Seniors, Senior Citizens, those noisy Boomers, and concerned caregivers, have submitted the following tips as ideas for enriching our lives with an exciting hobby. Tell us about your hobbies

1. ANCESTRY  Get involved in your family's ancestry or genealogy. Here is a great article explaining why it is fun, and how to get started. Back to Basics: Beginners' Questions Answered

2. FAUX STAINED GLASS  I have found pleasure as a senior in creating faux stained glass windows. Everything I know I learned online last year by reading and looking at pictures. I did some for the windows in my home. I have framed some as gifts for family and friends. There are some patterns you can copy or download online, or make your own. Everything you need to know you can learn online by searching for "faux stained glass". Supplies are available at WalMart and other stores. Have your local hardware store cut glass to the exact size you need. This is really fun and satisfying when you see the beautiful finished product. Here is an HGTV presentation on the subject. And a couple other sites picked at random:  Faux Stained Glass Supplies,   Go to Google Search Page (www.google.com), click "images" then search for faux stained glass and you will get hundreds of pictures. I have made many patterns and have pictures of windows I have made this year. If you need patterns or want pictures email Bob at springpure@aol.com. The window to the left is one of my projects. It is about 20 x 14. I hang them on the front porch to check for gaps or other flaws in the light. Click on it to see a larger picture. This is easy to do, and the results are dramatic. I have really enjoyed this. Be very careful with the glass. The edges can be sharp. Use masking tape on the edges if you are concerned. If you frame it first, the edges are no problem, but it is a bit harder to create the scene.        

Also have a look at:  http://downeaststainedglass.com/freestainedglasspatterns.html  For discussion on stained glass you are welcomed at StainedGlassville stained glass message boards

3. PAINT  Go buy 5 canvases (16" x 20" is a good size) , some acrylic paints, a set of painting brushes, a pencil. Available in the east at Big Lots, Ollies, WalMart. This is not expensive. Draw or copy something on the canvas with your pencil, and paint it.  If you hate all 5, throw them away and buy 5 more.  I had foot surgery last year and had never painted a picture in my life. I needed activities while recovering. I have painted about 20 pictures, including some that my grandchildren love. A few of them are pretty good, and I felt creative and it made my recovery more pleasant. It sure beat sitting through the winter feeling sorry for myself. (click picture to enlarge and read) 

Reader--  j. fred whatzizname ---(bet it's not his real name) suggests covering the old painting with Gesso instead of discarding one that you do not like. Gesso is a primer that is used on a new canvas to make the surface ready to paint. It also will cover an unwanted painting so the canvas can be used again. Thanks jfw

4. GOLF  * Get Your Free 2006 Myrtle Beach  Golf Vacation eBook                      * Golf for Beginners FAQ - Questions Asked by Golf Beginners         

* Golf Tips | Golf for Beginners          

* Golf Blog   

* Introducing Golf to Beginners- A Three-Day Lesson Plan 

5. SEARCH HGTV  Go to HGTV (home and garden tv)  and search for any home or garden or hobby project you can imagine.

7. DOWNLOAD FUN ON COMPUTER  You can download music, software, pictures, documents and videos from other users on the web. You will need to plug into a service like Kazaa or Limewire. Search in Google for something like "free music downloads" or something like that. Pick a service to download and install on your computer so you can search for music etc. I use Kazaa Lite. The version I have is free, and there are NO ads. CAUTION : Some online users, for some reason or another, like to plant viruses, or worms, or some other nasty sounding stuff in the things you download. These things can cause disruptions in your computer. So you download these things at your own risk. I have never, to my knowledge, gotten an invader from downloading music, but I have from software. If you download, make absolutely sure your anti-virus program and firewall are up-to-date. And if they sound an alarm, stop that download immediately.  Also understand that copyright laws apply to some things you might want to download, so another caution must be raised on this issue.  I have found songs I haven't heard in YEARS and have downloaded them. I searched a long time for "He Keeps His Eye on the Sparrow" by Ethel Waters. I heard her sing it in Washington over 40 years ago, and have wanted it ever since. I found it, and I have it.

