Hobby recomendations

[KnottedYet]

How about cooking?

Lots of fun things to try, lots to learn (nutrition and such), can get very creative, plenty of fun tools (flaming torches to melt sugar on creme brulee!), dishes and cooking utensils to buy and learn to use, tons of ideas on the internet, forums, etc.

Maybe he could do vegetarian one day, Italian the next, Norweigan the next, a Cuban day, and so on.

He gets a hobby, you get someone cooking for you!

[sandra]

Hubby and I had a period where we searched for things to do together. Now we do almost EVERYTHING together. The only thing we don't do together is...I refuse to take up hunting.

The thing I thought of immediately though, WALKING. If your husband is depressed, he really, really does need to get out every day and walk a little, even if for a short while. Getting out in the sunshine can lift his spirits. Maybe short afternoon walks together. Do you have a dog? (yes, you do. I read fast and missed that.) Can you go out each day and walk the dog? Drive to different places if you get bored. Once hubby and I started walking around the high school which was close to our house. We helped fund our retirement with all of the change those students drop in the parking lot. I know it sounds corny, but it was fun looking for the prize!

I'm still thinking on other things. Good luck.

[SadieKate]

Sounds like he likes gadgets and eletronics. HAM radio puts him in touch with the outside world. Part of the shopping thing (to me) is the curiousity about other "stuff."

So, how about geo-caching? Even if you have to drive to start with. He'll have to get out and walk to the location of the cache. Maybe he'll walk farther each time.

[Grog]

When I read "dog" and "shopping" I also thought "walking." Maybe progressively even take him into gentle hikes?

SK's idea (geocaching) is more sophisticated and oh! so good, too.

Maybe he could use the walks to start a sound collection? In the movie Amelie the beautiful dreamer character was collecting sounds of people laughing. Maybe you could be talked into photography (even with a simple camera one can do wonders)...

[bacarver]

What about volunteering at your local animal shelter?
Or tutoring/teaching others to share the skills you have?
Does the local library have any programs to tap into?
Barb

[LBTC]

There are loads of things people can do together....and some great ideas here, too! (walking, of course, being the easiest to start/learn/do anywhere)

Here are a couple more ideas....
dog agility, flyball or any other dog sport
decorate your house and yard for every holiday


You'll find something, Pat!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[silver]

I love the geocaching idea, may need to shop for some GPS gadgets. I was thinking walking or trail walking.

I can't find any links to it, but in my confirmation booklet for the Hilly 100, they say that HAM operators will be in sag vehicles and on stops to help with any communication needs. Maybe you could tie this into some of your local rides. Maybe you could contact the Hilly people to get more info.

[Tuckervill]

Geocaching sounds like a great idea, because if Mississippi is like Arkansas, a lot of the significant points have not been accessed. (I think I saw a thing once where people were marking the places where longitude and latitude intersected or something like that.) There is one of those near us, but someone already marked it or whatever they do. (I don't geocache but I know someone who does, and I've read about it.)

There are people who simply try to visit every single county in America. You can do that on a smaller scale. I like to do that around here, when I get bored I drive to the small towns near me and see what life is like there (it's usually not that different than my house, but if I go in a flea market or something, I might find something I didn't know I was looking for).

Those kinds of traveling things, like Volksmarch and geocaching really appeal to me for some reason. It kind of ties in with my weather watching and my love of geography. That might not turn other people on, though.

Karen

[Flybye]

If he likes woodworking, that's where I would start. Men feel more intimate with their spouses when they do activities together. I think that it is funny that my husband and his buddies never get together to just hang out and talk like I do with my girlfriends. They do something centered around an activity. I would take it as a great compliment that he is seeking to do something with you - he wants more of your time.

My concern for him is actually his depression. I am a social worker, so that's where my heart lies.

Here's my idea for you to mull over. If he is down in the dumps, could you find some woodworking project that you can do with him that will benefit other people? Christmas is coming. Perhaps wooden trains or other toy projects for needy families? Maybe build shelving for non profit agencies?

The reason that I suggest this is that if he is depressed, giving to other people gives the giver a huge sense of self worth. So often what we do for other people ends up being more for us than anything else. I don't know whether or not he works, but if he doesn't - that's just plain out and out hard on a man. There self worth is tied so much to providing. This would give him an outlet to fill that need to provide. He'd have the deadlines, and feel needed by others. It also would have the benefit of getting him out of the house. He'd also be getting a little physical activity.

If your projects are smaller, like toys, there is a good chance that you can get all of the wood that you need for free from the leftovers at home construction sites. That way you'd not be heading to the poor house

I wish you the best in whatever it is that you find to do together. Oh, and as for the bossiness - sorry My hope would be that after awhile of being together on a project, that need to boss you around would diminish.



It also would have the benefit of getting him out of the house.