Six Non-Bookish Things I Love Doing

Today's Top Ten Tuesday is all about getting to know your friendly neighborhood book bloggers! Here are six things you're likely to find me doing when I'm not reading.

1. Writing
You may or may not know this, but I'm an aspiring author myself. I write inspirational historical romance, and I'm in the process of working on my fourth manuscript. Though I'm not published yet, my work has finaled three times in a prominent writing contest, and I've been knocking on the doors of publishers and literary agents. If you'd like to learn more about my writing or follow my journey, you can click on my author photo below to visit my website or subscribe to my newsletter.

2. Being Outside
Fresh air, sunshine, and green foliage make me happy, and so does spotting little critters! Spring's full arrival here in the Ozarks has been welcomed with much joy. I try to get to our park several times a week for a walk along the lake, where I enjoy spotting turtles, fish, and even occasionally an otter, and I love seeing the ducks, geese, and herons. It's only mid-April and I'm already sporting a tan!

3. Teaching
Not only has God gifted me with the ability to teach, I actually do love it. I'm a people person and love making connections with others. I've tutored at a Christian school for 12 years, working one-on-one with middle school and high school students. I teach Sunday School, and I've occasionally led Bible studies or spoken at ladies events. This year I'm also teaching over Zoom to some writing groups around the country, which is a wonderful blend of some of my favorite things.

4. Cooking and Baking
I'm an excellent cook and an award-winning baker. Are you familiar with the Five Love Languages? I think food should be the sixth love language. It brings me so much joy to provide food for others, whether it's a nutritious meal or a mouthwatering dessert. I also love receiving food from others. Below are a couple cakes I've made for special occasions.

  

5. Audio and Visual Entertainment
I don't have a ton of time to sit down and watch TV, but I do enjoy the occasional episode of The Office or Friends, and my favorite movies are more often than not British period dramas. I'm much more likely to have on a podcast, which I can listen to while cooking, cleaning, or even taking a shower. Over the past year I've gotten quite hooked on various YouTube channels that cover legal matters and prominent trials. It's fascinating to learn about the justice system!

6. Following Sports
I used to be a huge sports fan, but this is another thing that has somewhat gone by the wayside due to time constraints. I do still watch college basketball in March and the baseball postseason in October, but the sport I most avidly follow is figure skating. Yep, you read that correctly! I'm a year-round fan, even during non-Olympic years. I think it helps that there's a limited amount of skaters to keep track of and only a handful of major competitions each season, and a VPN and the right sources are pretty much all you need to stay on top of things.

Find more Top Ten Tuesday posts at That Artsy Reader Girl.