I have to admit that my life has gotten pretty routine. Wake up, get kids changed, fed, dressed. Work out. Naps. Lunch. Me shower (if I'm lucky). Get kids up. Read, color, play. Fix dinner. Baths. Bed. Dishes. Straighten up house. Leno. Bed for me. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my life. I love my kids. I'm grateful that I am able to stay at home with them. I am so grateful to experience the little things that they do, as well as the major developmental things. But I feel I've lost myself a bit. So I was curious as to what other women's passions are. What do you do when you have free time? What do love to think about? What do you love to learn about?

When the day-to-day doldrums hit, I like to take time on the weekend and read, do some shopping (I don't even need to buy anything) or play with the dogs while relaxing by the pool with a glass of wine. As the work week progresses and the day gets boring, I come here to 3FC to unwind and post a bit. I'm usually too stressed to really read the posts most mornings before work, and weekends are so busy with errands that I often don't come here at all. But you may notice that from 8-4, I post a lot!!! Good thing I'm my own boss! Can't fire myself!

But you asked what I like to learn about. Well, just about anything. I read the news online and definitely like the off-kilter stuff (news of the weird!). I'll read fiction and non-fiction and biographies and auto biographies. Anything interesting, I guess. I'm a real afficianado of urban legends. I guess I got that from a college professor who is renowned in the field (Jan Brunvand). I like learning new things about technology. I guess I'm like a sponge--I just want to suck it all up!!!

what a fun question!

My first passion is jewelry arts, particularly metal working. I am a real ferret, with gemstones and pearls and art glass stashed everywhere. I love to take piles of wire and sheet metal and make a thing of beauty. I love it even more when people pay me for it. I also love to paint and altered art. therefore my house is sty with piles of found objects, tubes of paint, cups of brushes, strands of gemstones, coils of wire, tubs of art paper, and the list goes on and on. I am also passionate about politics, and I am pretty active in local political organizations, as well as women's interest organizations. And i love live music and dancing. I tend to spend more time and money on concerts than anything else, except for metalworking tools.

Wow, I am so busy! However did I find the time to eat so much before?

horses...i'm big into dressage. Every chance i get i'm out riding my horse. It helps me destress myself in an otherwise usually chaotic world. I try to become one with the horse so our ride is smooth and relaxed.

Just to be able to curl up in a hot hot tub of water and bubble bath with a good book and not have to come out until I look like a prune.

In my free time I love to work on the house, scrapbook, read, listen to music, volunteer. It seems lately though I am focused on sending care packages to Iraq-my new passion making sure the troops know they are thought about and cared about. Just wish I was rich so that I could do more.

I love learning about different cultures.

I don't love to think about it but it seems the war is on my mind 24/7. I try to focus on other things but it's always there. Wondering and worrying about my son, and of course all the guys & gals over there.

My passion not attached (for the most part) to my children? I crochet. Mostly, I make things for my kids, but I also do sculpture crochet sometimes.

I have other things, but that's my biggie right now.

Cooking and everything that goes into it. If you add up all the time I spend on this hobby, it probably adds up to at least one day a week, not even counting the time actually spent preparing meals (in fact, actual meal prep is probably my least fav part). I read cooking magazines (my fav is Cooking Light), the food sections in two newspapers, research recipes online, have a system for organizing recipes, plan out our meals for the week, and shop once a week at the farmers market and two grocery stores (Safeway and Trader Joe's). The shopping alone takes at least half a day. Since I decided I want to eat healthier and lose weight, I've had to redirect my energy into finding low calorie foods and recipes, but I actually enjoy it more now than I did before.

Other passions include reading (fiction and personal essays/memoirs), exercising, hiking, birdwatching, quilting and crafts, and shopping.

I also spend a lot of time on 3FC and right now, downloading music for my Ipod has become a bit of a passion (it's a new toy).

My work is also one of my passions, although most people would probably find it pretty technical and boring.

I feel like I've kind of lost track of what it might even be. Thanks for bringing this up... I should think on this some...

I have been so 100% busy with things life has thrown my way,
that now life has slowed down and I have time but have forgotten
what my passions are. I feel like the ponys at the fair that have been going around in circles hooked to the ride thing . I have forgotten what it is like to frolick through fields( okay that is corny I know!!)
I need to spend a day alone at the beach to inspire me.

Passions.....reading, going to the bookstores and browsing around, cooking (love watching Food Network Channel...pick up a lot of tips on there), walking around getting some fresh air, shopping, taking a long bath and reading in there, finding a cause, such as environmental causes, that I can write letters about, etc.

My point is, there are lots of things to be passionate about in this life, it's the matter of taking the time out for yourself to enjoy that passion.

I used to try to force myself to like something...I love art...and my passion is looking at art of other people's (like museuems), but I'm not big on drawing it. But I LOVE ceramics. It's the best thing, I think.

I like to READ. Books, magazines, articles, journals, etc. Reading really DOES open up whole new worlds. You can learn SO MUCH by *just reading.*

This is where I am. I feel like it's just a bad place to be when I'm only 25. The life shouldn't be burned out of me already!! I need to go back to school, I think...

My passion is travelling, I love it. Animals are another passion of mine and I try to mix travelling with animals when I can. (Visit animals, try to see animals in nature, etc)