Hobbies are good but can also be frustrating, when you have symptoms that interfere with them! Sometimes your "want to" outpaces your "able to". I guess it's good to have a few different ones in different arenas, so to speak. One hobby that I would LOVE to take back up is horseback riding! I owned 2 horses when I was young and rode a lot. Now I can't find a way to do it! We live on an acre lot in a subdivision, no horses permitted of course, and even if I were to buy one and had room for it, I wouldn't physically be able to care for it. Boarding is also out, because of the expense.

I've even tried to reach out to horse owners in the area and see if anyone would just let me BORROW or lease a riding horse, but nobody seems to be interested at all. I guess for them it's a liability issue. The worst thing is, horseback riding is extremely therapeutic for MS, so not only would I be doing something I love, I would be getting exercise and doing therapy at the same time. Grrrrr, so frustrating.

I do play the piano at church, when I'm able - sometimes RA gets in the way of that. Sometimes, like last Sunday, I have MS brain and get really interesting results! My brain and my hands just couldn't agree on what key to play in! I had to give my hands a stern talking-to.

I used to love to cook, but I basically stopped because it got kind of dangerous. Now that I'm feeling a little better, I'm making a few small attempts at it again. Today I'm trying for turkey meatloaf. Ya'll better pray I don't burn the house down, or chop off a finger or something - I could tell you some stories that would make your hair curl.

Before MS came along, I sang in choruses, played the piano, did quite a bit of gardening outdoors and in, and I cooked.

After several decades with MS, the piano and the singing aren't possible, outdoor gardening is limited to a few patio plants, and cooking is really minimal.

For a number of years I played the recorder even though I had MS. I taught myself and had a good time with it but arthritis in my hands made it almost impossible to close the holes on the recorder in the right way.

I used to listen to music on the radio and recordings a lot.

Most of my adult life I've had a cat but since the last one died a year ago I haven't felt up to pet care.

I do tend to a few house plants and take photos now and then.

For many years I did a lot of counted cross stitch, needlepoint, knitting, crocheting, and quilting. I did teach myself to crochet. For the quilting I watched TV shows about it and got library books.

I knitted and crocheted quite a number of afghans, mostly as gifts for people, and a few sweaters, and I made needlepoint pillows as gifts too.

I haven't done knitting in years but can still crochet.

Do you enjoy writing? As tkrik suggested, you might try keeping a journal. Reading your journal later on can be fun and helpful too.

Agate, why can't you sing anymore? Once a singer, always a singer

I thought that too, doydie, but I can't carry a tune any more, and my voice goes out on me after a short time. I go hoarse and start losing whatever voice is left.

So I sound off on message boards.

agate, I can sing part of a song pretty well but by the end of it my voice has pretty well gone. But as part of a choir, I just lipread the last couple of notes. In our Christmas cantata there is always narration between each song!

I think it's great that you're keeping on with the choral singing, doydie.

The narration in between each song must give you a nice chance to rest and collect yourself.

Hey who says you have to 'sing' to sing though? I sing all the time of course occasionally my cat starts stalking the dying goose I'm apparently impersonating, but hey that's why God invented selective hearing isn't it....

Just hide all implements of vocal recording and sing as much as you like if the cats or dogs around start eyeing you too hungrily they're won over easily with a few treats.

Hey all of you who says they can't sing. The Bible says to sing a joyful noise unto the Lord!

I still sing at home alone when nobody can hear me. I don't want to subject anyone else to this painful experience but I sing along with recorded music that I play, or just sing songs I remember, or hum tunes.

And how about whistling? Whistling's not so easy now, what with some dental work I've had, but I still try.

Thanks everyone for all of your replies.

I have been reading this summer and have really enjoyed it! Sitting on my porch in the shade sipping on ice tea and reading has been so relaxing. I have been reading books authored by John Grisham, James Patterson and Danielle Steel mostly. I forgot how much I used to enjoy reading!

I think I might try crocheting or knitting this winter. I watch a lot of TV and I am hoping once I learn how to crochet or knit I can do it while watching my favorite shows.

I envy you who can draw, sing and write! I might try to look into volunteering and/or taking a class. I also would like to explore my genealogy. Thanks again for all of your suggestions!