha!  Once in my teens I got to see the Lippizan stallions.  Dad took me, and was bored out of his mind, but knew how much I wanted to see them.  They were amazing.

Have you read Mountain's Call by Caitlin Brennan?  Its a Luna, but the 'heros' of the story are a select group of stallions and their riders - and while the author never calls it that, my recollection of it now is that the horses are doing dressage.  I remember picturing the Lippizan stallions while i was reading it.

My only hobby is my books - which may not seem strange on this site, but I get strange looks from people when they see my catalogue and who ask why I don't get rid of a book after its read.  (I keep almost 100% of what I buy!)

First...I know what dressage is!  I used to watch it all the time.

Now my unusual hobby is Spinning. Not the excerise where people are on a stationary bike, but the actual turning raw fiber into well..yarn or string. I love doing it, and when I finally get into a rythm its very relaxing. I'm also teaching my self how to knit so I can use the sthe fiber I spin. I alreay know the basics of crochet but everyone in my spining class a couple of years ago talked about knitting and I got intrested in that. The other think I'm wanting to learn is weaving, it just sounds fun.

Hmm.  Well, I think I'm becomming a bird lady.  I spend much time making sure my bird bath is clean of debris and full of fresh water.  I exclaim at the sight of a cardinal and I love figuring out which birds are nesting in the vine hedge in front of the shed--or the tangle of nandinas along the back fence.   

FF, my dh is a realtor.  He has a longtime customer who has 11 cats!  the cutomer's dh is allergic to them.  Whoa.  And lately, here in my town, there's an ordinance that if you have more than three pets, you have to  register them with the city! (!!!)  You know, like sex offenders have to register.  At any time, if your neighbors complain, you can be asked to get rid of all but three.   I just think that's wrong--I mean, if you keep your pets indoors and they're not a nuisance to anyone, what's the prob?  And if they are a nuisance, the person bothered had recourse already.  Grrrr. 

I don't have any unusual hobbies. I just read, cook, bake, and scrapbook.

I didn't know what dressage was til you explained it. I think it would be interesting to see. 

You know they'll be comin' to get you from Oklahoma...  (Even if you only feed them.  mwahaha) Well, actually, just from my county.  It's only right her in my town that they have this ordinance.

My "weird" interest is tap dancing. I took lessons as a child but I never turned into Gene Kelly. I still tap dance to this day, just for fun.

Congrats Nancy!!

How exciting, I won! 

This has been a fascinating topic and I learned something new about you--you do dressage.

Thanks so much--I have sent my contact info to you. 

A friend of mine and I used to do photography during dressage events because a lady he worked with participated and knew we were into photography.  I got a wonderful picture of a pas de deux -- caught it just at a dramatic moment.  Anyway, we watched and photographed a number of dressage events.

As a lifetime Kentucky resident, of course I love horses (and not just thoroughbreds).  I think dressage is a great hobby, though I think it tends to be a bit costly, much like showing dogs, especially in conformation but also in obedience. 

While I don't have any particularly unusual hobbies, my husband is currently spending some of his "fun" time memorizing Pi to 36 places, so far.  Now, that's weird, but I love him anyway!

Nancy, congratulations on winning the book!