Category: a bit of fun

Staying close to family who live far away

Staying close to family who live far away

It used to be that multi-generation families would all live together. It wasn’t so much that humans recognised the value of living together as a clan, although there surely are advantages, but that it was the most practical option. The world was less interconnected than it is today; there were fewer opportunities for people to move away and follow their dreams, and so on. Now, families could be spread out not just across the country, but across the world. So how do you stay in contact and keep the closeness, with so many miles in between? We take a look at a few options below.

Girl in a mustard coloured blouse holding an old fashioned telephone

Regular calls

Spare a thought for those people who did set sail for new lands when they were younger. They’d get on a ship and hope that they would one day return to see the people they loved. If they wanted to stay in touch, they had to write a letter that may or may not get there, and in any case, would take months to arrive anyway. Now, we’ve got a gift that’s often overlooked: the power of talking to people thousands of miles away… as if they were in the same room. With a strong internet connection, you can even see their faces. Make a habit of calling weekly, or, even better, having a video chat using Skype. Conduct a search for internet providers in my area and you’ll find high speed providers, even in rural locations. It can take a bit of getting used to, but eventually, you’ll slip into it, and it’ll feel normal.

People waiting for a train

Pay a visit

Your distant relatives hopefully aren’t living on Mars. They’re somewhere on this planet, and if they got there, then so can you. Next time you have some vacation time, why not look at paying them a visit? There’s nothing like visiting loved ones in strange destinations. You’ll have a great time just because you’re there with them, but then there’s also the matter of exploring their new home, it’s win-win. And then, of course, you can invite them to visit you. You can be anywhere in the world in a matter of hours these days – make the most of it!

Making a group video message

Celebration surprises

Staying in touch is a good start, but it’s also important to go the extra mile from time to time. It’ll help retain the closeness. Let’s take those big celebratory moments, such as their birthday or Christmas. Instead of sending a text, look at doing something special. You can make a video, for example. If it’s a big file, then use a torrent app for Mac for hosting. A personalised video message (or anything else) will show that you’re not just going through the motions, but that you really care.

Writing a letter with a fountain pen

Long letters

It’s true that it’s hard to retain that real closeness when you’re far away. Closeness means sharing innermost thoughts, and knowing where they are in life. To achieve this from a distance, look at getting into the habit of writing one another long letters. People rarely get handwritten letters through the post these days, but they’re always thrilled to receive them. Plus, you’ll find that they’re highly rewarding to write.

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3 classic hobbies you can do from home

3 classic hobbies you can do from home

Quick question – what would you do to occupy yourself if you had to spend the weekend at home, and couldn’t leave for any reason? If you’re like most people, you’d probably end up dedicating an inordinate amount of your time to catching up on your TV watching, surfing the web for random bits of trivia and making sure to obsessively log in and out of your social media accounts every 10 minutes like a true, dyed in the wool addict.

If you’re a more enterprising and proactive sort, however, you might decide to fill your time with something productive, whether that means writing a book, painting the next Mona Lisa, or engaging in any number of old-school, home-based hobbies that have little or nothing to do with the digital world.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, here are a selection of just those sorts of hobbies that you might enjoy taking up.

Hammer and tape measure

Furniture making and upcycling

Once upon a time, it was fairly tricky getting your hands on the raw resources to build your own furniture, or to upcycle existing pieces. Today, thanks to the internet (yeah, not very old-school) and delivery services like Shiply, you can get all the required bits and pieces dropped off at your house with minimal fuss.

Creating your own furniture can be an incredibly fulfilling way of venturing into the world of DIY. You’ll need the right sorts of tools, of course, not to mention some space, and a good selection of books and resources to lead you in the right direction.

Once you’ve acquired all of these prerequisites, however, you can fully devote yourself to building a new bookcase for the living room, or upcycling an old wardrobe and turning it into something truly worth taking up space in your home.

Stamp collecting items

Stamp collecting

Stamp collecting may not be the most glamorous hobby in the world, but it can be surprisingly engaging and fun, even in an age where probably fewer people send letters than pretty much ever before (at least, since the widespread introduction of the postal service).

Stamp collecting is an entire art-form in and of itself. There are specialist magazines to read, special books for cataloguing rare stamps, special books for keeping your stamps in, and various paraphernalia for obtaining stamps in the first place, and safely removing them from envelopes and postcards.

Stamp collecting is a very relaxing, therapeutic kind of hobby. Perfect if you end most days exhausted by your day job.

Collection of vintage radios

Starting a collection

While stamp collecting is, of course, a form of ‘collecting’, it’s a bit more specific and prescribed than the hobby being outlined here.

Starting a collection involves deciding on a particular type of item that you find especially fascinating, and beginning to collect those items.

This could mean starting a mineral collection, or a knife collection, or a pocket watch collection, or just about anything else you could imagine!

You’ll find that many forms of collection are well-represented by hobby groups, hobby magazines, and so on. Once you feel your collection is well-stocked and organised enough, you might want to get in touch with other enthusiasts to compare notes.

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How well do you know your neighbours?

How well do you know your neighbours?

We’re working in partnership on this post with Rattan Direct to find out, “How well do you know your neighbours?“.

There are a few things that have helped us feel part of our local community.

Row of red brick terraced houses

Length of time lived in our home

We’ve lived at our current address for 15 years; most of our neighbours have been here even longer than that. If we have a quick think, we probably know the neighbours pretty well in the seven or eight houses in either direction along our street. We say hello and often stop and have a chat when we see each other. As we work from home, we’re generally pottering about, which makes it more likely that we see people – we’re also available to take in post – and water plants or feed pets if people go away.

Three girls out dog walking

We’re a neighbourhood of animal lovers

Almost half of our neighbours have one or more dogs. The ones that don’t, have a cat… or birds… or tortoises – but more of them later!

Taking a dog for a walk is a guaranteed way of getting to know people. We must know the names of all the dogs within a 3-mile radius of our house… and many of the owners’ names too. Dogs must be the second most popular topic of conversation after the weather!

Flooded streets in Morpethcredit

We’ve pulled together in the face of adversity

Nothing helps you get to know your neighbours better than a shared misfortune. That’s why you hear lots of older people referring to the war as almost a happy time. People pulled together and supported each other as their homes were being bombed or other sacrifices being made.

The homes & businesses on our street have flooded – or have almost – on a few occasions. We’ve helped each other trying to keep the water out that lapped at our front doors. We’ve borrowed, lent and shared brooms and mops and sandbags. We’ve worked together to attach flood barriers to doors as the river level steadily rose. We’ve talked to each other about insurance companies and local authority grants and recommended building companies and workmen. We’ve even had to return a tortoise we found marooned in our garden to neighbours who live a few doors away!

How well you know your neighbours? Take Rattan Direct’s survey to find out.

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