Popular spare-time activities include family and friends–from volunteering in children’s schools to assisting aging parents. Lisa Rojany Buccieri says, “I hate to laugh, but I have three children 8 and under and that is where all my time goes.”In spite of family obligations (or perhaps because of them) we manage to find time to goof-off a bit on the nature trail, in a coffee shop, or in a garden. Again, in the author/illustrator’s own words:Susan Taylor Brown: “I work in the garden. Last summer we removed both our front and back lawns and removed all but 2 trees. We’ve replaced everything with California Native plants and are creating a wildlife habitat. It is exciting to watch the transformation as we are in the middle of the city surrounded by houses and busy streets and yet already we have all sorts of critters coming to visit.”

Eve Aldridge: “I’m running in the Oakland hills with my dog, or pretzel folding in yoga, or smoothing out the wrinkles in my brain with some on-line Sudoku, or my absolute fave – reading a novel, kid or adult, on my sunny deck while tossing back a brew.”

Janet Halfmann: “I take long walks along a nature trail near our home with my husband or daughter. It’s fun to watch the wildlife and notice how the trail changes every day. I also spend a lot of time in my flower and vegetable gardens, planting, weeding, harvesting. I plant many different kinds of vegetables and lots of tomatoes, so summers are spent making and freezing lots of chili, spaghetti sauce, goulash, and bruschetta.”

Marsha Diane Arnold: “When I am not writing, there are so many activities that draw my attention. I am fragmented, as I am in my writing. There is so much delicious food on the banquet table, it is hard to choose. I love to do international line dance, to bird watch, to scuba dive and snorkel, to travel to exotic locations or nearby locations, to garden, to hike, to walk in nature, to horseback ride, to sing with my hobby singing group, “The Powdered Sugars”, to learn new things, and to spend time with my family, whether it’s through travel, playing games, or watching a good movie.”

Caryn Huberman Yacowitz: “My passion for myself–other than my granddaughter–is gardening–which I wish I could do more often–veggies and flowers.”

Loretta Ichord: “I’m an avid gardener and devote a lot of time planting, weeding, and nurturing flowers and vegetables. I also grow herbs that I use in my other passionate activity,cooking. I have a large family: four grown children, their spouses, and five grand kids. At least once a month we all get together and have dinner to celebrate birthdays, etc.”

Deborah Lee Rose: “When I’m not writing or tackling other professional tasks, one thing I love to do is sew. My favorite things to sew in the last couple years have been small quilts for young children, and making these quilts led me to write a lullaby-type picture book, now under contract for publication. I also walk (six miles at a time), swim, read, and listen to a lot of Broadway show music since my high-school aged son is very involved in musical theater (and I even help sew costumes for the shows).”

C. Lee McKenzie: “Since writing is a lot about BIC time, I take whatever “free time” I have to hike. I do what’s called The Jones Trail in the Santa Cruz Mountains a couple of times a week and whenever I can really get away I do the Garrapatas Loop above Big Sur. Any other “free” moments are for yoga, garden, friends, and family–not necessarily in that order.”

Cynthia Weber: “My other passion is my garden. It truly sings to me everyday. With such little effort (well, not always easy when I get beat up by rose thorns) I can create alive amazing beauty. “

Genny Heikka: “…enjoying a cup of coffee at my favorite coffee house around the corner. Which usually leads to sitting at a table by the window. Which usually leads to writing.”

Thanks to everyone who participated!