Keeping our hands busy and our mind off of eating is necessary and important. It's hard to eat when you are engaged in a project that requires your full attention and keeps your hands busy. 

A few years ago I began a section on Miles to Go that featured my reading stack. Even though I'm getting ready to start a new bible study book, sometimes the reading stack has a companion—a "project stack", and similar to my reading stack, I usually have several ongoing projects.

Just after Christmas, I made seven stockings which I didn't have time to make before Christmas. I think of it as getting a head start on next year's holiday.

After moving several times last year, I recovered our Christmas stocking that had gone missing. The stocking were made from old quilts, but I only had 5 of them—our family has grown over the years. I had an old family quilt that was falling apart, so I decided to complete the my set by making each member of our family a stocking from our old family heirloom.

The Christmas stocking project inspired me to sign up for a quilting class which begins next month.

Now that the stocking project is finished, I am finishing a crochet project that has been in my "unfinished pile" for years now—and I'm making good progress and my goal is to complete it before mid-February. I 'm also teaching a few of my friends how to begin a crochet project of their own and from there I hope to meet together with them every week so that we may inspire each other with projects as well as grow our friendships.

In our neighborhood there are several groups that get together for handwork projects such as quilting, crocheting, knitting and other pastimes such as: cards, gardening, reading, pickleball, tennis, golf, and countless other activities. Working on projects together can be inspiring as well as offer opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. 

Some of my other hobbies include growing African Violets. Violets take a little more attention that most other house plants. I have always loved violets. I received several violets the year we got married and they did well when I had plenty of floor to ceiling windows, but after several moves, I never seemed to supply enough light to make them grow or bloom. So one day I just decided that if other people could grow them, I could too. So I did my homework and taught myself how to grow the most beautiful violets. Now I have a house full of violets, all of which bloom profusely right on schedule. I have even shared my experience and love for violets by speaking at several Garden Clubs around the area.

I encourage you to find a hobby that you enjoy. Maybe it's something you have always wanted to do, but haven't made it a priority. You can start with one and when you conquer that one—you can add a new one. Hobbies and projects are not only fun, along with keeping our hands busy and out of the pantry, it's a good way to make friends and grow relationships.