8. BUY A COMPUTER  Now an important matter if you are a loved one of a senior, or if you are a senior citizen reading Senior ARK on someone else's computer: BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER, BUY A COMPUTER !!!!!!!!!! POINT MADE??????  A Senior with a computer and very minimal instruction can have a new and less lonely world unfold before them. You can get and send email to family. Seniors can chat live with children and grandchildren and friends. And get or send pictures to those folks. Seniors can save money online through comparison shopping, finding clearance sites, or saving on sales tax. (I just bought a set of fireplace gas logs for less than half price and they were shipped to me free from Home Depot Clearance Center) . Seniors can go to Lowes project center, or look up phone numbers all over the country or the world. See other cities anywhere in the world through live cameras. Seniors can go  to  National Geographic, HGTV, the National Weather Center, live radar pictures of your area, travel sites, TV Guide, Get maps of anything anywhere. Listen to NASA. See pictures of all the homes for sale in any area of the country, and some around the world. Do crossword puzzles and more. Seniors can get daily news and health updates. Access The National Institutes of Health and other valuable medical sites. Read about prescription interactions. An active senior can get plans for a rocking horse you want to build for your grandchildren, or access every recipe known to woman (or man!!). Print any tax form. Make new friends. Download and play music of all types. Go to an internet library, your church website. Visit England County-by-County by picture. And millions of more ideas for Senior enjoyment. Exercise the senior mind. Keep it lubricated. These examples have barely scratched the surface. The world is now at Seniors' fingertips.. A computer can change your life-----at any age. A Senior can buy a great computer system  for under $400, including a monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, and printer. Maybe even less after rebates.( I apologize to those who have read this on the home page of Senior Ark, but I think it is so valuable that it will justify reprinting here)

PS. I was recently in a nursing home and saw bedridden patients in their 70's and 80's enjoying computers IN THEIR ROOMS.

11. MODEL RAILROADS  If you can't afford a real train, learn a new hobby with model railroads!   This gentleman brings the hobby alive.  Lance's Model Railways   This is something even today's grandchildren will get excited about. I'm going to build one of the very small setups to run around my fireplace mantel. Also check out these sites:  , and  Railroads, World of DCC. Read Celebrity Model Railroading. (added 10-25-07)

12. HOBBY WITH FABRICS  Many of us use fabrics in a variety of hobbies. This site says you can find any fabric available, and on it's home page says: "Welcome to the world's biggest Fabric and Textile Portal."    http://www.all-about-fabrics.com/

14. BUILD A WATER FEATURE  This summer, let's build a water feature in the yard. The birds will love it, and you will love those wonderful sounds of water falling, or if you choose, goldfish coming up for a treat. It can be as simple or elaborate as you want.

16. BUILD A WEBSITE   It is EASY and FREE and FUN to build and have your own website hosted online. I have built several personal sites with this service, and have really enjoyed it. (If you want to see one that I have built go to  http://houseforsalepa.tripod.com . I made this site when I was selling my home. It is now sold, and the site aided me in that process. I have left the site online so I can go in to look at a home we enjoyed very much.)

If you want to give it a try, go to this Carnegie Mellon University Site at Tripod. Click on the little white "sign up" button after the word "LYCOS" at the top of the open page. This will take you to another page, where you want to go to the box marked "free". CLICK ON "SIGN UP" AND GET GOING ON YOUR ADVENTURE. There are help pages that you can click on, or if you get really stuck you can email them for help. 

17. GOLFWEB  Check out golfweb, home of the PGA Tour.

18. SENIORARK "FOR FUN PAGE" for the free online  crossword puzzles. And much more.

20. GO FOR THE BIRDS   If you are into birds, the ones with feathers---on wings---in trees, here are some great links:

Birdsource,  Birding on the Web,  Bird Identification tips,  Bird Databases, Electronic Resources on Ornithology,  Birding in Canada,  Bird Links of the World

The Butterfly Website - butterfly photos, butterfly clipart, education,
butterfly zoos and more.

AllAboutButterflies.com - hypertext book about butterflies It is designed for students of all ages.

The Butterfly Site - 12 butterfly topics with pages full of butterfly information.

22. WILDFLOWERS  Get into wildflowers. Plant some and watch them develop. Could someone( or you) set up an area for you inside where you could grow some with grow lights? Nothing fancy. It is mystical watching a plant develop. Have you ever seen a bulb grow inside, or a potato? Out two toothpicks on either side of a potato, and suspend it into water on top of a coffee mug. Amazing.  Have a look at: [Wild Flowers

Bridgetrix Links,   Card Games - Other Sources of Information,  Card Game Links (About.com network)

24. SPEAKING OF SENIOR CENTERS , how about investigating you local Senior Center. There are other seniors to talk to, projects that will teach you new interests and hobbies, and it can really become something to look forward to. Go to our "message post" section and communicate with someone who goes by "paperpest". She is a real advocate of Senior Centers.

