A Practical Hobby

I read this phrase today, and it perfectly describes what it is that I'm sort of always yearning for.  I touched on it awhile back with the "Things I don't do" posts.  I had written about how I thought a school librarian sounded like a fun fit for my interests but didn't fit my lifestyle in the hours required. Now this is truly a premature post, because I haven't started in any way, but I think I may have hit on 'my thing'.

I've tried to describe to Jaret how I want to do something that sounds fun, but is purposeful, too.  If it's just fun, being my personality, it just won't hardly ever happen.  If it's just all purposeful, it will drain me (especially since I tend to think purposefully about all the tasks I'm doing every day anyway.) 

So. The what: I seem to be developing increasingly sensitive skin (and several in our family have felt sensitive to different products).  I've been researching products to replace liquid dish detergent because my hands burn and chap every time I use it.  I sort of settled on trying bar soap, but was researching the most gentle bar soaps.  Homemade soap came up in a lot of my searching, and I learned a lot of about how/why homemade soaps can be different from mass produced soaps. 

Suddenly it hit me that it could be REALLY fun to make soap.  If it helps my skin issues, I will have a never ending need for it, and it is a hobby that easily lends itself to being creative as well. FUN and PURPOSEFUL!!! It was one of those moments that felt like a gift from God and some spontaneous praise has followed.  :)

Planning to sign up for a soap making class June 29th.  I guess I'll know more then if I actually want to continue pursuing.