Being newly divorced, having a full-time job and having three kids doesn’t leave much free time for me. But I do what I can to find a little time for myself. I may not have time for a lot of hobbies, but the ones I do I enjoy them.

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always enjoyed dancing. Just like my daughter Lauren, I began ballet dancing when I was four years old and while I don’t dance any longer, I am having fun watching my daughter dance. It is brining me back to my youth, and it has been a blast.

I also enjoy swimming and when I have a little time I try to get to the pool. I think my daughter Caitlyn gets my love of the water and swimming from me. Either that or she is part dolphin! During my younger days I was also a lifeguard at the local pool, and in college. I can picture my daughter following in my wet footsteps down the road.

But one of my favorite hobbies right now is cooking. At one point I probably would have been in contention for one of the “Worst Cooks” contests. But I have done a lot of work at improving by looking at various websites, cookbooks and even attended a cooking class at our community college. While I’m not the best cook in the world, I’m not embarrassing myself or my family when I make a meal.

Recently I started another new hobby. I began painting. When I was young, I used to enjoy various artistic activities, even though I was not the most talented. So, I went with some people from work to a local paint and sip place where we painted a picture. It wasn’t great but I enjoyed it and got a chance to show just a little bit of my artistic ability. Since then I have started painting at home, and have painted landscapes, buildings and other still life subjects.

While I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies, I am trying to make some time.