25. CALL A REGULAR  My mother made it a hobby to pick a couple friends to call every night. And she was a shy person who didn't make friends easily. It helped with her loneliness, gave her someone to think and be concerned about, and became a safety net for her because if she would not answer, or was ill, her friend would sound the alarm. Find a friend you can call. My mother lived to 94, and outlived several contacts. Make a brand new one if necessary. It will keep you healthy, and you can gossip about your children and grandchildren.

26. WALK THE NEIGHBORHOOD   I know plenty of Seniors who walk very well, but never leave the house. If you can walk safely, get on that sidewalk and meet some neighbors. Compliment them on their flowers, children, pets, grass, weeds----anything to get a conversation going. And tomorrow do the same, and ask how they are. This really can be a hobby. You will learn much more by walking than by driving past, and it is good for you. Before you know it those neighbors will be walking past your house looking to compliment you. In the winter, if you are in a cold area, go the mall and walk.

29. READ  Subscribe to a few magazines that cover subjects that interest you. Or go to the library and read magazines and books. You may even meet some people there. After all---you paid for the library, so visit it to see where your money went.

30. DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY  Do you have a digital camera yet? Get one if you can. They are getting much cheaper. Take all the pictures you want, and if you don't like them just erase and take more. Pick something that you want to specialize in, like say---doors in your community, or points of interest in your town. Photograph close-ups of your flowers, friends, house. I have a digital camera (Sony) that I can insert a floppy disk into, you know the one that goes into the "A" drive on your computer. The photos may not be the fine quality of some better digital cameras, but aren't bad. Go to the SeniorArk "photos/contact" page. I took the first 4 photos on that page with my camera. Much fun. When it is full, I put the disk into my computer, throw away the pictures I don't like, keep a few on the main drive of my computer, erase everything on the floppy disk, and start over. No film, no developing costs. But if you want paper copies, you can take the disk to your developer and get paper copies as before. This sounds complicated, but in fact is sooooo simple. Ask for instructions. This is a hobby for the world traveler or the bedridden. Check out the Frugal Photographer

31. ARE YOUR GRANDCHILDREN YOUR MAIN HOBBY? We understand. Hobby is much too small a word when it comes to the grandchildren. Today I found a web site dedicated to creative ideas for grandparents. Have a look. www.grandloving.com. Another great site is: www.Grandparents.com

click picture to enlarge Alex (Grandson, SeniorARK editor - let me tell you.....)

32. METHODS OF GRANDLOVING   More than a hobby-----a passion!  10 Great Tips for Long‑Distance "Grandloving"  (internal SeniorArk)

33. MAKE SOMETHING FOR THE GRANDCHILDREN  If you are talented, all the better. If you are not, do it anyway. It will be the most beautiful thing they have ever seen. I recently bought a plastic jar of bones for my dog at WalMart. It is about 15" tall, but use any size. When it was empty, I made a bank for my grandson Aidan. Colored tape came from Staples, and so did the stickers. The note at the top says  "coins are good, but paper is better". At the bottom it lists the methods of payment that he will accept---like checks, credit, stocks and bonds. I added some cash, then boxed and mailed it to him. I had fun. He will have fun. No grandchildren? Pick a small child in the neighborhood and become a "grandparent".

click picture to enlarge

34. MAKE CARDS  Make a birthday card or mother's/father's day card for your daughter/son that also celebrates your grandchildren. I made one online this year. You can do it with paper and glue if you like. This card will not be thrown away! See my homemade card. Use on ANY holiday.

35. BUILD BIRDHOUSES  Not only will you feel the satisfaction of a beautiful project, but you will be able to watch the birds from your area looking for free rent. I found a fun site that provides simple plans for building specific birdhouses for 50 different birds. There is much more on this site, including coloring pages you can print out to involve your younger grandchildren in your bird projects.    http://www.50birds.com/    Be sure to click around. The site shows a simple plan, and a very detailed plan on how to build each birdhouse. There are plans for some "winter warmers" I guess birds need to stay warm in the winter too!  If you like birds, but don't want to build a house, go there anyway. You can have a lot of fun looking and reading. Another great site we found is part of about.com, called: Complete Guide to Birdnouses  The print is small, but follow the links and it is good reading.

