August 10, 2021 Hobbies& Leisure a special section of The Derrick. / The News-Herald 2 – THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 Hobbies can promote personal growth Hobbies can help people escape the Hobbies can be creative outlets daily grind. Though it’s easy to view that take your mind off of other things. hobbies as enjoyable ways to pass the For people who have trouble with time, they also can be vehicles that meditation and other mindful ways to enrich your life. shut off their brains, hobbies can be a Hobbies are especially good at help- form of escapism that leaves you alone ing people learn new skills. They also with your thoughts. According to the may help boost professional and per- self-improvement resource Personal sonal development. Growth, most hobbies actually have a Hobbies play a vital role for a vari- meditative effect on your thoughts ety of reasons, and some hobbyists because, no matter what you are doing, may be surprised to learn just how your awareness becomes completely much their favorite form of escapism is focused on the hobby. benefitting their lives. Hobbies can improve your social Hobbies may help to relieve stress life and foster creative bonds with oth- by keeping you engaged with some- ers, providing great ways to meet and thing you enjoy. Reducing stress may get closer to people who share your help you remain calm and be more interests. productive at home, at work and in school. Reduced stress also translates Hobbies can help stave off bore- into improved mental and physical dom, providing productive outlets health. when there is nothing else available to fill the time. Hobbies can be more ben- People who engage in hobbies eficial ways to spend your time than experience new things and may inter- playing games on a phone or watching act with different people through their television. interests. This can give you various topics to discuss in conversation and Hobbies also may be educational make you more interesting to others. and enrich knowledge through skill Learning skills through hobbies also building. People who start with one means you will obtain specialized hobby may find connections to other knowledge that you can impart on ones, further developing their knowl- people with similar interests. edge and skill sets. Open for the 2021 season. Visit our brand new exhibit celebrating Oil City’s 150th Anniversary! 270 Seneca Street Oil City • 814-676-2007 Hours: Tues - Sat 10am-4pm • www.venangomuseum.org THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 – 3 Gifts made by hand are personalized and special The global pandemic continues to affect communities in every corner of the globe, and many people who have stayed home more over the past year and have found they have more time for hobbies. That extra free time may have opened up the opportunity to re-engage with old hobbies or start entirely new ones. Such endeavors may have result- ed in items that can make ideal hand- made holiday gifts. Crafting or engaging in other cre- ative pursuits is a great way to pass the time and alleviate anxiety related to self-quarantining. Katie Carey Levisay, a clinical neuropsychologist in Denver, said that crafting requires focused attention and forces a person to be completely immersed in the moment. For those who prefer to continue to avoid crowds until COVID-19 is in the world’s collective rearview mirror, producing handmade gifts also cuts down on trips to shopping malls and other retailers. Those interested in making hand- made gifts this holiday season can consider these ideas. Handmade gifts provide an opportunity to offer personal and meaningful gifts that can make the holi- Jewelry: Most craft stores now days that much more special. have entire aisles dedicated to making such as a mason jar or delicate teacup. durable fabric and some basic sewing slippers to scarf and hat sets, the options jewelry. From earring posts and loops Handmade soaps: Those who skills are all that’s needed. are endless. to necklace brackets and all the essen- dabble in candles may want to parlay Handmade blanket: Those who Food: Those whose talents lean tials in between, jewelry crafters can those skills into soapmaking as well. love to knit or crochet know the bounty more toward culinary than crafty can create something fitting for the special Soaps can be crafted relatively easy that can be made with needle, hook and pour their holiday love into delicious people on their lists. and packaged as part of the ultimate yarn. From homemade afghans to cozy desserts or tasty tidbits. Candles: Candles add light, homemade spa package. warmth and aroma to help a home feel Oven mitts or skillet handle cozy. With some basic components, covers: Gift that special home chef such as a wax source, wick, tint, and with custom oven mitts and a coordi- scent oils, it’s easy to make candles. nating skillet holder for popular cast- Pour the wax into a favorite vessel, iron cookery. An easy pattern, some A FULL SERVICE HOBBY SHOP WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED! Complete, Race-Ready, Hobby-Quality RC Cars begin at less than $100. SPECTATORS FREE Rentals Available - Call Ahead Great Food - Great Fun Coupon Good For FREE Thursday Rental or $20 OFF any Ready-To-Run RC Car over $100 GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE OPEN: Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat 11am-6pm 482 Stoneboro Lateral Rd., Stoneboro, PA 724-376-2379 • Check Us Out Online: www.bigdogrc.com 4 – THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 Audiobooks offer many benefits to busy readers People who love to read often get lost in a good resource for teaching reading, says audiobooks may book. Reading is a beloved hobby across the globe. introduce readers to books above their reading lev- But even avid readers cannot be immersed in books els or to subjects they may not normally delve all of the time — or can they? into. Reading while driving or engaging in other tasks Expand vocabulary: Listening to audiobooks is challenging or even dangerous, but audiobooks can introduce readers to new words and teach readers provide a way to enjoy a good story even when how to pronounce unfamiliar dialects or old literary you’re otherwise engaged. styles. Though dedicated readers may feel like they’re Experience vivid images: Audiobooks may “cheating” by turning to audiobooks, these alterna- evoke feelings of what it was to be read to as a child. tives to traditional books can be beneficial in various According to Psychology Today, listeners can use the applications, particularly among learning-disabled narrator’s words and form mental pictures of charac- individuals or second-language learners. ters and the plot. Audiobooks have grown in popularity. Data from Escapism: Rather than listening to music while the Audio Publishers Association indicates that commuting, exercising or doing work that doesn’t audiobook sales reached $1.2 billion in 2019. That require much concentration, people can use audio- figure supports the notion that audiobooks can pro- books to stimulate their minds. vide a host of benefits to people who can’t wait to Relax and relieve stress: Audiobooks can help begin their next page turner. people feel happy, thus improving their overall Improve punctuation and fluency: Audiobooks health. Relaxing voices and vivid scene descriptions tend to be read by professional narrators or even well can soothe a person and even help them get ready to known actors and actresses. Listening to audiobooks sleep. can help people learn proper pronunciation of words, Manage time more effectively: A notable ben- how to read with punctuation in mind and also to efit of audiobooks is that they can be utilized as take notice of speed, stresses and pauses that are people perform other tasks, helping to free up time important in developing reading fluency. throughout the rest of the day while still ensuring Introduce new material: Reading Rockets, a people get to enjoy a good story. Auction Professionals Cresswell [email protected] Estates Professional Auctioneers of Auction Bringing Farms & Equipment (814) 354-2290 Service Serious Business Liquidations Real Estate "THE LIQUIDATION AUCTION (724)253-3493 Buyers and Coins & Guns PROFESSIONALS" www.cresswellauction.com Sellers Personal Property LIST YOUR AUCTION Together Appraisals WITH US TODAY! Auctioneer Since 1975! 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Wyant Program Coordinator 814.671.3443 [email protected] Oil City, PA 16301 (H) 814-677-4896 (C) 814-673-0636 National Transit Building/Annex Basement Studio [email protected] 210 Seneca Street National Transit Building Oil City, PA 16301 - Studio 26B 6 – THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 Crafting is more than yarn, glue and construction paper Being forced to spend more time at attached to stock and home during the COVID-19 pandemic then framed.