Clicking Our Heels - Personal Success and Failures Beyond Writing

Clicking Our Heels – Personal Success and Failures Beyond Writing

The Stiletto Gang is a creative group of women who excel at many things, besides writing, but even the most perfect of us have found that not every craft, hobby or sport is our cup of tea (or we its).

AB Plum – Aerobic dancing and power walking challenge me most days. I’m about to add poles to my walking – just for fun. I sink to the bottom of the pool and hate getting my face wet. Swimming is not my “thing.

TK Thorne – I’m a terrible housekeeper and not interested in cooking (fortunately my husband is!).

In the past, I was a horse person (and still have one) but now my hobbies are piano and martial arts. I studied Aikido for several years and after a 30-year gap, decided I wanted to try again, so now I am studying Aikayama Ju jitsu. Wouldn’t say I was good and can’t take the falls I used to, but I’m working on it and having fun.

Shari Randall – My generation was brought up by women who sewed and knit as part of their

homemaking skill set, so I learned to do those things so I could hem my own pants or sew a button on, things that seem to be lost arts today. I do love the feel of yarn and am looking forward to teaching myself to crochet this winter, but I’m not particularly crafty. My creative outlet is dance – I love dance in all forms from Zumba to country line dancing to the ballroom dance classes I drag my husband to every winter.

Linda Rodriguez – I spin, knit (including commissioned original design in the past), crochet, weave, embroider, and at times make art quilts. I cannot draw anything beyond stick men. I can’t do any kind of carpentry.

Debra H. Goldstein – My mother gave me every lesson she could think of. As a result, I play the piano reasonably well. Some of my other encounters were a different story: baton twirling (oops), ballet (after two lessons, it was suggested mother spend her money more wisely on something else), knitting (mother taught every Brownie to knit except me – she sent me to the knit shop and was quickly told her she could spend her money elsewhere more wisely), sewing (I sewed the skirt I was making to the one I was wearing and cut a hole in both causing mother to spend the money she saved on cancelling my other lessons), and singing (5 notes on key but not in order). When it comes to exercise, I claim an allergy to excessive movement and avoid anything that might cause glistening. I’m also limited in the culinary arts – which is probably why my new Sarah Blair series contains recipes like Jell-O in a Can and Stouffer’s Spinach pie.

Bethany Maines – Excel may be a strong statement, but I’m a long time karate student and instructor and I used to enjoy painting and drawing before having a kid put the kibosh on extracurricular activities.

Juliana Aragon Flatula – I love gardening, cooking, backing and sewing. My hobby is scrapbooking photos and genealogy research. I played fullback for my coed soccer team in my younger days and loved the sport.

Kay Kendall – I always say I am a natural born slug. I would be happy sitting in a corner reading – or talking to a friend – never moving. Of course therefore sports are not my thing. The only two I was ever any good at were volleyball in gym class and golf. However, in recent years, I let my Fitbit dictate my life so I make sure that I do MOVE enough every day. It is no overstatement to say that in the last three years wearing a Fitbit has changed my life.

Cathy P. Perkins – Right now, I’m loving fused glass – the colors and play of light through the completed pieces. While I love to sew, smock, and embroider, I never learned to knit or crochet. (I'd would like to learn.) Sports? I was so involved in competitive sports in high school I’ve backed away from organized sports and these days, I hike, kayak, and run instead . While running marathons is on paper competitive, for me, it’s simply a challenge about completing the race.

Julie Mulhern – I go through phases in my interests. For a few years I made jewelry. I have an on-again/off-again relationship with needlepoint (currently off). And I’ve been known to knit.

 J.M. Phillippe – I am constantly trying to get into new crafts, but never manage to stick with one for very long. Since I also have a 40+ hour week day job, most of my spare time goes into writing. But I have been known to get lost in playing video games as well. The ones I play are often just another way to engage with a well-built world and create interesting characters.

 Dru Ann Love – I love quilting, although it will never be perfect. I’m lousy at knitting and crocheting. I’m also excellent at watching horror movies. Everything I’ve learned by watching them – I look out for.

 Judy Penz Sheluk – I love to golf and belong to two ladies leagues, but excel would be putting a considerable gloss on my level play. I’ve run 4 marathons and countless ½ marathons, though these days I’m more of a 5k (3 mile) type of runner. I’m hopeless at racquet sports.

Paula Gail Benson – Growing up, I loved and played badminton and tennis. I continue to take tap dancing lessons and smile my way through recitals. All of that practice probably helped me in seeing patterns I use in directing plays, a collaborative experience I love!