36. ARCHAEOLOGY    Archaeology is a fascinating hobby. While actual excavation of sites is certainly interesting there is more to archaeology then that as I have noted below.
For retired people interested in history and participating in discovery of historic/pre-historic sites archaeology offers a ton of exciting things to do. Some activities in archaeology would be site excavation, cleaning and marking of recovered artifacts, logging in processed artifacts, study and identification of artifacts, photography , computer work such as entering in data to data bases, drawing of site excavations, library research, etc.., etc.. It is exciting to actually have the opportunity to work with professionals ( they are interested teachers) and to participate in the discovery of our historic past. And ,it's nice to be cited in the research site report or "paper" which records the excavation you participate in. How can you become involved involved in local archaeology.?.........Typically all states have an archaeology society and within the state they have local chapters typically close to where you might live.  

37. INDOOR GARDENING   Great winter hobby. For those who find being surrounded by vibrant plants all year round, indoor gardening may be the answer to a very satisfying hobby. Some sample sites:  helpful gardener,    gardeners network,  TCS-Hydroponics, garden time online,  bringing the outside in, Inside Sun . Some of these sites will also introduce you to some outside gardening ideas.

38. EASY INDOOR GARDENING PROJECTS    (click for internal page)  "There's something that   gives us new life, when we watch new life grow"

39. GROW A BONSAI POTATO

Click for Internal article

click picture to enlarge bonsai 

Also see new page:

Planting Winter Greens

40. COMPUTER SCRAPBOOKING   Computers bring all kinds of new possibilities to scrapbooking, letting you create everything from simple journaling to entire scrapbook pages! And, it's all fun and easy to do! Try:  Scrapbook Junction
 

41. Combine a hobby with a valuable service to other Seniors      Velma’s Pets As Therapy. Active retirees with friendly pets, wanted to train as ‘pets as therapy’ visitors. We train people and their pets to visit challenged adults and children in residential care, hospitals, nursing homes and challenged individuals living at home; to raise their spirits and brighten up their day. Please see our web site at: www.velmaspetsastherapy.com.au  Bringing companionship and friendship to challenged folk is a truly and deeply rewarding hobby. The majority of our volunteers are active retirees.

42. Rediscover your public library   The public library is like a huge treasure chest, chock-full of books, magazines, videos, computers, and programs - and it's all available FREE with a library card.. You will find Librarians who can help you find books about topics that interest you..   

A person who returned to the library after a long absence said:

"I can't say that I've really visited a library since I left college. Today I went to my Public Library with picture ID in hand, and walked out with my new library card, 3 cookbooks, 1 book on Buzz Marketing, and 2 DVDs. During my visit there I also browsed through a couple of magazines & newspapers. I even went into the Auditorium to see the art of Emilio Sanchez exhibited. And did I mention that I used Miami's free downtown transportation system, MetroMover, to get there?

It may seem obvious to some, but by using the public library systems, we can share a lot of materials that we really don't need individual copies of, and we just might get a little extra culture along with it. Go rediscover your library."

43. Interactive computer painting page  Create your own piece of abstract art---and you can print it out. Save it and mail it to your grandchillins. To start over, click the refresh button and all is erased! It's kind of fun, Try it. This is my first feeble effort. Beautiful, isn't it???  Well, I had fun.        Click to enlarge.>>

When you go there you will get a blank white screen. Move your mouse around and see what happens. Each time you press "left click" on your mouse, the color changes.  http://www.jacksonpollock.org/                                             example ^ ^ ^

 44. Free Craft And Woodworking Patterns Sites        

http://freepatternsite.com/ (needles, beads, baskets, more) Free Christmas craft patterns http://www.northpolechristmas.com/ (nice)

http://craftandfabriclinks.com/ ( sewing and a variety of other crafts)

http://www.woodprojects.com/  (thousands of woodworking patterns, many free, many not) http://crafterscommunity.com/links/index.php , http://crafterscommunity.com/view_idea/2, http://crafterscommunity.com/cat/22/Clay_Pot_Crafts ,  http://crafterscommunity.com/cat/3/General_Crafts

 45. Join a Toastmasters club  - or more than one.  It is a good way to meet people, and to learn about a wide variety of subjects.  You will find that if you decide to give a speech about a particular subject, you may want or need to learn more about it.  You will also learn about various other things from the speeches of others, which may give you an idea of a class you want to take.  Many Toastmasters give speeches, and sometimes demonstrations,
about their hobbies.  You might get an idea for a new hobby that would interest you.    Many Toastmasters clubs meet in the evening, and they fill an evening very pleasantly.  Also, unlike most schools and organizations, dues are very low.  Submitted by "Joy"

