Weekly Geeks assignment 2009-04 was the brainchild of Chris of Book-a-rama. Inspired by our founder Dewey's passion for knitting, Chris wanted to know about our passions aside from reading and blogging:
What are you passionate about besides reading and blogging? For example, are you crafty (knitting, woodworking, scrapbooking, model building)? Do you cook? Into gaming (computer or board)? Sports (player or spectator)? Photography? Maybe you like geocaching, rock climbing? Or love attending events like renaissance fairs, concerts? Music? Dancing? You get the idea.
Tell us why you're passionate about it. Post photos of what you've made or of yourself doing whatever it is you love doing.
Chris also asked us to share outside links ("tutorials, recipes, YouTube videos, websites, fan sites, etc, anything that will help us learn more about your interest or how to do your hobby") related to our passions, and to visit other Weekly Geeks to learn more about their passions.
Bogsider at Lous_Pages wondered whether she had an answer to this question at first:
Passionate is such a big word. But then again, I do know that I do not have to take the meaning literally and that if I translate it to something like "what are your other interests" it applies (and appeals) more to me. I can see the gap between being passionate about something and having an interest in something. But taken literally, I am not red-hot with passion over anything. But I am interested in a lot of things, and definitely, I feel more interested in some things over others. And there are of course things which I am very interested in and spend a lot of time doing or thinking about. Surely.
Framed in those terms, Bogsider did have some passions to share. She is close to completing a master's degree in Egyptology, an interest which allows her to pursue two other favorite activities, photography and travel. Photography is a hobby mentioned by several other Weekly Geeks, too. A few folks, like work their photographs into another one of their passions - scrapbooking, either traditional, like Erin at Crazy Comma Momma, or digital, like Tasses of Random Wonder.
When they're not holding a book, Weekly Geeks seem to like using their hands for needlework crafts like crochet and cross-stitch are popular. Knitting is a favorite pastime of Julie from Booking Mama, while Yati of "Fiddle-de-dee's not English" is one of the Geeks who enjoys patchwork and quilting. Some geeks express their creativity through drawing and painting, like Claire at Kiss a Cloud and Sarah from Puss Reboots, and Care of Care's Online Book Club makes mosaics.
But even though they love to read and blog and be creative, Weekly Geeks like to get outside once in a while too. Some Geeks enjoy working in their gardens. Some enjoy working with animals, like Wendy of Caribousmom and Bookish Ruth, while Gavin of Page 247 is a volunteer Beach Naturalist. One Weekly Geek, UnfinishedPerson, is preparing to run his first marathon this summer.
And every now and then, a Geek likes to come out from behind her books and entertain people. Ali of Worducopia sings with a choir, and Joanna from It's All About Me performs in plays and musicals.
Weekly Geeks are definitely more than just bookworms!