46. Learn to Write     You failed to mention another hobby.  For anyone who is interested, there is a fantastic site called http://www.writing.com where writers of all levels of skill are welcome.  I started writing seriously in April of 2005, joined that site in October, and just had my first novel published last month. 
We seniors have a wealth of experience and knowledge that can be passed on to the younger generation. I prefer writing fiction, and my novel linked below is about older people living in a home I wish we all could find. Judity. http://homeoftheredfoxthenovel.bravehost.com/

 47. Senior Blogs    Sounds like something a little prune juice might help? There are many definitions for a blog. One definition might be: "Blog is short for weblog. A weblog is a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or the Web site." Keeping track of Senior Blogs is a way of keeping in touch with other Seniors, or others who are discussing subjects of interest to you. Many folks make a hobby of this.The SeniorARK is actually a hybrid between a blog and a traditional website.

If you click here you will see a list of blogs that we are beginning to make available to you.. If you know of a blog that would be of interest to other Seniors, please let us know and we will list it. 

 49. Get into antiques   Pick something you like, that will not break the bank, (some antiques are not so bad), and learn everything you can about it. Become something of an expert in that one type of item. Follow it on online sites, TV, antique shows, malls. Spend very carefully until you have done your research. Go to flea markets and look for that gem that others have missed. If you are in the eastern US, there is a massive annual October antique show in Atlantic City. A former attendee says: “The Atlantique City Show is bar none, the main event in the world of antiquing. If you want to capture the pulse of antique collecting today, then head east, and get ready to experience years of searching, all under one roof.” -Bertoia Auctions, Vineland, NJ.  Atlantique Show  Their site has pictures, information, and even videos.

 50. Restoring Clocks  Think about what you enjoy doing and let that become a hobby. One gentleman who had been a book editor retired to pursue his hobby, which was restoring clocks. He went on to make them and to sell them at flea markets. "I'm having a great time," he said. "I enjoy meeting people and I knew I needed to be busy. This actually keeps me busier than I wanted to be, but I can control this, and I love every bit of what I am doing."  SeniorARK includes this hobby, because it points out that you may want to make a serious hobby from what you enjoy.

 51. Learn Something New   Contact your local community college,  or library, and ask about upcoming courses for seniors. You may learn a whole new skill, and put it to work in a new hobby. Many of these courses are offered in winter, when other activities may be difficult. Get some oil onto those rusting gears inside your magnificent brain.

 52. Start an Aquarium. I have had various sized aquariums all of my life, and have found much pleasure in tending them, adding new fish and plants, and watching the living things grow. What a great hobby to begin in the winter. A fresh water setup is the way to begin. Raising saltwater fish can be rewarding because of their beauty and challenge. But the makeup of the water must be monitored carefully, or your wallet and expensive sea fish will soon be flushed away.            click picture

As a long-time hobbyist, I suggest starting with a freshwater aquarium, something around 20 gallons. A ten gallon tank, with accessories, will be cheaper, but the viewing area is really limited, and some really nice fish need a little more room. Get a nice hood with the proper color-enhancing light. Your filter should be better than one of those simple bubble ones. Get one of those types that siphons the water from the tank, passes it through a filter that hangs on the back, and then returns it to the tank. You pet shop can help with all of this.

Be careful to combine fish, plants, and other living things, that are compatible with each other. You want them to eat the food you buy, and not each other.        more info on starting

(1) Frugal Gardening. Gardening can be fun, enjoyable and downright expensive if you're not careful. This site is dedicated to bring you easy to implement gardening tips and techniques that can help you save money while keeping all your plants in tip-top shape.

(2) Whether you're a beginner or expert, a food or flower gardener, National Gardening Assn has a great deal to offer you! As an NGA Supporter. Nonprofit provider of plant-based education. You can enjoy excellent savings on plants and supplies, get free answers to your gardening questions, learn gardening and botany basics.

(3) Learn more about home gardening, hardscaping, landscaping, flowers, and plants from videos on Home & Garden Television.

Not to mention---there are health benefits in gardening. Read it in WebMD.

54. Make a Pot Project during the colder months, preparing for spring. NO, NOT THAT POT!

Here is a picture of an attractive and fairly easily made terra cotta little man for the garden, along with some hot links that should lead to a lot of great ideas.

55. Chainsaw Sculpting   is certainly not for everyone. But if you are familiar with using a chainsaw, and always wished you could make something beautiful with it, check out Australian, Kevin Gilders. This senior began his quest in 1980, and you will see that remarkable things can be made with this common tool. 

Seniors are waiting for your tip here.     Or submit a useful link for a links section.